I have gone and lost my mind! AGAIN! Those darned ingrained beliefs and such! Here I was living a nice life with two kids and a great husband. Was there anything wrong with this life? NO. But in my mind for the last two years something has been missing and I have have dilly-dallied, wish-washed over the issue as there are always pros and cons to such things. I had a discussion with Hubby and finally got him to agree to this new adventure. Then I made the plunge!
Yep! We got a dog. I am sane enough to know that a puppy would be true insanity, and found a lovable, stinky dog! Her name is Venus Bow-ie Snuggle Bugs. She is a hound mix. We found her living in a no-kill shelter. She had been waiting for a home for two years!
She is so sweet and loving and just thinks the girls are her pack mates. As she has been living in a kennel environment for so long and probably ran free for a while before that, she has a lot of manners to learn. She is smart but hard-headed. In hopes that she will be the perfect dog for us eventually. My free time is now all focused on helping her find some manners and give her some loving consistency in her life!
So the first night we sent her up into her kennel and went to bed. and her this howling sound. As a mommy who needs her sleep, I knew listening to the howl all night would not work, just to get her in the habit of being by herself. So I let her out of her kennel and she zoomed upstairs right in to Hannah's bed. She is about 40 Lbs....no small dog. So I revised my plan again and put the kennel in the girls room and the dog and the girls are thrilled to be with eachother! Next challenge: good sit-stay.....harder than I thought! LOL
Jodi
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Life's Journey
I read so many blogs and it always appears that each person is traveling down their road with sure-footed steps. Many have spent lots of time to make their blogs pretty and divided into the different sections that affect their lives. I am happy if the chaos in my life settles enough for me to whip up some kind of comment.
This week my focus has been on re-inventing what I sew and sell. I don't know if it will be a good or bad adventure. It will be an adventure for sure. From a personal need for organization and a joy of reading, I have created notebooks that have everything I need when I sit to read. It has pens, and post its and a book mark. They joy will be going to it everynight and hopefully finding it in tact. Emma has already told me how "kool" it is and she wants one! She has even pointed out that she wants it done in jewel fabric. My Husband has confiscated one and given it to a friend and wants one for himself. So perhaps others will find they would like this in their lives as well! If not, all my friends and family will be receiving great birthday gifts this year.hahahaha
I am also going to take leap with some fabric bookmarks. I really like sewing fabric and peltex together to make things. I love the rough fiber edge of a satin stitch. Perhaps these too will find appreciative homes. If not, then I may build a house with all of them!
Hopefully, I will get a few finished in the next couple of days. Unfortunately or Fortunately, the weather isn't cooperating for sewing. It has been too nice to be inside and I have spent most of my days outside! That is a whole different joy!
This week has brought a sadness to the neighborhood. We had to say a very sad goodbye to a young Navy Seal who was killed in Iraq on Monday on a special mission. His wife and infant son live a couple of houses down the street. Her loss has swept the community and we all mourn with her!
This week my focus has been on re-inventing what I sew and sell. I don't know if it will be a good or bad adventure. It will be an adventure for sure. From a personal need for organization and a joy of reading, I have created notebooks that have everything I need when I sit to read. It has pens, and post its and a book mark. They joy will be going to it everynight and hopefully finding it in tact. Emma has already told me how "kool" it is and she wants one! She has even pointed out that she wants it done in jewel fabric. My Husband has confiscated one and given it to a friend and wants one for himself. So perhaps others will find they would like this in their lives as well! If not, all my friends and family will be receiving great birthday gifts this year.hahahaha
I am also going to take leap with some fabric bookmarks. I really like sewing fabric and peltex together to make things. I love the rough fiber edge of a satin stitch. Perhaps these too will find appreciative homes. If not, then I may build a house with all of them!
Hopefully, I will get a few finished in the next couple of days. Unfortunately or Fortunately, the weather isn't cooperating for sewing. It has been too nice to be inside and I have spent most of my days outside! That is a whole different joy!
This week has brought a sadness to the neighborhood. We had to say a very sad goodbye to a young Navy Seal who was killed in Iraq on Monday on a special mission. His wife and infant son live a couple of houses down the street. Her loss has swept the community and we all mourn with her!
Sunday, February 3, 2008
OLIVIA! We love YOU!!!!!!!
Once upon a time, Ian Falconer wrote a book. It was titled "OLIVIA". It became a hit among all girls big and small. With such a fun story, fabric makers couldn't resist and made a few designs. As a huge Olivia fan, I couldn't resist! I bought the fabric, but it sat in my stash. Bound and determined to bring it to live, I first made an apron for my dear sister....Oh sis! Where is your apron? Then I pondered and thought and thought and pondered and finally found another use for some more! I have a little left that I will let take a rest for a while, I have some ideas for it...I just will let those ideas simmer!
