9/29/14

Rainbow Knits

I am just obsessed with spoonflower.
It is so easy and so much fun.
You can make ANYTHING YOU WANT!  And whatever you think you may want to make but cant actually make, someone has made it and you can buy it.  And then they send you sweet messages saying thanks for buying their homemade fabrics.  It is the best feeling in the world when people buy yours or when you get to buy something that someone has made.  Can't say enough good things about it.  They also have wallpaper and wrapping paper options of your work. SO much fun.  I stay up wayyyy too late until my eyes glaze over making things that I then have to delete the next morning because I see them in the light of day and they are rough.  I am not an artist by any means.  I am merely crafty; the stepsister of artist that no one wants to own up to having.
But, some do pass in the early light of day, and then those I order a little swatch or fat quarter of.  I try and make them into something and see how it looks.  Some are better than others, obviously, and some look better once they are actually sewn into something.  It can be hard to tell online, but its so exciting to get in the mail.  And a fat quarter makes baby leggings or hats or headbands. 
DSC_3016
I have been making baby blankets, lately, and trying all different ways to do them.
I made this one for Dylan and I dont know.  I wanted the scale to be big and for it to strong and simple.  It is a little bit BIG, so I think I am going to make one with his name a little smaller.  That way if I make pants and stuff for him you could actually read his name.
I did this one like a quilt without the quilting.  I sewed the binding on the inside of two fabrics and then flipped it over so there are not any seems.  Then I just left the fabric free. Hopefully it won't get all wound up and separated.
two square collage
For my cousins babies Reef and Hilary, I made Hilary's with her name on it and I just ordered one for Reef with this awesome reef pattern.  I thought it was just so perfect for him.
Their blankets I just cut out and left them.  They dont have any binding or sewing around the edges.  They are knit so they shouldn't fray and I think it looks cute simple.
two square collage4
two square collage1
For my cousin's baby Bexar, he and his sister and brother are named after counties in Texas so I highlighted the counties they are named after.
10665515_403242729826770_124676392_n
For Bexar's I just bound the edge of the single piece of fabric and it is rough up close.  I am so thankful they love me because it is not any kind of perfect.  Luckily he is the sweetest, happiest, best baby in all of the entire world and he let me off easy.  He gave me that big grin of his to let me know he knows I meant well, though it may be hard to tell in the actual construction.
I am also working on tags for when I send them.  I am thinking of calling them Rainbow Knits since I just mostly use knit fabrics.  That way I can also use them for if I actually knit something too.  (I guess it will be confusing if I make something out of cotton or linen.  Cross that bridge when we get there.)
Screen Shot 2014-09-29 at 11.05.35 AM
I think I like the white one? Thats what I am leaning toward.
I have done more for friends and other cousins but I never took a pic.  I'm so mad.  I want to document stuff, but I have gotten so bad at it.
I have made a few things for Shea bean too- mostly tights.
IMG_3969
 I am not super great at sleeves or neck lines...
two square collage3
As is visible in this garment.
Oh well.  I am going to keep practicing.  Someday I will make a sweatshirt that the first thing people say is "Did you make that??" because it looks obviously homemade. Someone will say, "Where did you BUY that?"  Clearly not in the near future, but a girl can dream.  Lets just say I'm not ready for my project runway debut justtttt yet.

9/23/14

9 Months

IMG_3945
9 months- what?!! How has time flown by this fast.  I cant believe we are 9 months into your little life bean.  You are still the best and this stage is seriously the best.  I know that I think every stage is but you are sitting and crawling and talking and interacting and its ridiculous.
You can say dada and mama and you know who to call out to when we are close by and you need us. You reach your arms out to us and its my favorite thing.  You smile all the time.  You are so much fun to be around.
IMG_3943
You are still the light of your siblings eyes and make everyone so happy to be around.
You eat like a champ and sleep less like one, but we are def going to work on that...soonish.
Happy nine months baby shea.

9/20/14

Chicken Logo

I have been working on a logo for our eggs once the chickens started laying, and I feel like I have narrowed it down.
We are calling our chicken farm the Rainbow Roost.
We are supposed to be getting around an egg a day per chicken, so we should have tons to give away. So far we only have one chicken laying, but she lays one everyday.
And then crows or screams (or whatever a chicken does) so loud to tell me that she laid one.
Here are a few ideas I started with:
all rainbow roost ideas
Then, we narrowed it down to these:
Screen Shot 2014-09-20 at 12.15.29 PM
Then,  Jeff said we should try some color:
the rainbow roost color option
And we both liked it in color.
I still like black and white and feel like there will be a place for that, but I do like the color too.
I also made an extended label that could lay out over an entire carton.
Screen Shot 2014-09-20 at 12.16.46 PM
Overall, I am pretty excited.
If we use the plastic cartons we will use this, but if we do paper we will print them off with just the rainbow roost circle or I want to make some that wrap all the way around.
I cant wait to actually see them on cartons!

9/15/14

Craft Room Curtains

I have had the idea of hanging curtains in my craft room for a long time.  I had even bought the curtains that were now long time residents of the floor in said craft room.  I had full intentions of moving in that direction, but things just kept coming up....
So, when my friend mary came in town for a short visit and wanted to meet up at ikea to shop around and she told me that she had the same exact vision of curtains for her kids rooms,  I got inspired to actually do it.   
DSC_30001
Long drawn out way to say that I procrastinate, but I have finally completed a task (yea!).
My craft room is a huge work in progress (and by work in progress I mean, a place where there is little to no organization and I am working at a snails pace to improve that.  and obviously curtains that are solely for looks is moving in the right direction...), so I can only show you the curtains that aren't actually completely done, but thats clearly irrelevant.
DSC_3001
This was the easiest curtain making process known to man.
I bought Ikea curtains. Then I cut them into fourths.  I cut off the little things that they had at the top to hang with and just used the hem to slip through the curtain rods.  Then I hemmed the pieces that didnt have a hem so they could slide onto the rods.  Then I added some tassels or bobbles or pom poms (I dont know what they are actually called) to the edges with one stitch.
I didnt even hem the bottoms, so dont look too close.
DSC_2999 copy
and wah lah!
My mother in law got the fabulous light fixtures downtown and the tables are old science tables from a classroom (with gum underneath and all).  (And we do have two computers, one is just really old.  You just cant tell in the picture)
DSC_3002 copy
Maybe next I will actually organize something in here.

9/8/14

Wrapped up in you

The latelyness.
IMG_3687
Shea will take a bath wherever she can get it.  Sink, tub, shower- she loves it all.  
IMG_3733
This dress was Avery's and then Sawyer and now its Shea's.
IMG_3682
When you cant reach your back to put an entire sheet of tattoos on yourself, you ask your sister and she will do it for you. I love these twins.
IMG_7400
Jan left sass some flowers to put around our house when she left for colorado and they were so gorgoues! Sass knows more than I do, so she taught me how to trim the leaves off the flowers and arrange them in a bowl.
IMG_3758
IMG_3757
Sarah and Paul came to Texas and I got to watch the kids for an afternoon and the kids were pretty much in heaven.
DSC_2991
JPB and the Bean.
IMG_3676
Aly called me the other day and just wanted to make sure that we were not having a sleepover that night because avery had sent an invite to adalyn that said she was invited to a sleep over.  I love that kid.  I had to go back and tell her that she needs to clear that kind of stuff with me next time but I do love that party spirit :)
IMG_3796
I also got to be in the room when Linds welcomed sweet baby Dylan Lee Harrison into the world.  It was just the most incredible thing I have ever experienced and just so so happy for the harrison family!!
IMG_3827
Ben had his first flag football game on sat and he walked around a little bit not really on it... but he loved it so well see how it goes!
IMG_3835
And saturday night we got to go to one of our dear friends from med schools wedding and got the gang back together.  It was SO MUCH fun.  We partied the night away and loved every single second of seeing everyone! Congrats Marianne and Mark!
Kind of a jumble, but, you know, everyday is a party.  Well, not everyday.  But the days with a wedding and fun reception are definitely a party.  So, I guess moral of the story is, may everyday be a wedding day?  Too much.  I get it.  But maybe finding some of those huge pink glasses may at least help.

Im much too young to feel this damn old

Im going to start naming all my posts after Garth songs.
DSC_2223
But, man.
This has been one of the hardest summers of my life.
DSC_2229
DSC_2224
Not because all of my kids were home- because that is my favorite.  Not in an annoying "i love my kids more than other moms" kind of way- not at all.  I just like to have the day to do whatever we want, and the pool always being an option.  I like being around my kids and just having them in the vicinity-even if everyone is doing their own things. I mean, lets be honest, its probably more of a lazy thing. Of course, I also like my alone adult time, obviously. But having summer have an end, and that  when it does, we all go back to responsibility and stress and learning and growing. Ugh. I mean, I like learning and growing, in theory.  Just not deadlines and signing papers that I will inevitably loose as soon as I get it.  Or sign it, not knowing what it says, and then never do what I said I would do when I signed it.  Or the actual learning and growing part, too.  Those types of things.
DSC_2211
But, ya, unrelated to those types of things, this summer has been draining.  And sometimes I want to blog and remember everything so good and fun-which it is-but sometimes I just want to remember exactly what I was thinking the first week of school when I was missing my kids slip n sliding in the back yard.
DSC_2262
DSC_2275
I am not ready to be a grown up.  You know what I mean?  This week alone I have already over committed myself to doing so many things I said I would do- which I obviously want to be the person that does what I say I will do, but man.  Its hard sometimes.  Sometimes, because I truly can not put my baby anywhere but my lap when she is awake.
DSC_2248
As I am reading this back I sound so terribly annoying.
I am so sorry. I am completely aware that I have so many many blessings and please know how very thankful I am for all of those.  The baby that I just got up from her nap is the most incredible blessing to our little family and I do not for one second take her health or those of my family lightly.  And I have friends who are going through truly terrible and heartbreaking things as I write this petty post.  I am watching them choose joy and allow themselves to grow and change in spite of their deep deep hurt.  It give me so much perspective and hope.  It inspires me to look beyond my own hurt and pity party.  (well, in just a minute)
And I just bought all of Garth Brooks music for $29.99 and it is downloading to my phone as we speak, so things are looking up.
I just mean, school came like a freight train and I am still not emotionally stable enough to handle it.
Whew. I dont like to brag on my stability as a human being.
DSC_2243
DSC_2325
Thankfully, I can sit here and look at pictures of chickens and kids that are growing and changing right before my eyes.
DSC_2306
And all of this growing and changing has got to bring good- despite my constant push back against it.

9/4/14

Bob's Year of 37 September Envelope

This was the last envelope. So crazy a year of envelopes has come to an end. It was such a fun gift that I enjoyed giving Bob throughout the entire year. I did try to GBOGH (go big or go home) and get Ellen to help me fill an envelope. I wrote her months ago but never heard back. I'm sure she just had my wrong number or something or maybe she'll get back to me later.
I ended the last envelope with a note from me and a fun date night for Bob and I. We love funny people and Jim Gaffigan is one of our favorites. Kristen let me know that he was going to be in the area so I jumped on it and got some tickets. We can't wait!
IMG_9652
Thanks for always making me laugh babe. Sometimes to the point of tears. (rolling down my legs) I love you! 
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...