WIST-fully Yours

The problem with being crafty and being crafty combined with "the internets" is that there are SO many things to make and so very little time. Hitherto OnePrettyThing has been burying me in fantastic ideas. How can one keep track of it all.? When the big birthday party comes up I might forget or worse remember but not be able to find the really cool invitations. Well fret no more. Say "Goodbye" to never ending scraps of paper with lists of "TO MAKE" scrawled upon them. Say "Hello" to wists.com. It is like an online notebook of things you like. I am using it as I use my Ravelry queue making lists of things that I want to make or buy.

This is my wist.

It looks like you can have "wist friends" and see one anothers wists. Pretty cool.

Wist-fully Yours,
Samurai Mom

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!

Show Off Week -Buttoned Up

Two years ago I found this project over at Craftster. Craftster used to be my #1 website and I lurked over there all day long. Then my computer started not being able to handle the website and I gave up all together. Which is really, a good thing because the thing about Craftster is that you can have a plan for your day and within one single click you find yourself plotting and even halfway through a craft that ends up taking over your day and possessing your life until you have made one. Case in Point this dress made out of a men's button up shirt.
Of course I whipped one up for my little Nutmeg immediately. I scored at Goodwill and found a pink striped shirt and hot pink pleated trim at Joann. (These are the only pictures I can find with her in it.)
This summer I mentioned that Nutmeg didn't have anything to sleep in for the summer and Moose reminded me of this dress so we went together to Goodwill and picked out some shirts, went home and got to work.
First, we have a United Colors of Benetton Blue, purple, and lime striped shirt with periwinkle pleated trim. The colors are a little more vivid in person and we all know Nutmeg usually looks happier for the camera.
Next this white, blue and chocolate striped shirt from Old Navy with chocolate rick-rack trim and hem.
My favorite part of this dress is that I kept the pocket in the Back and trimmed it too! Unfortunately, I didn't finish off the rick-rack well enough and I noticed some fraying after washing which I hope to be able to fix without too much trouble.

The only thing I don't like about these dresses is that one day Nutmeg will be too big to fit into a reconstructed men's dress shirt.

Show Off Week - The Tale of the Margaret Bag

It all started when Elizabeth of Oh Fransson! posted the bag she made for her friend, Margaret.
I waited patiently until she posted the pattern and then I made a bag for La Keira's birthday/baby shower.
Then in the early days of 2009 I made a small version for myself. I simply printed the PDF pattern out at 66% of original size. It is the perfect purse size and fits my scriptures nicely on Sundays. (Those are my furoshiki wrapped scriptures inside.)
Then people started talking. Everyone wanted to know where to get the pattern. I have told about 15 people where to get the pattern and seen several incarnations of the Margaret bag popping up in my family and at church.
This summer I decided I needed a beach bag and the full sized Margaret bag was just the ticket and so I made the red and black version seen above. Then I told my mom I would make one for her birthday so that she wouldn't have to make her own.
She didn't want the small or the full sized bag so I printed out the PDF pattern at 80% of original size and came up with this:
I think this is my favorite size yet. The turquoise button was a complete serendipity. An extra in the bag when I bought huge covered buttons at a thrift store.
Fawn colored rick-rack trim on the pockets. I used the Deer Valley collection of prints using "Antler Damask" in Terracotta for the outer and "Lattice" in Terracotta for the lining. Mom, you can use this bag to remind you of the fawns that have been hanging out in your yard this summer. *wink*
I don't use designer fabrics very often as I lean more to the recycled fabric but I fell in love with "Antler Damask" and expect to make my own medium sized Margaret bag out of "Antler Damask" in Sky very shortly.
Here you see three of my bags. 66%, 80% and full sized. I used the shoulder strap on all bags not the cross body strap. I have become skilled at making the bags and can whip one out in an evening provided I have all the required materials.

