Fall Festival

With the fall season in full swing, it seems everyone has a fall festival. On Friday we decided to go to the one at Abby's school...though frankly I didn't want to. It was touted as a hoe-down (is that how you spell that?) and when we got there there were cloggers. I can't say I'm much for country music, line dancing or clogging. And this had all of the above...doesn't sound like I'm in for a lot of fun. Boy was I wrong. It was the best deal in town with free admission, hayrides and facepainting. The only things that cost money were food (50 cents a piece), the cake walk (also 50 cents) and the strip of pictures (50 cents too!).


This worked out particularly well since Laurel won a cake! I have never seen her eyes look so big or so happy as when she realized that she was the one on the number 5 and SHE won the cake! She told that story for 24 hours straight...though it changed to how much mommy wished her to win and so she did it...she stepped on the number 5 and won the cake.

The kids are getting so big, they rode the hayride without me (once we got there I was chopped liver compared to Abby's friends).

Home Sweet Home

After weeks of searching...we found our new temporary home. Until the house is ready to move in...we'll be living outside of it in our new/used camper. The kids are ecstatic of course, they each get their own bunk. And I'm happy because it's spacious enough, and it gives us a chance to simplify our lives a bit. It seems like everyone always talks about wanting to simplify their lives, I know I do. But still no one does it. We try of course. We clean out our garages and closets (at least I hear that's what people do, I rarely get that far). But we have garage sales and we take walks with the family. But by the end of the week, most of us are back on the couch watching TV, ordering pizza and dealing with the day to day upkeep of a much-too-big and much-too-filled-with-stuff home. (That describes us, sans the pizza which isn't in the budget)


That isn't the reason we're doing this...it's a side effect. We're doing this so that we can work on the house every day. We realized at our current pace of working on the new house one day a week we'd be done in about 20 years. Thus the camper plan was born. And the benefits grew and grew. Winter may not be the most awesome time to do this...but either way the point is the camper will be used for sleeping and hanging out when it's too dark to be outside...otherwise we'll be out in the world working and playing. There will be no need for me to clean for hours...the camper just isn't that big. I'll do laundry once a week. The rest of the time I want to be building the house or playing with the kids. I plan to explore all the local parks and libraries. And bike and hike and learn what it's like not to have a house weighing you down.

Of course when it's all done we'll move into the house...but hopefully we'll remember the lessons we learned from living in the camper for so long. (and hopefully we won't kill eachother before that all happens)

Sewing Just for Fun

I am planning on reopening the ETSY shop soon, but it seems I just can't decide on what to make first. So mostly I've been thinking and sketching. But last night I decided to drag my booty into the sewing room and just start sewing. Everything was free-cut and free-sewn. No thought, no planning...all fun. This is what we ended up with...

a tiny impromptu quilt (really tiny ~4" x 8") I was playing around with piecing curves, and free-hand machine embroidery.



Plus these little practice coasters...again messing around with freehand machine drawing...not easy. I need to get an embroidery foot to try out.



I've also been playing around with hand embroidery, which other than cross stitching as a child, I've never done. I like hand embroidery because it's something you can do while sitting down and talking to someone, or watching (sort of watching) TV or a movie. When you sew on a machine, that's really all you can focus on...which is fine. But sometimes wouldn't it be nice to pick up that sewing and move it to the back porch? Or the park? Or wherever? I think so.

Lazy Fall Sunday

I can't believe I posted pictures of myself. It's shocking. But I wanted the world to know that I do actually exist...ok, not true...I just loved the picture of my boy giving his mom his love so freely. In case that doesn't last forever (though it should) I now have evidence. Ha!

Two Weeks of Domestication

This is the end of my first two weeks of domestication. I knew that I would have to jump head first into this new life. I've always had the excuse that life is too busy to (insert thing I should have done). But now, no excuses. This means my house needs to be cleaned, children educated, bread made, shopping done, etc etc. Am I in trouble? Maybe.
Week 1 I was buried in cleaning the house and I didn't get over to the new house to do anything. This was a little disappointing...but I really want to get this house in order before I jump into working on the new house. The cleaning made it's way into week two, but I set aside Wednesday to work with Jon at the new house. (it looks no better of course, but it's a long-haul kind of project) We spent the afternoon ripping out the wood floor to see how much of the subfloor is rotted. (a fair amount) It seems insurmoutable...but I think if we take it a step at a time we'll get there.

I've been cooking a lot, which I enjoy. I've been sewing a little, which I would like to do more.



We've gone on a couple of nature hikes and collected pine cones and acorns and rocks. And we've gone to the playground more in the last two weeks than we did all last year.


I've been sketching like crazy, new project ideas, house ideas, etc. I love sitting down with my sketchpad and a pencil and not having a plan. It's been hard to find the time though, so for the most part when Luke takes his afternoon nap is when Laurel and I make tea and "do projects." Somedays it means me sketching and her coloring. (she really loves making books, and fancies herself an author now) We call eachother Mrs. Nesbitt and talk in British accents and use words like divine and delightful. I'm working my booty off...but I'm enjoying it. Suddenly going to the store or the playground doesn't seem like such a chore. Even cleaning doesn't seem so chore-like...even though it is in fact a chore.
The current house isn't totally clean yet. (I'd say halfway) And the new house...well, we won't talk about that yet until there is some progress to speak of. But, progress is being made. And I'm loving the no-stress time with my kids. I've never had that before...it's amazing.

The shed that love built---wait no, I BUILT IT!

The fourth semester is finally over. In the last month we've been onsite building this shed...not too shabby. When I remember to get the pictures off my other camera I can do some before-and-after.

Kids Quilted Birthday Bag

Last year I made a Vera Bradley-esque purse for my 11 year old sister. I used a combination of Amy Butler fabrics, featuring this one from the Daisy Chain collection.

She liked it and used it most of last year...but this year she replaced it with an actual Vera Bradley bag. (this one)

Ah well. You can't convince everyone that homemade and cheaper are better...especially when all their friends say otherwise. (I should steal the bag back though!) And seriously, when did kids start carrying expensive bags? I don't remember that from when I was kid. Though I do remember white Keds and umbros being cool...(not together of course...that would be LAME)
Anyway, Laurel got an invite to a party, and I asked her what she wanted to give the little girl. She said she wanted to give her a purse with her name on it, and that her favorite color is pink. So, there we go. I haven't been fabric shopping since...um...hmm...it might be last November. Is that possible? I've been using fabric I had, and scraps for everything else. (wow...is it really possible I haven't bought fabric in a year?) Well, it's time. I have so little left, even of the tiny scraps. (So I really had to work at getting enough pink together to make this bag.)
This one took me a while, I'd guess 2 hours all in all. I pieced together the cotton and canvas for the body of the purse (12" x 14"). Then did the straps (2.5" x 23"). After I made the body of the bag, I put a leftover scrap of fleece on the back and quilted it down, tracing the patchwork. Then I sewed up the sides of the purse, put the lining in, sewed on the straps and bound the top like a quilt. I didn't realize till I was done, but I had missed some of the binding on the inside. Too late to undo it all (can you imagine?)...so I got creative. I decided to do some creative stitching, which in the end I think gave the bag an even more unique appearance. (Plus made the top incredibly durable)

So here is a perfect kid-sized tote, personalized and ready for the library...store...whatever. It's a little pink for my taste, but I hope Emily likes it. (I did manage to get a little green into the name...see the "y", it's the absolute last scrap of the Amy Butler fabric left over from my sister's purse)