To resolve or not

Here is the tricky part. Is it a resolution if you just obsessively think it but don't write it down on you 2010 resolution list. I didn't write down "Use stash first". I have this problem every year. I love my craft stash. Sure I have more than I might ever use, yes it is often sufficating to have. Really I could write pages about the love hate relationship I have with my craft stash. I won't bore you with it here, really just read anything about hoarding, I think that is how I am with my craft stash.

This past weekend I took the plunge. I actually completed two projects that have been bugging me for a while. Part of my hoard of craft supplies is lamps, yes, lamps. Especially free or very nearly free pressed or cut glass lamps. This weekend I tasked my DH to go out to the garage and get two of the lamps, his choice (he went out in shorts and flip flops in negative degrees, I guess he really does want my things out of the garage, huh?). He brought in one that was perfect in a corner of our living room and another that was perfect for my bedside stand.

Both lamps needed shades. Lucky(?) me I had thoughtfull picked up lamp shades whenever they are free also. Of course the lamps needed to be cleaned, rewired and the shades recovered. The larger lamp actually turned out to be the easier project. DH rewired the lamp and I covered the shade. Attesting to the size of my fabric sewing stash I had the perfect gold striped silky poly fabric, white cotton sheeting for the shade lining and even perfectly matching trim for the top and the bottom. I simply googled for recovering a lamp shade and tweaked it until it looked like I wanted. It was about an hours work-- total cost- $1.00 lamp, free-shade, stash fabric for shade and about 1.50 in rewiring supplies. I think it looks great. There are a few things I would do differently next time but all in all not to bad for a few bucks.

The little lamp proved to be tricker. It had a different set of wiring, options for 1st bulb, 2nd bulb, or both to be on. It was also a little bugger to clean, some sort of nasty was in that glass ball. The shade was a simple top hoop, bottom hoop design so I had to wing the pattern. The shade on the first was easy and I could largely use hot glue, not so the little one, hand sewing all the way. I think it turned out adorable though.

These projects have really got me hopping though. I love my sewing machine and I am hearing its siren call right now. The boys birthdays are in Feb and April and I have dreams of knitting sweaters, hats and sewing quilts. Ah, but it is good to have dreams right?!

Sew Liberated Book GIVEAWAY!!!!

Sew Liberated Book GIVEAWAY!!!!

Do the fantastic giveaways never end. Must find the time for my sewing machine this week.

Neige $100 Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Neige $100 Gift Card GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

I am a sucker for lovely children's clothes. I have spent more on boutique clothes than I would like to admit. I wish Grosgrain didn't show me this store, because I don't need to spend anymore money but I love this site.

Genius wrapping ideas for the Earth and wallet

http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2009/10/make-gift-bow-from-magazine-page.html
Brillant- simply brillant!

Gifts I want but don't dare ask for . . .

. . . or the title could read, In Case the Husbnad Doesn't Think I'm crazy enough

I love this Meadow Lyre
http://www.bellalunatoys.com/musicbooks/items/meadowlyre.htm
The fact that I am not musically inclined at all doesn't seem to be entering into the picture.

Tap Shoes
I so wish these were my size http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34600208&ref=sr_gallery_15&&ga_search_query=tap+shoes&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_page=&includes[]=tags&includes[]=title

Thoughts for today

Random bits wandering about in my head today:

I love my boys!
I love snow!
I love everything about the holiday season except this. Not being able to find the perfect gift for someone on your list that really deserves the perfect gift.

Stuck on an ornament

Every year I make an ornament for friends and family. I think it is a nice way to be able to give someone a gift while still being small and none of the pressure of reciprocating the gift giving. I just really love making and giving gifts.
This year I would love to include Finn in on this tradition. I am out of ideas though. I may have used them all up this last weekend with the nieces and Finn and the adults, truth be known (you know you loved craft time!).
If it was just me I would stay up until midnight to make these little baskets, I am obsessed with them, http://frontierdreams.blogspot.com/. Do you think a 4 year old would get in on the felting?

Still smiling

I love that Finn loves preschool. Tonight he came how singing "To market, To market to buy a fat pig. Home again, home again, jiggity jig." All night I heard this and everytime I had to bite back laughter. He says it so perfectly.
The advent calendar was a huge hit!

Advent calendar

For the last few years I have been interested in advent calendars. My children seem to inspire me to create new traditions in addition to celebrating a mix of my family's and my husband's family traditions (interestingly enough both of our traditions involve a lot of swearing when our dad's put up the tree, he he.)

I would love to make a fabulous advent calendar that could be handed down to my boys but the sad truth is that every year this gets put by the way side as the season starts. Lucky for us we have found an advent calendar Finn loves. next year we will have to have something for Grady but this year he isn't interested in anything but the tree.

Last year we bought the Lego advent calendar and it was a huge hit! We bought this year's version and I can't wait to see Finn's face tonight when we unveil it!

