Sewing: bag skirt

Or should it be called a skirt bag...  Hmm, things to think about.  Whatever it is it's cute.  It's totally recycled (translation: free).  It was easy.  Oh and did I mention that it's not my creation?  Nope, I give all credit to the nine year old in the house.  Anna rescued an old skirt from the donation box and came up with an excellent idea.

She planned and executed approximately 90% of this project (I sewed the lining and part of the handle).

Including pinning, sewing and pressing*.

Pretty great huh?

*If you care about your handmade creations and I'm sure you do, please spend some time with your iron.  Press all the seams.  Just do it.  I promise it will make all the difference in the world.  I'm now stepping off of my soapbox.  The end.

These days

Match the bullet point to the picture.

• The gorgeous queen's crown.  Being the costume director for a ballet (especially if you've never actually seen said ballet) is an adventure in creativity.
• Seriously the best salad I've had in recent memory.  There were grapes, oranges, and strawberries along with feta cheese and some incredible glazed pecans.  It was dressed with an incredible raspberry vinaigrette with a bit of a kick to it.  I still think about how good that salad was.
• The three older kids taught themselves how to ride a bike.  With no parental involvement.  That means the husband and I scored big time.  No hunching over running after the bike... we are blessed.  Part two, notice Grant's bike.  I found it a consignment store.  For $25.  Quite possibly the greatest score ever.
• The dollar aisle at Hobby Lobby contains treasures.  Especially useful for rainy days.
• Our floor project has continued to morph.  We, meaning I, figured that while the family room couches were out in the garage that we, meaning I would take advantage of the chaos and paint the family room.  I'm tired of the brown/ tan/ beige/ boring walls.  So we're upgrading to a gorgeous yellow.  I had to re texture the ceiling (thank you builders).  Friday night I painted the freshly textured ceiling.  Saturday morning I thought about crying because my arms hurt.  I'm planning to paint the walls tonight and the trim sometime later this week.  That means that if we're lucky and I remain motivated, the kids might be able to sit on couches instead of camp chairs to watch PBS kids.  Maybe.
• This is Rothbart's hood.  He's the bad guy in Swan Lake (but I've never seen it so I couldn't tell you exactly how bad) and his costume is incredible.  I say that with a certain amount of pride because somehow I, along with divine help from above created something pretty amazing.
• My oldest girl, Anna is incredible.  Someday I'll write a mushy post about how much I love her and how wise beyond her years she is but for now just know that she's amazing.  She's the kind of person that just makes me want to be better.  She's a blessing.
• Nathan hasn't mastered the two wheel bike skill yet so he's banished to a bike trailer that is technically too small.  We need to upgrade to a bike seat but I'm having a hard time finding one in my price range, $0 to $30.  There doesn't seem to be much in the lower end of that range...  Jennie however has completely mastered the dual arts of bike riding and matching her shoes to her shirt.  She's got skills.

No relation, just interesting (ish)

1.  Kindergartners make me mushy inside.  Especially these two.

Mine are the two looking at the camera...

I'm sorta in love with my six year olds.

2.  The best time to tackle a home improvement project is when you are 19 weeks pregnant and you and your husband are both in school and you have too few hours in the day.  FYI.

After complaining about the genius who put carpet in the dining area for a while (approximately 8 years now) we're finally ready to take the plunge.

We bought the laminate on Saturday with a strict, written in blood agreement that we would wait to install them after the semester was over.  Meaning May.

This was our main level last night right after we put the kids to bed.

Then this happened.

Look closely at the pile o' crap on the floor.  That was under our carpet.  We'd been living with that.  I also claim to be a pretty good maid...

I'd also like you to notice that pile of dust where our heat register is supposed to be.  The husband was digging around in there and found not one but two of my missing exercise DVDs.

I blame these two.

