I have neglected to get some of the ADORABLE drawings that Jocelyn has done up here, so it’s remedy time.

Crazy Monster with Many Eyes

tomorrow – the book Ethan wrote and illustrated.

I am officially throwing in the towel on Photo 366. (Sorry Anna! Sorry Tamara!) I am just not cut out for getting those suckers up every day. Oh well.

We are busy. Making PLANS! For someone’s BIRTHDAY!

Imagine this folded into thirds.

You didn’t think I left the boys out, did you?

I found these (AND OTHERS!) darling paper dolls on the invitation at Teri’s Paper Doll Scans page.

So cute. SO CUTE!!

We’re going to be busy the rest of this weekend, and the week, for that matter.

But we got the important things out of the way. Jocelyn has a new “party dress”!

Which I’m sure you will see soon enough 🙂

-amy

This one was a present for a boy in Jocelyn’s class.

I need to learn to get these things done way ahead of time, as when you rush and finish it the day of the party, no amount of oohing and aahing (which there is usually not much) makes up for the stress.

This is the second time I’ve finished something for a gift way too late (was a joint baby shower last time).

Still though – very cute, don’t you think?

Yeah… too cute 🙂

Given to Leia on Saturday, at her 1st birthday party.

This is Jocelyn’s “Party Dress” that I got her before her birthday last year. She is wearing it for Ethan’s birthday in this picture.

She has shot up so much in the last year that this dress no longer is decent on her. I kept thinking what a shame it was, because, my baby! so cute in this dress! What a waste! Or was it?

So I cut it straight off right under the armpits, folded over the excess, sewed down the buttoned opening and snipped off the buttons, left the front of the waist flat and put a length of elastic in the back to make it into this skirt (oh, and I did this in 45 minutes, how proud am i!):

It’s definitely decent now and should last at least another year. Behold the Party Skirt! I have 2 other dresses I am considering treating the same way. We’ll see.

Pictures of the party where the party skirt made it’s debut coming soon!

Jocelyn had the very very sweetest summer dresses the year she was two. She had some pretty cute ones this past summer as well, but when I went through her old dresses from the summer before and had to put (most of) them away, I coudl have cried. My baby! So big!

Well I keep thinking about those sweet dresses. Woven, not knit, so perfect for sewing with. I’ve had the thought in the back of my mind for a while, each time I make a little something, I think, “I could get X dress and use that to make this..” but never do. They would be sweet, but it’s like that favorite fabric that you love so much you don’t want to cut it up. I need to think of something WORTHY to make with my baby’s sundresses.

I did however, cut one to make Ethan’s bunny dress. Look familiar?

It’s from the dress up there with the soccer ball.

So now, I am trying to think of some other uses that would be worthy of these sweet little fabrics.

Maybe a quilt?

Maybe I should sit on it a while and make something when she’s a little older and can really appreciate it. (And build up the dress stash.)

There are 2 worst things about being back at work.

1. I won’t be able to sit at my table and make little fabric things.
2. I can’t wear jeans everyday anymore.

Seriously, I just want to wear jeans.

So I would have to say that this holiday vacation was a sewing holiday for me. So much fun to be had sitting and piecing and contemplating and making.

I made some random hotpads that are kind of bright and loud and I love them,
I made Jocelyn a Big Footed Bunny* for Christmas,
I made Ethan and Jocelyn Robots* after christmas (they still need faces and robot panels though)
I got my work area situated (shelves on wall, cork boards on wall, ikea drawer cupboard thingee put together) – it still needs some situating, but it’s about 80% there,
I bought fabric, fabric and more fabric (I like to think it’s OK, because I don’t buy MUCH of it, just 1/3 of a yard for whatever I choose)
I started working on little Peanut* elephants from my new sewing book, “Last Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts” which I LOVE (both the elephant and the book)

So the “hey, I’m at work, and not finishing up a Peanut elephant is kind of a bummer.

*all of these are weewonderful.com patterns – even Peanut, which she contributed to the book. I guess you could say I would stalk Hillary Lang if she were in my area!

The kids did amazingly well when I dropped them off to school. I thought Ethan would be a little complainey pants (that boy would never EVER leave home, if it were up to him), but he did great. It’s amazing how the little things make the morning good or bad. Bananas for breakfast – “AWESOME MOMMY!” Letting them get dressed while they watch Go Diego Go! “WAHOO!!”

