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Here is my submission for september’s Tie One On challenge–the dishtowel apron.
I kept putting it off because I knew this was a pretty easy sewing project. So here I am on the last day, finally getting mine finished. I used some martha stewart towels that I found on sale at KMart. I also added this wide sash to get some extra length otherwise it would have been a mini-skirt apron. The sash is folded down in half, and I realized when I put it on, that it will make a great maternity apron, too. (whenever that joyous time comes around again in my life–by the way, i’m not pregnant). So, I love it, and it may possibly have moved into the position of my favorite apron. Handmade things always have more meaning.
Other than tie one on projects I have been up to my elbows in wallpaper.
Several months ago Dan and I ripped the glittery butterfly wallpaper down from our bedroom walls. It was the kind of wallpaper that if you caught it in the right light, you could pick up a whole new silver, hollographic pattern hidden in the background of the paper.
In the meantime, we’ve been living in what we affectionately refer to as our cardboard box bedroom, since the walls are still covered in the manilla-colored wall paper backing. So, now that we’re finally getting some visitors to our house… who will actually spend the night… which means someone will actually be coming upstairs…we are doing a mad dash to get the wall paper down and the walls primed and painted. It is a sticky, wet, messy job. My shoulders, wrists and arms are sore from scraping–even a little spot on my thumb. (what a wimp!)
But I have to admit, that peeling the wallpaper off is somewhat therapeutic. Like peeling sunburn or pulling back overgrown grass to reveal a whole new section of sidewalk you never knew was there….
So now we are down to the "brown board", which is apparently the old-fashioned version of drywall. Our visitors come sunday. I’ll keep you updated on the progress.
Here is my submission for september’s Tie One On challenge–the dishtowel apron.
I kept putting it off because I knew this was a pretty easy sewing project. So here I am on the last day, finally getting mine finished. I used some martha stewart towels that I found on sale at KMart. I also added this wide sash to get some extra length otherwise it would have been a mini-skirt apron. The sash is folded down in half, and I realized when I put it on, that it will make a great maternity apron, too. (whenever that joyous time comes around again in my life–by the way, i’m not pregnant). So, I love it, and it may possibly have moved into the position of my favorite apron. Handmade things always have more meaning.
Other than tie one on projects I have been up to my elbows in wallpaper.
Several months ago Dan and I ripped the glittery butterfly wallpaper down from our bedroom walls. It was the kind of wallpaper that if you caught it in the right light, you could pick up a whole new silver, hollographic pattern hidden in the background of the paper.
In the meantime, we’ve been living in what we affectionately refer to as our cardboard box bedroom, since the walls are still covered in the manilla-colored wall paper backing. So, now that we’re finally getting some visitors to our house… who will actually spend the night… which means someone will actually be coming upstairs…we are doing a mad dash to get the wall paper down and the walls primed and painted. It is a sticky, wet, messy job. My shoulders, wrists and arms are sore from scraping–even a little spot on my thumb. (what a wimp!)
But I have to admit, that peeling the wallpaper off is somewhat therapeutic. Like peeling sunburn or pulling back overgrown grass to reveal a whole new section of sidewalk you never knew was there….
So now we are down to the "brown board", which is apparently the old-fashioned version of drywall. Our visitors come sunday. I’ll keep you updated on the progress.
family
Most of you don’t know that before children I used to be an elementary school teacher. All of the mad organizational skills in my classroom, color-coding, discipline schemes, schedules, charts, lists, graphs, have not shown up in any part of my homemaking or parenting practices. Until yesterday.
After much struggle with Emma over small tasks and behaviors like dropping shoes where they fall off her feet when she walks in the door, leaving a trail of toys ALL OVER the house, and sometimes no inherent desire to be helpful or kind to family–I reverted back to my professional training. I have created a STAR CHART!
Before I go on, let me say that I KNOW the things that I described about Emma are typical, to be expected,normal, etc, etc…but I am simply trying to bring some order to her life (and mine) and establish some of what I believe to be important life skills. I mean, just think of the chaos if we all dropped our shoes midway into the house. Not to mention the cost of lost shoes (she has somehow, beyond my comprehension, lost two pairs in two weeks!)
So yesterday I broke out the posterboard, markers, stars, ruler and sticky-stac, and a star chart was born. I printed small clip art images to help her read her chart and added boxes for stars beside each item. And yesterday, the first day of implementation of my little plan, was a great day. She got stars in every box and even cleaned up her toys without my encouragment. This is great. I think this may work. And to be able to ask her to do something with the motivation of getting a star, versus my nagging, makes for a much happier three year old and mother.
I never thought I’d be the type to have a star chart hanging in my kitchen. But I’ve been converted.
Some of you more experienced moms may be snickering. Maybe next week I’ll be blogging about how the star chart has lost its intrigue or that we haven’t added stars since the first day. But only time will tell. For now, I’m enjoying it and I THINK she is too.
Oh, and the motivation to fill the chart–a trip to the dreaded toy store where grandma works. This time with a strict two-dollar limit.
Most of you don’t know that before children I used to be an elementary school teacher. All of the mad organizational skills in my classroom, color-coding, discipline schemes, schedules, charts, lists, graphs, have not shown up in any part of my homemaking or parenting practices. Until yesterday.
After much struggle with Emma over small tasks and behaviors like dropping shoes where they fall off her feet when she walks in the door, leaving a trail of toys ALL OVER the house, and sometimes no inherent desire to be helpful or kind to family–I reverted back to my professional training. I have created a STAR CHART!
Before I go on, let me say that I KNOW the things that I described about Emma are typical, to be expected,normal, etc, etc…but I am simply trying to bring some order to her life (and mine) and establish some of what I believe to be important life skills. I mean, just think of the chaos if we all dropped our shoes midway into the house. Not to mention the cost of lost shoes (she has somehow, beyond my comprehension, lost two pairs in two weeks!)
So yesterday I broke out the posterboard, markers, stars, ruler and sticky-stac, and a star chart was born. I printed small clip art images to help her read her chart and added boxes for stars beside each item. And yesterday, the first day of implementation of my little plan, was a great day. She got stars in every box and even cleaned up her toys without my encouragment. This is great. I think this may work. And to be able to ask her to do something with the motivation of getting a star, versus my nagging, makes for a much happier three year old and mother.
I never thought I’d be the type to have a star chart hanging in my kitchen. But I’ve been converted.
Some of you more experienced moms may be snickering. Maybe next week I’ll be blogging about how the star chart has lost its intrigue or that we haven’t added stars since the first day. But only time will tell. For now, I’m enjoying it and I THINK she is too.
Oh, and the motivation to fill the chart–a trip to the dreaded toy store where grandma works. This time with a strict two-dollar limit.
knitting
I finally opened shop on etsy. As of right now, there are two hats for sale . I hope to get a few more finished in smaller sizes this week. They have officially been named Sutton Hoo’s by my husband. You’ll have to check out the item description for an explanation of the name.
My mother-in-law just picked up a part time job at a cute little toy store down in the harbor. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to afford her working there. We visited the shop last week and came home with a ball, paper dolls, and a train whistle for mary. I’m such a sucker for my kids, sometimes. But after watching Emma, I have decided that every child needs one of these:
(I had to make her put underwear on for these pix. I don’t recommend bouncing without them.)
I finally opened shop on etsy. As of right now, there are two hats for sale . I hope to get a few more finished in smaller sizes this week. They have officially been named Sutton Hoo’s by my husband. You’ll have to check out the item description for an explanation of the name.
My mother-in-law just picked up a part time job at a cute little toy store down in the harbor. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to afford her working there. We visited the shop last week and came home with a ball, paper dolls, and a train whistle for mary. I’m such a sucker for my kids, sometimes. But after watching Emma, I have decided that every child needs one of these:
(I had to make her put underwear on for these pix. I don’t recommend bouncing without them.)
