cherrry bubbins

New Word for 2012 - Productive

2012-01-01T01:17:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it's already 2012, it seems like I just got used to writing out 2011!

I have so many plans, hopes and dreams for 2012.

I am not a big "resolution" kind of girl, but I do like to set some goals and identify areas I want to focus on for the upcoming year.

One of the ways I do this is by choosing one word to guide me through out the year. This is an awesome concept, started by Christine Kane. (Check out this post to learn more)

Last year my word was "Prepared".

This year my word is "Productive" - which I chose simply because it is the opposite of lazy.

(Which I am aiming more than anything not to be in 2012.)

Source: winloseorblog.blogspot.com via leslie on Pinterest

So what about you? How do you prepare for a new year? Do you make resolutions, set goals, choose a word or not even stress about it?

What ever your plan - I wish you a wonderful, and productive, New Year!

A Very Merry Christmas to You

2011-12-25T05:00:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas to you & yours!

Love, the Duran Clan

"Organize That Sewing Space" eBook Giveaway Winner!

2011-12-11T11:57:00.001-06:00

Thanks for all the help and feedback on my sewing room situation! I got a bunch of emails and posts with some terrific insights and ideas!

Now, for the the winner of the Organize That Sewing Space ebook:

Congratulations Carol! Thanks for the input and support! Please contact me with your email address so I can send you your copy of Organize That Sewing Space!

A Conversation About My Studio & Giveaway!

2011-12-03T14:57:00.001-06:00

I need some help. Some input. Lets have a conversation about my studio.

This is our living room. It currently serves as a catch all for random extra furniture and that's about it.

When we were house hunting, I insisted we find a home with a room large enough to be my studio. I didn't want to use a living room if it meant walking straight into that room from the front door. Like this:

Call me crazy, I just have this "thing" about my studio being the first room you see when you enter my home, and I don't want guests to have to walk through it to access the rest of the place.

I have yet to see a home in Utah that doesn't have that front room, and we passed up several good homes because this room was the the only option for my studio. In short, I was throwing tantrums. Massive tantrums.

Then we found this house, and I thought it could work.

Sure, there are plenty of reasons we got this home, but I had my eye on the basement - it was the largest we had found in a Tri-level home yet.

Now that everything is somewhat settled downstairs and have done some sewing I've decided.

I hate it.

really.

I don't even want to go down there.

I can't even really explain why.

...maybe it's because I'm cut off down there, or it's so tight, or the lack of view...

So, I've been thinking about this for about a week or so.

What if I moved the studio... upstairs...into the living room?

Ya know, the room you walk directly into when you enter my home, the one guests have to walk through to access the rest of the place. The one I insisted I could never, ever, use as a studio.

So I had slick take measurements for me and draw-up a floor plan to see if it was even feasible.

And now I'm thinking I can totally do this...

Next step, getting approval from the hubs:

Me: would you hate me if I said I wanted to move my studio into the living room?

Sarge: no.

Me: would it look weird in that room?

Sarge: yes.

Me: would that bother you?

Sarge: not as long as you kept it picked up

Me: okay. so I can do this?

Sarge: is this going to cost me?

Me: well, I want these things from Ikea...

Sarge: wait a couple months before you buy more stuff.

Me: okay, so can I do this?

Sarge: just don't ask me to help. I'm sick of moving.

Me: what if me and Anthony do it.

Sarge: just don't take forever, I don't want stuff everywhere.

Some random thoughts:

The rooms are similar in dimensions (one is directly above the other) But I'll have to do some major downsizing to make it look presentable.
I am capable of keeping it presentable, I've written an eBook Organize That Sewing Space!
The round chair would stay, and I'm cool with that because it's my chair and I love it.
I'd have to suffer with the bookcases I currently have until I get what I really want
the pattern cabinet would be prominent, and it's ugly. I'd like to paint it, but couldn't until weather improves next spring...
My teenage son is thrilled with the prospect of the couch & TV cabinet moving downstairs - he has visions of his own "man cave"
The furniture is heavy, and there are 2 (short) sets of stairs to haul it up and down
This room has the best lighting in the house
I want it to feel more office than sewing room at first glance.

Here are some of my Pinspirations:

Source: google.ca via leslie on Pinterest

Source: organized-design.com via leslie on Pinterest

Source: littlebrownpen.blogspot.com via leslie on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via leslie on Pinterest

and this one does not use the Ikea Expedit, but I love the "built in" look

Source: sawdustandpaperscraps.com via leslie on Pinterest

So what do you think?

Would it look totally weird?

Is it weird that I care?

Should I move upstairs, or suck it up and stay in the basement?

I don't know what to do, I'm torn.

I am giving away a copy of my ebook Organize That Sewing Space

which retails for $9.95 at Youcanmakethis.com

If you would like to win this just help a girl out and leave me a comment with your opinion about my studio situation!

Entries accepted through Saturday, 12/10

winner announced Sunday 12/11

Studio Progress Update

2011-12-03T12:06:00.001-06:00

I thought it was time for a studio update since the last time I posted about my studio you saw this mess:

Remember that? oh yeah, that was fun.

There have been a few improvements since then!

And, see how ~~lazy~~ honest I am? I didn't even pick up before taking these pictures.

As you can see, I've managed to cram almost everything into this much smaller space.

Bet you didn't think I could do it, huh?

Everything is pretty much in it's place now. I just need to do some fine tuning.

Like finally unwrapping all that ribbon....

and getting things hung up around my embroidery machine desk.....

Okay, getting everything hung up....

and clearing up all that crap under my cutting table...

You can probably tell I am a creature of habit. My studio has been set up in this basic format in almost every house we've been in.

I seriously can't imagine sewing with out these tool boxes within arms reach. It's where I keep everything!

All I have left to do, really, is hang up some stuff, do some general organizing/tweaking and refold my fabric.

I should be happy, right? Relieved, thrilled?

I'll be honest.

I've done some sewing down here.

I'm just not feelin' it.

But I have a plan....

It Could Have Been Worse...

2011-12-02T15:24:00.001-06:00

We woke up to an intense wind storm yesterday morning, with winds sustained at 50 mph and gusts as high as 100 mph.

My son, who had left for school early - before we had even gotten up - left this note for me on the kitchen counter:

Little did he know, that was just the beginning...

By the end of the day, we lost most of our fence and our pool deck, but sustained little damage to the house. Once the wind died down we ventured out to assess the damages...

Even our lights couldn't withstand the wrath, lol!

All the remains of our fence is the gate - isn't that crazy?

and this section in the corner, which was shielded by a shed and pool

The wind was still blowing in the above picture - I can't believe our pool cover lasted! Several grommets were ripped off, but it still held out!

Before yesterdays storm:

After:

It could have been a lot worse, most of our neighbors lost roofing, sheds and trees.

We watched from our bedroom as the wind peeled the siding of the house behind us.

Wow. I have been through hurricanes when we were stationed in Charleston, SC - but we never had damage like this. My neighborhood looks like a war zone.

On the upside, this gave us all an excuse to get out and finally meet each other. :o)

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T13:19:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving to you from us!

ASG Meeting & Elections - You're Invited Too!

2011-11-18T12:51:00.001-06:00

Tonight I am attending a General Meeting & Election for my local ASG Chapter here in Salt Lake City, UT.

I'm pretty excited, it's been a while since I've seen some of these girls, and these meetings are always fun.

Plus tonight everyone will reveal their Ugly Fabric Challenge entry - I can't wait to see what everyone came up with, but of course I'd like to win! Wish me luck!

Want to come?

If you are not a member but have ever been curious about ASG and live in the area now is a perfect time to check us out!

Want to learn more about your serger?

Tamra will be presenting "Creative Serging" to take you beyond seam finishing!

There will be refreshments, door prizes and our Ugly Fabric challenge will be judged-

and it's all free!

Hope to see you there!

Want to know more? Check out our new blog here: ASG in the SLC

(Pardon the dust, I'm still working on it)

From Haunted to Stranded to Home Again

2011-11-16T18:23:00.001-06:00

We took a little trip to Estes Park Colorado

to see the grandparents and lots of aunts, uncles and cousins too.

We stayed in the historic Stanley Hotel

Over 100 years old, the hotel and grounds are beautifully maintained.

Stanley, Estes Park Co

The Stanley is considered the "Most Haunted Hotel in America"

We took the History & Ghost tour, I was there for the history - the kids for the ghosts, of course!

To Kadences disappointment, we never ran into any ghosts, but we left some candy for the "children" who haunt the 4th floor.

We also got to peek at the infamous room 217, where Stephen King stayed and was inspired to write "The Shining".

room 217

And yes.

we did watch the Shining in anticipation of this vacation.

Mom of the year.

'redrum" on the bell tower door

The elevator was one of my favorite spots. All brass and shiny, it felt very opulent.

...and our reflections in the door made for a kinda cool and spooky picture.

We Also did some hiking at Bear Lake.

Bear Lake, Rocky Mtn Nat'l Park

It was pretty icy, but I managed to not fall down.

All the way. On my butt.

be Nice or Leave, Oscar Blues

One night we went to an awesome little spot called Oscar Blues for dinner.

A group of retired Marines were there celebrating Veterans day.

Dru's mom, who has never met a stranger, some how got got the Sarge into the middle of this rowdy celebration.

They kept calling him "Marine" and he kept replying "Air Force".

Maybe they were too drunk to care, or maybe anyone with a high & tight is a Marine on Veterans Day.

Either way, I was happy, because they had chocolate cake.

One our way home we stopped in Wyoming.

Quite literally.

On I-80

because it was closed due to weather conditions.

