The Blemished Quilt

I LOVE quilts!!  I have made many blankets, but wanted to try to actually quilt a design into the fabric.  It was quite nerve-racking.  I read up on MANY blogs and ‘how to’ websites, but nothing prepared me for how HARD it was going to be!!  It was so hard!  I tried a ’section’ technique, thinking it would maneuver easier through my machine.  It ended up leaving bunches and puckered areas, which made it hard to join the seams and pieces together.   There are SO many mistakes and bad parts to this quilt.  I think of it as full of thread…cause if anything there is more thread than a normal quilt, so it shouldn’t fall apart!!  There were many moments that I just wanted to throw it away.  You know that feeling!?!  I pushed past it though and ended up with something that I really love.  I know it’s so messed up, but the pretty fabrics almost cover it all up.

I learned so much and next time I will probably get a darny foot for my sewing machine and do a much simpler stitch like maybe  straight lines!!   

Thank you so much for checking in and seeing my blemished quilt!!

The Quirky Pillow

Have you ever felt like you had a little of this and a little of that…and everything came together and made something beautiful?  I think about that any time Matt walks into the kitchen and makes us something to eat.  I don’t know how he does it, but when he starts tossing spices and olive oil around  his culinary creations always turn into something amazing.  I can not relate to this thought through cooking, but I can by how I used about 20 different materials with this pillow!! 

There is fabric, textured fabric, flannel, ribbon, some ball strand, buttons, embroidery floss, etc.

I kept thinking I was done with this pillow, and then I would think of something that I wanted to add!  I think life can be that way too!   

Love you all-thank you for checking in to see what this Monday’s craft of the week was!

Details:  ($22.00) this one of a kind pillow is being sold on my etsy shop!

Coming soon:  my first featured artist!!!  (Of course, it would be my oh so talented husband!!) His craft will amaze you!!!

potty training…

Before you read the following scenarios, remember they both happened today!

1.  I walked past Caleb and I got a very brutal whiff of something.  I stopped to smell at Caleb’s butt and it was definitely the location of a very potent smell.  In the past, we would have walked back to his room and changed his diaper.  We haven’t done that in over a week now.  In this new moment I start scrambling on getting him to the bath tub and deciding the easiest way to get his clothes and underwear off without him stepping in his poop or getting it everywhere.  We have yet to perfect that technique.  In this moment I feel defeated and completely worn out on potty training.  I may feel a little too OCD and too big of a germ person as well. 

2.  Today I went into the toy room (where Caleb likes to take his nap) to get him up.  Even though he is in a room full of toys, he still lays happily on his Elmo bed and calls for me to come get him.  The first thing he says to me when I walked into the room was “mommy, I need to go potty.”  Excitedly, I took his diaper off (not brave enough to not have those on for nap time just yet.)   It was dry after a 3 hour nap!  He goes pee right in the potty-points his penis down and everything!  (We are into the real term around here.)  In this moment I am so so proud and think its clicking for the little guy! 

Overall, we are having some interesting days and needing Jesus more than ever!  Just as Jesus will give me the strength to be patient in the hard, dirty moments…I need the joy and love to be thrilled and appreciative of the happy moments. 

p.s.  Why can’t poop be as easy as pee in the potty training process?????

colors of life…

I made a christmas tree skirt!!!  I have been wanting to make this for months!!  It could be a little late (for christmas 2009) or WAY early!  I like to think I am ahead of the game!    My wonderful mother in law brought me over a tree skirt she made, to see how she did it, AND she taught me how to edge with that cord like thing!?!  I already forgot what it’s called!?!  I love the touch the edging adds to make the skirt look professional and finished! 

I love color!  This skirt has tons of fun patterns/fabrics, colors, and textures-and they all go so good together!  (well, in my opinion they do ) It reminds me some of my family.  The four of us are so different, yet we have something that is really special and that is love. 

I got to get away this weekend with my best friends.  It was crazy fun, but I missed my boys!  I thought of how Matt was probably making breakfast in his hoodie (with his hood up) while trying to wake up.  I thought of Caleb running around in his underwear doing his “moves” and throwing “guys” up in the air.  I thought of J turning his little hands in excitement of stretching and reaching his favorite toys-which led to getting a bouncy ball in either fist!  Ha ha of course I thought of many other cute memories and pictures of them, but these are three I wanted to share! 

Not all of you may know, but I am going to be doing a craft show with my sister, Olivia in the fall.  You might remember me saying that my brainstorm date with Matt gave me goals for this year.  One of my goals was to enter in a craft show-and I found the one I want to do!  I get to do it with my beautiful and crafty sister-it will be a blast!  I think I am going to try to recreate this skirt a couple of times to take and sell at that show!  I am sure many of my creations to come will also be featured this fall!

