Mamas*Little*Treasures

Having a "career" isn't all that easy . . . .

If you have ever read my blog, or had a conversation with me, you know how much I LOVE being at home with my girls and sweet hubby, and how much I HATE being away from home.  But, then when reality steps in and I need to actually make money, well, then that dreaded word "JOB" just jumps out and grabs me.  Now, don't get me wrong . . . . I really like my job at the bank, and I LOVE the girls that I work with . . . . . but the problem is that I'm away from home.  Sometimes for long periods of time, like almost 10 hours once in a while.  I do have the benefit of having a very flexible schedule, and when I need time off if I have sick kid or I want to go to the girls' school for a program or a party, all I have to do is mention it to my boss and the schedule is changed to accommodate me.  It helps that the other girls at work are willing to switch up schedules when we can help each other out that way - but still, I'm just saying - how much I HATE being away from home. 

So, when I am at home, of course there are always the housekeeping tasks that are calling to me, like laundry which NEVER is finished.  And I do feel a need to do the dishes, dust, vacuum, and scrub the bathrooms occasionally.  Oh, and spend time with my family . . . . we like to play Scrabble and the girls are getting really good at spelling so they have great fun!  Now we are working on holiday projects, like baking and decorating.  But fortunately for me, they also like to create - anything!  They love to play with pla-doh, and cut and paste, and color and cut.  This morning they made a little paper village, with houses, and gardens, and flower pots, and a fence, and a Christmas tree.  So, while they are busy creating their own little masterpiece, I get time to create my own projects.  Here's the one I worked on this past week.  It's hard to tell from the pictures, but this is a gorgeous art journal, just ready to be made into someone's personal treasure book. 

I'm just now remembering why my blog hasn't been updated for a couple of weeks - it's not that I wasn't thinking about it and planning my posts in my head - but since they've changed the Typepad format, I've been a bit frustrated trying to get it to work for me.  Now, I'm sure it's ME and not Typepad, which I have LOVED ever since I started my blog over here.  It's all coming back to me now . . . . I did start a couple of blog posts, and then my computer locked up on me (actually maybe it is my computer and not me or Typepad that is to blame here) and I lost everything I had spent a half hour writing.  And of course, then there is the dreaded reality of my JOB that required me to head out the door and be on my way to THE BANK whether my blog post was finished or not.  I guess I just got discouraged from writing all of that wonderful stuff, and then losing it . . . . .oh well, I'm getting the hang of it now.  And, as it turns out, I can even compose my next brilliant monologue, aka my next blog post, at work on one of my breaks.  That's OK too, so the next time I get my afternoon cup of Swiss Chocolate Mocha, I'll be thinking of you and get busy writing a blog post to inspire all my readers    ;o)  

Actually, when I don't post for a while, I always get emails from a few of my sweet online friends who are worried about me.  Thanks for noticing, peeps (as my darling Erin would say)- and I hope you keep checking up on me, because I do still have lots of great stuff to share with you.  Like the two new eBooks that I need to finish up and submit this week.  And just in case you are interested, take a peek over at my Etsy Shop where I've added a couple new things.  But that's another one of those projects that I really just want time to work on . . . .I'm getting there!  Stop back soon and I'll try to have more fun stuff for you to read, and maybe even a new artsy project to share with you.  By the way, I'm also thinking about more ways to up-cycle some vintage stuff into new, practical stuff, because after all, we're all struggling a bit with this economy crunching us from every angle.  Send me your ideas, 'cuz I always love to try to create something that YOU are looking for!  Hope to chat again soon . . . . . .   

PS it just happened again - just as I was about to upload the finished post, I got the message that there had been an error some place and my connection would shut down.  Fortunately I had uploaded most of this post before that happened, and now all I need to do is re-upload the pictures.  See why this takes me so long???

Since this project has so many fascinating little treasures, I'll just have to post more pictures of it tomorrow.  My Amazing Treasure Chest Art Journal.  It's beautiful!

 

 

More of my book organization project

Since I worked so hard on this project yesterday, and I am SOOOO relieved to have this one little mess cleaned up . . . . . I just have to post the rest of the pictures.  Lots of our books are almost ancient - really - as I have some school books from great-grandparents, as well as an exercise book from the late 1800s.  They are fascinating!  I keep them safe, away from the kids, but they have been passed on from previous generations, and then moved around a bit, they are getting pretty raggedy.  Which reminds me, one of my MOST favorite books of all time is "Hitty:  Her First Hundred Years," which is a story told in the voice of a doll that has been passed on from one generation to the next, and she is also pretty raggedy   ;o) 

I have a treasured old glass-top table that I've had for many, many years.  And I like to display some of my older books inside so we can see them but not touch them.  Another book that has been well-loved and well-worn over the years in our family is "Good Night Moon" which I read to all of my older children, and now to our girls.  They love it and have it memorized!  I also came across another old children's book that I read with my older kids, "The Moffats," with is great fun to read and learn about how some families lived in an earlier generation.  We also have "The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" in a beautiful, illustrated version; and old "Mother Goose" book with watercolor illustrations; and a newer book that we have acquired since traveling to China to bring our girls home, "I Love You Like Crazy-Cakes."  A sweet story of a mama traveling to China to bring her baby home.  We love books at our house!  Gracie has been reading the Junie B. Jones series, and Annie loves the "Little Bear" books.  So many books, and only one lifetime to cherish them!  Have a great Wednesday, and don't forget to read with your kids! 