Before we called it a night the carpet was gone as well as those dangerous tack strips.  I had the extremely not difficult job of vacuuming up the years of dirt as well as any random staples, band aids and missing Barbie shoes while the handyman I married took care of the rest.  It was a pretty even trade... for me.

3.  We've finally figured out a way to read our scriptures regularly (more than once every six months), we read during breakfast.  Each of the kids reads, or repeats a verse and the husband and I read a few more.  We're kinda on a roll, it's been months since we started and we're still going strong.  It may take us approximately 27 years to make it through the scriptures but I'm just shooting for effort points not completion.

Oh and yes, my daughter is wearing a coat at the breakfast table.  My heater doesn't go any higher than 68 no matter how much snow is on the ground, it's very strange.

Done and done

I think I've started nesting already.  Yes it's true that I just recently squeaked into the second trimester but if obsessive organizing and home improvement products that have to be done RIGHT NOW are any sign of nesting I'm there man.  After all it's cruel and unusual punishment to bring a child into the world when your basement is out of order and your roof is possibly, maybe, okay definitely leaking.  Cruel.

I already took care of the basement, sort of and the roof has to wait till it's um, above 20 degrees I started with some of the smaller things on the list.  Last night I whipped out my FrogTape (it's awesome, get some, now) and black paint and got to work.

This was the before, if the missing paint and dog food in the vent threw you off.  I know you're wondering if the Miles' family is conducting a highly scientific experiment to see if ants are more attracted to dog food in the kitchen or sucker sticks stuck to the sheets (alliteration alert), the answer is yes.  Results are inconclusive.

After less than 20 minutes with my paint brush, approximately a tablespoon of paint (our kitchen is 4 feet square) and an old towel (to wipe up the drips because I paint like a three year old on cupcakes) this is the masterpiece.

Pretty slick huh?  I was just as impressed this morning while eating my oatmeal.

Crossed that bad boy off my list.

Now I just have to find the time, oh and money to replace my roof, get new carpet and laminate, refinish the cabinets and remodel the bathroom all before August...  totally doable.

Living in a fantasy world,

Kristen

Sibs, beds and many, many toys!

We moved the three older kids into the same room while we've/I've been working on the latest project.

That means that every night there is lots of laughing from them that leads to me yelling down the stairs "get back on your bed, NOW!". 

When it's time to clean I hear "that's not my mess, I shouldn't have to clean it up". 

In the mornings someone usually screams "don't look at me!" and "get back on your side of the room!"

There are now 3 twin beds, 3 dressers, 3 toy bins and mucho grande messes.

Please notice how my children make their beds in a perfect military fashion.  Also notice the humidifier box that my son uses to keep his cars corralled (who needs a toy box).

One unexpected advantage that possibly outweighs the late night slumber parties is that there is only one room to clean.  I might "forget" to move my boy back to his room when the project is over. 

Happy Monday!

Kristen

One photo, five explanations.

1.  We have a project going on right now.  Useless trivia:  when I was in college there were these two guys I hung out with that would pronounce project as pro-ject.  Like it was two separate words.  I don't know why, it was actually kinda weird now that I think about it but now that's how I always pronounce it in my head.

2.  My son was my right hand man the other day.  Please notice his shirt, his pants and how there's just nothing to hold them up and his/ my work boots. 

3.  Thanks to one of the former owners of our home and their weird texturing job, I had to respackle (is that a word) the ceiling in the project room and now there are little bits of joint compound all over my house.

4.  Respackling a ceiling is not for the weak in armed folk.  I know this because my arms are weak and I am a folk.

5.  I painted the ceiling last night, I'm hoping to do the walls on Monday night and the trim on Tuesday or Wednesday.  That would make the shortest turn around time on a Miles' family project in oh, ever.

Off to ice my arms,

Kristen

Top 8: things that make me insane, crazy, nuts, pick a word!

She doesn't make me crazy (most of the time) I just like her cute baby face circa 2007!

1.  Hopping on the treadmill only to find that it needs maintenance, then moving to the next one and seeing that it says the same thing.  Three treadmills later...
2.  Finding out that the reason you missed a question on your math test was because you used an "x" instead of a "w". 
3.  Running out of socks.  That laundry fairy is really slacking these days.
4.  Calling IT support to fix a computer program and finding out that the reason it wasn't working was because one of your short offspring had moved it to the recycling bin.  Actually that doesn't make me crazy, embarrassed is more like it.
5.  Turning on the radio and hearing the tail end of your current favorite song.  Sad.
6.  The multiplying paper pile by the microwave.  They're like bunnies.  Bunnies on fertility treatments.
7.  Getting comfortable on the couch with a good book and warm children and hearing the phone ring.  From the other room.  Up the stairs.  And it stops before you manage to extract yourself from the pile.  And it's a lame recorded message.
8.  Trying to brush my daughter's hair while she's dancing and telling me what a great ballerina she will be.  Did I mention that she's moving?

Good times around here.

In other news I have a final on Thursday then I plan to spend some time fixing this site.  I look at other excellent bloggers likeThrifty Decor Chick, Camp Patton and yours, mine & ours and am semi- inspired to change things up around here. 

Suggestions? 

See ya later!

Kristen

No, I'm not bitter. Why do you ask?

I often write from a picture.  Meaning I'll find a picture and then let the words come out.  Today it ain't working.  Blogger is rejecting all my pictures and that's a bad thing because I definitely need inspiration this morning.  Hmm... what to write, what to write.  I could tell you about my weekend, but we didn't do much.  Actually that's not all the way true.  I took a knitting class on Friday.  Here's how it began.  A few weeks ago I was cruising through Barnes and Noble sans children (it was very quiet) and I ran across this book.  Because I've been known to impulse shop I grabbed it, paid for it and went on my way.  Except, there's a problem, just a little one.  I don't know how to knit.  I've never even held knitting needles, well except for that whole knitting needle as hair accessory phase I went through.  So after getting this cute book home and flipping through it and not understanding what the heck was going on I took action.  I found a great yarn shop close to my home and signed up for a beginner class.  Friday night was my first lesson and so far so good.  I still don't know what I'm doing but all that yarn is turning into something.  Would you like to see a picture?  Ya, so would I. 

Saturday we started working in our neighborhood garden.  The Miles family has been assigned a 30' x 10' plot and we're supposed to fill it.  Oh and not let the weeds take over.  That's no good because I grow weeds quite well.  I've also been known to be overambitious in the spring.  I plan and plant more than my family can eat or that we can maintain.  The conundrum is that the growing season tends to last longer than my gardening gumption.  Can you see my problem?  Oh wait, you can't BECAUSE THERE ARE NO PICTURES!  Sorry, focus Kristen.

My niece turned 4 this weekend.  There were lots of kids, noisy kids.  We ate too much cuz that's what we do at parties.  She had a Strawberry Shortcake cake.  It was good if you like birthday cake with too much icing and ice cream on the side.  And I like, yes I like.  She got a new scooter for her birthday.  Her mom and I tried it out.  We raced down the road, I think she won.  She always wins, I don't think I want to play with her anymore.  Imagine a picture of my sad face saying "I never win!  It's not fair!"  In the picture I'm channeling my inner 3 year old.  I look pathetic don't I?

I belong to a church that is all about families.  That means that when you're sitting in Sacrament Meeting with your little bedlamites, you're not the only one.  Your kid isn't the only screamer/ thrower/ crier.  You're in good company and you can exchange those looks of pity and empathy with the other parents.  It's good place.  Sorry, no pictures of that either.  Although who would really want to see a picture of me wrestling with my teething baby while my boy is trying to climb on my lap while my daughters are asking for more paper?  Didn't think so.

Have a good day.  I'm going to take lots of pictures today.  Maybe you'll see some of them tomorrow or maybe not.


Kristen