After 3 hours of not moving we pulled a U-turn on the median and headed back to civilization.

because I had to pee.

really bad.

And in case you have never been there, Wyoming is prairie.

And there is no where for a grown women to pee on the prairie.

Especially when stranded on the highway, surrounded by Semi's.

The kids endured the extension on our vacation by spending all their time in the pool.

It's a hard knock life.

Now I guess we all have to get back to reality. The kids have a ton of make-up work and I have a General Meeting for ASG on Friday I need to prepare for! I have my ugly fabric challenge ready to go (more on that soon!), but I need to get to work on the favors/door prizes.

Going on Vacation

2011-11-08T05:06:00.000-06:00

We're going to be away for a few days...
Taking a little family vacation and staying in hauntingly beautiful, and historic spot I've always wanted to check out!

image credit

Be back in about a week!

And The Winner is...

2011-11-07T16:26:00.000-06:00

Connie!

who said "I would have to say Day 31 Throw a Party because the moving and unpacking is all over. I have moved maybe 5 times and once its all unpacked you are ready to make it your HOME"

Check your email Connie, you have a gift certificate for YoucanMakethis.com waiting for you!

Thanks for playing along everyone and hanging out with me over these 31 day posts!

YouCanMakeThis.com Giveaway ending soon!

2011-11-06T04:00:00.000-06:00

Don't forget to enter the YouCanMakeThis.com Giveaway!

The winner will be announced tomorrow!

One reader will win a $10 Gift certificate.

They even have a promo going on right now - use coupon code MERRY12 to make your dollar go farther!

youcanmakethis.com

Leave a comment on the original contest post to enter.
Enter Here!
Good Luck!

I {Heart} National Digital Scrapbooking Day

2011-11-05T14:58:00.000-05:00

I love to play with real papers, but I don't actually make any paper layouts.

All my Scrapbooking is done digitally, and today is National Digital Scrapbooking Day (DSD).

I love Digital scrapbooking,

but I don't limit myself to just making Layouts with my digital scrapbooking supplies!

I use digital elements to make postcards I can email

And to create my own printables, like cards

or recipe cards

we've made printable signs for Boo-ing

I made this printable "chore reminder" for my teenage son

I use this printable Meal Planner to keep dinner on track

I almost always use digital elements to make invitations

Sometimes I make "Hybrid" projects:

...like cupcake wrappers

Or this flyer and matching "edible image" for the cake

Or notebooks & planners

Now that I have a silhouette I'm going to have to try the "print and cut" feature - I've seen some awesome digital element/silhouette projects out there!

Two places where I shop for my digital supplies are having sales to honor National Digital Scrapbooking Day,

Mymemories & Scrapgirls, check them out today for some great savings! And if your just getting started, or are digitally curious both websites have a bunch of freebies to get you started.

What do you make with all your digi supplies?? Leave a link so I can check you out!

To see more of my digital scrapping projects peek here!

Mailbox Make-Over

2011-11-04T15:45:00.002-05:00

You may remember seeing my mailbox in this recent 31 days post.

It was in pretty sad shape, with a bad paint job that was starting to fade and rust.

Add a bit of spray paint and some vinyl....

and, ta-da!

I used RustOleum in a brown hammered finish. This paint is made to go directly over rust and hide any ~~ugliness~~ imperfections in metal. Perfect! Even better? I had it on hand already, so I didn't have to spend a dime!

This is the first time I've used my Silhouette to cut vinyl.

I made a ridiculous mess of the situation.

I kept getting the vinyl stuck to itself,

then the transfer paper stuck to itself,

then somehow stuck to each other, wrong sides together.

It took a couple of tries, but I now know exactly what not to do next time.

Okay, so it won't win any honors, but it's no longer the ugliest box on the street.

Yay me! Sucks to be you white mailbox 3 houses down!

Yes, yes, it has been brought to my attention that I should have done something with the post while I was at it. Oh well, I'll get to it someday!

Kadences New Wenwen {karate kid} Hair Cut & How-to

2011-11-03T06:12:00.000-05:00

Have you seen the newest Karate Kid movie? (the 2010 version with Jaden Smith)

Wenwen Han plays Meiying, the girl Dre meets in the park who plays the violin.

We love her haircut!

is it long? is it a bob?

it's a little bit of both!

{want to know to achieve this look? keep reading}

I took Kadence down to get a trim this Sunday, and she floored me by asking for the "Karate Kid" cut.

I was unprepared for this request so I didn't have a picture on hand. The first Stylist hadn't even seen the movie, so she had no idea what we were talking about...so we moved on...

The next stylist had not only seen the movie, but said she had a girl request it while she was in school. She kept shaking her head and saying she couldn't believe the odds of doing this cut twice.

Before:

After:

It's actually a very simple cut.

So if you want this cut but have a stylist who doesn't know what it is here's the low down.

Make a part across the back of your head from ear to ear.

All the hair below that part will be left long.

All the hair above that part should be cut into an A-line bob with layering.

Easy!

She loves it!

Our stylist cut Kadences hair to about her shoulders for the bob-part of the cut (which is about where the inspiration cut falls) and took about 2 inches off her length.

When we got home Kadence wanted more contrast between the 2 sections so I cut off a few more inches and gave her a chin bob. It still has an A-line, but she wanted her bangs to be longer on the right and we added some layers to the back (of the bob) as well. (I wish I had just cut the whole thing myself to begin with, at the least the part between the 2 sections would be straighter, and I would have saved the time of redoing it anyhow.) So now Kadences long hair is longer and her bob is shorter than the inspiration cut.

Then we dyed the long half red. Don't freak out on me, its only the semi-permanent.

She wears the long part in pigtails or a side pony tail, and it looks so cute! I can't wait to curl it up like Meiying does in the festival scene.

Halloween Hangover

2011-11-02T11:08:00.001-05:00

October is a fun month, but between Kadences birthday and Halloween I'm glad it's over.

seriously, do you know how many parties those two events alone entail?

I needed all day yesterday just to recover.

On top of the normal craziness of Halloween, Kadence got her hair cut on Sunday

but was unhappy with the results so I had to re-do it on Monday for her.

(and it looks freakin' awesome if I do say so myself - post on that tomorrow)

She also wanted it dyed red.

Did I actually just dye my 11 year olds hair?

yes.

yes I did.

Obviously, after dealing with the hair, we had to style it appropriately for Halloween.

Then onto the make-up.

Oh yeah, guess I have to make a costume too, huh?

So we sewed this up quickly and got her out the door just in time to trick or treat.

Anthony was a zombie at a neighborhood haunted house.

He looked pretty awesome - but took off early so no pictures of that kid this year.

I don't let him trick or treat anymore.

really, he's 16 for goodness sake.

Isn't that for the little people?

What age do you think kids should stop?

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Throw a Party & GIVEAWAY!

2011-10-31T11:05:00.000-05:00

Celebrate your new home, show it off and enjoy it with some friends and family.

Source: weheartit.com via Haley on Pinterest

Throw yourself a little party.
Whether it's a house-warming gathering, a Tupperware party, a kids birthday event or just girlfriends over for brunch.

Source: Uploaded by user via Scott on Pinterest

Party like a Rock Star!
Hell, you deserve a shin-dig just for following along for the last 31 days!
And what's a party with out party favors?
Just a little token to help you make something to dress up your new (or not) nest:
a $10 gift certificate to YouCanMakeThis.com!

Mandatory Entry:
Leave a comment letting me know which 31 Days to Settle in After a Move post is your favorite and why!
{Winner must be a Cherry Bubbins follower.}

Giveaway will be closed and winner will be chosen by random number on Monday, November 7, 2011.

Thanks for joining me on this quest to Settle in, if you've missed any posts from the series you can find them below.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Intro
{Day 1} Color me Mine
{Day 2} Carpet
{Day 3} Unpack
{Day 4} Ensure Privacy
{Day 5} Cleaning...or not...
{Day 6} Restock Your Kitchen
{Day 7} Don't Rush to Hang Pictures
{Day 8} New Purchases & Repurposing
{Day 9} Kids Rooms
{Day 10} Create Your Oasis
{Day 11} Buy a New Shower Head
{Day 12} Break in the Kitchen
{Day 13} Re-Establish Routine
{Day 14} Break in the Bedroom
{Day 15} Paint Your Front Door
{Day 16} First Impressions
{Day 17} Do You Smell That?
{Day 18} Beautify Your Walls
{Day 19} Family Cards
{Day 20} Accept the Imperfections
{Day 21} Make New Memories
{Day 22} Get Involved
{Day 23} You've Got Mail
{Day 24} Family Control Center
{Day 25} Live in the Moment
{Day 26} Settle Into Your Closet
{Day 27} Brighten Your Outlook
{Day 28} Pick Your Battles
{Day 29} Be Selfish
{Day 30} Get a Pool
{Day 31}This Post - Throw a Party

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T11:04:00.000-05:00

Wishing you a Spook-tacular day! ~the Duran Clan!

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Get a Pool

2011-10-30T08:12:00.000-05:00

It will
keep your kids busy
draw every kid within a 2 mile radius
leave you with towels you know you never bought
make you wish you had a degree in chemistry
cost way more than you possibly imagined
and make your house the coolest on the block

can't get a pool?
a trampoline will probably give you similar results.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Be Selfish

2011-10-29T19:43:00.000-05:00

After each move my studio is the last room to be unpacked and squared away and sometimes it has been months before I am able to sew again. And even though I am totally over-focusing on the task at hand - settling in to our new home- I am probably less productive because in the back of my head I wish I was doing something for me. Then I become grumpy & resentful. That makes me a fun person to be around. (We all know the saying "if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.")

