Inspired

{this moment}

2012-02-03T08:30:00.003-05:00

{this moment} A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by: Soulemama

Extending Grace

2012-01-31T06:38:00.000-05:00

Do you ever feel like something just hits you between the eyes and you can't believe you've never thought of it?

I'm having one of those moments this week.

How many times a day do I fail? (Let's not really count - haha.) God extends grace to me every.single.time.

noun

5. mercy; clemency; pardon: He was saved by an act of grace from the governor. Synonyms: lenity, leniency, reprieve. Antonyms: harshness.

How many times do I get frustrated with my child and harshly raise my voice with her, using the very official, you-know-you're-in-trouble first AND middle names?

Ziva Grace.

Wow. What a constant reminder that I need to extend grace to her in the same manner that God the Father extends it to me.

I'm not insinuating that I let her off without consequences, but I may need to think a bit longer before I go getting frustrated.

Slow to speak.

Slow to get angry.

Extending grace.

It took me over 2 years to see this sweet little tidbit. I wonder what God will teach me next!

frugal and fun dating.

2012-01-30T06:32:00.001-05:00

Step 1: Go to a thrift shop and buy a game that looks fun, and won't take up a lot of room/bother people. (We picked up Orijinz for $2.99 - and it looks like it had never been played!)

Step 2: Grab drinks and the comfy chairs at your local coffee shop. (We chose Starbucks, not for lack of cool local options, but because it was Sunday night at nearly 5 o clock and we didn't want them to close on us.)

Step 3: Play, laugh and enjoy each others company! Our date cost less than $15, but it could be much cheaper - we "splurged" and got the big drinks! ;]

We had originally planned to do dinner, but, the local place we wanted to go to closed at 3 on Sunday, and once we started driving around we realized we weren't really hungry enough to eat dinner. None of the chain restaurants looked appealing, and I'd really been wanting to pick up Scrabble for cheap so we swung into Goodwill. I found Scrabble for $3.99 (with all the tiles!) - yay! And then on our way to pay we saw Orijinz and it looked fun. We had toyed with just getting coffee anyway, so I said, "Hey, do you want to buy this and go play it at Starbucks?" The hubs agreed and we had a great, cheap date. Much less than we would've spent on dinner - and we didn't even end up going somewhere we didn't really want to simply because we had a sitter! Love!

Just thought I'd share a bit about our evening out - do you have any ideas for dates that are fun and frugal? (And different!) Let me know!

{this moment}

2012-01-27T07:55:00.000-05:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by: Soulemama

Thoughts on Housework.

2012-01-23T12:36:00.000-05:00

Housework.

It's inevitable.

In our home there seems to be a steady supply of dirty dishes, dirty laundry, dirty floors, etc. Our home is lived in. That's what happens.

I'm not going to say I love doing housework or anything like that. I do find it rewarding and peaceful at the day's end to relax in a clean space. However, I've found a greater reward by using daily chores as a means to count my blessings.

While doing the dishes, "Thank you, Lord, for providing my family with wholesome meals."

While putting away clean laundry, "Thank you, Lord, for our clothes that keep our bodies warm."

While sweeping up dirty floors, "Thank you, Lord, for the feet that have walked through my home."

While putting away books and blocks and play food for the millionth time (it seems) that day, "Thank you, Lord, for the joy that our daughter brings to our lives."

I find this really helps change my outlook and attitude toward housekeeping.

Next time you go to tackle your least favorite chore, think about why you have to do it, and you might find that it's not so bad after all.

Instant Gratification

2012-01-18T12:47:00.002-05:00

So. If you're on Pinterest (follow me!) then you've no doubt seen lots of cute boot socks and/or legwarmers floating around the boards. So much cuteness! Believe it or not I was not interested in knitting them. But I still wanted some. Then I remembered this sweater I had.

I bought this sweater when I was in high school. I remember it being like $40 at American Eagle and thinking it was a classic looking staple and I'd get a lot of use out of it. Well, I did. I loved this sweater. I could wear it with anything and I even wore it through my pregnancy. After awhile though, it lost some elasticity and I just didn't like wearing it because the neckline was all stretched out and I was constantly tugging at it. Into the thrifting pile it went... that's been sitting there for months. Till yesterday, out of the thrifting pile it came. My beloved sweater has a happy second life!

Legwarmers AND a cowl! (Ps, please excuse my awkward attempts at modeling and backdrop of kitchen cupboards. Gotta work with what I got.) I love this little set. I still need to stitch a hem around before I wash them (assuming they'll need it someday). But yeah, I didn't sew a bit. Sleeves are now legwarmers and the bottom half of my sweater is now a cowl. =D

Mid-Morning Thoughts

2012-01-18T11:15:00.003-05:00

Grocery lists and menus are more fun in color.

I adore this cup and saucer the hubs got me for Christmas. (Oh and he got me the coffee for Christmas too!)

Beeswax crayons are awesome.

Mason jars make everything look cooler.

I want one of these to make my coffee look cooler (but not colder) while traveling.

I've been googling a diy way to make my own cuppow (see above link) with no success. These guys probably deserve their 7.99 plus 5 dollar shipping for coming up with such a cool product, but the thrifty girl in me says otherwise.

It's finally (I say finally but it's not like I was really hoping for it) looking and feeling like winter in Maine.

I've got the itch to sew Z a cozy nightgown thanks to all soulemama's posts.

I need to bring my sewing machine down to my parents so my dad can figure out what I broke on it this time.

End random thought process.

Weekend {in phone pics}

2012-01-17T11:28:00.000-05:00

So I recently got an android phone. And I'm kind of in love with this little app called lightbox. Anyone use it? It's so easy to just snap a pic, add a cool effect (as you can see I favor 'retro') and upload it to flickr, fb, etc. Fun! Ps - did you notice I finally finished my love socks??

Yarn Along

2012-01-04T09:44:00.001-05:00

It's been awhile since I've participated! It's been awhile since I've even blogged. So here's my yarn along for this week. I'm working on a pair of Love Socks for myself. =] You might remember these from here. I ended up starting over on these after Christmas, because I used a needle that was too small and I got confused and I just needed to start fresh! They are gray and white in real life so I decided to simplify the pic with b&w. On the kindle (I got it for the hubs for Christmas) is Pride & Prejudice. The yarn bowl, a gift from my sister, is from AquaMoose.

I have a couple more post ideas in the works, so stay tuned. Oh yeah and happy 2012!

Handmade Christmas

2011-12-28T16:14:00.000-05:00

Little miss Z was gifted with a beautiful handmade play kitchen built by her talented Daddy and felt food sewn by Mama.

The wood for the play kitchen was all scraps from Ben's work, so all we had to pay for was the hardware (hinges and such) totaling around $15. The stove burners are made from coasters we already had, and the sink is one of my stainless steel mixing bowls (I have plenty!). The sink skirt was made from leftover fabric I had in my stash, and the felt food is made from felt (obviously, lol) that was .20 a sheet. The skillet and pot with spatula and ladle are from Green Toys. I am sooo happy with the way it turned out and Ziva loves it! She did promptly let us know what we'd forgotten, however. ;] She wanted to "do the dishes" and asked, "Where's my gloves? Where's my soap?" Later while making felt pancakes she asked, "Where's my syrup?" =]

We hope you all had a blessed Christmas and New Year surrounded by those you love.

Birthday

2011-11-23T06:17:00.001-05:00

Well I'm a little slow here, the birthday/Thanksgiving/Christmas season is bustling and blogging isn't my number one concern but I wanted to share some photos from Z's birthday and party and some of our traditions.

This year I made her a felt birthday crown (inspired by Frontier Dreams). The back of the crown has leftover cupcake fabric that I used to make her a birthday banner last year and her "1" shirt. I'm so glad I thought of using scraps on the crown, which will last her a few years, because I would've run out quickly doing numbered shirts!

Before the hubs and I went to sleep on her birthday eve, we filled a bunch of helium balloons (tank and balloons purchased at Target for only $20!) and snuck them into her room. We had tied them to her blocks and when she woke up and found them it seemed she was more concerned about her blocks but we still heard lots of, "Look at the balloon!" This was a really fun tradition that I hope to continue every year.

When she came into our room in the morning we had gifts for her to open, and another balloon. I had my camera and video camera on my bedside table so I didn't even have to get out of bed! (Actually I'd already gotten out of bed several times because I heard her stirring and wanted to catch her reaction to the balloons on camera... I was a little excited.)

The gifts we gave her were; A sweater knit by me (hoping to make a birthday sweater - or at least some hand knit - a yearly tradition.), a couple new shirts, and The Jesus Storybook Bible. (This last one was really from Daddy, he picked it up for her while at a leadership conference the weekend before and we just love it. This children's Bible is so accurate, with great pictures and it even holds my attention! We highly recommend it.)

After waffles made by the hubs and a walk to Nana's to open and read a Little House picture book about Laura's birthday, we finally had decided how to spend our day. We ate lunch at home (not our original plan) because it's somewhat difficult to bring a toddler who is allergic to dairy into a restaurant, and spend money on something she's probably not going to eat.

After lunch she typically naps, but we stuck her in the car instead (where she still napped) and drove to a playground to play. We had it all to ourselves so that was fun! I always feel like I still need to chase her up the playground equipment at this age so if there's a ton of kids and moms there I feel weird...

