Oops, it's been a week!

I've taken a little break from sewing and cooking (and blogging) to paint the bathroom. I wish that the reason to paint it was because I became inspired. However, the real reason is twofold. One, Alexander 'accidentally' pulled the toilet paper holder off of the wall, leaving a huge hole that Peter filled one day last week. So, there was a huge white spot that needed to be covered, either in the current paint or a new one. And reason number two. It's not for the weak stomached people so please, stop reading if you can't handle it. As I seated myself on the thinking spot the other day, I noticed that something was smeared all over the wall next to me. Upon further inspection, I realized that it was boogers. I shudder thinking about it. My first reaction was to wipe down the wall with a paper towel. Alas, the builder used flat paint all over the house so the new addition was just smeared all over the wall. Thus, the need to paint became an urgent matter. (Thank you so much to Alexander for the added decor that resulted in my painting efforts). After Peter realized the severity of the situation, he sent me to Home Depot where I gathered hundreds of little papers the size of gum wrappers so we could decide on a color. I had a silver/gray in mind and Peter wanted brown. Below you'll notice who won that debate.

Have you ever tried to take a picture of a half bathroom? It's not easy! This is about as good as it gets. You can see the new mirror that Peter installed and the accessories that I chose to compliment the new room. I'm a fan of the blue/brown color combination and Peter has accused me of trying to incorporate those colors all over the house. Is it my fault that TJ Maxx has all sorts of things that call my name when I walk in the store, each one sporting my (current) favorite color combo? I didn't think so. It's destiny, I think!

[A side note because I know that companies check out blogs on a regular basis...Hey, Drees, I'm not sure if you're still painting entire houses with flat paint. If you are, STOP! Seriously, who paints bathrooms and kitchens with flat paint? I don't think I need to go on and on, just needed to get it out there.]

And, because I didn't think that some of you could go a week without seeing a photo of the kids, I've added the one below. It's not a great shot of either one of them but the story behind it is quite sweet. Charlotte has fallen in love with books. The one that Alexander is reading is her favorite. It's a copy of The Wheels on the Bus sent to us by Great Aunt Linda, Great Linda according to Alexander, for Christmas this past year. Until the last few weeks, Charlotte's idea of reading was chewing on books or possibly ripping out a few pages here and there. Well, now, she can't get enough. In fact, she'll listen to just about anyone read to her. I found the kids sitting in the 'story chair' and Alexander was singing the book to Charlotte. If that doesn't pull at your heartstrings, I don't know what will. It really was the sweetest moment for me! So, I know neither one is smiling or looking at the camera, but it's a moment that I want remember forever!

Ahoy, me mateys!

Today is pirate day at Alexander's school and in honor of the event, Alexander asked me to whip up a costume. Ok, those weren't his exact words but he did ask for a costume better than last year's effort. Last year, I put a bandanna on his head and a construction paper patch over his eye. We completed the costume with a tin foil hook wrapped around his hand. It was great and the hook was a hit. However, to top last year's costume, I had to dig deep. I decided on Monday that making a pirate costume couldn't be that hard. So, I went to Joann and perused the patterns. I picked the one that looked the least time consuming, purchased my fabrics, and headed home to begin. Special thanks to Charlotte who has taken LONG naps the past two days, allowing me to work while she slept. Also, special thanks to Peter who hasn't complained about two days of dishes piling up in the sink!
Most of the costume was pretty straight forward. I have decided never to work with satin again as it's very slippery and makes me want to cuss. Out loud. And, the cuffs on the shirt weren't easy either. But, last night, I finished up and was rewarded this morning when Alexander came into our room, already halfway dressed in his new duds! Here are a few photos of my little pirate.

When we got to school, the teachers were putting all manner of body hair on the kids and below is what Alexander ended up getting. It totally completes his look, don't you think?



Not to be outdone by her big brother, Charlotte is also sporting a homemade outfit. I think I posted the finished product a while back but this is the first time that she's actually worn this dress. It fits pretty well and she's only pulled the ties off once. After she took it off, she looked at me and said, "Uh-oh!"

And one more photo of Charlotte because she's cute and I like this photo!

Happy Father's Day!

Yes, I know that Father's Day isn't officially until tomorrow but we had to do our decorating this afternoon. Peter had school from 12-3 today so it was the ideal time to hang our homemade decorations. Peter was so surprised with all that we had done! He loves his handmade bookmarks and the photo coasters that he can take to work.

Alexander made a Happy Father's Day sign for the front door and was there to greet Peter when he arrived home from school.

Seersucker napkins and coasters made by Mommy and "P" mug centerpiece with Alexander-made pinwheels. The napkin rings are shirt cuffs with button cufflinks.
Grosgrain Ribbon bookmarks to help Peter mark his place in his schoolbooks

The table was set, with care, by Alexander who also made the placemats!

Origami Shirts and ties hung on a 'clothesline'

Our goal was to make dinner for Peter and serve it at the set table but he decided that he wanted to go to Baja Burrito instead. This mommy didn't complain! Hope you all have a fun and fabulous Father's Day!