I am on I guess what you could call a mini resolution – having been home for the last week and a half, I have effectively cold-turkeyed my diet coke in the morning habit. Now that I’m back to work, I am going to do my darnedest to break my usual work routine of egg mcmuffin + large diet coke on the way to work, have breakfast at home, and drink water at work. While I’m at it, I’m going to try to bring my lunch in to work. When my group goes out for lunch (every other friday), that’s ok, but the rest of the time I’m going to try to bring in lunch. I should be able to do that for a month, right?

Right!

The other resolution I got from Anna – she is going to try to take a picture a day this year. I love it. I want to do it, with a little tweak – I’m going to try to POST a picture a day this year. I know that realistically, I won’t take a picture every day, but I can take *some* pictures every week, and them post them each day, so that is what I am going to shoot for! So, count me in Anna!

Yesterday and today’s pictures are cheating, because I didn’t take them. James did the christmas morning photos while I handled the camcorder – but since mine is tweaked, “POST a picture a day,” I think I’m in the clear! I like my tweak already!

And of course the usual third resolution – I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but I have put my Project Skinny page back up, since I started getting (somewhat) serious about it in November. Weekly progress is too much for me to post, but I think a monthly tally is a good way to go. I completely expect to be the same for December (weigh in tomorrow!), but it’s time to get back on it for January.

That’s it for now – I will try to post some pictures of all the fabric + cuteness this week!

So, Thanksgiving, huh? What a weekend! It was wonderful, my brother and his family came over for the day (instead of the several days earlier anticipated) and it was great fun. I got most of the cooking out of the way the night the night before, so it was truly a nice, relaxing day. The food all turned out great, the kids were all behaved (with the the exception of Ethan, who kept wiggling and kicking and showing the food in his mouth to everyone, luckily the 3 little ones were at the “kid table”) and then naps, monopoly, Wii, pumpkin pie and chocolate cake ended the day. It’s so nice having some of my family near by! This was a first for me!

The rest of the weekend was nice too, I had visions of getting the tree and decorating it Friday, but the actuality of it was less appealing than the idea of it. I did take Jocelyn and get a tree on Sunday however (let her pick it it, because my track record isn’t that great) and so it is up, but undecorated.

Lots of craftiness ensued, the kids and I painted butterflies, hearts, and christmas trees — all things you cut out on a fold, paint, and then fold again for symmetrical paint blobbiness (and then when you’re done with the paint, that’s when the glitter is sprinkled) – it was great fun. My kitchen floor is all glittery now 🙂

We also did some gumdrop sticking, and I made some Martha Stewart paper ornaments, and a couple of hot pads. I need to take pictures of everything to show off.

My gumdrop wreath:

Ethan’s gumdrop tree:

Jocelyn’s gumdrop tree:

Grumbling (from Ethan mostly) came along with Monday morning, but the promise of taking detours on the way home to see people’s christmas lights helped to assuage that.

There was also lots of shopping done, and despite my wish to make it low key and do lots of hand made things, there are closets stocked with presents already. On the plus side, I think we may be done! Waiting for a few things to be delivered, and need to go over all the lists, but largely, I think the shopping is pretty much done.

It was a lovely holiday.

both for thanksgiving (omg tomorrow!) and christmas crafting:

1. finish the thanksgiving grocery shopping (i have most of it, just a few bits left)
2. finish recovering my chairs – I just realized that we are going to NEED them to sit on around the table! They won’t actually be *finished* because they’ll need piping, but I can still make them serviceable by tomorrow.
3. do prep cooking for tomorrow.

Now the fun list! Christmas crafting:

1. Gumdrop wreath

image and tutorial by alicia from posy gets cozy
– Have the wreath form, need to get wire and gumdrops

2. elf clogs

picture and tutorial by Jenny B from All Sorts
– have felt, have floss, need pom-poms – maybe make my own? not sure i have proper colored yarn

3. hot pads
no pattern, no author, i figure i can manage these with little trouble. If I like how they turn out, I may make them as presents for family

4. silhouettes of my family
– need to get pictures of everyone in profile

5. cork board/inspiration board for over my table
– need to get cork, need to decide what i actually want to do.. simple cover cork board with fabric? or maybe something fancier?

6. amy butler’s gumdrop pillows

– we need ottoman’s in front of the sofa in the basement and I was thinking these woudl be a fun alternative.
– need everything to do these, including pattern, fabric, stuffing. it’s kind of low priority.

7. my martha stewart christmas crafts from michaels:

And gosh darn it if the one i REALLY want is never in stock:

so cute!

-amy