After playing for a bit we decided to get into the car and head over to the mall to Build-a-Bear (she still had a gift card she'd gotten for Christmas '10). I thought she may or may not be interested in building a bear... she was mostly interested in running around the store touching everything (which was fine, we pretty much had the store to ourselves too) and so the hubs and I picked out a bunny and built it. She hates it. We try to get her to give it a hug or something and she's like, "NoooooOOOooo!" Yesterday I had sat it on the couch and she said, "Hey! My bunny!" Then ran over and threw it on the floor. So yeah, maybe some day she'll like it. It's really cute and soft.

After build-a-bunny we went over to Whole Foods. This is our closest WF which is an hour away, so we try to stock up on things we can't really get around here. Which in our case was mainly dairy-free cheeses for the little one. (And dairy free ice cream!) They even have string cheese! I can't even tell you the number of times I'm cooking dinner, open the fridge and Z comes running over asking for a "piece-a cheese?" All we usually had were Daiya shreds, so it's nice to have some of the sliced and string variety. Oh yes, and also a trip to WF usually means the hubs gets a bacon chocolate bar. Sounds gross, right? But it's actually quite delicious, and should be at 8.99 for 3 oz. It's probably a good thing WF is an hour away, huh?

This concluded Z's birthday adventure and we headed home to snuggle and read books.

Her birthday party was the following Sunday and we had a nice, small party with great grandparents, grandparents and a couple aunts and uncles. =]

Ps - as I'm typing this, Maine is getting it's first big snowstorm (we had a smaller storm Halloween weekend) just in time for Thanksgiving travels... but all the schools are cancelled so kids are rejoicing for a 5 day weekend. =]

pps - On Z's birthday eve, I fell asleep on the couch and the hubs decided to surprise me by typing up her birth story. I'd been meaning to do this for uhhh 2 years, but I hadn't, somewhere between wanting to include every detail and not being able to remember every detail somehow I just didn't do it at all. I always thought I'd want to post my birth story for all to read, and maybe I still will someday, but after reading it from the hub's point of view it just felt like a gift to me that I'm not ready to share yet. He wrote it almost like a letter to me and I cried at the end. <3 He is so wonderfully thoughtful.

{this moment}

2011-11-18T12:10:00.001-05:00

{this moment} A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember

Inspired by: Soulemama

{this moment}

2011-10-28T13:22:00.001-04:00

{this moment} A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember

Inspired by: Soulemama

WIP Wednesday

2011-10-26T07:46:00.001-04:00

Do you ever knit something and while you're in the process you just *know* it's not exactly the right size, but you keep knitting anyway hoping you're wrong? Yeah, I'm doing that right now. I'm tried these on a couple times and they're snug, but I mean, they're socks, so, is that really a bad thing? The thing is, they're knit on size 0 needles (the pattern asked for 1s for the legs and 0s for the foot, but I don't have 1s) so they take so dang long to knit I can't bear to frog them... I'm thinking we'll be alright. =]

My Love Socks.

I am really into gray and white stripes right now. I don't know why, but I'm loving them.

Ziva's slippers are in the last stages of being finished. Yesterday I added elastic around the ankles so they don't fall off when she's walking around. I had sewn a leather sole to one slipper, but I put it on crooked so I need to start over. Has anyone done this? I have leather scraps from the hub's previous employer and I'm not sure if it would be better to have the smooth leather side down or the fuzzyish suede. Someone who owns Robeez help me out here! ;] I'm leaning toward smooth, but that seems slippery to me as well!

My hat has been finished, however, I want it to be a little less slouchy, so I plan on frogging it back one less pattern repeat and then redoing the decreases. I should do that today so I can enjoy wearing it. ;] We shall see!

What are you working on? Leave me a link in the comments!

{this moment}

2011-10-21T08:11:00.002-04:00

{this moment} A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember

Inspired by: Soulemama

{this moment}

2011-10-14T09:19:00.003-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by: Soulemama

Excuse Maker

2011-10-13T10:53:00.000-04:00

At a mere not even 23 months old, Ziva has learned to make excuses. Actually she only has one excuse.

She uses it to get out of her room when she doesn't want to sleep.

She uses it to try to climb the stairs at my parents' house.

I'm sure she'll start using it for other things.

And she knows it works, because we listen.

"Poop? Poop?"

What a little rascal.

WIP Wednesday

2011-10-12T08:54:00.000-04:00

It's been so long! Life is busy but I guess I just don't feel like I've had a lot of "blogworthy" happenings going on. However, I've missed blogging, and knitting is easy for me to talk about! ;]

I'm following along with Ginny's Yarn Along today. She is always reading something and knitting something, and I admire that she takes time to read for herself with 6 kids in the house! I decided today to add the books that I actually read most. These are Ziva's favorites. Top to bottom: Put Me in the Zoo (aka Zoo!), The Grouchy Ladybug (I don't think she calls this anything, but she does think all ladybugs say, "hey, you!"), I Love My Mommy Because... (aka love the mommy), and If You Give a Cat a Cupcake (aka cats & cakes).

Now onto the knitting!

The green things you see in the left hand corner are fingerless mitts for the hubs. They're basically done, I just haven't woven in the ends so I included them. ;]

The gray you see in the center is a pair of (soon-to-be) felted slippers for Ziva. This pattern is really cool and I can't wait to see how they look once I've seamed them and felted them! I'm also planning on sewing on leather soles for traction from a scrap piece of leather the hubs brought home from his old job awhile back.

And last but not least! The baby blue on the needle is an aviatrix hat for Ziva. I just started this this morning and I'm enjoying it so far. I'm planning on added an oversized crocheted flower to the side, but I'm basically crochet-impaired so we'll see if youtube is good enough!

In other news, I've started planning for Miss Ziva's 2nd birthday and I'm finding it hard to believe!

Our evenings

2011-09-21T06:48:00.001-04:00

I was working on the dinner dishes last night and the hubs started peeling and slicing up apples. He's not much of a cook or baker, (but he's recently learning and getting more interested in kitchen stuff) so I'm like, "what are you doing?" "I want an apple pie and I don't want you to have to do all the work. Do you mind that I'm dirtying more dishes?" Of course not, silly hubs, you can dirty dishes to your heart's content if pie is the result. =] I made the crust and he made the filling, we paused to put the Z to bed, and put it together and baked it afterward. Mmm warm apple pie on the couch with my hubs is the best. It was delicious.

I think it tastes better when you make it with someone you love. =]

Cozy

2011-09-20T11:02:00.000-04:00

There's something about home when the weather starts to turn chilly.

Driving into your driveway to see the glow of light from the inside.

Knowing your slippers are waiting for you on the warm side of the door.

Opening the door to be surrounded by warmth and smells of simmering stew and spicy candles.

Cold hands gripping a hot mug.

Blankets that are being pulled down and snuggled in more often than they are decorating the back of the couch.

Staying in, because it's dark, so it must be late, right?

I think this feeling is worth celebrating.

Welcome, Fall!

Fall Fun

2011-09-19T09:03:00.000-04:00

So about those weekend plans...
We started our weekend with pumpkin spice lattes in hand, and drove out to pick apples. Apple picking is a fun little trip for a 22 month old (22 months!!??). We pulled her out into the orchard in a wagon provided by the farm, and she helped us fill our basket in 10-15 minutes. A basketful cost us about $10 and then we picked out a couple pumpkins. Fun and easy and we hope to do it again before the season is over.

After driving around looking at houses for sale, we came home to yummy chili in the crock pot and homemade bread. Mmmm.

Saturday afternoon we made apple pie. Ziva helped. She spilled daddy's hot cocoa all over the table and floor. She got gated into the living room while we finished the pie. =]

Friday evening/Saturday morning we made blueberry bagels. Yummy! I really enjoyed the involved process since most of the work was done after the little lady was tucked into bed. If we could find much cheaper dried blueberries then making bagels at home might actually save us money! haha! Next I want to make my personal favorite, chocolate chip bagels! When I was pregnant with Ziva I craved chocolate chip bagels. We looked everywhere. Tim Horton's, grocery stores, Panera. (I think Panera actually had them, they were just out every time we were there.) I didn't get my beloved bagel until she was like 6 months old. I can't believe I never thought of trying to make them...

Sunday brought us to Sunday School, church and a lovely baptism service - which was followed by a family birthday party and then a lazy afternoon of watching football from my parents' couch.

I'm hoping to get my bike ride tonight. =]

What did you do this weekend?

Weekend Plans

2011-09-16T08:45:00.001-04:00

Ziva, Oct 2010

Typically on Friday mornings, I get ready to post my {this moment} photo by viewing the week's photos on my camera. Well, it appears that the only photos I took this week were for WIP Wednesday! So I thought I'd share our weekend plans with you.

The hubs gets out of work around noon on Fridays, so today after he gets home and the wee one has had a nap, we're planning on going apple picking. (Love!) I'm sure at some point during the weekend we'll begin to process the apples and make things like pie and crisp and sauce! =]

This weekend's weather is looking extra fall-like, so this morning I plan to throw chili in the crock pot, so we can have a yummy warm meal all ready for us when we get home from picking apples. I just love to utilize my crock pot any day of the week, but especially on the weekends, when I want to be out playing with my loves, not stuck in the kitchen making meals. =]

Another thing I'm hoping to start on today is blueberry bagels. Blueberry bagels from the grocery store are the hub's fave, so I hope my own come out just as yummy! =]

I'm also hoping to go for a family bike ride and check out some fall foliage. It's been a little while since we've gone biking, due to the bike rack beginning to damage the hatch back on our Escape. =/ Hopefully a quick trip with the bikes down town won't be a huge deal! =]

We like our weekends to be relaxing and family oriented. If we can, we try to avoid over planning, and just enjoy each other's company.