Learn from my (repeated) mistake.

Don't put your creativity on hold because you have a huge to-do list.
Don't let guilt keep you from doing something just for you.
Don't neglect your hobbies or passions.

Death, Divorce, and Moving are the 3 most stressful experiences in life.
Would you ever deny someone a creative outlet or time to enjoy themselves after a death? or a divorce?
of course not.
So why do we do it to ourselves during a move?

Source: searchquotes.com via Alexia on Pinterest

Take some time for you, whether it's reading a good book, enjoying a pedicure or getting your craft on.
Do it, and do it often.
You totally deserve it, don't put yourself last.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Pick Your Battles

2011-10-29T19:42:00.003-05:00

Let's be real.
There are only 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week.

Source: fuckiminmy20s.tumblr.com via Alex on Pinterest

I recently read a post on The Happiest Mom titled "Cleaning and Organizing is a process, not a goal". It was a great post - with a fantastic concept that I think can be easily applied to a move. In it Meagan writes " you will never be able to brush your hands together, and say “That’s it! I’m completely organized and the house is neat and clean! Now I can just relax and enjoy for the rest of my life!” Settling in is a process, not a goal. There is always going to be one more thing to do, clean, buy, make or put away. I say, pick your battles, and don't sweat the small stuff.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Brighten Your Outlook

2011-10-29T19:41:00.000-05:00

Wishing you had a better view?

Wash your windows!

Source: carladyck.blogspot.com via ingridf on Pinterest

You'll be amazed at how much brighter your home will seem.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Settle into Your Closet

2011-10-26T12:35:00.000-05:00

Having a hard time getting dressed in the mornings because you still can't find anything in your closet?

me too.

I went from a walk-in closet of my very own to a standard closet.

I've paired down to 45 shoes and sent about 30% of my clothes to the DI.

(I refuse to let go of anything else)

You can see I managed to squeeze in whats left - I'm really good at "making it work"!

For the most part I've got the clothes organized: pants, dresses, skirts - and shirts by color and sleeve length.

Can you see where I'm struggling every morning?

It's the shoes!

(...and yes, I did just post a picture of my closet. I can't believe I'm showing you this...)

I worked in Womens Shoes at Nordstrom a lifetime ago,

so I normally organize my shoes by color and heel size. Now they are such a mess.

When I open this closet every morning I am reminded of one more move-related thing I still need to do.

Great way to start my day, right?!

I know if I just take an afternoon to get this together I'll feel better and my mornings will go so much smoother.

Need some help getting started on your closet? Tiny Twig is doing a 31 day series on a "No Brain-er Wardrobe" and in her 6th day post she covers purging your closet. Even though she kinda lost me when she said no one needs more than 5 -10 pairs of shoes (gasp!) she's very motivating.

What have you done to settle into your closet?

What do you still need to do?

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Live in the Moment

2011-10-25T06:30:00.000-05:00

Today Kadence turns 11 years old.

I can't think of a better way to enjoy our new home than to celebrate her birthday.

Don't get so carried away in your to do list that you forget to enjoy life.

Live in the moment.

The house will still be standing tomorrow.

Kadence Carolina

October 25, 2000

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Family Control Center

2011-10-24T22:03:00.001-05:00

Identify your dumping grounds and collection areas.

It could be by the front door, on your desk or all over your kitchen counter.

In our home it's the kitchen (a habit I'm breaking) and by the garage door.

I got tired of shuffling papers around my counter top after we moved here - especially since there was a perfectly good area already built into our family room we could use. It's near the phone, computer and filing cabinet. This seems like a pretty obvious place to put mail, notes, papers, etc, right?? It took a while and met some resistance, but the kids are finally catching on. This is now my "Family Control Center"

However, this bowl in the kitchen is still catching some items before they make their way home...

And you've all seen the garage door solution...

See my keys hanging off the top of the lamp?

Tacky? definitely!

But have I ever lost my keys since we moved in? Nope!

Where are your dumping grounds and how do you wrangle the mess?

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: You've Got Mail

2011-10-23T15:41:00.000-05:00

Have you ever upped your curb appeal to make your home more sell-able, and then wished you'd done it from day one so that you could have enjoyed it all along?

Isn't that kinda like waxing for a pap-smear but forgoing a shave before a trip to the beach?

Is your mailbox looking a little neglected? Mine is!

Everything else looks fine.

Our yard looks nice, I love the flag pole and our front door is now a welcoming shade of red.

But that mailbox... eeshh!
crappy paint job, missing numbers....

Any one else singing "One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn't belong." when they look at their mailbox?

You could buy a new one, or....

You could give it a fresh coat of paint

Source: hollymathisinteriors.com via Kathleen on Pinterest

Source: mailboxnet.com via Antonia on Pinterest

Source: tumblr.com via Carmen on Pinterest

Source: None via Aja on Pinterest

and add a little vinyl to personalize it

Source: etsy.com via April on Pinterest

Source: back40life.3dcartstores.com via Mandy on Pinterest

Source: None via Tasha on Pinterest

Decorate it for the season

Source: potterybarn.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: None via Axa on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via Erika on Pinterest

Add some lovely plantings around it

Source: None via Katie on Pinterest

Source: greensborodailyphoto.com via Mashae on Pinterest

Source: capecodphotoalbum.com via Denise on Pinterest

try a different medium to make it your own

Source: sweetnothingsbj.blogspot.com via Gwen on Pinterest

Source: None via Mary Beth on Pinterest

Source: None via Recyclart on Pinterest

What can you add to your curb appeal to make it your own?
I'm feeling inspired to paint mine red, it definitely needs help! Maybe I'll get to that later this week.

Make a Difference!

2011-10-22T09:36:00.002-05:00

Today is Make a Difference Day.

Kadence and I will be at the Newgate mall working on quilts for the Childrens Justice Center.

What are you doing to make a difference today?

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Get Involved!

2011-10-22T09:36:00.001-05:00

A new job is a great way to network and meet new people...but some of us are in a place in our lives where we can't or maybe just don't wanna. That doesn't mean you have to be stuck at home in a new place all lonesome and pathetic. Get out there - start volunteering, join some clubs, take some classes. Become part of your new community.

There are so many opportunities to expand your world or make a difference.
Your church or kids school is a great place to start. But don't stop there.
When I Google'd "Layton UT Club" I got a plethora of responses - fom Mom clubs to Hiking clubs, there is something for everyone. If you have a talent or passion for something related to the arts, consider looking into a guild. Just a quick Google of "Layton UT Guild" brought up a Jewelers Guild, Artisans Guild, Quilt Guild, Screen writers Guild, Story Telling Guild, Opera Guild, Symphony Guild.....

I belong to the American Sewing Guild, it is a national organization - so every time we move one of the first things I do is look into my local chapter. It's an easy way for me to quickly make friends with similar interests, expand my sewing knowledge and help my local community.

Take a chance, you may just make some new friends!

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Make New Memories

2011-10-21T10:44:00.001-05:00

A new home is an opportunity to make new memories!

What is in store for you over the next 6, or even 12 months? Plan ahead for the next "event" - stir up some excitement, build anticipation, create your bliss!

Go ahead, dream about decorations, parties and gatherings.
Dwell on the small things, from tooth fairy visits to romantic dinners.
Celebrate all your "new" firsts, as if they were the very first firsts.

We got our first snow of the season a couple weeks ago. Sure, we've seen snow before, but there was a thrill to it being "the first snow in our new home" - even if it was only a pathetic dusting that quickly melted.

Start thinking now, what events are looming on the horizon for you?

Join Me on Make a Difference Day!

2011-10-20T17:08:00.000-05:00

You can make a difference for abused children.

Saturday is Make a Difference Day, a national day of helping others.

If you live in the Ogden area, I hope you will consider joining us as we gather at the Newgate Mall to make quilts for the Childrens Justice Center. These quilts are given to children for comfort while they are interviewed and given medical examines, and they are then theirs to keep.

My local ASG group has been doing this annually for around ten years and it's become a cause close to my own heart. Please check out The Childrens Justice Center website for more information on how they make a difference everyday in the lives of abused children.

Please. If you can, just stop by, it doesn't cost a thing except a few moments of your time.

Looking for yesterdays 31 day post?
here it is: 31 Days to Settle After a Move: Make Family Cards

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Accept the Imperfections

2011-10-20T16:35:00.003-05:00

This will never be like your last house.

...or base, town, school, church, neighborhood...

Moving constantly in the military we have discovered wonderful friends and crappy neighbors, shiny new appliances and lead paint warnings, scorching deserts and freezing snow. I've gotten to sew in a huge studio, a garage, a closet, a bedroom and a dining room. Each new set of orders brought a sense of adventure and a feeling of sorrow.

You miss your friends, your job, your old house, the weather, the neighbors, you name it - I have missed it. When you move, everything changes, and sometimes you just need to change your state of mind. There is no sense in being miserable and hating your new place, even if you're only going to be there for a short time. Accept the imperfections, and if you can't learn to love it, learn to make do until you can. (check out the nesters wonderful 31 day series on lovely limitations for inspiration on making do) After all, how can you settle into your new home when you still haven't let go of the old one?

It's okay to reminisce, but try not to do too much comparing. That will just depress you and annoy everyone around you.

Those of us who are military all know someone who starts every other sentence with:

"when we were stationed in..."

"at my old base..."

"when I was at..."

Please, don't be that person.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Family Cards

2011-10-20T16:35:00.000-05:00

As you meet your new neighbors and make friends within your community you will (hopefully) start giving out your contact info.