"Run Run as Fast as You Can. You Can't Catch Me I'm the Nutmeg Girdle"

Made from my stash. I found this Little Red Riding Hood, Goldilocks and the 3 Bears, Gingerbread Man and Three Little Pigs print at Fabric Depot last fall. I didn't have a plan but it just tickled my funny bone and I had to get it.I only bought a bit (1/2 yard) so making this skirt presented... challenges. I didn't use a pattern I just took my scissors, folded the fabric and went at it. In retrospect that wasn't such a bright idea but I managed to make it work. It is a kind-of-bias-cut-kind-of-circle skirt. I salvaged the homemade bias tape from the jalapeno place mats that never were, I had to go out an buy the fabric for waistband because inexplicably I didn't have a single scrap of red cotton. I suspect foul play.
Nutmeg isn't sold on it yet. She resents anything I make her stop playing for and try on. We need to come up with a clever top.

Hide and Seek

New game around here, hide and seek. My hiding place in the corner behind the coat tree, no one ever finds me. Tee hee hee hee. I'm so sneaky,

Its Good To Be Famous

I have thought for a long time about what I wanted to say in this post. I don't think there are words for it.
Let's just say I had a BLAST at the ward trunk or treat party last night. I shook almost EVERY adult's hand and said in my best Palin accent "Hi there, it's nice to meet you I'm glad you come out tonight." And then we would chat and I would throw in a lot of "You know"s, "maverick"s and and McCain allegories.
Here is Sarah Palin with a Pregnant Chad. (The Pregnant Chad was very fond of the open toed heels I was wearing.)
I was in the safest place in Portland to be a Sarah Palin impersonator, a lot of people told me they voted for me - or Sarah Palin - or John McCain. Anywhere else in town I might have been egged or beaten.
SO, I am hoping even more for a classic McCain come from behind victory so I can continue my career as a Sarah Palin impersonator. 9 years of theatre weren't in vain after all. I am serious people. Hook me up with an agent. Move over Tina Fey.
P.S. Somewhere out there there is a picture of me a convict and an Acorn member, I'll be needing that picture.

Why You Should Have a Wii

After seven years of attempting to watch conference on my computer with a non compatible operating system or watching tapes of conference that my neighbor made for me days after conference, this year I said "No more!" Moose figured out how to finally get it to play on my computer but watching conference on a tiny 2x2 box huddled around my laptop did not sound fun. Moose did some digging and figured out how to watch conference on the TV thought the Wii, our wireless network, and orb.com.
Yet another reason to love having a Wii. I didn't have to sacrifice any principles to watch conference, no bowing to Microsoft, no signing up for cable and streaming more filth into my house, no waiting for the videotapes to arrive from the neighbors, no going to the the stake center and leaving my kids home since the idea of them sitting through conference at the Stake Center is ridiculous.
These are the children having a Dutch Puff picnic in the living room - I don't know what happened to their clothing.
Our fortifications arranged on the new very useful cabinet/table/buffet.
Watching conference on the couch in our jammies (like I said I don't know what happened to their clothes) for the first time in 7 years.

Sheer Brilliance

In a brilliant move on my part I proposed that this year Boba Fett combine birthday parties with his little friend who is one day older than he. They were both thrilled at the idea and last night we pulled it off. We went to Papa's Pizza and that place isn't half bad on a Wednesday night, we almost had the place to ourselves. It was certainly the easiest party I have ever had. As a bonus the guests didn't have to go to two parties or choose between their friends. Boba Fett certainly won because all of his little friends are girls and in a choice between a boy's party and a girl's party I know who would have won. We were all chatting about how it is great that they don't mind the 7 to one girl boy ratio. Daniel Pointed out that when they are teenagers he really won't mind! They all seem to love him now.Aren't these two cute together? It just tickles me. When they were babies they were both so cute and chubby, they looked just like each other (except Boba Fett was much more rolly than she.)
Now they simply adore one another. Boba Fett calls her "Snugglebug." At church they walk down the hall to Primary holding hands. All the men comment to me that they like Boba Fett's style.
Of course we mothers are planning a wedding in about 19 years, but I suppose a lot could change in that amount of time.