What are your plans for the weekend?

blogger's block

2011-09-15T16:16:00.001-04:00

I have all these thoughts in my head.

Sometimes I sit down with a paper and pen and try to sort them out.

And it doesn't work.

I can't get my thoughts, ideas, feelings, out of my mind and onto my blog.

I'd like to post something a little deeper. Something that might challenge you, inspire you, or just get you thinking.

I think I need to sort through my thoughts somewhere quieter than the breakfast table. =]

Wellie Warmers Continued. ;]

2011-09-14T12:53:00.000-04:00

I revamped and finished a pair or wellie warmers! Aren't they fabulous? I decided that the no decreases, ribbing all the way down pair was too bulky for a teeny boot so I started fresh. I put the warmers on Z's legs first then she steps right into her boots and I fold the cuff down. Super cute, comfy, warm and they help her keep her boots on. If anyone would be interested in seeing my notes I'd be happy to type them up and share - of course I'd want to see a picture of your finished project! I think these would look so cute with stripes, cables, etc.

The sweater dress is 99.9% finished. I added a ribbed band before starting the bodice and I really like the way it gathers the skirt. I took pictures today but they're really washed out so I'm not sharing. =P All I have left to do is an edging around the neck and arm holes. I did dress her in it for church on Sunday though. Shhhh no one needs to know it wasn't really finished! =]

What are you working on? Please share a link in the comments!

{this moment}

2011-09-09T06:26:00.002-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by: Soulemama

WIP Wednesday

2011-09-07T06:58:00.001-04:00

Hi! It's been a few days. We had a lovely long weekend, doing not much more than spending time with family and enjoying the outdoors. Yesterday afternoon's weather made me especially happy, as it was so very fall-like! Sunny, but crisp! Love!

This week's WIP is brought to you via my brain and rainy morning inspiration. Ziva got these boots as hand-me-downs from her older cousins (btw, hand-me-downs = AWESOME). They're about a size too big, but let me tell you what, the girl loves to stomp in mud puddles. So she wears them. I figured as it got colder she'd need a little more insulation, and these might help them fit better anyway.

Wellie Warmers!

I cast on 40 sts on 10.5 needles using Cestari Fine Merino. I then joined in the round and worked K3, P2 ribbing until they seemed long enough. ;] Bound off in pattern until the last 3 stitches, and then used the last 3 to work a garter stitch strap. After a couple inches I bound off the strap and stitched it to the opposite side of the warmer, creating a stirrup so they don't ride up on her. =]

She hasn't tried it on yet, so we'll see if I regret skipping any decreases at the ankle. I can always go back and re-do the ankle, I guess it's all trial and error when you're "writing" your own pattern. They seem a little bulky. Also, I tried the finished one on me and it fit nicely, you know, except for being uber short. =P

Also, to mix it up a little, I'm thinking I could pretty easily sew her a pair of these to go in them.

Okay, if I go knit the second one up before she wakes up for the day, perhaps she can splash in puddles this morning! Or at least wear her boots to the market! =]

What are you working on?

ETA: Did you notice the yarn? It looks like a different color because the lighting last week was so horrible, but it's my frogged mystery beret! Oh yeah, and also the sweater dress is still on the needles. It's just going soooo slow. ;]

{this moment}

2011-09-02T09:05:00.003-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by: Soulemama

Bunting Swap

2011-09-01T13:42:00.000-04:00

Bunting is a fun and fabulous way to dress up a room for a party, hanging from tree to tree for a festive picnic, or just as an everyday way to bring happiness to a setting.

Rachel over at Squiggly Rainbow has organized a bunting swap and I'm participating. Check it out and if you're compelled, email her and join in the fun! The date to mail bunting out is October 15th!

Fall

2011-09-01T06:59:00.006-04:00

Ahhh September. I know the calender says that the first day of Fall is September 21st, but I count the entire month as Fall. Kids are back in school now so it must be true! I am anticipating spending my favorite season doing my favorite things. I absolutely adore the season changing into Fall. Here are some of my favorite fall things...

Pumpkins

Ziva looking uncomfortable atop a pile of pumpkins, 2010.

Mums

Not "Mothers" I love my mom all the time. I'm talking about the flowers.
Me @ 35 weeks pregnant, October 2009.

Apple Picking

Ben and I enjoying our first fall as a married couple at our most favorite apple orchard, Ricker Hill in Turner, ME- 2008.

Leaves

Ziva enjoying the fall leaves, October 2010.

Pumpkin Spice Lattes

AKA Heaven in a cup. Image Source.

Memories

Fall has a way of bringing back memories of first days with this little lady.

Foliage

Image Source

Living in New England, you see some seriously beautiful Fall foliage. My parents used to take us on insanely boring foliage rides all over Maine. The fun part was when we got somewhere that we could get out and walk around and go to the bathroom. Now? I like driving aimlessly and looking at leaves. Proof that I'm getting older.

Also? My birthday is in September. I remember being a kid and hearing adults say that after awhile you might forget your birthday, or how old you're turning. Which is crazy talk to a kid. Your birthday is like, the one day of the year that everything is about you. ;] I have yet to forget my birthday. I love my birthday. Probably because Ben spoils me.

I was thinking about my birthday the other day, and to my surprise, I forgot how old I'm turning. Not like, I had to sit there and do the math, but I just had to contemplate it for a second. And do you know what the first age that popped into my head was? 30. Ummm. I'm not turning 30 this month. I'm turning 22.

Houston, we have a problem.

I enjoy foliage rides and my soul is turning 30.

Happy September!

WIP Wednesday

2011-08-31T06:52:00.004-04:00

Off the needles: FAILed (Will be frogging.) "Mystery Beret"
On the needles: Sweater Dress
Reading: Little Men
Also? Really horrible lighting.

I'm using up some of my monstrous stash of leftovers from my Shalom for a little, jumper-type sweater dress for Ziva. The skirt will be cascade eco (gray) and the bodice will be noro. I'm excited to see how it comes out.

The hat is horrible. But I enjoyed knitting it so that's a plus. I thought by using larger needles with less yarn I would get the amount of "slouch" I wanted. But really it's just huge. I may try to re-knit it on smaller needles. Or a different hat entirely. =]

And in other WIP news, my sewing machine has been getting a lot of action lately... more to come on that. =]

{this moment}

2011-08-26T21:31:00.000-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by: Soulemama

New

2011-08-25T07:26:00.002-04:00

I enjoy blogging. I love getting comments from readers. It bothered me that I couldn't easily reply, so I've changed that. I added a new comment form this morning and from now on commenting and replying and subscribing to comments and all that jazz will be tons easier. Expect to hear back from me! =]

Arboretum

2011-08-24T13:11:00.004-04:00

We feel so blessed at the number of local, beautiful spaces that are available to us to explore. These pictures were taken during an impromptu after-dinner trip to the local arboretum for a walk. Ben had never been there, and I hadn't been there since a home school field trip when I was probably 14? We explored the trails for an hour or so and there are still so many we didn't go down. We're looking forward to exploring more!

Shalom!

2011-08-24T09:27:00.005-04:00

My Shalom Cardigan is officially finished. =] And I am officially scouring Ravelry for my next project. Ideas??

Relaxation

2011-08-22T07:06:00.006-04:00

This is where we spent our weekend.

Please notice the location of our vehicle on the GPS... =]

As they say, a picture is worth 1000 words. I think you can figure out how we spent our weekend without me rambling on about every picture. ;]

A little blurb from the hubs: "Sitting around here is a lot more relaxing than sitting around at home. At home we can sit around for the weekend, but we'll be looking around and coming up with all kinds of things we could be doing."

{this moment}

2011-08-19T06:21:00.003-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by: Soulemama

Opposites

2011-08-18T07:52:00.004-04:00

Today I bring 2 photos from my kitchen. Both taken within seconds of each other. Both very delicious. One very normal and one, not so much.

Oh, so scandalous.

Care to guess which is the norm? ;]

Today...

2011-08-17T13:16:00.004-04:00

- Feeling coolness in the air as I hang diapers on the line. Even though it's beautiful and sunny I can tell that fall is on its way. <3

- It's Wednesday. Farmer's Market!

- I made homemade peppermint laundry soap. This isn't my first time around, but last time I used this recipe. We'll see if we like the difference/if there is one.

- Iced tea. 8 Lipton tea bags + 1/2 gallon boiling water + 1/2 cup sugar. Steep for 8 minutes, chill, enjoy with a lemon wedge. Mmm.

- Anticipating this weekend's family getaway. Smack dab in the middle of the good 'ole Maine woods.

- Loving my Pandora station.

WIP Wednesday

2011-08-17T06:26:00.005-04:00

The project: Shalom

The yarn: Noro Silk Garden for the yoke, and Cascade Ecological Wool for the body.

Made for: Myself =D

Mods: So far, adding 2 more button holes, twisted rib at the bottom of the sweater rather than garter stitch, and long sleeves with twisted rib at the cuffs. Oh yeah and I skipped the waist shaping, mainly because I'm lazy and I didn't want to count. =]

If you remember last week's post then it's probably evident how much I enjoy working on this sweater. I've been doing a lot of riding in the car lately and it's been my companion. I'm also always working on it in the evenings and sometimes getting a few rows in during the day.