Here's an idea!

Give them something other than your name and number scribbled on the inside of a gum wrapper you just dug out of your purse.

Make "family" cards with all your new info, kids names, whatever, to hand out.

You not only instantly appear to be so awesome and put together that everyone will want to be your new BFF, but it also helps save you the embarrassment of admitting you haven't memorized your new phone number after 3 months....

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Beautify Your Walls

2011-10-18T13:40:00.000-05:00

You've got your furniture where you want it, and the "big stuff" is taken care of.

Now you can start focusing on the details.

Somethings have an obvious place.

I knew right off the bat that my double-faced Union Station Clock would go on this wall.

I love it here - I can check the time from the dinning area or right when I walk through the front door. It's one of my favorite things, and I love that it has a prominent place in our new home.

Somethings are placed out of necessity.

I used a card holder to cover this eye-sore of a phone jack.

and a wreath to cover an oddly placed motion detector smack dab in the center of a wall.

Technically, you can still see it peeking from under the star. And I'm sure that eventually it will be taken care of in a more permanent manner, but for now this works.

Somethings place themselves.

My sweet friend is an artist, and after we moved in she brought me this water color knowing I favored it. I set it on the kitchen counter, knowing it would eventually speak to me and tell where it should live.

A few days later I realized that it was telling me that it liked where it happened to be just fine and I should leave it there thank-you-very-much. So by happy accident this watercolor found it's fixed place on my kitchen counter.

I am not done getting everything up on the walls, but getting closer.

Whether it's frames, clocks, mirrors, shelves, stenciling or vinyl art - get it out and start putting it up.

What have you done to beautify your walls?

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Do You Smell That?

2011-10-17T08:44:00.000-05:00

Have you ever noticed how everyone's house has it's own distinct smell? Some smell like candles, food, or cleaners, and others more like cats or dirty socks?

Some smells are good, some are bad, and some, well - they're just not your own.

This is always a complaint of my husbands when we move.
It smells like paint.
It smells funny.
It doesn't smell like home.

Smell, more than any other sense, is associated with memories. Trigger memories of home for you and your family by getting your smell back.

Throw open the windows and let the place air out - especially if it's been empty for a while or you've recently painted. You may even want to open closet and cabinet doors while your at it.

A good carpet cleaning and general scrubing of the house helps you remove any previous owner funk while adding your own "clean" smell. (I use Method cleaners, and the almond scent from the wood cleaners has become one of our "regular" smells.)

If you normally use air fresheners or candles then plug them in and light them up.

Other things that will help you recover your own smell are baking and cooking - even things like laundry and your perfume eventually permeate the house and make it smell like you.

Some smells are stubborn. They take more work.

In our last house I couldn't get a "stink" out of the kitchen. It kept coming from the fridge, but it was clean. I cleaned it. What the hell is that smell? Finally, when doing my thorough kitchen cleaning I was able to tackle it. I had to ~~clean~~ scrub behind and under the fridge. It was gross. I expected a dead mouse or something, but it was mostly moldy cookies and spilled who knows what... But it smelled much better when I was done!
Worse than that, every time it rained or got seriously humid the house smelled like wet dog. Lovely! This smell was emanating from the wood floors, and I honestly think the only way to eliminate that would have been to strip and refinish them. Not an option as renters. So needless to say, I went through a LOT of almond floor cleaner there.

Go on - get your own smell back.
It may not happen over night, but it will happen.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: First Impressions

2011-10-16T13:52:00.000-05:00

By now your neighbors are probably getting brave enough to "welcome" you o the neighborhood. You know they've been scoping you out since the day you moved in - c'mon, they were peeking through their blinds sizing up your furniture as the movers were unloading. And if it was a while before you got the blinds up - well, don't think they didn't notice.

First impressions, we hate to admit it - but, they're important. You may only have to live next door to these people for a year - or the rest of your lives. Either way, a teeny bit of effort can go a long way. (And let's be honest, they don't need to impress you - the pecking order is already established. Your the newbie.)

When an unexpected neighbor rings the door bell it is entirely probable that you may be:

sweaty
dirty
covered in paint
lost in a box maze
putting out a kitchen fire from burning frozen waffles
surrounded by 2 nekkid toddlers with unidentifiable goo in their hair
holding a baby that has been decorated by her sister with a sharpie
threatening to leave your husband and join the circus
crying inconsolably
ranting about said neighbors dog, kid, yard, car, lack of blinds, etc...
all of the above

Even sweaty, hard working mamas can look decent.

One word girlfriends:

Lipgloss.

Always keep it in your pocket, so when the door rings and you're surrounded by madness your neighbor will be so mesmerized by your shiny smile she wont even notice how unhinged you really are.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Paint Your Front Door

2011-10-15T17:38:00.003-05:00

Paint your door red.

Source: google.com via leslie on Pinterest

or blue.

Source: kelleighratzlaff.com via leslie on Pinterest

or black.

Source: loftandcottage.blogspot.com via leslie on Pinterest

or yellow.

Source: google.com via leslie on Pinterest

or purple.

Source: homedit.com via leslie on Pinterest

or whatever.

Source: google.com via leslie on Pinterest

Source: life-love-laughter.tumblr.com via leslie on Pinterest

Source: urbannestblog.com via leslie on Pinterest

you get the idea.

make it yours.
I did, and it makes me so happy!

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Break-in the Bedroom

2011-10-14T16:25:00.001-05:00

Have sex.

(Yes, I said it.)

Break in the bedroom - don't become so busy that you neglect your relationship.

Source: google.com via Rachel on Pinterest

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Re-establish Routine

2011-10-13T07:22:00.000-05:00

Yeah, you've moved - but life goes on! Sometimes it's the little things that keep us on an even keel.
So, if before the move you always made Friday your Date Night, or spent Wednesday afternoons scrappin' with the girls then renew those customs.
Don't put it off until your "settled in" - that's part of what being "settled in" is!
Re-establish your routines: lessons, family night, lunch dates, cleaning, laundry, what ever. Both the fun - and the mundane. It'll help restore balance to your life.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Break in the Kitchen

2011-10-12T06:47:00.001-05:00

Do you bake cookies? or make a mean lasagna?
Have you done it since you moved in?
If you've restocked your pantry then it's time to break in your kitchen.
(And if you re-stocked with nothing but frozen waffles then it's time to go back to the store.)

Remember before the move, before the stress and craziness, when you all sat down at a table and ate dinner together? Recapture that, cook a family meal.

Tonight we're having Chili. It's one of those things that's easy to put together and it makes the whole house smell yummy. As soon as someone comes in the door, I hear "mmm, chili for dinner?"

What comfort food does your family crave?

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Buy a New Shower Head

2011-10-11T07:31:00.000-05:00

Moving is hard work. And while we may not all be the long, soaking, bubble bath type, we do all take showers (uh, right?)

Indulging in a hot steamy shower is a great way to relax those aching muscles.
So, if your shower head looks like this:

Do yourself a favor. Go buy a better one.
Seriously, you deserve it.
After all that scrubbing, pushing, lifting, screaming and crying? Splurge a little.

And, if your house already came equipped with a hand held adjustable shower head?

Well, I still think you should replace it too.
And if your wondering why??
Well, I think your naivete is sweet.
Just trust me on this one. The previous owner may not have been quite as clueless....

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Create Your Oasis

2011-10-10T05:30:00.000-05:00

o·a·sis/ōˈāsis/

Noun:

A fertile spot in a desert where water is found.
A pleasant or peaceful area or period in the midst of a difficult, troubled, or hectic place or situation.

Organize one room at a time - don't try to tackle everything at once. Just one completed room can be your retreat to normalcy. Your Oasis.

For us, it was the Family room.
Computer and componets, set up and ready - check.
TV and cable, mounted and ready - check.
Furniture in it's (permanent) place - check.
DVD's, organized and easy to find - check.
All the little things in their "place" - check.
Stuff on walls and "decor" added - check.

(Goodness, I guess it's obvious were our priorities lay... who needs a family meal? entertain me!)

At the end of the day, it was nice to have this one room where we could gather and - regardless of what stage of settled the rest of the rooms were in - we could, for the moment, just enjoy being home.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Kids Rooms

2011-10-09T06:35:00.000-05:00

While you and your husband may be able to function while digging through a suitcase for clean socks and tripping over unpacked books on your way to the bathroom, living in a state of transition is especially hard on little people.

We moved into our home at the beginning of summer, the weather was beautiful and it was easy enough to kick Kadence outside to play while I got to work making our house a home. After about the first week tho, her new friends were becoming curious about her house, her room and specifically, all her toys. You should know, new kids are more than just new people to play with - they come with all kinds of new stuff to play with as well.

Over the last few years our house has become the house where all the kids congregate, this neighborhood isn't looking to be any different. I knew I had to get Kadences room in order quickly so she'd have that space to hang out with her friends, but more than that, I knew she needed the normalcy.

