Expense list

I added an expense list to my sidebar because I think it will be fun to track how much money I spend on all the projects I do in 2011.  I need to go through and figure out the amounts for stuff, but it's a start.  Plus it's a fun way to brag about having fun stuff  to do with hopefully not a lot of money.

Still Here

If you were wondering where your fix of my awesome blog was.  Haven't gotten any projects done worth talking about (cooking new meals with pasta, and I hate pasta but have a costco surplus of it so that's why I don't care to share, finishing our taxes after having to redo them thanks to Phil's previous employer who will remain unnamed, getting Kindergarten paperwork, shots, tb and blood tests all done, signing up Amelia for rec center classes, and the usual day to day). Our laptop finally died, so I haven't had access to the computer in the main house. (and us CA people, well mostly me, can't handle temps below 70 and my back house with the main computer is not insulated or heated and when the temps drop at night, it makes it too cold to be in there for fun!!) The replacement laptop is coming by the weekend.  So lots more pics and posts to come next week.  I especially can't wait to post about Amelia's first day of soccer on my other blog.  But it needs pics and/or videos, so I am waiting for the new computer to do that.  I bought a bit of fabric this weekend and am itching to get sewing a dress for Amelia.  Thanks Claire for putting the idea in my head that I just had to do it!!  But I think it will turn out so cute. Now, just decide what kind of a dress.  Tell me your vote.  And I will most likely adjust them to have sleeves so it will be more of an all year round dress, not just summer. And I can't figure out how to upload Jcrew pics and need to get other stuff done, so go to the links to see the other ideas.  I like the teal one the girl is wearing in this ad.(update, this ad was changed and the color I like is no longer in stock, so you can't see it.  bummer.  but I found a pic somewhere else.... but it's tiny) I also am kind of a traditionalist and like just the simple dress with a empire waist and sash.  You know the kind.  I am trying to be different, but there is something nice about classic too. This might be a nice in between of classic and new. And I also like this flowy layered kind in the pic.

Photo Gallery

I want to create a photo gallery. I have accrued a number of black and a few dark brown photo frames that I love over the years.  And with the good camera, we have a few pics that I am starting to love.  I want to make a wall gallery with all of them similar to this.  This is about the size of my wall and I have a bench like that and a few other things that would be cool.  I found this on someone's blog, but apparently it's from potterybarn. Anyway,  I have cut out paper the size of my frames and put them on the wall to see how to arrange it.  I don't know why I have never done this before, maybe because I have never had paper that big, but thanks to moving I have a stash of packing paper that is huge and blank and the perfect thing just for this.  Right now I need to look it over for a day or two to keep moving them around until it is perfect.  Then print the perfect pictures, but I am hopeful that I will make it work.  Promise to share pics when it's done.

On the dark side

I am doing a little bookkeeping on the side and already have very mixed feelings about it, but that's a whole other topic I am not going into. Yesterday my kids both fell asleep so I quickly jumped at the chance to get some work done before one of them woke up and I wouldn't be able to get anything else done.  I entered a whole bunch of data in a spreadsheet for an hour before I had to stop. I was feeling pretty good about it. I just came back in the office to try and do a little more and found my computer rebooted??? Who knows why.  Did I save my work, no, because no one goes in there but me and I leave the computer on all the time and everything up and open and haven't had any problems yet, so didn't think about it.  Which means I lost everything I did yesterday.  Does that qualify as a good reason to have a Dr Pepper??  I think so.  Bleh

On the bright side

This is one of my flower projects.  I wanted cherry blossoms and have that bright pink crepe paper, so I attached some sticks together to make a branch, then added the flowers and some buds.  This is a work in progress because these take forever.  This is the one time I wish I had a cricut to just cut out all the hundreds of flowers so I don't have to do it by hand.  But it's a nice mindless thing to do if I feel like watching a movie.  This branch was 1 movie and about 4 episodes of Pushing Daisies worth.  See how long it takes!!!!  I hope to make more on this branch and then maybe make one or 2 more branches and put them in their own vase (or a wire urn or birdhouse or something cool) somewhere.  Maybe our room can be designed around these.  But really, I envision them being in Amelia's room some day when she has a room of her own. Too girly to make Ben endure.