Emma age 4 found her self wearing a cute peasent top and ruffle skirt. The skirt, I made using my own pattern.
Emma age 4 found her self wearing a cute peasent top and ruffle skirt. The skirt, I made using my own pattern.
Hannah received a twirl skirt with lots of ruffle power, a shirt, denim jacket and matching capris.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Just for Fun!
My oldest is experiencing her first big illness. At 5 1/2, we took her to the doctor yesterday and found she had strep throat, poor baby! She hasn't been "sick" since she was two, so we are counting our blessings.
To help cheer her up, I decided it was a good day to make life size dolls. I traced the girls out on muslin, then cut and sewed and stuffed. I added some yarn for hair and then let the girls add their own creative design! I love the faces. My oldest is a little conservative and dressed her doll in her own clothes. MY youngest went to her "stash" and created her own clothes for her doll! She even added a bracelet and necklace for true diva style! One could use old sheets or sheets found at thrift store for this type of indoor fun!
Friday, January 4, 2008
mid-life crisis?
Well, I seem to be hitting a mid-life crisis.Although, but genetice, I should have at least another 3 -5 years before I hit mid-life. I have no idea what direction my blogs are going! They seem to be floating in the wind. I think perhaps it is because I have so many interests and responsibilities as a stay at home mom, I just can't focus on one thing right now. SO instead, I will declutter.
I tore apart my craft closet yesterday and started pulling fabrics to either give away or sell. I realized, I have at least one large bins of scraps, I need to go through and down size. I think there are just so many scraps a girl can keep for "FUTURE" projects.
Once that room is finished, I will be moving to my closet. It is filled with unknown clutter. Since becoming a stay at home mom, my "professional" wardrobe" has been replaced with jeans and t's and most of it has been purged over the last 3 years during reality checks! Now, it keeps things we just don't know what to do with but still have use. I will find a place for it all!
Much of this limbo angst is also coming from the need for me to return to the work-force in August! My husband is retiring from the Navy and the unknown financial future weighs on his mind. My returning to work will ease that some. Although, it brings me sadness as I love being a stay at home mom! Okay, I love not working as well! I don't miss teaching, lessons, administrators, parents and all of that.
I hate to think I have collected all of this fabric and won't have time to do much with it once I am back at work. LOL! I am only going to teach part time, but between that and the girls, I think my poor sewing machine will start to collect dust as teaching is not an "at work" only job. For a 40 hour week, I usually worked another 20-30 hours at home. Of course, that was teaching high school students English and grading papers. I am going to move down to kindergarten so the reading essays won't be a huge issue. Nonetheless, the transition weighs heavily.
So I am cleaning and purging and starting a huge project to do list to sew myself out of a huge fabric collection. Today, one of my favorite quilt shops is having 40% all of the 100% quilt quality fabric and I really want to shop. Unfortunately, one look in the stores of fabric I have, I don't think I would buy much at all! Ohhhh that is just so sad! I could bury myself in quilt fabric! Do you shop anyway or do you just hope that you will dig yourself out of a huge sewing hole and maybe by next year, you will be able to buy new fabric???? Such a dilemma! --
I tore apart my craft closet yesterday and started pulling fabrics to either give away or sell. I realized, I have at least one large bins of scraps, I need to go through and down size. I think there are just so many scraps a girl can keep for "FUTURE" projects.
Once that room is finished, I will be moving to my closet. It is filled with unknown clutter. Since becoming a stay at home mom, my "professional" wardrobe" has been replaced with jeans and t's and most of it has been purged over the last 3 years during reality checks! Now, it keeps things we just don't know what to do with but still have use. I will find a place for it all!
Much of this limbo angst is also coming from the need for me to return to the work-force in August! My husband is retiring from the Navy and the unknown financial future weighs on his mind. My returning to work will ease that some. Although, it brings me sadness as I love being a stay at home mom! Okay, I love not working as well! I don't miss teaching, lessons, administrators, parents and all of that.
I hate to think I have collected all of this fabric and won't have time to do much with it once I am back at work. LOL! I am only going to teach part time, but between that and the girls, I think my poor sewing machine will start to collect dust as teaching is not an "at work" only job. For a 40 hour week, I usually worked another 20-30 hours at home. Of course, that was teaching high school students English and grading papers. I am going to move down to kindergarten so the reading essays won't be a huge issue. Nonetheless, the transition weighs heavily.