This is how much eco I have left to finish my sleeve. =[ I really want full-length sleeves so I guess my options are, 1) add some noro to the sleeves (I used barely any of my second skein of noro) or 2) buy another (ginormous!) skein of eco. ::le sigh:: I was really hoping to bring this sweater (to wear!) this weekend up North. Choices, choices...

Oh, and I'm pretty much decided on the purple buttons, but I thought I'd throw in a couple other options in case people had input. ;]

Ps, last night we had a 1.5 hour ride home from a family event and I wore my sweater in the car, needles and all. It was cozy. =]

Making

2011-08-15T07:57:00.004-04:00

It's so easy for me to slip into buying convenient products like store bought bread and bottled drinks. Another one is laundry detergent. I used to make my own. I'd really like to make a batch when our store bought jug runs out.

Besides the money saving and healthiness factors, there's just something about homemade, well, anything. A fresh baked loaf of bread cooling on the counter does something for the soul that slices in a plastic bag just can't.

In our kitchen today we are working on iced tea and sour dough starter.

What are you making this week?

{this moment}

2011-08-12T06:39:00.003-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by: Soulemama

WIP Wednesday

2011-08-10T08:53:00.003-04:00

The project: Shalom

The yarn: Noro Silk Garden for the yoke, and Cascade Ecological Wool for the body.

Made for: Myself

Mods: So far, adding 2 more button holes and I'm in the process of adding long sleeves, so the sleeve stitches are on scrap yarn rather than being bound off. My full pattern notes are here.
So I'm kind of addicted to working on this sweater. I LOVE it! I hope I love wearing it as much. =] I hoping my sleeve mods help it to fit me just right. We shall see!!

my morning

2011-08-09T07:26:00.005-04:00

It's one of those mornings where I savor the quiet hour or so before Ziva wakes up.

I prepare my coffee and the spoon clinking on the sides of my favorite mug seems loud.

I wrap myself in a sweater and sit down on the couch with Bible in hand.

I read and pray, then knit and glance at the slideshow of pictures popping up on the computer screen. Each picture reminds me of a certain person or time and I pray or praise for them.

The wheels in my head turn while I work twisted rib across the rows of my cardigan, thoughts not interrupted by anyone or anything.

I think of what I'd like to do during my day, week, month, year, life.

I soak in the quiet, the alone, the stillness of the morning where no one demands my time.

Then I hear a tiny knock, and a "hewwo!"

I scoop her up into a hug and in that moment I hold more joy in my arms than my mornings alone have ever held.

Our day begins.

Purl Diva

2011-08-06T06:50:00.006-04:00

Just recently I had expressed an interest in knitting myself a nice fall sweater. I usually knit for Ziva, not myself, so I was hesitant at first to spend the money, because well, I'm quite a bit bigger than she is... I've knit myself exactly one sweater and I cheaped out and bought some acrylic yarn at A.C. Moore to make it. So this time around I decided I would treat myself to nice yarn too. I gave myself a $50 budget and the hubs drove me down to Purl Diva.

I had never been to Purl Diva before, I just googled 'yarn shops in maine' and I found it. OH MY GOODNESS. I adore this shop. Upon opening the door we were greeted by the owner (correct me if I'm wrong, k?) and while I began to browse, Ben and Ziva found a basket of toys stashed in a corner. =]

Ellen carries so much yarn in her shop and I was in no way dissapointed. I could've stayed there for hours and just hung out (however I don't think my husband or toddler would want to do that). She does host social knitting groups on Wednesdays and Sundays, though!

{So so so helpful is the fact that she has several popular ravelry patterns knit up and there for you to touch, look at and experience. I was super excited when I saw the sweater on the bottom left, because it's Shalom - the one I'm planning on making!}

{Quince&Co!}

I think I circled the store 3 times and touched everything before I went to Ellen and asked for help. =] What I'm hoping to achieve is a super comfy, favorite sweater that I grab often. I thought about knitting it out of Malabrigo because it's amazingly soft, but after talking it over with her, we decided it would pill too easily. Perhaps I'll knit myself some mittens or gloves with Malabrigo to replace the ones my mama made me when I was a teen that I set them too close to the wood stove to dry. ='[

I had seen some Shalom's on Ravelry that had a yoke knit with Noro. I thought this looked super cool so I told her about it and she looked it up and helped me to determine how many skeins I'd need. In the end I decided that I would knit the yoke with Noro and the body with Cascade Ecological Wool.

All in all it was a great trip. I started to get all giggly with my bag of yarn on the ride home - it was like Christmas to me! ;] (Ps - my birthday is next month, people, need an idea? Purl Diva gift certificate?) If you're near Brunswick, you need to check her out! If you're looking for a shop that sells quality yarns, has amazing customer service, probably knows everything there is to know about yarn and knitting and keeps a cute doggy behind their counter than Purl Diva is for you! Happy weekend my friends!

**Disclaimer: I didn't get paid to write this review, it's just that yarn gets my all warm and fuzzy inside.**

**Also, today is Unplugged Saturday isn't it? My loves are still in bed so it's okay, right?? Riiiight...**

Our Market

2011-08-04T07:23:00.003-04:00

I love our weekly Wednesday trips to the farmer's market. I love playing. I love browsing. I love small talk with various farmers. I love knowing where my milk, eggs, bread and veggies come from. I love making the hubs run back to the car to find quarters so we can spend every last cent we brought. I love the atmosphere. I love the live music. I love the natural simplicity of it all. I love running into friends there. I love that buying locally will be a normal, natural thing in Ziva's world. I love visiting the farmers at their farms. I love smelling the handmade soaps. I love homemade ice cream. I love our market.

WIP Wednesday

2011-08-03T08:38:00.003-04:00

{I like to pretend our 70's apartment doesn't have wood paneling everywhere. LOL}

My current work in progress. Our photo wall. =] Can you believe that we've lived here almost a year and I've just gotten around to doing this? Me either. All but the black frame (bought a few years ago at walmart or something) have been thrift shop finds. All the turquoise ones were previously different colors. I have 2 more frames waiting for white paint (which I need to go buy at some point). For some reason yesterday at goodwill they had an abundant supply of pink frames.

My favorite part about doing this photo wall (besides looking at it) is scoping out the thrift shops for frames. I love finding a frame that someone has no use for and seeing what it can become with a little paint and a smiling face inside it. Not to mention the fact that I've paid no more than $3 for each - some being even less than $1. I'm sure the 11x14's would cost me upwards of $15 if I bought them new at a department store!

Another cool thing is finding the frames with character! You can't see them too well in the picture but some of the frames have really neat designs carved into them.

As long as I have memories captured on film (just kidding they're digital =P) then this photo wall will forever be a work in progress!

And as for that thermostat? I'd like to do something like this!

{Thank you, Pinterest.}

What a Feeling

2011-08-01T13:09:00.004-04:00

What a feeling in my soul
Love burns brighter than sunshine
Brighter than sunshine
Let the rain fall, i don't care
I'm yours and suddenly you're mine
Suddenly you're mine
And it's brighter than sunshine
-Aqualung
{Hanging above our bed}

We love love music in this family. Ziva is constantly asking for us to play "mu-zik!" I'm always hearing songs and saying "I would so dance to this at my wedding if I wasn't already married."

But my favorites are constantly changing - or just being added to. So dry erase love-y dove-y picture it is. I just took a picture frame we already had kickin' around, cut a piece of blue scrapbook paper to cover the cardboard back, then centered my photo on top and replaced the glass. Now whenever I feel like switching up the lyrics, quotes, writing a love note, etc I'll just erase and write! <3 Love it!

*Photo in the frame credit: Jaimee C Photography

{this moment}

2011-07-29T20:28:00.002-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by: Soulemama

Blessings

2011-07-26T09:01:00.003-04:00

Don't laugh, but I can't tell you how much of a blessing our screensaver has been lately. Uh...that sounds so weird. Anyway. The hubs set the screensaver on our PC so that it just plays a random slide show of all the pictures we have on our hard drive. I just love glancing over at the computer and seeing an unexpected newborn picture of Ziva, or a sweet moment captured between daddy and daughter just recently. It makes me smile.

Ziva is using her words so much more lately and I love her curious nature and watching her connect things.

I love walking into a room and hearing her sweet voice say, "Hi, Mum."

I love it when she brings me my iPod and says, "Mu-ZIK! Mu-ZIK!"

I love our little conversations.

::Ziva hears my cousin mowing our lawn::

Z: Whodat?

Me: Zack

Z: Yak?

::Everytime he mows close to the window:: "Yak?"

I'm just loving the little things that make our life so sweet.

WIP Wednesday

2011-07-20T10:49:00.003-04:00

We are officially on our first week of potty training. I kind of just woke up Monday and decided to do it. We had 3 pairs of Gerber trainers in the hand-me-downs that are actually way too big for her. We also had 7 diapers cut out but not sewn in my fabric bag. It seems dumb to sew diapers now, so, with a little trial and error I was able to make her a cute pair of undies that (mostly) fit. (They're a little snug around the legs.) I'm hoping to bang out a few more pairs during naptime so she can have a full supply of adorable undies that aren't plastered in Dora or something. Oh yeah and the fact that I already had the fabric in my stash doesn't hurt either. ;]

Sponge

2011-07-19T13:35:00.006-04:00

This is what I see when I look at my child.

