Fashionista

This morning Nutmeg dressed herself and then came to assist me in my wardrobe selection. While I was deciding on a hair accessory she found this ribbon on the ground and insisted I tie it around her waist.

I think she just eclipsed my fashion sense.

Ever So...

This skirt was going to be called "The Ever So" skirt but somewhere along the way it lost the charm. Maybe it was in the bulging pockets or having to take out my gorgeous top-stitching and pockets only to find 4 hours later that I had to do it all over again. Or the putting in the zipper 7 times. But honestly, I think the problem lies all in the fact that this was a bias cut skirt.
I borrowed La Keira's skirt to knock off and had to size it up, of course problems ensued.
First, the inspiration skirt had a waist band and as I have no room between my hips and waist all waistbands become rumpled and useless, so the waist needed to be changed.
Second, I knew the pockets were going to be trouble so when that proved the case I just eliminated them (this is where the crying over top-stitching happened) which turned out to be a disaster because of the bias cut and I had to put them back in. Then there was the like 7 extra inches of fabric that needed to be taken in and then the zipper. Each time the zipper went in perfectly but the fit of the skirt was wrong and the zipper needed to be moved repeatedly.
This was supposed to be an easy one afternoon job. It is a 4 panel bias cut skirt, not rocket science. It took 3 whole days!
However, now it is done and and a good friend of mine says "Don't inspect the seams" or in this case "Don't inspect the fit" on the waist or the behind. There is a bubbly zipper. Thanks to Paula who spent 2 1/2 hours holding my hand and twisting her brain with me to figure out the kinks.
So the question is what shall we call this skirt?
Options are:
a) The Grey Wool Skirt of Death
b) The Swearing Skirt
c) Saggy Bottoms
d) The Buying a Pattern is SO Worth It Skirt
or e) The Ever So Skirt

Living in the Future

Living in The Future is awesome. Who would have ever thought that I could watch movies instantly from my TV? I just pick a movie on Netflix and watch it. Who would have ever imagined movies in the mail? Once we couldn't even imagine watching movies at home or even Movie Rental stores. MP3 players are so awesome, what used to be an entire record store inventory is now a small fraction of the memory of an iPod.
Then there is the Internet, talk about future. I can go shopping without leaving my couch or my jammies. I can send links to my sister on IM and discuss each item in detail all over the intertubes. Going e-shopping with my sisters is one of my favorite activities. The business and income applications of the Internet alone are staggering

And there is the vast amounts of knowledge available online coupled with the ability to communicate all over the globe instantly. 5 minutes ago is old news on the Internet. We also have the ability to keep in touch with people who we may have lost long ago. Just when you think that the Internet is destroying relationships it finds a way to strengthen them.

Living in the future is awesome, but I can't wait to live in the future future.

Some of the things I am looking forward to:

Transporting: There has to be a was to travel instantly sometime and I look forward to living some place really cool and hopefully involving a castle but still being able to go to lunch with my mom. I will also welcome the ability to go to D. C. in an instant and kick some Representative behinds.

Sonic showers a la Star Trek: I despise showers. I like being clean and all but I resent the time it takes out of my life and then the hour to an hour and a half it takes for my hair to dry. If sonic showers are part of the future sign me up!

Speaking of hair, Why haven't we figured out how to make hair curly instantly and straight in another instant? I look forward to hair styling machines like Jane Jetson.

Robots: Really, robots have been around for close to a century why isn't there a robot in every household yet? A robot to do the menial chores. I will take a Rosie from the Jetsons robot or a Data-like android or even an I, Robot robot from the movie but not from the book, because the book robots are kinda scary.

Also, I wonder when the men folk will be sporting the head wear that was promised for the year 2000.

Gratitude parts 12 & 13

I realize my gratitude hasn't been very overflowing of late and I blame it all on One Pretty Thing and the resulting craft mania. I have been so busy, not too busy to be grateful but too busy to blog about it. Today I give you parts 12 and 13:

I am grateful for a home that keeps us safe from the elements. Last night I was keenly aware of this as the wind threatened to uproot every tree in the Pacific Northwest. I listened to it howl and thrash about my four walls and was ever so grateful for this house that keeps us warm and dry and protected. This morning the rain was pounding down so hard and again I was grateful for this home.

I am also grateful to be a mother of three. I was reflecting how each child has shaped and changed me in so many ways. How the chambers of my heart have been unlocked again and again. Who knew the heart had so many places? I didn't, not until I had children. And I realized that a woman doesn't really become a woman until she has been a mother. No offense to those who are trying to become mothers or haven't the opportunity. Those of you who can but have decided not to, you should try it, really. You don't know what you are missing.