Need some help

This is the wood paneling in my living room.  Lat night I just came to the peek of my frustration and realized that I cannot decorate around it or with it.  I wanted to spice up our house and try some new bright colors but they just clash.  Everything does. This picture is hideous too because I am in the middle of changing the books to see if that helped (didn't) and I have a bunch of plants I am not sure if I want to use as well as frames, so there is a lot going on.  Which I don't want.  I need some suggestions for this paneling.  The only thing that goes is like country old school, and that's not my type. I don't want to go back to drab red and earth tones that we always do, but I am starting to fear that's what I will have to. I read about starching fabric onto walls, but not sure if it would ruin the wood.  We rent, so can't paint, can't put sheet rock over it, can't do anything that would be permanent or damage it or leave big holes.  Plus the fireplace is fake, but has a gas nozzle inside that pokes out and I need to keep it covered up so kids don't turn it on.  Are you getting a sense of my dilemma now??  Plus, the mirror came with it, and it is mounted on there pretty good.  Maybe it can go in storage.  That might be a good start, but I strangely kind of like it.  Picks up the light from the window and makes the room so bright and I am a big bright light person.(100+ light bulbs is my preference) I am open to the idea of framing it better.  Suggestions???

Headbands

 My latest addition to the list, headbands for Amelia.  She has spotted and begged for one every time we go anywhere, but I always wonder if she will really wear it, so I don't get her one.  She picked one up at Target this week while we were running errands that looked a lot like this one, but it was a different color.  I saw how much she liked it and how easy it would be to get one, then I saw price, $5.99.  No way.  Perfect opportunity to make a craft, use up the oodles of scraps of fabric I am trying to get rid of and have a bonding moment with my daughter.  Instead of buying that one, we went to the hair aisle and got a
pack of 5 fabric covered skinny headbands and came home and made these instead.  I have been resistant to the big fluff on the head but I did it anyway.  She has worn it every day since and I have to admit, it's pretty cute, and she can't stop telling me how much she loves it. And she's pretty cute in it, well not in this picture but I had to put one on of her beaming regardless of my ability to take a good photo.  My next one is my take on a peacock feather.  I was so thrilled when it was done, Amelia looks at it and says, "hey, this looks like a peacock feather".  Success!!!

 I told Phil it was the same feeling when we stepped out of the car on Halloween and the first person to see her costume nailed it.  I love this one so much that I want to make one for me, but am too chicken to wear it because I am afraid I can't pull it off, or that I will look like I am trying to be a tween.  Now I am going to attempt to make a Valentine's one like this red sequin heart one from the Gap (12.50, rip off or what)  I'll add a pic if I get to it anytime soon.

ruffle fabric

Have you guys seen this ruffle fabric that's kind of all over blogs right now?  It is so cute.  It is tempting me to make a dress with it.  And if that fails, a cute pillow?!?!  I love the cotton candy, all of the cascading and the 2 inch ones.  The itty mini ruffles would be so cute as a diaper cover, if I had a baby girl in diapers.
This is my fav I think.

Easter already.......

So I guess my friend Claire is way ahead of the game and asked about Easter dress ideas. I have been thinking about it, but I kind of have given up on sewing clothes from scratch. For me, I kind of figured out that it's not worth it price wise when I can buy off the rack.  But since Claire's Sara is so skinny and tall, I can see the appeal of making a dress that fits right.  I will have to keep searching for ideas, but until then, I suggest these baskets instead!!!You can find the tutorial here
I know that's no help to Claire, so I will come up with something better.  I do kind of fantasize about cute little Easter dresses, so maybe one of you can inspire me!!