Go England and more

I've been given quite a hard time the last few days because we rooted for England in the England/USA World Cup game. All I can say is exactly what I told one of my facebook friends. I was never interested in soccer (that's football in proper English) until I lived in England. The excitement and passion that the fans have for the England teams and the local teams parallels that of die hard Tennessee (American) football fans. For those here in town, you totally get where I'm coming from. These fans paint their faces, sometimes their whole bodies, dress up like lions, sing crazy songs and really get into the games. While you'll never see me with the Cross of St. George painted boldly across my face, I will raise my kiddos to like and respect this game that puts me on the edge of my seat! We support England!
I'm sorry if you've logged on and been disappointed with me for not posting for a few days! We went to Indiana to visit my Dad this weekend and I didn't take the time to post. We had a really good time; we ate at Turoni's, visited Mesker Park Zoo, and swam in a neighbor's pool. We even took a trip to Gattitown which is a little bit like Chuck E Cheese but with a big, fairly priced buffet and more grown up games. I loved watching the boys do the mini bowling with the pins that are on strings. When they knocked them down, the machine just picked the pins back up again as if each one was a yo-yo.
In addition to visiting Dad, sewing and crafting have taken up some of my free time. I finished this dress for Charlotte this evening. I had intended to finish it around Valentine's Day but had a few obstacles between then and now. Since Charlotte has taken a few good naps this week, I was able to work on this and another (secret) project. I can tell you more about that project after this weekend!

I also finished a pair of pajama pants for Charlotte. They match Alexander's and he thinks that is so cool. I'm glad he thinks it's cool since I probably can't get away with matching them for much longer. I dread the day that he comes home and tells me that he doesn't think that what I choose is cool anymore! I certainly know where I fall in the 'cool scale' but it's been fun being at the top in the eyes of my kids!
And, just in case you didn't get enough daylilys in my last post, here's one of my favorites that's blooming right now. It's called Baby Blue Eyes!

I hope you're having a great week! Don't forget that it's nearly Father's Day! I hope you have your ideas ready and your gifts purchased!

More creation!

It was a rainy day today so I found a tutorial on how to sew your own pajama pants. Textile Fabric is having a sale, 50% off of all fabric if you buy a yard or more. So, I found a cute print for Alexander (Charlotte gets all the homemade stuff) and got to work. It took me about two hours from start to finish, including making my own pattern with parchment paper. I finished up this evening, just before Alexander was ready for bed. Luckily, he was helpful in the modeling department, despite the fact that his legs were too tired to stand up. I still have plenty to learn about sewing, especially the whole sewing in a straight line thing, but these lounge pants turned out pretty well. Alexander certainly doesn't have any complaints!

Cute boy in pjs!

Closeup view of the cute puppy print (the pants are PLENTY big, maybe he can wear them when he's 12!)

Anyhow, off to see if I can make Charlotte a matching pair!

Monday Evening Fun

After having a few friends over for dinner, I needed some me time. So, I made this dress!

It's the first time that I've used this pattern and I modified it a bit so that I could use a ribbon at the shoulders. It's a McCall's pattern and I'm pleased with how it turned out. Please don't zoom in on the photo, you might see all the places that I messed up! I hope that each one that I make will get better! Tomorrow, when Charlotte is up, I'll see if it actually fits her! I made the size 3 because I've learned that a lot of children's patterns run small (or maybe my kid runs big). It looks plenty wide but not sure if it's long enough.
Any ideas on how to keep the ribbon from fraying at the ends?

Daylily wannabe

For those that don't know, last year, for Mother's Day, my family gave me the gift of digging a huge garden for me in the back yard. Thanks, mostly to my dad, I am well on my way to filling it with awesome perennials. Dad grows tons of different daylilys at his home in Indiana. Yesterday I asked him how many varieties he has and his answer was, "Over 580." Um, 580? That's just crazy. I'm pretty sure that 5 years ago I wasn't aware of what daylilys looked like, let alone that there were so many different types. I make fun of Dad, calling him a nerd with his little signs designating each flower's name and grower but I'm starting to think that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. While I don't have any signs (yet), I'm becoming more and more interested in growing my collection of daylilys. I think it's fun to educate my friends about the flowers; I've had so many people say that they've never seen so many different types. And I have very few compared to Dad! I had 3 new ones bloom this morning and Dad had 22! The best thing about daylilys is that they're relatively maintenance free. Once established, you don't have to water, they multiply so you can share with friends, and dead-heading isn't necessary but it does increase the flowers on your plant next year. Some of my established plants bloom for weeks! Below I've posted some photos of the flowers that have bloomed in my garden so far this year. I'm excited to see what will open up in the morning!

Antique Rose and Wyoming Wildfire

Siloam Ury Winniford and Little Big Man

Apple Pie Spice and Etched in Orange

Bertie Ferris

Jusin George and