A mention worth mentioning

If you don't follow the super crafty mayamade, well, you're missing out.

The other day she was looking for ideas about what to do with a bucket full of wooden spoons. So, I shared with her how my grandmother used to let us kids use them to blow bubbles in the tub... while secretly getting us clean, and she shared it with her readers.
If you get really soapy and then rub the end of a wooden spool on your soapy self, you get great bubbles. I loved it, my daughter loves it, and I'm glad I could share so that other kids can love it!

Anyway, go check out her sight... she's gonna be a big time author soon.

If you give a kid a camera...

You will get hundreds of great photos that you will want to look at all the time.

Creativity Overflows

I'm sure that I am not the only parent who struggles with what to do with the abundance of art produced by their fantastically creative child(ren). I'm also probably not the only person out there with an odd corner of their home that poses a decorating conundrum.
After 4 years of living in our house, I finally solved both problems with one project.

Total cost:
About $20

Materials:
A variety of frames from the thrift store: $9
Valspar flat black spray paint: $4
Picture framing hardware, tiny eye screws, wire, and tiny paper clips: $7

How to:
I striped the frames of all the cheesy artwork, glass, and any backings, then wiped them down with a paper towel. I probably should have primed these, but I didn't. I just sprayed them all flat black with a few coats. Once they were dry, I laid them out on the floor to arrange them. (I think I need one or two more, really for the top right.) Once I had them the way I wanted them, I added hangers to the frames. Then, I attached the eye screws to the back of the frames near the top and strung the wire between them. I only did one wire, but the thought has occurred to me that you could add more wires to one of them to create a grid for little teeny bits of art. Anyway, once I got them all assembled, they went on the wall. I let T pick the art she wanted to display and voila - an ever changing display of her favorite art.



This is the "architectural detail" in my living room. I've learned that at one time it was a planter and the now bench part extended all the way to the window. Someone down the line covered the planter to make the bench and cut into it to create a nook - which now makes a lovely corner for our piano.

Fun with PhotoBooth

....Or how we spent a cold morning during Christmas vacation.

More before and after

Spiffy.

Before... and After

Before
Notice the two different paint colors and the really dirty chimney... lovely.

After
Ahhhh. The house is all one color. We went out on a limb with the awning color. I figure the neighbors will either love it like we do... or hate it (but guess how much I care). If you are curios, the colors are suitable brown and grandiose by Sherwin Williams. I think I'm gonna paint the furniture today... maybe an orange-y red?

It's Done.. or Is it?

I finished the construction of this jacket today... I think. I ended up making it sort of a double breasted/wrap kinda thing because the pattern was way to generous to use buttons. Since I'm not great with patterns, I didn't realize just how huge it was going to be. I suppose if I wasn't too lazy, I could open the sides of the lining and the jacket and take it in. But, that would be a heck of a lot of work, and unpicking is a sure fire way for me to screw something up. I like the new closure, though something about the second picture looks off. It just kind of looks funky in the chest area. Maybe it's too plain.. or it's just a bad picture. I don't know. If someone has a suggestion about something I need to do here, I would love to hear it.
I'm not totally in love with the collar. In fact, I'm not even going to bother putting a button on it because it looks really odd when brought together in front.
The lining, however, is a silky polyester that I am totally in love with.
Would I recommend this pattern or make it again? Nah, probably not, but I feel better about sewing a major garment like this now. I also learned how helpful having a dress form would have been. It's really hard to take on and off and pin things on yourself while looking in the mirror.