OCD Put to Good Use

So those of you who know me know that I can be a little OCD.  When I say I am going to do something, by golly, I am going to do it!  I have to say that I LOVE sewing and I have just discovered, thanks to my good friend, Mandi, how easy it is to make pillow covers and curtains!  I may never buy another pillow cover or curtain again knowing how easy it is to make my own!  Here is what I have been up to:

I made some throw pillows for our bed.

I added 2 pillows to Jack's window seat (the stripes, obviously, not the complicated ones!)

Outdoor throw pillows for our new patio furniture.

I loved the outdoor fabric so much, I used it to make curtains for our dining room!

Next project on my agenda:  seat cushions for our kitchen table chairs and curtains for our bedroom.  I will post pictures when they are finished!

Sew Crazy!

My mom's friend let me borrow a VERY nice sewing machine to practice my sewing skills.  It is so nice I returned my $60 Walmart sewing machine I recently purchased because there is such a huge difference in the quality.  I have been busy practicing, practicing!  Here are a few things I have made:

I made a care package for my niece, Maddie, for her Tennessee trip.  I sewed this little tote bag myself!

These are a few more items I made for her.  I made a pencil case, a coin purse, and I used fabric stiffener to make a gift box for a necklace I got her.  I LOVE sewing, however, it used to be difficult for me to go down the paper aisle at Joanns or Michael's because I am obsessed with paper, but now it is fabric!  Next I am going to try making covers for seat cushions for our kitchen table chairs.  Now that Jack is mobile, it may take me awhile to finish that project!

Sew...I Am Working On My Next Project

I have always wanted to learn how to sew and luckily my very talented (and patient) friend, Mandi, agreed to teach me.  Mandi is extremely creative and has been dying her own onesies and sewing on her own designs for some time.  My child is growing like a weed and I can't afford to keep buying new clothes for him, so I decided to dye some onesies and learn to sew some designs, too!  Also, I hate buying clothes that say things like "Mommy's Major Hunk" or "Daddy Loves Me."  I just want to design and make my own.  We dyed the dark blue, brown and green.  I used a die cut to punch out the surfboards, star, turtle, and letters.  The owl and the tree are iron-on appliques.  It was so much fun to do!  I bought some more onesies and dye and have some more designs to sew on.  Now, I need to buy my own sewing machine!

Crafts, Friends, and Baby Food!

This last week has been so much fun!  First, I finished my Valentine's Day crafts!  I was going to do a few more, but the lovebirds garland I HAND-STITCHED did me in (I really need to learn how to sew).   I want to sign up for a basic sewing class, but my good friend Mandi (you know, Anayah's Mommy) insists that it is very easy to learn (yeah, right, remember me, I don't like reading directions!).

Here are the owls, paper flowers, and lovebirds garland

I used a die-cut for the flowers, recycled the vase, and filled it with M&M's.  Surya is VERY upset because I won't let him eat the M&M's.

The love owls.  The one on the right is a bit dopey.

Next up on our agenda was a slumber party with our good friend Cooper and his Mommy, Jennie.  Cooper is much older and wiser than Jack (3 months ahead to be exact) so Cooper showed Jack the ways of the world.  Jennie guided Mandi and I through the baby food making process, which was super easy and fun to do with friends.  We made applesauce, pears, sweet potatoes, green beans, and carrots.  We still have peas and mangoes to make!  Check out Mandi's blog, Baby Boom for pictures and more on our baby food making day!

Jack and Cooper playing in their pj's in the A.M.  Notice the watchful Mama Dixie dog in the background watching over her "pups."

Uh-oh

It is great that Cooper is 3 months older than Jack because Jennie figures everything out and then educates me!  Jack, Cooper, Jennie, Mandi and I had so much fun!  Besides baby food making, we went for walks, played at the park, the boys took a bath together (Cooper doesn't know if he likes bubbles, yet) and the Mommies got to talk and catch up.  We can't wait for the next slumber party!

Me, A Scrapbooker?!

Anyone who knows me, knows I am terrible with pictures.  I have so many wonderful wedding photos and they are all still collected in a cd collecting dust.  Well, no more my friends.  Do you remember this picture and blog post?

Well, I've re-discovered how much fun it is the print out pictures and turn them into a project.  I will be honest, scrapbooking has always intimidated me.  I am not good with anything spacial and it always seemed like it was something that would take forever.  Oh was I wrong!  I am now completely caught up on Jack's scrapbook!  Check it out!