Ha ha the picture with J kind of looked like a skirt on my cute BOY, but I was trying to be creative without having a christmas tree to model my skirt.  This one kind of back fired, but was still too cute not to post!

I had to do a picture with my wonderful colors of life that I know I am so so blessed to share life with!

if a picture could tell of your day…

If a picture could tell of your day…these two would be a BIG part of mine.

Caleb:  We are day 1 in the potty training camp!  He has been SO scared to sit on the toilet.  We have attempted a few times to begin this process…and his fear has stopped us every time.  Today we met his BFF, Cole,  at his favorite store, Hobby Lobby.  Cole is being potty trained, so we talked about it the whole ride home.  We might have stopped and  found some “guys” at the thrift store to help the motivation.  Whatever the reason (BFF peer pressure, the “guys”, the lure of snacks, or he is just older) may be, when we got home he sat on the potty!!!   Notice in the picture he has his cup.  It is full of his latest favorite drink “sparkling water”.  He is currently enjoying a popsicle.  Still no luck in the potty-but he is trying!!!   (It was getting a little boring in the bathroom, so we just turned on Mickey Mouse for his enjoyment.)

Jeremiah:  We are working on getting him mobile!  We do lots of standing and attempts at tummy time with objects in front of him.  There are lots of efforts on  being intentional with him so we can get him moving!!  Last week, we got this walker for him…and he is starting to get the thing moving this week!  Progress! 

Stay tuned for the latest updates!

What’s your name?????

Hello!!!  I need to first give a shout out to my newest blogger fan…Hi Jason!!! 

My craft this week had to do with wood again!  This time I bought a 2×1 piece of wood at Home Depot.  *Do you think people have ever bought one piece of wood to make wood stacking blocks for kids there????  Ha ha I am sure they have, but as I was picking my piece of wood out…surrounded by men who were stacking piles of wood on to their carts…I felt a little silly with my two boys and one piece of wood.   

My wonderful husband cut the wood to my measurements for me…and helped sand them!  Together we came up with the ‘rustic’ look that they are painted.  I LOVE them and can’t wait to make more!!!  So my question to you is…what is your name????  Would you like to see it in block form???

Who is Luke you might ask??  He is the baby growing in one awesome girl’s belly!!!  Matt’s cousin, Anna, is incredible, and we had a shower for her this past weekend at our house.  I love her and her hubby, and I am so excited for another baby to be in the family!!! 

These blocks decorated the counter where we laid the food out!  It was so cute!  Anna is doing a “sports” theme room…so the blocks were custom to her theme and her baby Luke.

Details:  ($3 a block) Each block measures 2×2x1.  Let me know your theme and colors-and create something for you!

Let the Wild Rumpus Start!!

Saturday night Matt and I had a dream date!!  Thanks to several gift cards we were able to go to the movies and to the Cheesecake factory for dinner!  It was so much fun and was flashbacks to life before kids…and life before a non-profit . 

We spent a good part of dinner dreaming of our coming year and maybe a little about our inspirations of becoming entrepreneurs.  After dinner we came home had some ’specail’ drinks and cuddled up on the couch for our second movie of the evening.  Ahhhh…relaxation!!  We may or may not have watched Julie & Julia (our second Amy Adams movie of the evening…the first being Leap Year…gotta love her).  So after watching Julie blog about her life…it made me remember mine!  I certainly do not have a love for being in the kitchen and cooking…although I do love to eat…but I do LOVE to craft!  So I got my self thinking between my dinner conversation with my oh SO encouraging husband and watching Julie…”could I add a feature to my blog with my crafts???”  SO I AM! 

Every Monday, I am going to release an item that I have made during the week.  Most items I will also release on my etsy shop, edstitches, where they will be available for purchase. There is a part of me that comes alive when I create so I’m hoping this will help me develop a rhythm of doing just that. I think this will be fun, encouraging, motivating and maybe bring in a little bizzzzz.

So for my first item of release…

‘Let the Wild Rumpus Start’ was inspired by my boys.  When this movie came out this past fall…I really had no inspiration to see it.  I don’t remember the book ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ from my childhood…and any memory I do have of it…I didn’t care for it.  I didnt’ get it.  After seeing the movie and buying the book for my boys for christmas…and maybe being the mom of two boys…I now LOVE the book!  Boys will be boys…with their loud noises, sound effects, rough play, dirty hands, wrestling, and just plain old fashion FUN spirits.  We tell our boys often “I’ll eat you up I love you so”…and now it warms my heart to hear Caleb say those words to Jeremiah. 

I am excited about this new launching of my blog…I hope it inspires you as it is already making my wheels turn with all I could create.  Don’t you worry through this process…I will try to get better updating in general through the week as I am sure more of my creations will also be inspired by my boys- with cute stories to tell!  Cheers!