I just wanted to share a little about the joy I'm experiencing as Ziva is growing from a baby into a kid. Of course it's bittersweet but it's oh so fun.

While reading the Montessori book I mentioned here I've learned so so much about the development of children and especially Ziva at this age. The more I understand how her brain is working, the less frustration I feel when she does something that I didn't get before.

I've started to incorporate her into my day's work rather than try to shoo her away while I do it. It takes longer, but we're both happier. She is willing and able to learn. I moved her little table and chairs into the kitchen and we eat at it when it's just the two of us. She's learned to push her chair in and put her dishes in the sink. (Sometimes she has to be prompted.) She likes to throw things in the trash. And she's surprisingly good at discerning what is, indeed, trash. Last night she cleaned out Ben's lunchbox and out of everything in there put the crumpled plastic wrap in the trash.

It's amazing to watch her "get it." The other day I poured her some dry cereal in a bowl and passed it to her, then walked into the living room expecting her to follow and eat her snack in there. I turned around to see her seated at her table happily eating her snack.

Little by little she is growing into a real human. ;]

Oh yeah and she's started wearing undies. Too. Cute.

Repurposed

2011-07-15T20:58:00.003-04:00

So I've been organizing lately... as you now. Trying to just clear out things that I don't need or want. This week I went through my clothes AGAIN and really honestly got rid of things I don't wear. Part of the reason I may have held onto things was that a lot of the clothes I had were really nice, I just didn't like the way they fit me so I never really wore them. So I decided to bring some of my nicer clothes that I didn't wear to a consignment shop in town and get some money for those clothes that are just sitting in my drawer.

This one tshirt I bought from Gap a few months after Ziva was born and I was in this like, "Oh man I'm not pregnant anymore I want new clothes" phase, didn't make it to the consignment shop. I liked the design, I just didn't like the way it fit me and it had armpit stains (am I really posting this on the internet??) so no one would want it.

I decided to make it into something I would wear. No before picture, just think v-neck tshirt with screen printed necklace and you'll see it. ;]

I basically just cut the arms off, then cut the back so it was a sort of halter. I then took another tshirt I don't wear and cut six strips from it. I sewed 3 red strips to each "strap" from the white tshirt and braided them. When I got to where they come together I did a 5-strand braid (I just held 2 together because I had 6 strands). I really enjoy this tank now! It's awesome for layering for a casual, cool, summer look.

{this moment}

2011-07-15T16:55:00.001-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by: Soulemama

WIP(ish) Wednesday

2011-07-13T06:36:00.004-04:00

I have been slacking in the knitting area lately. Totally slacking. I haven't really sewed much either. BUT - I've been reading in my free time. READING. Wow. I haven't read for myself in such a long time. It's not fiction, but I still chose to read it on my own free will. ;]

The book is Montessori from the Start. I haven't finished the whole thing, and I also skipped the newborn/infant chapters for now because we're not in that stage. I'm learning a lot about the development of children and the way their minds work. I'm taking bits and pieces of Maria Montessori's method to work into our lives. I don't think every little aspect is going to work for our family, but there are some things that just seem like common sense and are put so plainly that I'm like, "Why didn't I think of that?" I'll try to come back and update once I finish the whole book (with or without reading the baby chapters?? lol)

I have a few other books I checked out from the library that are sitting in a stack waiting for me to dive into them. One on waldorf education, sourdough bread, Amanda Soule's Creative Family, and a companion book to Food Inc (not as excited about that one so we'll see if I crack it open before it's due back.)

Here's a little sewing love.

Sometimes I just need a small project, something quick to do for myself. It's nice to just sit at my sewing machine for a few minutes and create mid-day.

Anyway this is an incredibly random post and it doesn't really even qualify as a "work in progress" but I'm here. =]

{this moment}

2011-07-08T09:24:00.001-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by: Soulemama

{this moment}

2011-07-01T16:46:00.003-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
Inspired by: Soulemama

(Please excuse my phone pic!)

Little

2011-06-30T14:03:00.004-04:00

I feel like I was in a really good blog rhythm before our trip. Now, not so much. I don't feel like I have anything to say or share that's really blog-worthy I guess. But I have been working on some gift knitting so I'll share that. =]

The natural colored longies (which still need a drawstring) and red booties are for a friend who doesn't know what she's having.

The mismatch pair was born partially out a need to keep my hands busy on our ride home from NY and that was all I had left in my bag. (Except for the blue, I ran out and had to add that when I got home.) The other reason I made them was that a friend of mine was in labor with her 4th baby, and I wanted something to remind me to keep her in my thoughts and prayers. So those booties were made for her little guy! Even though they're kind of silly and mismatchy I love them so much for their story and uniqueness.

Home

2011-06-28T15:38:00.007-04:00

We got home late Sunday night from a church missions trip to rural New York. 8+ hours there and the same back. 4 nights in a hotel and we used cloth the whole time. Z did really REALLY well on the ride, had a little trouble getting to sleep in the hotel and really started to come out of her shell more. I'm pretty sure her vocabulary increased on the trip too.

{I just can't help showing off that fluffy bum. And for clarification, we are in a parking lot in this picture. =]}

{Lots and lots of Ergo time - mixed with plenty of Mama (and others!) chasing.}

{We got some rain.}

{& Z learned to sing along with the radio}

I had a great time catching up with Karen and hope that the work we did at their church is a huge blessing. I know I was blessed to just be there and to see others pitching in to do God's work, while sometimes I had to just take a break to be with Z.

We're trying to get back into our daily rhythm now and it's getting easier each day. I breathed a big sigh of relief when I reminded myself that our housework/laundry/getting everything put away didn't all need to be done on Monday. We're just easing back into daily life. =]

{Ps sorry for the ginormous photos. I'm just too lazy to fix them... =/}

Daddy

2011-06-20T06:34:00.002-04:00

Happy (late) Father's Day!

I just wanted to share this sweet photo of my girl and her daddy doing some work from home (Or, my parents' house. =]) on the weekend. There's nothing I love seeing quite as much as a daddy wearing his baby. <3

{this moment}

2011-06-17T08:43:00.002-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by: Soulemama

Today

2011-06-16T14:47:00.004-04:00

I'm loving...

A silly little 19 month old!

Seeing her wearing handmade clothing. <3

Nutella cookies.

Simplifying Life: Toys

2011-06-13T14:30:00.006-04:00

{This is what our living room looks like when Z is asleep. ;)}

Kids have toys. Most kids have so many toys that they don't even play with them all.

Ziva has her fair share of toys, and having her birthday a little over a month before Christmas it seems like she gets all her new toys at once! She has a very generous family, and we are so very thankful for all they give her, but sometimes the toy factor can be a little bit overwhelming when you're trying to keep a tidy house.

Last night I decided to sort out Ziva's toys to rotate. What this means is I chose a few toys and books to keep out in our living room and put the rest in a box in the closet. I'm planning on rotating out different toys weekly or biweekly, whatever feels right and replacing what's in the living room with a few things from the closet to try to renew her interest in them.

I also decided to move her toys from a basket, to a small bookshelf. This way she can easily see what she has there to play with and not just see a big overwhelming basketful of toys. With just a few things on the shelf, it's super easy for me to keep it looking neat and tidy, and to teach her how to keep it tidy as well!

{Top Shelf: Melissa & Doug Stacking Train, Plan Xylophone, stuffed animals.
Middle Shelf: Books, wooden puzzles.
Bottom Shelf: Drawstring bag, mini disc golf frisbee, old cell phone, balls, M&D alphabet blocks.}

I'm really excited about the fact that I'll be able to clean up the living room at the end of the day, and with hardly any effort it will look organized. There were times when the basket was overflowing with toys and books and stuffed animals, and even though everything was picked up, it looked anything but organized. I find it so much easier to relax with the hubs in the evening when my relaxing space is neat and tidy. =]

{this moment}

2011-06-10T07:18:00.002-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by: Soulemama

WIP Wednesday

2011-06-08T06:48:00.004-04:00

The project: Boheme

The yarn: Cestari Fine Merino, in Country Lavender. This is my current favorite in the wool yarn catagory. My favorite part is picking out bits of hay along the way. <3

Made for: Ziva. Wanna know how teensy my girl is? I'm knitting her a size 6 months. Hehehe.

Mods: {Accidental} I got messed up on rs/ws, (due to messing up the increases and having to frog from the start of the lace pattern back to the first 2-3 rows... =[ ) so the button holes are on the opposite placket than the pattern calls for. I really don't think this is a big deal. lol.

I love this little sweater. I barely want to put it down! I just want to knit knit knit! And while I surely don't want to wish anything but this lovely weather we've been having upon us I do hope she can wear it soon! Maybe when they turn on the AC at the grocery store... it gets chilly then. ;]

One of my favorite things about this pattern is that it's knit in one piece. I absolutely hate seaming!

Are you blogging your WIP(s) today? Leave a comment linking to your post!

Savoring

2011-06-07T14:14:00.001-04:00

Dear Sweet Ziva,

Today you came over to me, signed “milk” and said, “gup gup!” (Which in your language, means, “milk milk!”) I grabbed you and my knitting and settled down for a quick toddler-esque nursing session, you know, the kind where you nurse and simultaneously make me smell your feet, or play patty cake, or make a fist and knock on your head… that kind of thing that ends abruptly and you roll off my lap and run over to your toy basket.