We have lots of space for all our books, which is a very good thing    ;o) 

Tackle It Tuesday: You can't have too many books!

                                                  

MOVING!!!!  I hope I never have to go through this again!!!  So, although we are "mostly" settled into our cozy little house in the woods, there are still so many boxes to finish sorting.  I actually just found my camera charger a couple of days ago, and had been working off of the same charge for a couple of weeks.  But now I'm back in business and I can take pictures all day long, if I want to   ;o)  But, first, I had to put away all of these books.  And my inspiration?  The great gals over at 5 Minutes for Mom and their Tackle It Tuesday meme!

They all ended up on the dining room table because I was looking for a specific book . . . . of course, in all those boxes of books, the ONE I needed was in the 10th or 12th box I had to go through.  But I found what I was looking for - only all the books that I didn't need right that minute, ended up stacked on the table and on every other flat surface I could find (well, a flat surface that didn't already have a bunch of other stuff on it that I needed to sort!). 

In addition to the books, there were a few stray school papers and notebooks, a couple of cups and other knick-knacks, and lots of pictures.  I love to have family pictures in our house, so there I was, facing this mess that was making me crazy!  Today was the day, and fortunately we have lots of cupboard space that we don't need for dishes (because they all fit in the kitchen cupboards), so I had a place to put all of our books. 

Well, you can see that there was also a wardrobe steamer sitting in the middle of the dining room .  . . . my sweet hubby worked on the wrinkles in my winter coat, compliments of having been shoved into a packing box all summer, and now it is just about time for the snow to fly.  He got it looking brand-new (even though it was one of my favorite thrift shop finds, it looks GREAT!) - but there sat the steamer.  And what do YOU do with all those wonderful kids' projects that you want to save for their scrapbooks?  I've got another pile!  I'll get to THAT pile sometime soon. 

Once I got all of the books sorted, kind of, into categories, they went quietly onto the shelves and into the cupboards.  The kids' books have a section all of their own, because the girls love to rummage around through the books every night before bedtime.  Then we read together.  Now they have a bunch of "new" books to read!  I put the old McGuffey Readers together on a shelf where the girls can reach them, but not all mixed up with the other kids' books. 

So, at least now we can use the dining room table if we want to.  We have another small table in the kitchen, where we usually have our meals, but just in case we have company or something special . . .. . I can find the table!

I'm finally finished with this ONE project, but there are so many more . . . . I guess I'll be posting lots of my Tackle It Tuesday projects for the next several weeks!  I think I will even post a few more pictures of my beautiful dining room tomorrow, I'm so proud of my accomplishment today   ;o) 

As for the next few weeks of Tackle It Tuesday projects, the kitchen needs to be painted, my sewing room needs to be organized, the girls' room need lots of attention - but this afternoon I have to take the girls to the dentist, so this is it for today.  Having this connection with other women who are trying to keep their heads above the piles of STUFF is a great inspiration!  Keep up the good work, girls, and I'll be back next Tuesday with another organizing project   ;o)  

Here are the girls' books - well, some of them, since they have a basket full of books in their bedroom, too.  Now they have lots and lots of books to choose from!  Some of these books, however, have been around a long time, and are pretty much well-worn and loved, and pretty raggedy around the edges.  Kind of like the Skin Horse in one of our favorite stories, "The Velveteen Rabbit."  Off to the dentist! 

Be sure to visit all the other tacklers out there who are taking control of the clutter in their lives!  Visit 5 Minutes for Mom and be inspired! 

New Book Give-Away at Waiting*for*Grace

This is just one of the books that will be given away to one person who comments on the post over at Waiting*for*Grace.  Stop by and sign up, and see what else you can win!  Also, pop on over to my new adoption website, My Red Thread Journey, and sign up for all the fun over there, and your name will be entered TWICE in the book give-away!  See you there! 

Some progress . . . . slow but sure

I'm working on my next eBook for YouCanMakeThis.com!  This one has been great fun . . . . it is a sweet collection of accessories for a nursery.  It would be cute, too, for a toddler or "little" girl.  And even with some variations, a "big" girl might have fun creating her own designs.  Since I have two girls, of course I am making one of these for both girls' bedrooms.  But I might make a variation of this for "little" boys, too!

The collection includes the Dolly Dresses Clothesline wall hanging, the crazy patch pieced scrapbook cover, the embellished treasure box, and a sweet design for creating your own personalized framed baby picture.  All in coordinating fabrics, for this one I used pink and white gingham, a pink / white / yellow calico, a light pink with dark pink polka dots, and a yellow and a pink batiste with embroidered dots.  Then lots and lots of rick-rack, ribbon, and lace!