I know the to-do list is long, but move the kiddlets rooms to the top if you can. I'm not saying that your kids rooms have to be completely put together and decorated - Kadences room is still a work in progress, and I'm afraid Anthony's will be done just in time for him to go off to college. Try to get their furniture placed and toys put away. Make it a space where they can have friends come in and play, without a risk of being crushed in an avalanche of toys and clothes while trying to locate a missing barbie shoe.

via google images

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: New Purchases & Repurposing

2011-10-08T06:00:00.000-05:00

Some times it's the square footage, sometimes it's just the floor plan. What ever the reason, all your old stuff may not work in your new space. Before you run out and buy new furniture, get a feel for the space and what you really want in there.
Otherwise, you may regret it later.
Case in point:

http://www.target.com

The door leading to the garage is a dumping ground for us. It's handy to keep keys by the door, I like my purse there, and Sarge drops all his gear there when he comes in from work. In our old place, there was a hallway, with hooks. Perfect. In this house, the door is right off the family room. Completely visible. I needed something near the door to house everything, keys, my purse, the his helmet bag and cover. We already had a floor lamp there, which I was told had to stay. So working within those parameters I came across this lamp one day at Target and impulsively bought it. Storage and lighting, that'll do.
It's functional, but I've regretted it ever since. Now it's not a major purchase, and I will eventually replace it. But still, I wish I hadn't given into the need to have something - anything - in that spot, and just waited until the perfect fit found me.

everything could fit neatly in its own drawer...

http://www.rhbabyandchild.com/

we could just throw our bags in, hidden behind closed doors....

http://www.etsy.com/listing/82143175/

everything looks better in a cubby...

http://www.redefinehomestore.com

and more cubbies...

http://www.grahamandgreen.co.uk/

Before buying something new - or ditching something you think won't work in the new home - try re-purposing. With all the moving we've done we've picked up a lot of random furniture. It seems like each new house has a spot that needs something we just didn't have... Then in each new house - you have to find a way to make that piece work. It's amazing how creative you can get when your put in a pinch.

Take this closet for instance:

This was bought in Charleston, our first base. It started off as raw wood and has been painted blue and then eventually the white it is now. In some of our homes it has lived in the garage (because this thing is frickin' huge!) Other times it was used as a play closet, a hall closet (when there was none), a room divider, in the laundry room, in a bathroom, in my studio and now back in the garage. In each house we just made do. (Sorry for the lame pic. Its the only one I have of it's long and full life. But that's another story)

This (faux) butcher block is also a remanent from our first base:

This has lived in several kitchens and dining areas for most of our marriage, until it finally ended up in the tiniest studio I've had to date. A windowless closet that was 3x9 feet - that was when it became my serger table, because nothing else would possibly fit. More recently it became my embroidery machine table, and now it lives on my back porch holding pool towels and sunblock.

So my advice? Feel the space out before making major purchases and re-purpose where you can.

Here's a recap of this weeks posts:

31 Days to Settle After a Move

Day 1 Color Me Mine

Day 2 Carpet

Day 3 Unpack

Day 4 Ensure Privacy

Day 5 Cleaning. or not...

Day 6 Restock Your Kitchen

Day 7 Don't Rush to Hang Pictures

Round Robin Valentine Block

2011-10-07T06:00:00.001-05:00

I'm participating in a Round Robin (kinda like a swap) and this month I had to create a 14 inch block for a Valentine themed quilt. The owner had already supplied the fabrics she wanted incorporated, including the panels.

(it's a Moda from a couple years back, can't remember the line...)

Now, I am not a quilter. I joined a quilt guild with the intention of learning to quilt.

With that said, I received this with 2 blocks already completed by other participants.

When this thing finally gets all put together I don't want my block to stick out like a sore thumb.

(oh, that's the one Leslie did. isn't that precious?

and if you have never lived in the south, let me tell you, precious is not a compliment)

You could probably already tell that this was the block I made.

It's way simple.

And, I totally cheated by using someone else's left over strip of pieced scraps.

Since I'm more of an embellish-er than a piecer I appliqued some hearts on the side and couched the word "love" onto my block.

Honestly, I am diggin' the ric-rac "love".

Now I'm wondering what else could I do with some ric-rac word art?

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Don't Rush to Hang Pictures

2011-10-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

Our first few moves were not the smoothest. Like everything, there is a learning curve to moving and settling in a new home.

Here is a lesson that I learned the hard way:

Live with a furniture arragement for a while before commiting and hanging stuff on walls.
(or hide the nails from husband until you are satisfied the furniture will not be moved)

As soon as the furniture was in the house my husband would break out the hammer and nails and start putting things up on the walls. The movers had barely pulled out of the driveway, and already he's banging away. I mean, c'mon, that couch isn't even centered yet.
See, for him - it just wasn't home if the walls were bare.
Obviously, this resulted in tantrums on my part, a few tears and much pouting.
Because, well, I'm thinking the couch would probably look better against that wall over there. And now this picture will look ridiculous in this spot and if we move it there'll be 6 holes because we didn't get it level/centered/right the first time.

It's exhausting just typing about it!

In the end, I don't know what is worse. A wall full of holes from the constant shuffling and re-positioning of pictures, or putting up with a picture that's not quite in the right spot. I've done both.

Now we wait a bit before taking that leap. Test drive the layout. I make sure it looks right, he makes sure there's no glare hitting the TV.

And we've invested in a level.
and a measuring tape.

So see? He did "get it" eventually. Partly, I'm sure, because he got tired of dealing with the ensuing melt-downs - but also, because I have always been right. The couch does look better against that wall after all.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Restock Your Kitchen

2011-10-06T10:12:00.000-05:00

Every time we move I think I gain 5lbs just from all the take-out we consume. First, we eat out because we're packing. Then we're on the road. Then we live in TLF (military speak for temporary housing facilities) for God knows how long. Finally we get into our new home - but then there's unpacking, painting, cleaning, organizing, shopping to do... the list goes on and on.

Signs you're family is eating out way too much:

You have no idea if the dishwasher works because you haven't used it yet
The girl working the drive through knows your order before you place it
You kids fight over who "got to pick the restaurant last night"
Even your panties are starting to feel tight

Time to restock your pantry and avoid excuses to go out.

If you've gotten your kitchen acceptably clean then your ready to go shopping. This first restocking trip always shocks the Sarge, I think it's an expense of moving that people tend to forget.

Start with a menu. Even if you're a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kinda girl when dinner time rolls around you can benefit from some version of a menu, at least for the first couple of weeks. Keep it loose, and keep it easy - just jot down some meals everyone likes and that you can prepare with little fuss. This will help you stay prepared so dinner is one less thing to worry about while you're in the midst of all this chaos.

Make a shopping list of items from your menu - plus basic groceries you'll need. Of course there's the obvious stuff, milk, eggs, bread. But don't forget the random stuff you don't purchase quite as often. Condiments, oils, spices, pastas. You don't want to start cooking and realize your missing something as simple as corn starch or salt.

Something about a well stocked kitchen makes me feel all warm and fuzzy! There are a couple of basic needs that we all have. Food and Shelter. So you've got one down with the new place - but what about the other?

.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Cleaning. or not...

2011-10-05T08:55:00.000-05:00

Some houses are move-in ready, others not so much.
The last house we lived in was a rental, and upon first glance it seemed, well, clean. It wasn't until I started to clean that I realized it was anything but. This is where I can easily get bogged down, first I'm wiping down the bathrooms, next thing you know I'm scrubbing out the window tracks with a toothbrush. Once we were more settled I systematically cleaned each room, one by one. Top to bottom. It felt great to be done, especially since most of the move was behind us and I could really enjoy it.

This is where you may have to reign in your OCD. Only clean what is nessecary - don't get caught in minutia, that'll come later. The trick is to get the basics taken care of first, then you can devote time and energy to deep cleaning when you are ready.

Let's take your kitchen for example,
Necessary: Stove top, counters, things your food and family will come in contact with.
Unnecessary: Behind the fridge or stove.

Sure, you may want to wipe down your cabinets, put in some shelf paper - but you don't need to break out the Murphys Wood Soap and spend the next 3 days scrubbing each cabinet down till it gleams.
Not yet anyways.
I'm not saying don't clean these things. You really should. Other peoples dirt is just icky.
I'm just saying don't worry about them right off the bat.
You've got bigger things to worry about, like your cholesterol after eating take out for 2 weeks straight.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Ensure Privacy

2011-10-04T07:52:00.000-05:00

Seriously, if you can't walk around nekkid, how is it home?

If they aren't already there, get some blinds, shades, curtains, drapes - what ever - up on those windows. I don't know about you, but I feel like I live in a fish bowl when there's no window covering.

We've all seen that house, you know, the one you drive by after dark.

The windows are all wide open, every light in the house is on, and you see every detail of their lives played out before the world.

Don't be that house.

Unless you're an exhibitionist, and even if you are - keep in mind, no one looks good all the time.

The neighbors are already curious about the "new people" as it is. Do you really want them sneaking peeks at you as they walk their dog at night?

And I'm not talking about newspaper or foil here either. You do that and your neighbors shudder. They start to worry about cars up on blocks, 4 foot weeds and property values going down. Great start, right? Don't do it.

I have neighbors behind me, who may have moved in the day before we did or could have been there for 10 years. I haven't actually met them, but I probably know more about them than I should, since they had a blanket haphazardly draped over their family room window. Because of the lay of the land, I could see straight into their home from any window in the back of my house or back yard. The Sarge and I both rejoiced when they finally put up a curtain.

But, what if you can't decide what you want in that window? Start thinking about it now. And in the meantime, throw up some blinds - they're less than 10 bucks at Walmart.

MyMemories Suite Givaway & Promo Winner!

2011-10-03T15:00:00.000-05:00

The winner for the Mymemories Suite Giveaway is:

rosewendy , who said I love the Modish pack

Congratulations!

If you didn't win that's okay,

Mymemories.com is still offering a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store ($20 value!)

Just use code: STMMMS80032 at checkout

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Unpack

2011-10-03T07:42:00.001-05:00

This one seems pretty obvious, but is one of the hardest to do! the M half admits in her comment that she has taken 2 moves and 5 years to unpack, and I don't think she's alone.

