Aubrey's Birthday and My First Knit Sewing Project. . .

Ok, so Aubriana is two today. I'm trying not to dwell on my last and only baby girl being two, so instead of me whining about how she is growing up, I'm going to post a few pictures from her party and leave it at that.
To distract me from the birthday, I made her a shirt. I love this longer style and she can wear it with pants or leggings.I created this pattern, which is always a challenge. I had a bunch of problems. First of all, I made everything too big, which resulted in fixing it with the gathers across the front. That actually turned out really cute. Serendipity isn't my favorite word for nothin'. I was picturing the straps turning out differently. Silly me, I had in my mind that I was going to construct them one way, then as I was sewing, realized that I knew a better way, but didn't realize it was going to result in things being bigger (used less of a seam allowance) and changing the shape of the sleeve slightly. I'm still very much the amateur pattern drafter, but I'm learning. Most of what I do wrong, I'm too lazy to fix. So, then I end up making something a little different than my original design. I guess I subscribe to the Tim Gunn "make it work" style of sewing. I actually have enough fabric that I will probably attempt this again. Also ran into problems sewing knit fabric. I think the white had a little too much stretch and was too thin for what I wanted to do with it. I may try to find a studier fabric. Plus, it is really, really hard to sew knit without stretching, which makes the edges ruffle. Sometimes that's a good thing, not so much in this case.

Anyway, another photo, this one of her checking out her new shirt. I put it on her and got a cheerful, "Thank you, Mommy."
And this one because she has 'tude.And this one, even though it doesn't show the shirt, just because it's adorable and possibly my new favorite photo. I like how she seems to think you smell with your lips.

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

Graham is here!

Yesterday, we had Aubriana's birthday party, even though she won't be two until Friday. Melissa was getting induced, going into the hospital at midnight and asked me to take some pictures. So, I present before and after photos.

BEFORE:
AFTER:
Sorry about the cruddy camera phone photos. Aside from that, I can't believe those photos. He looks so old. I have similar looking photos of Maxton at six weeks. He's so dang sweet. I could hold him for hours.

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

Give-away Winner!

Courtney is the winner of my give-away! Check out her awesome blog, A Little Something. She does the best digital scrapbook layouts. Makes me want to forget about cleaning my kitchen floor and spend the day on the computer!

Thanks to everyone for your comments. I loved hearing from all of you and I hope you like the new look.

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

Digital Scrapbooking Freebie #2--Birdie Papers

New to digital scrapbooking? Never downloaded a digital kit before? What in the world are .rar files anyway? Get your answers here: How to Unzip Files So You Can Digi Scrap.

I love the bird motif that's been going around lately, so here's my take on it. Hope you enjoy! Let me know if you create anything with it. I'd love to see!

(Click Thumbnail to Download)

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

Three Down, One to Go

I love being a parent. I particularly love those peaceful moments when everything seems right in the world. The world is full of hope. The end is in sight and you bask in the glory of each tick of the clock, so filled with joy that you may burst. I am of course talking about the moment when you realize your child is potty trained. I’m calling it. Griffin is potty trained. To give you a moment of perspective, I have only one in diapers. ONE. The last time this happened was 5.5 years ago, before Maxton was born. I’ve had three in diapers. Twice.

When we had our children insanely close together, I knew that diaper changing was going to be a huge part of it, but I looked at it as an advantage. My reasoning went like this: if you space your children approximately 3.5 years apart (so far, the approximate age of potty training for my children), and you have four children, you will have changed diapers for 14 years. That is a lot of years. Doing it my way, you will have to change the same amount of diapers, but it is condensed to 7.5 years. That is a difference of 6.5 YEARS. Yes, I know my math skills astound. I took calculus.

Baby, I only have 1.5 years left! Maybe sooner!

Griffin is strutting around the house, hugely proud and stuffed with candy. I bribed him. Bribing is one of my main parenting tools. We got a huge fishbowl, filled it with Dots and Tootsie Rolls and he got a treat for every successful bathroom trip. When all the candy is gone, he is getting a fish. We’ve never had a pet, so this is big time stuff. I've been generously helping him along by donating my teeth and daily calorie allotment to eating tootsie rolls. Especially the vanilla flavor-rolls. It's my duty as a mother.

In other Griffin news, we recently had our first “where do babies come from” talk. His aunt is pregnant and due soon, so it’s been on his mind. I explained briefly.

His next question?

“Mommy, what happens if somebody eats your brains?”

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

Digital Scrapbooking Freebie

New to digital scrapbooking? Never downloaded a digital kit before? What in the world are .rar files anyway? Get your answers here: How to Unzip Files So You Can Digi Scrap.


So, in making my new blog background, I ended up creating a digital paper collection. I hope the links work and everything. Click on the icon above to download. Let me know if you have any problems.