I love these advent calendars-- ahh someday

http://missgioia.com/2008/12/frankincense-advent-calendar.html

http://prairiemouse.typepad.com/prairiemouse/2008/11/advent.html

Should I stay or should I go

I haven't been very good about writing and posting in this space. Now I am faced with the decision to stay or go.

Well, first a list that has been composing in my head for some time.
Things I want to do in the New Year
1. Practice more Yoga!
2. Reupholster a vintage couch in really crazy fabrics.
3. Make a wreath every month out of things found.
4. Take more nature walks
5. Think of new fun family things to do together
6. Live at camp more during the summer
7. Buy less
8. Build up my shop on etsy
9. Find a new house in the country, for the whole family
10. Be a better wife
11. Be a better mother
12. Be daring! Do at least one thing a month that stretches my comfort zone
13. Go camping for a weekend.
14. Give things away. They are just things and I don’t want my time sucked into cleaning. Sorting, storing or listing them anymore.
15. Make things for the family first this year.
16. Knit a sweater for me

I am sure I will keep adding to it in the weeks ahead. This blog would be a great place to document if my list is just words or if I have put some action behind it. So I will stay for a bit longer.

Chubby Baby Car Seat Cover GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

Chubby Baby Car Seat Cover GUEST GIVEAWAY!!!!

My Britax could use this. Aren't they lovely.

Love for Heather Ross

I have been hoarding Heather Ross prints for some time now. Some I have even cut into--I know shock! Right now I am working on her free Medocino dress pattern. I love the faux smocking look of the elastic thread. This thread could become very addictive, I can see that now.

There is an awesome give-away here. While you are at Ms. Sew-Fantastic's blog check out the awesome crayon wallets and the start of her crayon quilt. Love these!

Giveaway at Green Fairy Quilts

Please check this out!
http://www.greenfairyquilts.blogspot.com/
What a great giveaway at Green Fairy quilts, and a great charity to give to as well. I just 'found' this website and I am so inspired. I love noodles and there are some great patterns here as well as awesome noodle packs.

new life all around us

The little birds have hatched- robins BTW, not tanigers which have the nest next to the fence. They are adorable in their nakie state. Speaking of adorable, check out the boys today! So cute. Both are growing so fast these days.

I think I have to have it!

Check this out:

Madsen Bicycles
I have to have one! It would be perfect for the small village we live in and I think the boys would love it. I haven't owned a bike in years but I think I'm in love all over again.

Lovely new yarn

If you know anything about me it is probably that I love to craft, especially with new fabrics and yarn. Check out this new yarn called Spud & Chloe from Blue Sky Alpacas. I love BSA's organic cottons and can't wait to get my hands on some of these lucious yarns also.

Giveaway runs until Memorial Day here: http://www.skeinsherway.com/ Run over and let her know I sent you.

Inspiration

These are just some things that are inspiring me at the moment. They also share a color palette with my kitchen. The Scarlet Tangier has built this nest twice now in the playhouse. Now that it has eggs in it my 4 year old is enthralled. He watches from binocolars, has to check it out once a day, looks the bird up in bird books and frets about the babies.

The second picture is a table runner I made a few days in the last week of pregnancy for our new little one. I love the fabrics from a charm pack by Moda and love the wooden bowl. I think I found the wooden bowl at TJ Maxx. The tree is the huge maple tree that lives in our side yard. He is a tough ol' tree and we love him for it.

Picnic Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

Picnic Frock GIVEAWAY!!!!

I am always amazed by people's talents. Look at this lovely dress! Just gorgeous as is everything on this blog!

Kitchen Swap 2009

I am excited to venture out into a few more swaps this year. It is always so much fun to get a present in the mail. Well, almost as much fun as it is to make handmade items that you know someone will really enjoy. I have signed up for Kitchen Swap 2009 at sew-fantastic .

Hmm, things you should know about my kitchen-- natural cherry cabinets, light blue walls, I collect white/ivory ironstone pitchers and red and white enamelware, my favorite thing in my kitchen is my red kitchenaide stand mixer. I love aprons and usually my LM and I wear one for cookie making.

Looking forward to seeing what I can make for someone. Can't wait to begin.

working off the scraps

I have been working on and off with this project. LM loves Tom & Jerry so I bought this panel about 1 year ago to make him a special lap quilt. Well, there it sat in my stash. Finally pulled it out this last week and started thinking of ways to make it up. Using 5" square scraps from my scrap bin together with strips I have been pulling it all together. I think I will use white to frame the blocks a bit. Then I was thinking of quilting the white sections with multi-color thread with words- like his name, Tom & Jerry etc.

This isn't my greatest masterpiece but it is fun and will see quite a bit of wash and wear so I am trying not to obsess about it. Hoping to get this done by the weekend. We shall see. It is supposed to be beautiful weather.