If you are being moved by contractors (Mayflower, Allied, etc) then make it easy on yourself, have them do the unpacking. It's part of their contract, so it's not an additional charge - and when they're done they take all the boxes with them. Of all the families I've seen move (there have been lots!) I don't think I have seen anyone besides us take advantage of this.
They'll say "oh, the movers just dump everything, they won't put it away."
True. But it's a lot harder for you to ignore all those piles of stuff than boxes. This way you are forced to take action.
They also say "I don't want the movers handling all my stuff."
Um. too late. And there is a way to work around that, but that would be an entirely different post.

And if you aren't so lucky as to have strangers rifle through your belongings and leave them in piles on your (hopefully now clean) floors, then it still has to get done. You could use the same method, just unpack it all at once. Our most recent move was a DITY (military speak for moving yourself) since we just moved locally. We had movers handle all the furniture but the "stuff" - that was all us. Mostly me. I used Rubbermaid containers for most of it. And a few laundry baskets. But I only had so many. So in order to get everything moved, I had to unpack right away - so I could run back to the old house and get more stuff.

Unpacking is a lot of work. A lot. But, you can't get things put away while they're still in boxes. And like I said, it's a lot easier to shove stacks of boxes to the side and say "oh, I'll do that when I have time" than to ignore piles of crap everywhere.

Maybe you're still not sure where everything will go? There is one way to figure it out.
And I guarantee, when you first saw your new home all empty and full of promise you didn't squeal "oh yes! My 16 boxes of craft supplies will fit here perfectly, and we can dig through the dish pack every night before dinner in this EXACT spot!!"

One last note, if you have little people. There is a benefit to unpacking - besides not leaving their childhood memories full of cardboard and unfound belongings - a yard full of empty boxes is a total. kid. magnet.

So, if you have boxes stacked somewhere, still unopened - pull 'em out. You may discover a lost treasure (OMG! So that's where it's been!) or just a bunch of crap you can live with out after all (why do I have this?).

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Carpet

2011-10-02T07:01:00.000-05:00

Today's tip is short and sweet.

Before you move in, or as soon as possible thereafter

Clean Your Carpets!

I don't care if you have them professionally done,

or if you do it yourself.

But do it. Really.

Who knows what goes on in someone else's house?

or on their floors?

Between pets, kids, and everything under the sun ... chances are your carpets have been exposed to all manner of bodily fluids, plus God knows what before you moved in.

'nuff said.

31 Days to Settle in After a Move: Color Me Mine

2011-10-01T12:23:00.000-05:00

If living in base housing has taught me one thing, it's settle in and settle in quick.

Take your time and the next thing you know, you have orders - forget settling in, it's time to pack again! We've PCS'd and moved enough that I've gotten pretty good at turning "Quarters" into a "Home" quickly. Over the next 31 days I'll pass on some of the things I've learned along the way -military or not, most of us move at some point in our lives, and hopefully something I post here can help you with your transition - whether you're currently planing a move or your move was years ago!

Looking for 1 simple and affordable way to make your new home yours?

Paint.

Even if the walls aren't white.

Do you really want to live with the previous owners choices?

They may not be too bad, but are they really you? Until I've chosen the colors myself, I still feel like I'm living in someone else's house.

That is not settled.

Color lets you put your personal mark on a space. I think contractors must use cookie cutters to build houses. For many of us, our house really isn't that different from our neighbors. We all have one variation or another of the same floor-plan. Paint is one way you can set yourself apart from the herd.

Honestly, if you're a kid, moving sucks. But painting your new room the color you want? That rocks!

Give your kids a thrill and let them choose their color. Okay, within reason.

Not all of us can be the super cool mom who lets her teenager paint his entire room black.

But you can narrow the choices and let them pick.

Kadences playroom - before it was a terracotta color, definitely not cool. She was not into this room at all.

Playroom After. A much better fit for Kadence. As soon as we painted it she could see herself here. Simply put, painting this room made it hers.

If you can, save time and your back by painting before the furniture arrives, and before you clean the carpets too. Seriously, did you see my Studio post? Can you imagine even trying to paint this after moving all that crap in??

Wanna settle in quick? Paint!

31 Days Challenge: Settling in After a Move

2011-09-29T13:16:00.000-05:00

I'm in!

Starting October 1st I'll be posting for 31 days on how to settle into your new home after a move.

31 Days of Change :: Are You In?

New Studio Woes

2011-09-29T08:28:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I posted about the Studio I left behind in our old house. (If you missed that, go check it out so you can appreciate the tears that followed when I moved into my new studio)

This is what it looked like when we inherited it:

It was originally a soft yellowish color. Now, I love yellow. Love it. But this was dingy and had to go.

You can also see the lovely dropped ceiling. the rest of the basement does not have this ceiling, so I'm not sure why they did it here??

Behind the slated doors are the furnace, water heater and water softener. So when I start filling up this room, I should probably make sure these doors are accessible... (Keep that in mind, I'll suffer for it later.)

The other door leads to the "fruit room" or "cold storage room". Something that may be to be unique to Utah? I've never seen it anywhere else. It's a narrow concrete room - basically the long hollow space left after pouring the cement for your porch. Canning and food storage is huge here in Utah, so that's what most people use it for. Me? Not so much. More like holiday decorations, luggage, you get the idea...

This little built in desk area seemed like a handy corner for all my crafting and paper stuff. Especially since that white desk and armoire would never fit down here with everything else. Unfortunately, once I started moving in I realized I couldn't donate this valuable space to paper.

While I was painting and cleaning, the space seemed pretty open.

I thought "Hey, I can do this. Everything will fit just fine"

Then the furniture arrived.

And I cried.

Then the "stuff" arrived.

And I cried. A lot.

I had the movers take care of all the furniture for me, and I told them to "just put it all in the room". I wasn't worried about placement, because I knew I would be pushing it from one wall to another, trying to figure out the best layout anyhow. That was my first mistake.

I planned to move all the "stuff" in after the furniture was in place. I thought me and a few girl friends, we'll take our time - no worries. Only, I spent more time cleaning and painting than anticipated, ran short on time, and lets just say it didn't work out how I had planned. It was just me and the Sarge on a time limit. Everything ended up dumped into the room. And you can see by the pictures, I am not exaggerating. everything. was. dumped.

My studio is always the last thing to get squared away when we move. So after the dumping, we ensured there was a path to Slicks bedroom and closed the door.

A week or so later, my water softener started leaking.

And yes, those doors were now blocked.

So, everything had to be shoved away from those doors, making the rest of the room even more inaccessible.

And after that, we had the cable guy out. To install my sons cable, he would need to get to the other side of my studio. Of course he would.

It is a truely humbling moment when you see a man shimmy on the floor to crawl under and around your pile s of crap. I felt like one of those people on an episode of "Hoarders".

The good news is, I have since made progress. It does not complete - but it does not look like this anymore! You can get a glimpse of the new color in the dumped photos, what do you think?

Good-bye Old Sewing & Crafting Studio!

2011-09-28T11:52:00.002-05:00

This was my studio before we moved into our current home a few months ago.

I loved this room! It was huge, at about 14x30 feet It was by far the biggest I've worked in! (Thanks mostly to the Air Force I've sewn in 7 spaces over the last 12 years)

It was in the basement, but I had 3 full sized windows, so there was plenty of light. Plus, there was a full bathroom and bedroom on that level. Yeah -yeah, the bedroom and bathroom belonged to my son. But he's a Junior in high school so I had visions of turning that room into a very feminine chic guest room in a few short years if we had stayed.

After 2 years this studio was still a work in progress. I had the layout where I wanted it, and everything was organized. Mostly what was left to do was cosmetic projects. While seriously functional, I still hadn't gotten around to the prettyfied part. (my prettiest studio was McChord AFB. sigh... that was a lovely space!)

My work area for my machines:

My cutting station:

Fabric storage:

Paper scrapping & crafting area:

Kadences sewing spot (was a work in progress):

My beloved cubbies:

My new studio is about 1/3 the size. It's not the smallest studio I've worked in ( not counting a corner in the kitchen, that would be Holloman AFB!) but it's been a bit of a shock to have to down size! Tomorrow I will post on my adventures on making my new space work, but first I must say Adieux.

Good bye, old studio.

You weren't the prettiest, and I didn't get a chance to finish you the way I would have liked - or even sew in you as much as I wanted to - but you were so functional and roomy. You were my retreat from reality and provided an outlet for my creativity. We had many wonderful times together, remember how I would sew for hours and ignore my family? Or the joy we felt when I brought home a new piece of furniture for you? There were some bad times too, but the flood was not your fault - and you couldn't help the poor wiring that left circuit breakers tripping and some plugs completely useless. I will take that over sewing in a garage any day. I will miss you my friend, especially all your spaciousness and lovely windows. When a new family moves in and turns you into a playroom or TV room, I hope you remember that once you were a fabulous space. And not just any space, but a Studio. Where Beautiful things were created. And that you were loved.

sorry for the awful pics. It was a dreary day and my last chance to photograph this room before I up-heaved it to the new place. :o)
Also, don't forget to check out the MyMemories giveaway! there are 0 entries - an easy win!

MyMemories Suite Givaway & Promo!

2011-09-27T08:46:00.001-05:00

Have you tried Digital Scraping yet?

I've been doing it for a few years now, and love it!

I know a lot of people find it intimidating, especially the software. It's pricey and has a steep learning curve. I have a couple typical photo editing programs that are often used for Digi-scrapping:

Photoshop (but haven't gotten around to figuring it out!) and PSP X, which is what I would normally use, but still have so much to learn there also!