Today you were so cuddly, you were clutching my hair with one hand and lying so still. Soon your eyes started to droop and you fell asleep, slowly breathing… in, out, in, out…

My head told me to go lay you down so you would get a decent nap and I could get some housework done.

My heart reminded me of the times when you would fall asleep every time you nursed. You only took up half as much room on my lap then. Today your legs hung over the side of the couch along with mine.

I stayed on the couch and continued knitting with you on my lap for about a half hour, relishing this time with you. The past year and a half has flown by, and I know that times like these are now fleeting and far between.

So today I chose to watch, hold, snuggle, love and just be with you. Housework will still be here tomorrow. Tomorrow you’ll be one day older than you are today.

I love you, baby.

Love, Mama

First Fruits

2011-06-07T13:20:00.002-04:00

Recently in the ladies’ Bible study I attend we talked about giving our husbands the “first fruits of our labor.” In other words, the best, freshest, happiest us.

On a typical day the hubs leaves for work round ~~6:45-7am.~~**CORRECTION - apparently I don't know when my husband leaves... it's 5:45-6!** For quite awhile he’s just gotten up, gotten ready, kissed me goodbye (where I mumble something that’s supposed to sound like, “I love you.”) and he’s out the door. Sometimes I didn’t even remember him leaving when I wake up. That means the first me he really sees is the usually tired, sometimes frustrated, typically cooking dinner while a toddler gets into everything mama, who is happy to see him walk through the door so I can hand off the kid. Not just the girl he fell in love with all those years ago. Poor hubs.

A couple weeks ago I asked the hubs if he’d be willing to set his alarm 15 minutes earlier each day, so we could have that time to brew a pot of coffee, snuggle up on the couch, look out our picture window, and chat. He quickly agreed, and I’ve been getting up with him early in the morning and very much enjoying starting my day with him.

Last night we stayed up late, and this morning I slept in.

Man, do I miss our coffee chat today! I feel so much more connected to my husband throughout the day when we have those few minutes. Now I have to wait until after Z is in bed for that us time.

I think I’ve turned into a morning person.

I also love the time after he leaves that is just for me. I usually start a load of laundry the night before, so after he leaves I’m out the door on my way to the clothes line with a basket of laundry, wearing his rubber boots up to my knees and my pajama pants. I love breathing in the fresh, dewy, morning air and the feel of the damp clothes in my hands.

After that I usually like to come back in and check my facebook, email, blog roll, etc so that when Ziva wakes up I’m not distracted by these things and I can give her the attention she needs.

Thirdly is a hop in the shower without hurriedness. Bliss.

Occasionally I even prep dinner or knit a few rows before she wakes up.

Having this early morning time with my hubs really helps me start my day out right. Who or what are you giving your first fruits to?

Unplugged

2011-06-06T16:34:00.005-04:00

I recently came across this post and we have been inspired to "unplug" one day a week. We chose Saturdays and for us, unplugged is:

- No TV (which was never really hard for us because we only had 2 channels. I say 'had' because last Saturday night we decided to put our TV in storage and just use our computer if we want to watch a movie or show on netflix.)

- No computer

- No iPod (unless we want to listen to some tunes, that's fine.)

We decided it would be fine to still use our cell phones. We don't have smart phones, and we don't talk or text a ton, so we decided to leave them on. Also, if the hubs and I want to watch a movie together after the kiddo is in bed that's fine too.

Saturday we were away most of the day, so it wasn't really hard. That evening after putting Z to bed we decided to rearrange our living room for fun. Everything pretty much ended up in the same place it had started. =P

The unplugging kind of rolled into Sunday. The computer was turned on and used a couple times, but there was also lots of this...

and this...

our thrifted pillowcase became this...

and our living room rearrangement gave us this...

Time is precious. From now on this family will be spending less screen time, and more face time.

Oh, and ps, check out this great review Delia from Knitted Together did of our blog! It's fabulous!

Thrifted

2011-06-03T15:34:00.003-04:00

Sooo I'm trying to simplify our life by sorting through and donating things we don't use or need. I took a bunch of bags of clothing to Salvation Army yesterday which felt awesome, and I came home with less than I brought. I know, I know, I'm trying to get rid of stuff, but these things will be useful. =] (And loved!!)

Linens
The floral ones on top are 2 pillowcases I snagged for 1.99 (see what I'll do with them later!)
The ruffled one on bottom is an adorable crib skirt that was 4.99. The only problem is that Z's crib is on the lowest setting so it's too long... but I have an idea in mind. =]

Kettle
To replace my old one that was getting all rusty where the bottom joined the dome part. See? This one's all one piece, and it was only 2.99.

High Chair
I adore this chair. I love it's home-y country look. I love it's vintage-ness. I love that I had a brown one just like it when I was a baby. I love how easy it is to clean. I love that it was 6.99

Frames
(Well, one is a mirror.) To start our family photo collage. I have big ideas, folks. These rang in at (l-r) 3.99, .79, 2.99. Oh, and the one on the far right was originally light rose. I painted it to match our coffee table. (Pics to follow - it needs another coat!)

{this moment}

2011-06-03T10:13:00.002-04:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

Inspired by: Soulemama

Mini Staycation

2011-06-01T08:39:00.005-04:00

We were blessed with 4 days together this Memorial Day weekend. 3 of which we spent a lot of hours on the road, but for good reasons, and 1 we spent mainly at home enjoying each other and doing whatever we felt like. I took so many great photos and it was terribly hard to choose just a few to try to sum up our weekend, but here we go! =]

{Gleeful splashing after our picnic at the pond}

{A visit to Grammie&Grampa's and a walk around the farm}

{Proof of planting}

{A leisurely stroll through the woods}

{A special date to celebrate 3 years of marriage}

Saturday

2011-05-28T17:18:00.007-04:00

Sweet baby goats.

The reaction.

Making pizza dough. <3

Approval.

Bliss

2011-05-27T20:12:00.000-04:00

Is the start of a 4 day weekend which promises many moments like this.

{this moment}

2011-05-27T06:39:00.002-04:00

Diaper Repair

2011-05-26T12:53:00.004-04:00

Simplicity is important in this family. We don't want a bunch of extra unnecessary objects and we try to be as frugal as possible with our money. So we don't really want to go around replacing things all the time, if it can be repaired and reused, we do it!

We've been using cloth on Z since we brought her home from the hospital, and we use a lot of one-size diapers. Z is now 18 months old, so said one-size diapers have had a lot of use and started to wear out, mainly the elastic that goes around her legs. (And we all know we don't want anything coming out of those leg holes!) I didn't even really realize that the elastic was all stretched out until I bought a few brand new diapers and they were sitting next to the old ones, there was a big difference!

I'm a crafty gal, so I set off to google a bit about replacing elastic in cloth diapers. I found this great tutorial and I've been slowly going through and replacing elastic in old diapers this week.

You can see how stretched out the elastic was! This diaper has been in rotation for about 15 months, and it's one of our favorites, so it's used quite a bit. Now it's like new!! Hooray!

Remember when I said I didn't feel like blogging about a dishcloth?

2011-05-25T13:48:00.003-04:00

Well I changed my mind. =]

I was going to do housework during Z's nap, but I forgot I had a date with Mr. Sunshine. He hasn't been around in quite awhile you know.

The project: Waffle Knit Dishcloth

The yarn: Peaches & Cream, of course! I let Ziva pick this out, well, I kind of pointed her in it's general direction but it's the one she grabbed! ;]

Made for: Me! Or whoever is doing the dishes... so pretty much me. My other cloths are about to fall apart... we don't have a dishwasher so they have a pretty heavy workload.

Mods: I'm not sure I'm going to make mine as huge as the pattern calls for.

Dishcloths are such an easy - sometimes boring - project but there are so many variations. They make a great gift for newlyweds paired with some soap in a cute basket or something. I've even received one as a favor at a bridal shower.

Are you blogging your WIP(s) today? Leave a comment linking to your post!

I'm already rebelling.

2011-05-25T10:09:00.007-04:00

But that's okay. =]

So today is Wednesday. I said Wednesday would be WIP Wednesday. But guess what. I don't want to blog about a dishcloth.

So, here's what I made for snack this morning, kale chips! (Ps, I absolutely love this site.)

I baked ours for 7ish minutes, but I think I could've given them another minute or two. Or maybe some of the pieces should have been smaller. Either way they're tasty, just some pieces are less crispy and more chewy. I'd love to be able to buy organic kale at our local farmer's market - which is today, yay! - ~~but I'm not sure if it's in season yet...~~ haven't seen it there. Yay for healthy homemade snacks that we know are free of artifical colors, flavors and other yucky stuff!

**Update: Kale is in season in the fall/winter season...who knew!**

Inspired...

2011-05-24T11:37:00.002-04:00

To start fresh with the blogging.

This includes but is not limited to:

-The name change. Inspired. It just felt like it fit. I am inspired by others in a lot of areas of life, and I hope to inspire others with my life.

-The blog makeover. Fresh. Blue. New.

-A couple days worth of scheduled blogging. Wednesdays: WIP (work in progress) Wednesday. Pictures and updates on whatever I'm currently crafting. Fridays: {this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. Of course inspired by Soulemama.

Spring is My Muse

2011-05-24T09:14:00.004-04:00

There's something about spring that inspires me.