With some decorative stitching, I appliqued on a heart and a flower, and then stitched on leaves and stems.  There is a triple-layer fabric flower with a vintage button center, and a ribbon tie closure.  I searched through my stash of vintage buttons and finished off the scrapbook cover with little touches of charm all around! 

I love to use the decorative stitches that I have on my sewing machine, and I even added a delicate silver spider web on the back of the cover. 

Then there is also the adorable embellished treasure box!  Just perfect for storing all those baby memories that just won't fit into the scrapbook . . . . we have a few tiny momentos of our trips to China for "Gotcha Day" that really won't work in a scrapbook but I want to keep them for the girls.  Things such as the one little sock with a hole in the toe that Annie was wearing when we first held her in our arms.  And Chinese charms and necklaces that we want to keep, and the chopsticks and the fans.  The top of the box is more crazy patch piecing securely attached and then embellished all around the edges with beaded ribbon.  The outside of the box is painted a delicate pink, and the inside is painted ivory pearlescent.  So feminine!

The photo frame can be made with your own precious little one, and is embellished with a little pink gingham "blanket" with yellow ribbons all around.  It is finished with more vintage buttons on the background as well as on the mat board.

  I had the most fun of all making the dolly dresses hanging on the clothesline!  Simple but darling . . . . the garments are covered in fabric and then decorated with beads, buttons, and ribbon.  With a few coats of semi-gloss clear coat, they are sturdy and durable.  Then a ribbon clothesline, tiny clothespins, and more fabric flowers, this sweet wall hanging was finished!   

Now that the project and all the pictures are ready, I get to put them all together in my eBook.  I love the writing process!  I just pretend that I have a friend right beside me, and I am explaining how to create all these fun projects.  The plan is to have the book finished and submitted next week, so if you haven't checked out YouCanMakeThis.com yet, run over there and take a peek.  There are lots and lots of fun eBook patterns for every one, whether you are a beginner or an experienced crafter or seamstress.  Great ideas for back to school, too! 

Speaking of back to school . . . . I guess I better get busy on that project, too!  And I have a great idea for my next pattern book, especially for simple school wear that mom can whip up in an afternoon.  With the cost of kids' clothing these days, if you are on a budget like we are, you'll love making some cute clothes that are quick and inexpensive.  I'm off to take some more pictures of other projects!  Have a great weekend!   

Upcoming eBook: Scrappy Pants

How fun is this litte outfit!  One more quick and easy project for moms to whip up for back to school.  For my girls, jeans and a t-top are their favorite outfit . . . . but it is kind of fun to jazz it up a little bit. 

And we have several pair of jeans around here that are starting to get a little thin in the knees, so this is the perfect solution.  Or you can take a trip to your thrift store and pick up a pair of jeans (great bargains on name brands, too!) and dress them up with whatever little bits and pieces of fabric, ribbon, lace, and beads that you might have around your craft or sewing room.

The jeans and t-top will be available in my Etsy Shop later today, and the pattern will be available from YouCanMakeThis.com by the first of August.  Just right for Back to School projects! 

And you could also make a darling set for you, mom!  You can use any fabric combination, with all kinds of glitzy, shimmery embellishments to make a stunning fall outfit that could go just about anywhere.  Think about it . . . . . comfy jeans and a t-top, but glamorous enough to wear out for dinner and a movie.  So easy . . . so sweet . . . . so adventurous if you choose!

The "Scrappy Pants" collection will include eBooks featuring clothing, tote bags, journal and scrapbook covers, and home decor projects.  Check out my eBooks at YouCanMakeThis.com and stop and visit me at my Etsy Store for lots more yummy goodies! 

Today I'm working on a journal

The challenge was to find or create a beautiful journal for the "JustBeConnected" journal swap.  Well, do you think I could find the PERFECT journal, already created, to send to my journal partner????  Of course not!  So, after investing a couple of hours online searching for a website that sold journals . . . . or a site that would offer instructions for creating my own (I'd be willing to pay!), I finally decided to experiment, and CREATE one all by myself!

And as I think about it, isn't that what the idea behind "JustBeConnected" really is . . . .to connect with our private, creative, contemplative self, that so frequently gets lost in the hustle and bustle of everyday life?  I'm excited to get started!  Sure, I have tons of other projects (some even with deadlines!) on my long TO DO list, but I'm just so excited to get going on this one, that I woke up at 5:30 a.m. (on a Sunday morning!) with all kinds of ideas.

Will I do paper decoupage, or fabric crazy patch piecing?  Should I use a ready-made journal and decorate the cover and put little drawings and sayings inside every few pages?  How about if I just make a fabric cover for the ready-made journal using my sewing skills and applique techniques?  Or maybe I will just start with some beautiful parchment paper, gold ribbon, and pastel colored markers and create a journal from just those few supplies and my imagination? 

Well, I'm off to work on it and I'll post pictures when I'm finished . . . .or along the way on this adventure.  And I'll be sure to post pictures of the journal I receive from my other journal swap partner.  Can't wait to see all of the gorgeous creations that develop from this journal swap project!