So, when MyMemories.com asked me to review their digital scrapbooking software "my memories suite" I jumped at the chance! I've been playing with it quite a bit, in fact, I used the "my memories suite" and designs to create the layouts I posted here and here.

I made this in under 1 minute(!) using Autumn Rose Quick Page FREEBIE

Right off the bat there is one big difference: This is not a photo editing program that can be used for digital scrapping - this is a program created especially for digital scrapping!

Things I loved:

Super easy-peasy to use. Seriously. If you are currently trying to learn a photo editing program you will be stunned at how simple it is to maneuver around my memories suite.

Not just for Dummies. Yes, it is easy to use - and an excellent first program if your just getting into Digital Scrapping. But, it's great for those of us who already know what we're doing, it has all the features to really make your layouts polished. So- whether your a beginner or not - your layouts will never look "beginner"!

Instant down-load and categorizing of your "stuff". This may be my favorite part. Whenever you purchase any kits, embellishments, design packs - whatever - it is downloaded into the software, and categorized into folders so you can easily find it instantly and easily! No unzipping, filing, searching... I love that! You also can DL your stuff to any where, and use it with any photo program - versatile!

It comes Fully Loaded. Just getting started and don't want to buy a bunch of "digi-stuff" just yet? My memories suite comes fully stocked with a jazillion papers, ribbons, buttons, flowers and other embellishments to get you started. Plus, the program already has shapes, shadows, etc - so there are no actions to buy.

Access to the Website directly from the software. If you own a Silhouette, you know what I mean. If you realize you ~~want~~ need something, just click and your there!

Drag & drop. Tons of templates - just drag and drop photos and you. are. done. Adding embellishments is just as easy. No files to open, "copy" or "save as". Nice.

Digital Scrapping taken to the next level. Add sound. Narration. Music. Need I say more? Okay, Publish. Print. Share.

Whats not to love?

I only wish it had an eraser.

Another made in about 1 minute using Quick Calendar FREEBIE

I know you're just dying to try this baby out now!

Good news!

As a special for all of you, Mymemories.com is offering a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store ($20 value!)

Just use code: STMMMS80032 at checkout

Mymemories.com is also giving one lucky reader their own copy of my memories suite. Yay you!

To enter:

Mandatory entry: go to Mymemories.com and the leave a comment letting me know which design pack is your favorite.

For additional entries:

Follow the mymemories Blog
Follow Mymemories on Facebook
Follow mymemories on Twitter

Leave a comment below for each additional entry.

Winner will be chosen by random number generator.

Contest closes Sunday night. Winner announced Monday, October 3rd.

This giveaway is sponsored by MyMemories, I have received a copy of mymemories suite for review. All opinions expressed in above review are my own.

Bucket List Scrapping Challenge

2011-09-26T11:13:00.000-05:00

Over at Journaling Junkie Stephanie proposed a challenge: Create your Bucket List

I like to check out her blog because they have regular challenges, and whether you do digital scrapping or traditional paper scrapping the emphasis is on journaling (well, duh!) Plus there are tons of beautiful pages to motivate you if you're in a rut.

This challenge had me a bit stumped tho. There are plenty of things out there I want to do, but when it came time to put ~~paper to pen~~, uh, finger to key board, I struggled.

The entry posted on her blog is long and inspiring! Mine has 5 items. No pics.

Maybe it just means I'm pretty content, and if I were to be abducted by aliens tomorrow, I would have few regrets.

Or, maybe it just means I suck at this topic...

Either way, here is my Bucket list as of this moment:

see the red woods
take a vacation - just me and the Sarge
sew a wiggle dress - and rock it (I am a good 30lbs from rockin' any dress right now)
attend a Penn State "white out" game
learn to swing dance

Mathlete Status, a Silhouette Project

2011-09-26T10:45:00.000-05:00

Kadence is rockin' the Mathlete status!

When she formed a "Math Club" at school

I said "you know what that makes you, right?"

"a nerd?"

"No! A Mathlete!"

"a mathlete? cool! we should totally make a t-shirt that says that"

"totally!"

Thus, the "Mathlete" T-shirt was born.

I used my Silhouette and freezer paper to create the stencil, then just bleached it out.

We also cut some slits into the sleeves to add a little funk to the mix.

Easy-peasy project!

Kadence says the next one should say

Cutie π

(that's cutie pie for us non-mathletes)

Anthony suggested

if π r2 are then why aren't they called cake?

(and that would be, if pie are squared, then why aren't they called cake?)

I see many Math-related shirts in my future.

linking to: sew darn crafty

Red Door Adventures

2011-09-23T20:44:00.000-05:00

What says "Welcome" more than a red door?

The door was a bland tan to begin with, so painting it wasn't a hard sell.

In fact, it was a lot easier than I expected...

me: I want to paint our front door red, wouldn't that look awesome?

Sarge: sure

me (preparing to throw a tantrum if necessary): Really? ya know, I want to paint the inside red too.

Sarge: Might as well. If your gonna do it, do it.

me (now feeling empowered): I want to paint the kitchen door red too.

Sarge: sure

me: I want the inside red too...

Sarge: I think you should paint the family room door to the garage while you're at it.

And so with that conversation and a conveniently timed commercial for Glidden door paint we were off to buy some red paint. This paint comes in a limited pallet, with 2 reds.

Bright
White
Deepest
Black
Classic
Red
Traditional
Brown
National
Red
Rich
Navy
Antique
White
Linen
Canvas

Who knew? Another battle I didn't have to fight!

me: okay, which red?

(please pick classic red... please pick classic red...)

Sarge: I like Classic Red

me: really?!

Sarge: Well yeah. If you're gonna go red, go red.

So, I went RED.

And I'm so glad I did! I am in love with my newly painted door.
It's just so shiny, and RED!

And I am so happy that I painted the inside too!

Next I'm going to tackle the french doors in the kitchen.
Though, I'm still not sure if I'll paint the family room door red yet.

I have not painted a door before, but after reading other posts and reviews on painting exterior doors red, I have to say this paint really rocks. One quart covered the door, inside and out - it only took 3 coats, no primer.(3 coats for red paint is pretty good coverage!) It spreads really well, and didn't drip or leave brush strokes, leaving you with a smooth and very shiny finish.

I admit-tingly have not used an oil based paint before, and clean up was an unexpected disaster. Actually, there was very little mess to begin with, I started with a teeny bit of paint on my fingers and an expensive brush worth cleaning. So I tried to clean it off, which had the reverse effect, and it spread to my hands... then my wrists... next thing I know I'm up to my elbows in red with no end in sight. It was like one of the ridicuolous cartoons where they rub a spot, which just gets larger and larger. I did eventually figure out an effective way to clean up (no water, duh!) and by the last coat it was easy peasy.

I did not take the door down, like Julia but I did remove all the hardware first. It was only begrudgingly that I put the old door knob back on.
I'm not sure what color to go with now?
Seems like all the photos I've seen have a red door paired with black hardware or brass.
Everything about the exterior coloring is ~~boring~~ ~~bland~~ light. I eventually want to replace the exterior lighting, because the current white fixtures look so washed out. But I think black would be too high of a contrast, and I'm not a brass fan. What's a girl to do?
Well, until I figure it out, the old stuff will have to do. Any insights?

Closing Day

2011-05-19T12:17:00.000-05:00

For the last 13 years,

Home has always been where the Air Force sent us.

We've been stationed at

Charleston AFB , SC

Kirtland AFB , NM

McChord AFB , WA

Holloman AFB, NM

For the last 2 years we've been in Utah, and this will have been our last PCS.

Today we close on our new house.

Now, and for the rest of our lives, we are home.

Organizing Presentation at Quilting Guild

2011-05-13T20:36:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I gave a presentation to the Ogden Quilting Guild on sewing room organization.

I started off pretty nervous actually, public speaking is not my specialty.

(In fact, I blush fiercely whenever attention is focused on me. Honestly, blush isn't even the right word -I don't think there is even a name for the shade of red I can turn. I've even gone so far as to buy a "primer" that is green to wear under my foundation, it's supposed to tone down that red hue. Seriously, you can't make this stuff up. Back to the matter at hand...)

By the end of the meeting I felt so much better!

The interaction was great, the group was involved and even had some awesome ideas to contribute.

When all was said and done I had so much positive feedback I felt like a Rock Star!

And, can I just say, how freakin'

Empowering

it is

when you speak

and people actually

take notes?!

Blissful validation.

Now I just need to download my van and get ~~half my studio~~ my visual aides put away and my sewing room restored to normal. ick.

Score! Alice in Wonderland Buttons!

2011-05-11T08:07:00.001-05:00

Look what I managed to pick up at the HMQS here in Salt Lake last weekend!

Is it ridiculous to plan a whole outfit around the buttons?

They are so inspiring, how could one not?

This vendor had a whole "Alice in Wonderland" collection but many were sold by the time I got there, so I plan to get in touch with her soon and get my hands on the missing pieces.

Not sure what I'll do with them yet, just know I want them!

...they are my precious...

I'm thinking something striking, like down a jacket front maybe?

Also picked up what was left of her Pin-Up Girls buttons.

This thing ran Thursday - Sunday. I went on Friday!

note to self, go on the first day next time...

No clue what I'll do with these!

And back to my small Alice obsession...

I picked up the pocket watch buttons with a little persons Alice in Wonderland themed ensemble in mind.

Why is a raven like a writing desk?

Vintage Patterns, Decisions! Decisions!

2011-05-10T08:06:00.001-05:00

Pattern Review is having a Vintage Pattern Contest

and I can't decide which pattern I want to use for my entry!