It's All Your Fault, One Pretty Thing

At first she said "Can I tell you I am really enjoying that 'One Pretty Thing' blog you link to on Samurai Mom?" But now La Keira routinely tells me "It's all your fault."

I completely agree, but it's not MY fault it is One Pretty Thing's fault. It's One Pretty Thing's fault that my "to make" list grows EVERY day, because One Pretty Thing posts links to fabulous crafts every single day and every single day there is at LEAST one thing that I love, sometimes many.

Several times a week I say "Oh, I saw something on One Pretty Thing that would be just right for such and such."

Today, My sister told me that "One Pretty Thing" had ruined her life and I agreed quickly. How does One Pretty Thing ruin lives? Well, imagine you have a productive day of housekeeping, errand running and childrearing planned, you are sitting at your computer checking your blogs when you click onto One Pretty Thing, before you know it, you have found the perfect craft and you find yourself gathering supplies and crafting. The next time you look at the clock it is 4:30 and time to clean up for dinner. Also you find yourself thinking about nothing but the cool craft seen on One Pretty Thing, who you will make it for and where you will put it.

I dread clicking on One Pretty Thing each day for fear of how that one little click might change my life.

I now force myself to look at One Pretty Thing as fast as possible, glance quickly and ONLY click on the links that I love or look incredibly fascinating. If I don't love it at first glance, it is GONE!

Go to One Pretty Thing and check it out if you dare!

Book Wreath

I have been disappointed with my fall decorations on the new copper red door because they don't show up. Someone suggested a wheat wreath which sounded nice but expensive. Then I found this book page wreath and figured book pages are about the same color as wheat stalks. And so, I began.

(I apologize for the flash but the sun goes down at about noon now days) There wasn't tutorial for this particular wreath so I had to go it on my own. I used a 14" straw wreath as a base and a copy of that horrible book "Wuthering Heights" that is my craft book. I rolled each page and secured with double stick tape, then hot glued bundles of 3 pages and then tied a little black ribbon around each bundle. Cost $3.
Then I tied a fat black ribbon around the top of the wreath and started hot gluing the bundles the best I could.

Mom, suggested that I seal it with some clear acrylic spray but a test page proved my fears - the acrylic makes the pages wet and the ink runs. So I am letting my wreath fend for itself against the wet Portland air.
Here is the finished-ish wreath on the door. It needs a little something and I am not sure what.
Leave your suggestions in the comments please!

Do You think I Have Enough Personality to Carry This?

Of Course I do, and I sport it all over town.
I saw something similar this on Etsy for like $80. I fully support selling it for that price, but I am certainly not going to pay that especially when I can make it for FREE!
I had all of the supplies on hand, strips of cotton broadcloth, brown elastic and plastic beads.

I think the lady at the Market secretly wanted to rip it off my head she admired it so much.

Gratitude parts 9, 10 & 11

I am grateful for my hands. i think about it all the time, if there were a body part I would least be willing to part with it would be my hands.

I am grateful for a house to keep my family warm, safe and that is our "Home Sweet Home."

I am grateful for Nutmeg, my best friend who, lately, has taken to calling us "sisters." Since she will probably never have a sister I am letting it slide.

P.S. These are our matching Calorimetries.

Even Then I knew

I was 11 year s old in 1989. I remember thinking at the time how amazing it was that I was seeing this unbelievable thing happen. The Berlin Wall was coming down. There were Germans now, not "East" and "West Germans" but just Germans and they were on top of the wall rejoicing. I knew that I would remember 1989 forever. It was also the year that this happened
I was watching the clips on YouTube of people escaping their communist countries and they are running, running to freedom. Here is 5 minute documentary.


Here is a video with groovy 80's music:


And a Taylor Swift song which is very appropriate


And raw footage of the wall falling.



Choose your tearjerker. And remember how those people were running to freedom and make sure our children never have to do the same. We want them to have freedom already.

Gratitude part 8

In primary today the theme was service. As I sat and listened to the children give their ideas about how they can serve their families I realized that my children serve their family members all the time and they usually do it with a cheerful attitude.

I am grateful that my children enjoy serving. I am grateful Nutmeg "takes care" of me when I am sick, that Commander C keeps an eye on his little siblings and that Boba Fett always seems to know when I need a hug or a laugh.

Gratitude part 7

I am SO grateful that today was the last day of soccer season. I am also grateful that this season has not been as grueling as other years despite the fact that we has 2 kids on different teams playing on different days. I am glad that I have healthy kids that can play soccer. I am grateful that Moose had to be a coach this year!

The Mayflower, Tulips, King John Lackland and Shaking off the Norman Opressors

In Commander C's quest to earn his "Heritage Belt Loop" we have been doing a little family history. Today's project was to learn what countries our family hails from.

This is what we learned. I actually find this surprisingly homogeneous all things considered. Moose is more of a purebred than I am, his people all coming from 2 countries that are neighbors. My blood is a little mixed but I think that makes my genes stronger.
England- All parts, including Yorkshire, which makes us hardy.
Wales- The reason I love to sing and my striking resemblance to Catherine Zeta Jones?
Germany- The reason I enjoy kneading bread and the reason Moose and his children would easily have been passed over by the 3rd Reich.
Holland- This is all Moose's side not mine, perhaps we should start investing in Tulips.
Sweden- To be honest I have a hard time reconciling this one, I have never felt drawn to the Swedes. This sounds like an opportunity for research.

Other tidbits from my family history.
Many of my ancestors were part of the Mormon migration from Europe but others have been in America since the boat that followed the Mayflower.
Amongst our hearty ancestors is King John of England, that's right John Lackland ridiculed and despised in literature and lore since the day he was born. He probably deserved it but is defense of my great grand sire I have 2 words "Magna Carta." Sure, he was strong armed into signing it, but still, he signed it. One of the world's first attempts at freedom.We decided to eschew our French blood and not recognize our Norman ancestors, figuring that if it happened before the Battle of Hastings, it doesn't count.

Sadly there is no luck of the Irish for us (though some of our English ancestors were landholders in Ireland) and we are not Scottish which I find hard to believe since I am so frugal.
While La Keira's children are known affectionately as Beanerschnitzel's (Mexican and Dutch) my children have a few more nationalities to incorporate into their recipe. Submit the name for our mixed heritage in the comments. there will be a winner.

Gratitude part 6

I am grateful for a certain 6 year old boy who voluntarily takes time out of his day to cuddle with Mom.

Gratitude parts 4 & 5

I am grateful for the Constitution of the United States of America, for Liberty and for Freedom and the men and women who have sacrificed so much for those things, even their lives.
I am grateful for Modern Day Patriots who are fighting for those things again.

Gratitude Part 3

I am grateful for the internet and how it helps me keep track of friends, learn, and inspires me. I mean without the Internet there is no telling whether or not I would have ever come up with fabric acorns.

Gratitude parts 1 & 2

I thought I would count my blessings this month and share them: Here are today's and yesterday's

I am grateful for books by L. M. Montgomery, Gene Stratton Porter, Louisa May Alcott, Elizabeth Gaskell and the like. Authors that tell the stories of women in a whole and healing manner. Reading an Anne Of Green Gables story is like hugging your mom while wrapped in a quilt made by Grandma and sipping hot cocoa on a winter's night after a good cry. Cranford is like that too, let us NEVER forget Cranford.

I am grateful for my bicycle Liberty Bell and all the smiles we have had together.

Goals Check Up

I posted my goals for the year back in January, I thought that it was time for a little check-up to see how I am doing.

Spend more time interacting with each of the children.
Yes, I am doing this. I feel very good about it, but of course one can always feel like they need to spend more time with their children.

Do Family Home evening more.
I think we are about the same this year as last year. The good news is Boba Fett always asks what we are doing for FHE. His favorite is Movie and Popcorn night.

Serve more.
Check! But I still can do MORE!

Adopt more structure into our day.
Check! Thank you unplugged!

Sew a tartan Christmas Skirt.
Halfway done and I am adding a Nutmeg Sized one into the bargain.

Crochet snowflakes.
I made 37 in January - short of the 100 in the book but still enough for a killer installation come November 27th.

If handmade Christmas gifts are to be given - start them in September.
I started buying supplies in September, so sort of... I don't plan on making a whole lot this year.

Figure out how to read while knitting.
Check. I am making do with the reading pillow.

Go walking.
I did this for 2 weeks in January and I even knit a little ensemble to keep my ears and hands warm. I loved it. What I didn't love is waking up early. So small yes with a big NO. Learn to listen and ask better questions.
Working on this one but I have a long way to go.

I think I have done well so far this year.