I'm inspired by the blogs I read, to do more blogging myself. I don't even care if anyone reads this. I just love to flip back through the pages and reminisce. I'd like to say that I keep track of everything that's going on in Ziva's scrapbook, but I don't. =/ So here I am again, blogging for myself. I'm not promising to blog everyday, but I'm going to aim for at least once a week. Fridays to be exact. =] I've learned that some of the best blogs aren't overly wordy, and since I'm doing it for myself anyway, sometimes a picture and a sentence will suffice.

I'm inspired by apartment therapy to purge and organize my home. Living simply is important to me, and unnecessary clutter is my nemesis. I'm taking our home by storm and purging and organizing one area at a time. (Why oh WHY do I still own Claire's brand jewelry from when I was 14? Yeah - crazy.)

I'm inspired to do more crafting. We had a bit of a crafting lull in the B house. But lately it's been rainy here (read: for the past week and a half...) and crafting has been revived. Knitted photography props for a cousins business, fun little signs to make doing the dishes more entertaining, new elastic in cloth diapers that makes them work again.

Fresh, new.

Spring.

Stay tuned for more inspiration!

Birthday Baby

2010-11-26T18:54:00.001-05:00

The girl has turned one.

I promise I only teared up a little. A lot less than when she turned one week. I guess we can blame that on hormones. =P

We took Z out for lunch at Cracker Barrel where she enjoyed some mac n cheese. Then to a sweet little bakery for a birthday carrot cupcake. Her party was the following Saturday. She was showered with hugs, kisses and presents and enjoyed another cupcake. =]

She's such a big girl!

- As I type she is standing next to the computer desk and using the mouse. =P
- She's not walking yet, but crawls faster than ever and has learned to climb stairs. (Uh oh...)
- She can get down from furniture by herself. (She's been doing that for awhile though.)
- She's been eating extremely well and enjoyed her first Thanksgiving feast yesterday! (Not her first Thanksgiving, but her first that wasn't entirely consumed through breastmilk. ;])
- She gives kisses. Mostly to me, a little for daddy, and some for her stuffed animals. =]
- She always has her finger up her nose. Classy. ;]
- She hates cats. But I can't blame her.

I am just loving how much fun my sweet girl is at this age. She's so full of curiosity. I love watching her learn and understand.

Happy birthday, baby!

10 & 11 Months...

2010-10-31T21:06:00.002-04:00

...16 days before her first birthday. How horrible am I at blogging anyway? I wouldn't want to do a first birthday post before I post these though! =]

She started legit crawling right around 10 months...now she's an old pro and she can go super fast! She's not walking yet - but does plenty of walking around the furniture and has stood up for 10-15 seconds alone. She's getting so big!

She poops on the potty. Seriously. When we notice her starting to go we whip her diaper off and set her on the toilet. (She has a little seat that sits on top.) Not only does she look incredibly cute - but I don't have to scrape her diapers. =D I'm teaching her the sign for poop and hoping that some day she'll sign when she has to go. =]

She's a rascal. When she's doing something she's not supposed to do and gets caught she giggles and crawls faster towards the taboo item. Oh baby...

I can't get enough of her smiles and laughter.

Also, as bittersweet as her birthday will be - I am truly excited. I am so enjoying every new stage we get to and love watching her grow and blossom into this little lady.

Yes, I'm alive.

2010-10-21T15:32:00.002-04:00

I'm fairly certain I'm the worst blogger on the face of the blogosphere. Seriously. Like, when my posts show up in my followers' blog feed, they're probably like, "Who is...? Ohhhh, that chick... the one who barely ever blogs..." Yeah that's me.

Anyway.

I have exciting news. I have recently opened up my very own Hyena Cart shop - Weezy's Woolies. =] I'll be selling hand knit items there and I'm really excited. So if anyone does indeed read my few and far between blog posts, please share my shop with your friends! =]

Also I am 2 months behind on Ziva's monthly updates. I suck at this.

Living Simply

2010-09-13T11:31:00.002-04:00

I love to make things. (Could you tell?) While recently chilling pool-side with some friends, the kiddos were snacking on goldfish crackers. Which reminded me that I had bookmarked this recipe and I decided it would probably be cheaper and healthier.

My take:
The cheese puffs only have a few ingredients, which makes them really great. I used colby-jack cheese, and they came out really yummy. Two of my siblings and I ate half a pan when they came out of the oven. =] The hubs loved them too. Ziva took one bite and threw hers on the floor - but maybe she'll like them next time. ;] I think I added too much water, and may have rolled them out a little too thick because I was hoping they'd be crispier. Next time I'm going to try making them with some whole wheat flour which should help to dry them out a bit. =]

And because I feel bad about neglecting my blog...

2010-09-08T08:43:00.003-04:00

9 Months (Really late.)

2010-09-08T08:19:00.004-04:00

In the midst of our move to a new place, and saying goodbye to a beloved Aunt, Ziva turned 9 months. So as a result I took some kind of lame photos and neglected to update my blog for a few weeks.

When we received the news about Aunt Nancy, Ben was busy putting together Ziva's crib, and Ziva (who was "helping" him) was a our sweet ray of sunshine on an extremely cloudy day. This resulted in some candid 9 month photos, that turned out to be a blurry mess probably due to me crying behind the camera and not really thinking about the fact that these would, indeed, be her 9 month photos. So here we go!

Etsy Finds.

2010-07-27T14:39:00.006-04:00

Cast Iron Bathtub Couch by ruffhouseart.

Online Love fine art print by boopsiedaisy.
Recycled Record Journal by ikcdesign.
Samantha Velour Baby Booties by frostingcoutureshop.
Classic I coffee table by mstrf.

Just doing a bit of browsing today. I came upon these cool finds and thought I'd share! =]

8 Months!

2010-07-22T08:41:00.005-04:00

7.16.10

She's 8 months old, folks! (And yes we are weirdo parents for putting a stick-on mustache on our baby... but it was sooo cute!)

Z is getting so big and independent! But she's still my baby. =]

8 Month stuff:
-She has SIX teeth! And boy are those buggers sharp.
-She wiggles her way/rolls all over the place, but isn't crawling yet!
-She loves to stand up "by herself" (holding onto the couch, her crib, etc.) when we put her there. She sometimes will start giggling about it. =]
-She prefers to blow raspberries at people when they talk to her now.
-She can now down a 4 oz cup of YoBaby yogurt in one sitting. Impressive! =]

This is just a test...

2010-07-21T09:41:00.004-04:00

...that includes a cute video of my kid. The hubs got a video camera for his bday, so we've been making all kinds of random videos. We need to learn to edit them. But here's one that shows what you might be doing if you spent a weekend in our family. =] Outside + sunshine + live music + cute kid + iced coffee = my kind of Saturday. =]

Boy do I have white legs...

Anyway. The video seems a lot grainier than it should be. Tips? This is what we have:
We haven't used it underwater yet, but I'm excited to do that! =]

::Goes off to figure out this grainy-ness.::

Camera Strap

2010-07-21T09:33:00.002-04:00

I was in the mood for some sewing last night. So I did a quick, easy project with some scrap fabric. A cute camera strap cover. First I googled and looked at some tutorials, but honestly people, it's a tube of fabric. Don't make it harder than it needs to be. =P I didn't use interfacing either, it's just one layer of fabric hemmed on the ends and then folded in the half the long way and straight-stitched. Then turned inside out of course. =]

Sorry for the bad quality pics, but as you can tell, my good camera is in the pictures. ;]

Strawberry-Rhubarb Ice Cream

2010-07-14T19:48:00.004-04:00

Mmmm. Sooo I came upon this recipe in my Taste of Home magazine and decided to try it. I however do, not own an ice cream machine, so here is a little tutorial for making it with your Kitchenaid Mixer. (Or you could use a hand mixer.)

The recipe:

10 Servings
Prep: 45 min. + cooling Process: 20 min. + freezing

Ingredients

2 cups diced fresh or frozen rhubarb, thawed
1-1/4 cups sugar, divided
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons strawberry gelatin powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

In a small saucepan, bring the rhubarb, 1/2 cup sugar and water to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until rhubarb is tender. Remove from the heat; sprinkle gelatin and cinnamon over rhubarb mixture. Let stand for 1 minute. Stir until dissolved. Cool to room temperature. Stir in marshmallows.
In a large saucepan, heat the milk, salt and remaining sugar to 175°. Remove from the heat; stir in cream and vanilla. Refrigerate until chilled. Pour into cylinder of ice cream freezer; process for 10 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken. Add rhubarb mixture; freeze according to manufacturer's directions.
When ice cream is frozen, transfer to a freezer container; freeze for 2-4 hours before serving. Yield: 5 cups.

Editor's Note: If using frozen rhubarb, measure rhubarb while still frozen, then thaw completely. Drain in a colander, but do not press liquid out.

Nutrition Facts: 1/2 cup equals 300 calories, 18 g fat (11 g saturated fat), 68 mg cholesterol, 95 mg sodium, 33 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 2 g protein.

Here's what I did:

-Prepared my ingredients. (Minus the mini-marshmallows...not my thing.)

-Here's the rhubarb, sugar, water, cinnamon and gelatin on the left, and the milk, salt, sugar, vanilla and cream on the right.
-The two combined.
- Poured into the kitchenaid bowl and placed in the freezer for about 30 minutes.
- Whipping the mixture.
-Return mixture to freezer until it starts to freeze around the edges, whip, repeat several times. (Until you achieve your desired ice creamy thickness.)
- Enjoy!