I've narrowed it down to these 3 patterns and 3 fabric choices:

McCalls 9611

I got this on Etsy with the idea of using it in the contest.

Gotta love the back neckline and sleeve bands on this one, so elegant!

Sew-Rite 8021

Another Etsy pattern picked up with the contest in mind.

I love this dress, the round yoke with the big button detail is one of my favorites!

The drawback here is this pattern is a "perforated pattern" - no printing, just lot's o' dots to identify pieces, etc. Also the instructions are very scant. I've gone over them and it all seems pretty straight forward just means I'll have to pay extra attention during construction.

Honestly, I've got a lot on my plate right now so I don't know if I can spare the brain power and energy!

Simplicity 3203

I picked up this pattern at the DI a while back for 50 cents!

I love the sash and the collar - and yes, I admit I have a thing for neckline details.

Of course I have to go with view 3, I could never pull off those sleeves with my girls!

The good news is, I've already tissue fit this pattern.

The bad news is, it might be too tight now.

Part of the Challenge is too make the garment wearable for today, and not costume-y.

I love the fabric line Silent Cinema by Jenean Morrison

These fabrics have a bit of a vintage vibe, while still feeling modern, so I think they'll be perfect for my dress (which ever one it will be...)

Gray/Blue Palette

Okay, I know what your thinking "that's pretty bold!" Right?

But I'm thinking of using it only as an accent, like piping.

See? Not so scary now, right?

Gray/Pink Palette

Aren't they all wonderful? I'd love several yards of every fabric in the line!

Right now I'm leaning towards the Sew-Rite pattern, and the Gray/Blue color scheme.

or maybe the Simplicity in pink...

What do you think?!

Decisions! Decisions!

Happy Mothers Day!

2011-05-08T08:00:00.001-05:00

Have a wonderful day mamas!

I Was Featured! Ribbon & Pearl Necklace at Handmade Jewelry Club

2011-03-04T09:26:00.000-06:00

My Romantic Ribbon & Pearl Necklace tutorial is being featured over at

the Handmade Jewelry Club Blog!

This is an awesome blog packed with tutorials and inspiration for the handmade jewelry enthusiast or wannabe! So go check them out, and don't forget to leave a little love while your there!

Thanks Jane, for featuring me!

I'm so flattered to share space with such talented bloggers!

Pretty Little Planner for my Sewing Friend!

2011-01-28T17:16:00.000-06:00

I made up this pretty little ASG 2011 Calendar of events/planner for my friend Tina.

I love digital scrapping, and playing with "real" paper too.

In this project I was able to combine both techniques. (FUN!)

I hosted the Christmas party for our group in December and she came over early and helped me out, (even making the frosting for our Red Velvet cupcakes, Yum!) After the meeting I promised to give her a copy of our plans for the upcoming year.

But, being me - I couldn't just jot them down and hand them over.

I had to do it "pretty"

Inside I created a page for each month/meeting with the program for that evening.

I also added pages for a supply list and notes for each meeting.

Below are a few of my favorite pages:

January

(that was sewing room organization, presented by me!) :o)

June

(Flower pounding - doesn't that sound awesome?!)

The back

I fussy cut the butterfly and inked the edges. It came out so pretty!

Somethings are just too sweet to hide in a bag or with paper wrapping.

So I just added a ribbon for presentation.

I can't wait to give it to her tomorrow at our Fitting group!

I love the papers and embellishments I used on this project.

They are so rich and warm, and they printed out bea-yoo-tifully!

All my digital scrapping supplies come from Scrapgirls, and most items used in this project were from the Noteworthy Collection.

One of my favorite things to do is make organizers (go figure!) planners, or any kind of "book".

In the past I used to buy an Owire bound book, take it apart and recover/re-do it, then put it all back together again. My friend got me hooked on making these when we were stationed together in WA.

For Christmas I got a Bind-it-all (Yay!) and this is my first project!

Now I don't have to do the disassemble - reassemble thing anymore.

(any one else just hear No disassemble #5 in the back of their head?)

Check this Post for a Vogue Pattern Giveaway!

Vogue Pattern Give Away!

2011-01-28T17:14:00.000-06:00

Would you like this Vogue pattern?

(Vogue 8251)

Well, I'm giving it away!

When we picked up my Pattern Cabinet from JoAnn there was some stuff floating around the bottom, and as the guy loaded it up in my van he said I get to keep that as a little bonus.

That turned out to be this pattern.

Which is super cute!

I really love it, and could totally see myself making and wearing it!

But,

it's not my size!

Bummer....

wait,

Is it yours?

The first person to leave me a comment, letting me know what view they would make and what fabric, etc, they'd sew it in gets it! :o)

I'll ship it to you, free!

Sorry to my overseas friends - this is only available to US residents.

Spring Palette Challenge at Colette Patterns

2011-01-23T17:10:00.000-06:00

I decided to join the Spring Palette Challenge over at Colette Patterns!

The idea is simple, pick your colors, create an inspiration board and sew a mini wardrobe around your palette. You choose the colors, and what to make.

No pressure, plenty of fun!

So, here's my board - what d'ya think?

The inspiration behind my board was some lavender stretch twill and charcoal bottom weight fabric I found in my stash.

The first project on my to-do list will be a blouse out of the stretch twill, then some trousers. I've decided to commit to 4 projects. The top, pants, a dress, and...

who knows?

I guess that's why they call it a challenge. besides, I'm not expected to think that far ahead until week 2.

I think this challenge was made for me!

Any one else joining up or making plans for their spring wardrobe?

image credits:

Luichiny Women's Juni Per Platform Sandal, Amazon.com
Button Up Tier Dress, Forever 21
Pleated Bubble Shine Dress, Forever 21
Pinstripe Suiting 3/4'' Dark Grey, fabric.com
Grey trousers, Purple Oval
DAWN Plum Purple handmade fascinator Hair clip, ChloeANDMaddie Etsy

My Happy Find! Vogue Pattern Cabinet

2011-01-20T17:37:00.000-06:00

Guess what I got this week?

here's a peek...

My very own pattern cabinet!

Okay, you're right. I did make it the title of the post.

I guess I just couldn't hold it in.

One of my local Joann's is going out of business,

and I have always wanted my own cabinet so I snatched this baby up!

Thing is, I couldn't settle for just any cabinet.

I wanted the Vogue Pattern cabinet.

The Vogue cabinets have adjustable spacing, and they perfectly accommodate my patterns which I store in manila envelopes. See? It has to be Vogue.

Luck was on my side

because when I went down to check them out most were already sold,

but this one was left.

Just for me

or so I like to think.

We brought it home this week

(I had to wait patiently until it was empty)

I've cleaned it up and loaded it down with my patterns.

It looks so awesome, I'm so happy!

I'll eventually scrub off the stickers, etc, and will probably eventually paint it

but for now I'm just thrilled to have it in my studio holding all my patterns!

Cozy & Quilted Hooded Toddler Jacket

2011-01-19T14:33:00.000-06:00

Isn't this just the sweetest thing ever?

Soft and beautiful, this charming little jacket turned out even better than I expected!

I made this cozy piece from some of my favorite fabrics,

Butterfly Kisses by Robin Pandolph for Moda.

I love romantic florals, and nobody does 'em like Moda!

I used 3 prints on this sweetie -

the large scale floral, the ticking stripe and the tonal floral.

And I love the way the soft pink rick rack adds just the right touch.

I am a huge sucker for rick rack, I think everything a little girl wears should have some. :o)

I lined it with a thick flannel, so it's nice and warm but not too heavy, and then quilted the lining.

I've made this jacket before, but I had trouble hemming the sleeves according to directions, so I had to come up with my own version.

Seriously, the directions say:

"pull whole sleeve through the opening in the lining and stitch sleeve hems with right sides together"
huh?

I'm experienced enough, I usually know what I'm doing, but that left me stumped!

But this time I've actually used the "proper" construction technique on the sleeves.

It was super easy, but I could never "get" it until I actually saw it in action.
Total Light bulb moment!
Many Thanks to Tamara for showing me how it's done!

I think the next time I make this jacket I'll also make/post a tutorial for the sleeve hems.

I did a very scientific poll of my sewing peers, and I have learned I am not the village idiot, many of them couldn't figure it out either.

So now I've got it bagged up and ready for giving.

I made this one for my friends darling little girl.

(She doesn't know yet, so I'm going to surprise her with it tomorrow!)
I've got just enough fabric to make one more,
so I should be listing this in my Esty shop as a custom soon!

Fresh Start for January

2011-01-19T13:25:00.000-06:00

Since my last post I've been up to a lot.
like what?

well, we took Kadence on her first trip to Disneyland

My mom came up from the Land of Enchantment and visited us for a bit.

She picked up a sewing machine for Kadence while she was here too!

(that's' for another post)

Speaking of Kadence, besides sewing,

she's learned to ride a bike

(finally)

Kadence and I took a trip out to my Uncles farm in Wyoming.

That was a nice little break from reality

Anthony got baptized.

twice.

2 different religions.

(guess he wants to cover all his bases, ha!)

We discovered Anthony has an irrational, yet highly amusing fear of overgrown potatoes.

Of course we had to use this new found knowledge.

I've also

read some great - and not so great - books

Gotten a bunch of sewing done

been elected 2nd Vice President for my chapter of ASG

tried sushi

attended a women's entrepreneur conference (and won a lap top!)

attended a day-long sewing retreat

killed 3 hermit crabs (oopsie!)

and put on weight. Sigh...

So there it is, the good the bad and the ugly.