So I am cleaning and purging and starting a huge project to do list to sew myself out of a huge fabric collection. Today, one of my favorite quilt shops is having 40% all of the 100% quilt quality fabric and I really want to shop. Unfortunately, one look in the stores of fabric I have, I don't think I would buy much at all! Ohhhh that is just so sad! I could bury myself in quilt fabric! Do you shop anyway or do you just hope that you will dig yourself out of a huge sewing hole and maybe by next year, you will be able to buy new fabric???? Such a dilemma! --
Sunday, December 30, 2007
random blathering
After taking 2 blissful days away from life, I am back to reality! Hubby and I used our CC miles to stay in a hotel for two days. I read a book and swam in the hotel pool! LOL! I kept saying to him..."You don't under stand how nice doing nothing is!"
It was nice to return home to the girls as well! Good to know one has been missed!
Of course, I couldn't keep away from the sewing machine and started working on a fabric bowl, needle keeper, notepad and pin cushion for my aunt's Christmas present....late but that's okay. I realized, I can cut a double sided bowl (conservative, yes!) and the rest from a quarter yard piece of fabric.
I then think. "Wow! Great tutorial! What you can get from a 1/4 of a yard."
Somehow I never get to the tutorials. I think it is because I would have to stop and write them and that is time consuming and takes away from the million sewing projects I would like to do! Perhaps I can start a list of sewing and crafts one can do with 1/4 yard or less! Hmmm! Something to ponder as I move to the next project: a robe for my oldest daughter! LOL! I think she only wants one because sister got one from Santa. It will be fun to learn to sew a robe anyway! Hopefully she will use it! Unfortunately, it doesn't fit the 1/4 yard list.
It was nice to return home to the girls as well! Good to know one has been missed!
Of course, I couldn't keep away from the sewing machine and started working on a fabric bowl, needle keeper, notepad and pin cushion for my aunt's Christmas present....late but that's okay. I realized, I can cut a double sided bowl (conservative, yes!) and the rest from a quarter yard piece of fabric.
I then think. "Wow! Great tutorial! What you can get from a 1/4 of a yard."
Somehow I never get to the tutorials. I think it is because I would have to stop and write them and that is time consuming and takes away from the million sewing projects I would like to do! Perhaps I can start a list of sewing and crafts one can do with 1/4 yard or less! Hmmm! Something to ponder as I move to the next project: a robe for my oldest daughter! LOL! I think she only wants one because sister got one from Santa. It will be fun to learn to sew a robe anyway! Hopefully she will use it! Unfortunately, it doesn't fit the 1/4 yard list.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Fancy Dress
I have always been a little daunted by "fancy bodices". But my little sweetheart asked so nicely for a fancy dress and I have my new sewing machine, so I figured the worse that could happen is I could swear a lot while doing it.
It was much easier to make than I thought and it took a lot more concentration than I am used to. The skirt I made from my own design. It is 5" squares linked together in 3 rows then gathered and sewn together.. I added a coordinating petty skirt for lift and twirl. Then I went out and bought a pattern for the top. Did I mention I am pattern stupid. My mantra is "hate patterns, hate patterns." The problem is I like to look the pictures and they never tell me what I need to know. SO I have learned that I have to read out loud over and over and hold the fabric and ready out loud over and over, then I finally get it! Well maybe as soon as 3 or 4 times of repeating myself.
I learned that if I make my button hole go slow and steady it makes pretty button holes and I get to watch.
I learned that having a lot of patience with myself makes a task more enjoyable.
And as always, it is not a sewing project unless one swear word comes out of my mouth, immediately followed by the ripper and me telling myself...it wouldn't be good if I didn't have to rip at least once!
It was much easier to make than I thought and it took a lot more concentration than I am used to. The skirt I made from my own design. It is 5" squares linked together in 3 rows then gathered and sewn together.. I added a coordinating petty skirt for lift and twirl. Then I went out and bought a pattern for the top. Did I mention I am pattern stupid. My mantra is "hate patterns, hate patterns." The problem is I like to look the pictures and they never tell me what I need to know. SO I have learned that I have to read out loud over and over and hold the fabric and ready out loud over and over, then I finally get it! Well maybe as soon as 3 or 4 times of repeating myself.
I learned that if I make my button hole go slow and steady it makes pretty button holes and I get to watch.
I learned that having a lot of patience with myself makes a task more enjoyable.
And as always, it is not a sewing project unless one swear word comes out of my mouth, immediately followed by the ripper and me telling myself...it wouldn't be good if I didn't have to rip at least once!
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