BLW Progress

2010-06-25T07:20:00.004-04:00

Banana & avocado, 6 Months

Broccoli, 6 Months

Sand, 7 Months... wait, sand isn't food? My bad. Ziva seemed to think it was.

Avocado, 7 months (and she was LOVING it!)

Mandarin Oranges, 7 Months (her new fave!!)

We started doing baby-led weaning (BLW) one day shy of Z's 6 month bday. We sat her in her bumbo and watched in awe as she mouthed a couple pieces of banana and avocado. Seriously. We took like 5 videos, and if we ever get around to editing maybe I'll post one. lol.
She has days where she has absolutely no interest in eating solids at all, and days like yesterday where she couldn't get enough. (She started to eat smooshed avocado off her bib...)
Here is a list of foods that Ziva has tried (and there's probably more that I can't think of):
-Banana
-Avocado
-Whole Wheat toast/bread
-Cantaloupe
-Peach
-Pear
-Carrot
-Green bean
-Lemon (I know, I know, but you should've seen her face!! =P)
-Sweet potato
-Artichoke heart
-Whole wheat waffle
-Blueberries
-Peas
-Mandarin Oranges (Her absolute FAVE!)
-Strawberries
- Yogurt

We really enjoy doing BLW. I have yet to purchase this book, but I have good intentions. =]

7 Months!

2010-06-25T07:09:00.004-04:00

My sweet girl has turned 7 months old!

6.16.10

7 Month Stuff:

- She sits up all by herself now! (With the occasional topple of course.) She loves sitting on the floor to play with (read: chew on) her wooden puzzle, and whatever she can get her hands on.
- She's really getting the hang of eating solid foods. (Stay tuned for my next post! With pics!)
- I try to get her to say 'mama' every day. To no avail. The kid just stares at me and sometimes gives me a sly grin.
- In addition to her two bottom teeth, she cut her first top tooth last Saturday (6/19) and is working on 3 more top teeth! Holy moly!
- She still loves squealing and yelling with joy. =]
- She's been sleeping through the night again! (Except when she's having a hard time with those teeth!) And I love it. So much.

A Green Thumb

2010-06-04T14:32:00.003-04:00

...is something that I've never really had...

However - as of right now I think I am keeping alive more plants at once than I ever have in my whole life. That's blog-worthy... right?

First up we have 2 bowls of something. I honestly don't know what they are. The seeds were part of a wedding favor so I threw them in here! =] If you click on the picture you can see something starting to sprout in the first bowl.

This is my hanging cucumber plant. So far I've picked 5 cukes and they are soooo good!

Next up is a tomato seedling my parents gave me. They had a few too many I guess so I happily adopted this little guy. =]

This is my basil plant that lives on my kitchen counter next to my coffee maker and the window. I use fresh basil in and on everything and anything. From spaghetti sauce, to sandwiches.
Last weekend I bought 2 gerber daisy plants. These are my absolute favorite flower. I decided to pot them and keep them inside so I can look at them all the time. Aren't they pretty?

And I know this isn't alive, but it has a sweet story. =] I had been telling Ben how much I loved seeing all the lupines growing on the sides of the roads here. One evening on our way home he pulled the car over suddenly - I'm thinking, "Oh my gosh, what's wrong!?" He just jumps out of the car and I watch him go to the side of the road and pick me lupines. What a sweetie. And they still look surprisingly good after nearly a week!
I didn't take a picture of it, but maybe I will after I plant it... I bought my own lupine (bush? plant? flower?) at a farmer's market yesterday! Now I can check them out while I'm home.

Oh and btw, I let Z touch my flowers every day, and she never tries to grab them, she just sort of pets them gently. What a sweetie. =]

6 Months!

2010-05-18T13:39:00.004-04:00

5.16.10
How in the world is my baby 1/2 a year old?

As much as I loved having a tiny baby, I'm having just as much fun with my goober now!

Things she's doing:

-Grabbing. Everything! Grocery shopping is hilarious. One of us will wear her in the ergo and as we're walking through the aisles she just hangs her arm out the side and stares at the shelves. So funny. If we pick anything up you can bet she'll have her hands all over it. =D Of course this does make things like text messaging a challenge.

-Her love of books has not waned in the least. This past Sunday during church she tried to take a bite out of her Auntie's Bible, then proceeded to scream when it was taken away. Note to self: Bring Z's book to church.

-I feel like every time I look at her, her hair is thicker. Seriously!

-She is constantly squealing with delight. Or just to make noise. Sometimes it honestly sounds like she is singing along with the radio in the car. She is cracking us up all hours of the day.

-Rolling. She first rolled over when she was 2 months old. Now she rolls to get places. She can get just about anything she wants in the living room. And this wasn't really a gradual progression. Oh no, one day she just started rolling and didn't stop. I found it quite surprising when I stepped into the other room to go pee, and came back out to find that my girl who was previously enjoying naked time on her back was now laying 3 feet away in the opposite direction on her belly. (Plus a puddle of pee...)

-We've started giving her solids following the Baby Led Weaning approach. So far she's had banana and avocado. Such fun!

-Taking regular naps. YES! We've gotten there. She now takes pretty predictable naps at 10am and 2pm. Which is pretty awesome.

Skin Deep

2010-05-17T09:30:00.004-04:00

I have recently been introduced to Skin Deep database. This is a wonderful website where you can type in the different cosmetics you use everyday and they have analyzed the ingredients and given the product a rating from 0-10. 0 being good, 10 being bad. (Lots of hazardous chemicals.)

I like that they do the work for you. I could read all the ingredients on the back of all my cosmetic bottles, and google what they are and if they're okay but that would take forever. So I find this website to be super awesome. I just check out the score, then scroll down the page to read which of the ingredients (if any) are harmful and why.

So here is what I'm looking at today:I started using this tinted moisturizer about a month or so ago. I love it because I hate wearing foundation. With this I step out of the shower, dry off and rub a bit into my face. When I say 'a bit' I mean like a dime-sized amount or less. You seriously have to use hardly any. In one step I have moisturized, evened out my skin tone and applied sunscreen.

Skin Deep score: 3

After reading what they had to say about my product, I searched for 'tinted moisturizer' to check out other brands. Some had a lower score which is cool, now that I know this I might try those next time. But I'm not too concerned with a score of 3 when Neutrogena and Olay make some that score 7 & 9.

Anthropologie DIY

2010-05-12T09:47:00.007-04:00

So, I don't know why I torture myself in this manner, but I LOVE looking at clothes that I simply can't afford. Well I guess technically I could buy them, but we wouldn't get to eat that week. =P I rarely ever buy anything at full price, and I love digging through clearance racks and shopping at TJ Maxx. It's just what I do. So I was asking myself last night why in the world I ordered an Anthropologie catalog.

I came upon this shirt.
Cute isn't it? $48 worth of cute? I'm not sure.

My wheels started turning. My creative juices started flowing. My skills at stealing my hubs' tshirts started tingling... you get the point.

This is the story of how this
became my 'molded and melded' look-a-like tee. =D

[This is probably an absolutely horrible tutorial, but I was just winging it on this tee before I went out and actually bought one to chop up.]

Step 1: Turn tee inside out. Put tee on and pin sides so that it basically fits your body shape. Remove tee without stabbing yourself.

Step 2: Sew along one side of the pins. (Really winging it here, people!)
Step 3: Remove pins, turn tee right side out and try it on. As you can see it fits pretty well. If you don't like the way it fits, grab your seam ripper and start over. (Please excuse my messy hair and pj pants! =D)
Step 4: Once you like the way it fits, reinforce the seam by sewing over it again. Then cut the extra fabric from the inside off. (Save the parts you cut off.) I don't own a serger, so I just did a zig zag stitch next to the seam on the inside.

Step 5: This is where we make the neckline you desire. While wearing the tee I just made a small dot with a sharpie at the lowest part of the center of my desired neckline. Remove your shirt and fold it as the picture shows below. What you want is to make one cut, that will result in a symmetrical neckline. The red line shows approximately how I cut mine.
Step 6: Try tee on to see how you like it and figure out what you want to do with the sleeves. I pretty much just hacked mine off to achieve somewhat of a capped sleeve. (Save the parts you cut off.)
Step 7: This is where you use the extra fabric scraps from the inside seam and sleeves. Cut the fabric into strips or use it as is - it's up to you! I suggest using a ton of pins to keep the ruffles in place, then just sewing through them a couple times. I sewed through each piece of fabric (I used 3) twice. Use a picture for inspiration or just decorate however you feel! I looked at the picture a bit, but knew I wouldn't be able to make an exact replica, so I just went with however the fabric looked best!
Step 8: Model and bask in your stylishness, craftiness and frugality! You undoubtedly just saved at least $43!!

I think mine came out pretty good for the first time winging it! I could do without the pocket, and would maybe like a little more rouching, but all in all I think it came out pretty okay! =]

Since today is Cinco de Mayo,

2010-05-05T12:43:00.002-04:00

And I got this ridiculous platter in a yankee swap last Christmas, I decided to put it to good use! Cookies!

Today I'm thankful for...

2010-05-05T12:01:00.002-04:00

Today I'm thankful for...

2010-05-01T21:20:00.002-04:00

Double whammy! =]

Today I'm Thankful For...

2010-04-27T10:54:00.002-04:00

Kool Aid Dyeing

2010-04-26T09:36:00.004-04:00

Just wanted to share some pictures of the fun! We basically used this tutorial, and partially wung(is that a word?) it. Try it! It's super fun!