And, of course, a cute little layout with Aubriana and her daddy.

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

New Look. . .Coming soon!

Hi everyone! I'm in the process of updating my blog and personalizing it a little bit. I'm hoping that by posting this, it will actually get my booty in gear to make some changes. If I don't, you should hound me about it. I am giving you permission to harass me. Promise I won't obtain restraining orders or anything.

I also would love some input. What kinds of things do you like to see? What should I do more of? Or less of? Don't be afraid to be honest. I post for myself a lot, but the real joy is seeing that people (sometimes) read it. I know my family does. Usually I get the laptop out, pull up my blog, and hover eagerly over their shoulders, licking their faces like a little puppy, until I'm satisfied that they've read everything.

I'm also thinking of renaming it. Unfortunately, while I'm great at sewing and somewhat witty and long stories, I really stink at titles. I think I've spent at least a year of my life coming up with titles for scrapbook pages. Most of the time at crops, I sit around staring and eating M&Ms, trying to come up with something clever and fun. One-liners or less are not my talent. I have to have at least 20 words to come up with something decent, and that's kinda long for a blog name. Please, help me out and give me a suggestion!

Edited to Add:
I'm also going to offer my very first prize. It's easy to win. Just leave me a comment and I will put your name into a random drawing for this purse I made. Drawing will be held one week from today (May 21st).

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

Carpooling Adventures or My Lack of Brain Cells

Me and My Nephew, Hyrum.

Children suck brain cells. Of all the things about parenting, this was the one I was least prepared to face. I mean, people warn you all the time about the sleepless night, the endless crying, the tortures and mysteries of trying to get a child to urinate and defecate in the right place, but no one actually tells you it makes you stupider. Your brain is supposed to recover, but clearly, mine has not.

In my quest to prove my brain has left the building, I had a series of blonde moments and near catastrophes involving u-turns and forgotten children this week. Or, forgotten child, I should say. The child being my poor nephew Hyrum who is as cute enough to deserve a children’s book series based on him, and therefore, does not deserve to be forgotten. My excuse is that he started it several months ago by disappearing when he was supposed to be getting into my car and getting carpooled home, but instead was running off in the opposite direction and camouflaging himself among about a million little kids. Some of the scariest moments of my life.

Yesterday, deprived of brain cells and used to picking up the kids from school instead of taking them (Melissa and I trade weeks), I made it to the first stop sign before realizing I was missing one of the key children of which this trip was designed to transport. I felt dumb, blond moment, hello, but I did and nice safe u-turn in which no one was endangered, and drove the two blocks back to his house.

The next day, being this morning, I managed to make it all the way to school before realizing that I was again missing an important child. I was thinking of how to make my first million (hahahaha) and wasn’t paying attention to little details, like going to Hyrum’s house to pick him up. So, I let Xander get out, run back to Hyrum’s house, grab him, and go back to school. I think he was late, poor guy. Luckily, I don’t think he noticed much that I forgot him. He was too busy pestering Maxton and gnawing through his seatbelt.

I was merrily driving along behind some sort of pest control truck, when it pulled over to the side of the road. I was going to go past him, when I realize he is not pulling over to the side, but doing a u-turn. I almost t-boned him, but stopped in time and made my shock and displeasure known by honking the horn. I had a mix of emotion at the time, including relief at not getting in an accident, pride at having not totally lost my head and for once in my life, appropriately honking my horn instead of never letting stupid drivers know how stupid I find them, disgust at his stupidity, because really, who does a u-turn in the middle of the road without looking behind him? and a little bit of shock. I feel justified in being totally pissed off, since I, despite having reduced brain cells from pregnancy, I managed to make a safe u-turn on the very same road the day before. Apparently, pest control people loose more brain cells than pregnant women, poor guys.

Now I’m home, trying to recover some calmness with See’s chocolate and strawberry lime Jones soda. I need a nap.

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

$1 make-over

First, I started out with this skirt. A $1 Saver's find. It's a girl sized, not exactly sure how big, but probably for a girl who is 9 or 10.

First, I took out the elastic. It was actually stitched to the casing, otherwise, you could just open up the casing in a 2" spot or so, pull it tighter and sew the elastic together, trim it and sew up your hole. Instead, I had to unpick the entire casing, sew it again, put the elastic through, sew the elastic to itself, then sew up my hole.

After that, I added straps, with a ribbon sewn the length of it. Then I sewed on a matching bow on the front and ta-da! a new dress. It's so cute; perfect for running around in this summer. She was not very cooperative about the pictures, so pardon my mess and the blurry, headache inducing 2nd shot.

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

Warning, this may gross you out

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT. NOT SUITALBE FOR SQUEAMISH STOMACHS OR PREGNANT WOMEN OR PEOPLE WHO HAVE SWINE FLU (WHAT ARE YOU DOING ON MY BLOG? I DON’T WANT TO CATCH IT!). VOMIT INDUCING CONTENT.

My toe is still hurting a bit from this interesting experience, so it’s driven me to complain. I’m a bit, fat complainer.

Last week, I cut my toe on a blender. I may be the only person in the world with the talent for mishap to be able to do this to myself. And it wasn’t just the blender blades; that would be for amateurs. Oh no, I cut my toe on it when it was attached to the pitcher thingie.

I was deep in thought about my brilliant idea for my mom for Mother’s Day. I was carrying a binder in which I was going to sketch my brilliant idea and I was walking toward the kitchen. I wasn’t paying attention to my feet. I almost trip over something. I feel a sharpish pain in my toe. I look down, and there is the blender, laid out on its side like a mommy-trap. I had put my left foot into it, mid-step, catching the tip of my toe on one of the blades.

A little like this:

I would say I had no idea how it got there, but I'm pretty sure I know how; it's just a matter of guessing which kid's evil plot it was to leave it in my path.

I’m surprised they went for the blender. It’s in the most boring cupboard, the one with all my bowls. They’ve never touched it before. Usually they just go for the food. After I cleaned and disinfected it, it went into one of our child-proof cupboards. I'm grossed out. Luckily, I don't use the blender much, as mostly DH uses it for milk shakes and smoothies. The blender and I are no longer friends. I’m not giving in until it apologizes.

It would have been a lot worse. At first, I thought I wasn’t even bleeding. I’m glad I’m the only one who got hurt. My toe is having a hard time healing, but at least I have the distinction of hurting it on a blender and not some common injury, like a nail. Then, my toe would still hurt, but I probably couldn't blog about it.

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

An Old Letter or Why Not to Blow Kisses During Class

So, today we cleaned out some of our room. I recently read Clutter's Last Stand by Don Aslett and I've got the throw away/give away/sell bug. Clutter is choking me. So, I was going through my files and found this old letter, and I think it's too hilarious to keep to myself, although it was probably humiliating for both of us at the time. I have no memory of the event, so I must not have been too traumatized. I'm not sure why this one was never sent. Probably because it was never finished. Also, note the date.

Feb. 13, 1996

Dear Stacey,

This guy in my history class keeps asking me out. (I told you, right?) Anyway, today he asked me out again (for, like, the 7th time). When I said no, he said, "Wanna just kiss?" I'm like NO. "Hug?" NO. Then my 1/2 friend, Kristen, (it's a long story), said just to blow him a kiss. I said no. (I was starting to get mad). So, she told him to blow me a kiss. (This is right in the middle of class.) The teacher sees him, but thinks he has a RUBBERBAND! (Does this not tell you what kind of guy he is?) I was fine with that until Kristen said, "He was blowing Kara a kiss." I could have died. Everyone was so quiet and I was SO-SO-SO-SO BRIGHT RED. I covered my face with my hands. Then Brian started to cry. I was really furious. . .

First of all, my heart just about breaks for Brian, who sadly I can't remember. 2ndly, Kristen was not a good friend. 3rdly, apparently, I was a fan of the parenthesis. They're like little hugs of information. 4thly, I guess I had a prejudice against guys who might be suspected of rubber-band usage.

I am so glad I'm safely married and don't have to turn guys down, embarrass them and then break their hearts. One look at my ring and my four fighting kids, and they run away of their own accord.

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.

Some Projects: Two Bags and A Little Boy's Dream Come True

I really should have been doing other things this week besides sewing. Nothing like a little avoidance and procrasition to kick my creative side into over-drive.

First up, a purse. I thought I was making myself a bigger one, but um, no, it's actually smaller than the one I've been using; a risk you take when you make up your own pattern. It's cute though. I love when scrapbook supplies come in handy for other hobbies.This is a library bag I made for Xander. I don't have an embroidery machine, so this is my improvised version. Xander's verdict is that it's a bit boring. He wants something on the back and smilie faces on the squares. I told him too bad. :P

He does however, heartily aprove of this wallet. In fact, I think he approves of it a little too much. Look at the obsessed love gleam in his eye. I caught him kissing it earlier. Who knew Xander's first big crush would be a wallet? I hope this isn't prelude to a love of money. I also really like the fake-out potiential with this fabric choice. "Cool! I have $50. Oh wait, no I don't." It's kind of fat, too, because yet again, I couldn't find a pattern I liked, so I made one up. This is my first attempt, but it still turned out cool, if not perfect.

I've started a new blog: Come follow my crafting adventures on my new blog. Find me at: creativeirony.com.