Hey!  I know that face!

Not my favorite, but it will do.

It was so much easier than I thought that I was even inspired to make a photo box frame of Jack's stuff from the hospital!

Yes, I am crazy...but in a totally efficient way!

I'm On a Roll!!

I finished my Valentine's Day stacking boxes and now I want to make more Valentine decorations for my new home!  I am seriously driving Surya nuts, but I explained to him that if I didn't make up these projects, I would be bothering him.  He asked me if there was anything he needed to get me for my next project...should I be offended? ;)

So owls are my new obsession and I found these really cute felt owls I am going to attempt next along with some felt garland.  Looks like they should be pretty easy...yeah right, famous last words!

Next Holiday, Please!

I am a sucker for all the holidays.  I guess it is part of being an elementary teacher and being used to decorating and celebrating all the holidays in my classroom.  However, I have absolutely no Valentine's Day decor for my house!  I decided to try making my own.  I found some stacking blocks on potterybarnkids.com, but I wasn't a huge fan of the style, so I decided to make my own!

So here is my beginning attempt at some cute stacking blocks for my console table by the front door.

So far, I only made the nesting boxes.  I used cardstock, cereal boxes, and glue.  Next, I am going to buy Valentine's paper and decorations and use Modge Podge to adhere it.  Hopefully it will turn out the way I want it.  I will post more pics as I make progress.

Projects Update

I feel like I have 20 projects going on at once!  I am happy to say, though, that I have made progress!

Surya's Bathroom

Surya's bathroom To-Do List:

1.  Primer walls
2.  Paint top half gray, bottom half white
3.  Add board and batten
4.  Frame mirror
5.  Install new toilet
6.  Install new shower curtain rod
7.  Hang picture and add new switchplates

Jack's Room

Window seat cushion:  Mandi and I are sewing a cover, well, Mandi is and I am learning!

Jack's name:  Cover canvas with fabric and glue letters down.

Voila!

Extra pillows I bought from Pottery Barn Teen for Jack's window seat.  I am hoping to sew some more.

Christmas Crack Nostalgia Project

I am happy to say that I have picked up stitching!  I am LOVING the Advent Calendar project, however, Surya is already sick of it and calls it my "crack" project because I am addicted to finishing it!  Maybe I'll have it finished before Jack's 18th birthday afterall!

Sewn by hand all by myself!

 

Crazy for Nostalgia or Just Plain Crazy?

When my sisters and I were born, my mom made each of us a cross-stitch Christmas banner which I absolutely adored.  It wasn't Christmas until my banner was hung on the wall.

SIDEBAR:  I always knew mine because it was the only one with all the animals on it.  Why is this sidebar important?  Because it explains a small thing about myself.  When I was little I was the youngest in the neighborhood and nobody ever wanted to play with me.  So when I would tell my mom, "Mommy, no one will pay wif me," she would lovingly respond that I should go play with Snoball, our miniature poodle.  I think that is how I became such an animal lover.

My beautiful Christmas banner made with love by my Mommy.

Now that I am a mommy, I wanted to do something like this for Jack.   After  searching numerous craft stores and websites, we finally found them!  I was so incredibly excited that I bought three kits.  A Christmas tree, an Advent Calendar, and beach-themed ornaments.  My mom insisted that they were very easy and fun to do.  I figured it would be a great project for me since I don't get to exert my creativity side these days like I did daily in my classroom.

What was I thinking?

Within minutes of opening the package, I had a strong feeling that I might have made a HUGE mistake.  First of all, I absolutely despise reading directions (I know, shameful as a teacher); I give all directions to Surya to follow and assemble.  However, he made it very clear to me that he would have nothing to do with this project.  This kit has 8 PAGES of directions and diagrams!  Ughhhh!  My worst nightmare!  To make matters worse, the last time I actually stitched anything was in Girl Scouts in the 4th grade!  I finished reading the first page and an hour later I realized those were just the general instructions!  Oi vey!  Oh well, I did manage to get Step 1 completed, which is simply separating all the thread and cutting them into 18" strips (something I can't yet figure out why they didn't just come sized that way).  Oh boy, I have a lot to learn.  A phone call to my mom later, she encouraged me not to give up and said she would help me with this massive project.  Maybe I will have one kit finished by Jack's 18th birthday and he can take it with him to college!  

Step 1 finished...100 more to go! :(

And this is the one I decided to start with...seriously?!  I have to make all those little pieces!