Details: ($30.00) This painting was painted on a piece of driftwood I found at a friend’s lake house.  I used acrylic paint, and Matt has nailed two hooks in the back for easy hanging.  You could hang this painting in a playroom, kids room-where ever!  Use your imagination!

Smiles are my Favorite!

The best way to spread christmas cheer is to sing loud for all to hear…or just have a Caleb & Jeremiah…

I have really enjoyed my boys this christmas season!  Their ages are so fun and Caleb is able to grasp concepts…which brings a new dimension of parenting as we  try to teach, model, & impress things on him.  Caleb has LOVED singing christmas carols and Frosty The Snowman is his favorite!  We have painted noodles and strung them on string for the tree, painted and created ornaments for “his tree” in his room (that he proudly shows to anyone who enters our house), help hung icicle lights outside on the roof, baked cookies, created christmas presents, seen santa, drove looking at lights, gone to christmas parties, watched christmas movies, built fires, drank hot chocolate….and just been together!  Yesterday, he put all his toys under the christmas tree and proudly showed me what was going to happen on christmas day!    So excited about another week together before we celebrate our Savior’s birth! 

J has started giving kisses…and it warms my heart!!  What a special boy!  He is enjoying eating   which I still love!  J’s new favorite toys are the small bouncy balls from the $0.25 machine in Old Navy…which we happen to have a few   I think he has taken one to bed for the last 3 days for his nap.  He smiles and babbles and is showing lots of his personality-which is so fun!  He’s my sensitive one…he gets upset if he thinks someone is getting hurt.  Example, if Matt starts tickling or wrestling with Caleb…J gets upset because he thinks Caleb is getting hurt…it’s so precious! 

In the midst of some hard family and financial stuff…this has still been my favorite christmas season…and my boys are the reason for it!  We are so blessed with such awesome guys!!

Tis the season of “Crazy Love”…

I am so excited about christmas this year!  Our boys are such fun ages to really get into traditions, baking cookies, and making ornaments.  My current project to do soon….is to bead colorful noodles on string with Caleb for our christmas tree.  Don’t you remember doing that??? 

I know there is so much hype around christmas with the shopping and buying.  I fall victim to that OFTEN and want to prayerfully go about this season in a different manner.  I want to make memories and traditions instead of stressing about what to buy and how much money everything costs.  An awesome friend (ahem…Maddie) told me about a tradition she does with her family every year.

They make each other a present!  We are doing that with Matt’s family this year…and I am SO excited about it!  What an awesome illustration of love to devote time to something for someone you love.  I have been rereading the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan.  This book rocked my world a year ago…and I am praying it does the same this time around!  I will tell you this…I read a page a few days a go and I still can’t shake it from my head.  Here is a snip-it from it…

Did you know that a caterpillar has 228 separate and distinct muscles in its head?  That’s quite a few, for a bug.  The average elm tree has approximately 6 million leaves on it.  And your own heart generates enough pressure as it pumps blood throughout your body that it could skirt blood up to 30 feet.  Have you ever thought about how diverse and creative God is?  He didn’t have to make hundreds of different kinds of bananas, but he did.  He didn’t have to put 3,000 different species of trees within one square mile in the Amazon jungle, but he did.  God didn’t have to create so many kinds of laughter.  Think about the different sounds of your freinds’ laughs-wheezes, snorts, silent, loud obnoxious.  How about the way plants defy gravity by drawing water upward from the ground into their stems and veins?  Or did you know that spiders produce three kinds of silk?  When they build their webs, they create sixty feet of silk in one hour, simultaneously producing special oil on their feet that prevents them from sticking to their own web…

I could keep typing, but I will stop there so you have to get the book and continue reading!    My point in this long message is that we serve an awesome, creative God.  The creativeness he spent on all creation is mind blowing-yet he calls us, humans, his masterpiece (Eph. 2:10).  What a crazy love he has for us!

It is my prayer that I will be able to love others with that crazy love….friends that I have known forever or am really close to and fallen into crazy ruts of no longer investing and pursuing the relationship, neighbors that I love…and also those neighbors that are hard to talk to and let in, strangers that I meet while out with my family, my boys-that I can be patient and intentional with them throughout the day, my husband whom I adore, and my extended family…even when its breaking and you might not agree with everyone’s actions, words, or ways…

God loves us with a crazy love.  Let’s love others the same way!

Jeremiah’s first hair cut!

About a week ago J got his first hair cut!  I was very hesitant to cut it before we returned from our “big trip”, but it got to a point where we had to cut it!!  I kept waiting for it to curl like matt’s…mine…and Caleb’s…but it looks like he might be the only one of us with straight hair!  There is something about your baby getting a hair cut…where they don’t seem as much like a baby!  I can’t believe he will be one in a week!!  The year has flown by!  Here are some pictures from J’s first time in Daddy’s Barber Shop: