Spinning...Or...Is this why I'm late for everything?

Here's my today so far.

Get home from school, talk to Poppa Marion, note that Anna is in a really good mood. Mentally thank Katrina for her prayers. Look at the computer for a minute and listen to the LOONG annoying song Shauna posted. Since the song is STILL going on, and Anna's happy, go ahead and get out the yarn to choose next project. Play yarn with Anna and decide what to make. Notice fabric on table to make blanket for another baby. Anna wants to sew. OK, lay out blanket and stitch it up with Anna on lap. Turn right side out, decide it needs to be ironed before top-stitching.

On the way to the ironing board, remember that Matthew will be home soon for lunch, and will be more interested in eating than top-stitching. Lay blanket on ironing board for later. See Washing Machine. Remember that it's laundry day. Better start a load. Check dryer, still has work clothes in it. Take work clothes to bedroom to fold. Can't put them on bed, bed is not made. Make bed.

Change out of work clothes, notice the bathroom is messy. Tidy bathroom. Ask Anna to help pick up clothes off of the floor and put in hamper. Anna is Clifford, notices new books as she crawls across the floor with a t-shirt in her mouth. Anna asks for a story. Read a story. Read "just one more". Explain to Anna that Daddy will be home ANY MINUTE. Try to make her laugh and distract her by pretending Daddy will be a big hungry bear. Fail. Listen to Anna whine and cry for another story.

Walk by Anna's kitchen and pick it up quickly while thinking that she should really be doing it herself. Go into the kitchen to start lunch, can't start until counters are clear, begin to tidy kitchen. Find strange cup/spoon/yogurt contraption by Anna's highchair. Take it apart to wash it. Anna flops on the floor crying "Don't do that to my birdhouse!" Apologize. Start lunch.

Ask Anna to pick up her shoes and put them away. Ask again. Count to 3. Put screaming child on time-out. Cut up an apple, get out carrots. Talk to Anna about why she's on time-out. Give hugs.

Tell her to put her shoes away. Ask again. Count to 3. Put screaming child back on time-out.

Pour drinks, set table, give Matthew lunch. Talk to Anna about why she's on time-out. Give hugs. Tell her to put her shoes away.

Go with her to her room to help put on her slippers. Change diaper. Anna tearfully asks for a nap. Put her in her bed and put on the Cinderella story tape. Notice on the way back to the kitchen that the washer's done. Put clothes in dryer, start new load. Matthew is done with lunch. Sit down to eat. Think about the last 3 hours. Wonder how 3 hours can feel like 20 minutes.

Blog about it.

Woozy

I've been fusing plastic bags together today. I opened the door and I sure couldn't smell any fumes, but you know how my nose is...I feel a little lightheaded and nauseous.

So if you want to fuse plastic--GOOD VENTILATION is important--otherwise it's very easy. Here's the tutorial I used. I recommend just using one piece of parchment paper that you move around under the iron, it's easier to see that way. And when sewing it's a little easier to sew with parchment over the plastic, some of the plastics really clung to the presser foot. You can just pull the paper away when you're done and feel very cool and professional.



Anyhoo--here are pictures of what I made.
A bagand a little pouch (why? what on earth for?)

This one has the same awkward shape all of my bags do. When I'm making bags, I always do it just like Megan showed me, with the folded in bottom. I wonder if I should try a different method sometime. This is what usually happens. I sew the sides together, fold in my corners, and think about a nice wide bottom. Then I sew it all up and turn it back right side out and the bottom is too wide and the bag is not deep enough anymore. And when sewing plastic--you can't rip out your stitches to redo it.

Plus for this project--I used some of the bags that I had from Mexico that I've been saving forever because they had Spanish on them and I couldn't just throw them away. Downside--proof that if you save something, eventually you will figure out what to do with it.

Also here are photos of the pale star blankie I've been working on. A shot of the whole thing and a close up for colors. I used up several scraps on this one, that made me happy. The very pregnant mama at my school was happy with it too.

I'm currently deciding what to start next. I have 4 more babies on the list, but I kind of want to crochet something different, so maybe I'll sew for those babies.


Now maybe time for a glass of water.

Shakespeare's Birthday

Sonnet 23

As an unperfect actor on the stage,
Who with his fear is put besides his part,
Or some fierce thing replete with too much rage,
Whose strength's abundance weakens his own heart;
So I, for fear of trust, forget to say
The perfect ceremony of love's rite,
And in mine own love's strength seem to decay,
O'ercharged with burden of mine on love's might.
O, let my books be then the eloquence
And dumb presagers of my speaking breast,
Who plead for love, and look for recompense,
More than that tongue that more hath more expressed.
O, learn to read what silent love hath writ:
To hear with eyes belongs to love's fine wit.

I think I'll call them...

JoJoBalls!

Remember when Joanna sent me the big bunch of strange pieced fabric pointed ellipses? I've been having loads of fun with them (Anna too). These take about 10 minutes to make and are strangely appealing. I've made 4. I have enough fabric to make 12. If you want one, comment and I'll send you one, because really, WHAT are we going to do with 12 fabric balls? They're actually pretty nice for throwing at people, soft and light and unlikely to hurt, but, unlike a nerf ball, with good throwing velocity.

I also learned how to do a new stitch. Here, in the blurry pictures, you can sort of see how I finished the first ball with a whip stitch.

I thought as I was doing it that there was surely a better way, so I took it to town and asked Mom, and she showed me how to do a blind stitch. (I'm not sure if that's what it's called) Anyway, the stitches are all hidden inside. Here is a picture of the second ball. I especially like making them because Anna helps me stuff them and sits on my lap while I'm sewing. Yesterday I heard her "sewing" She was talking herself through the process "first you line up the sides like this, just right, now don't get your fingers too close..." What fun.

Introducing...

Lady.

So here she is from the front

and the back

I don't use a key to start her, I just push this little button. The first morning I couldn't remember how to start her and I had to run back in and get MJL. (You have to have your foot on the brake.)

This is what I have instead of a key. As long as I have this, she recognizes me and I can open the trunk or the door without even taking it out of my pocket. It's pretty fun. On our first errand day together, I found this CD at Goodwill. We had fun singing it together (makes me giggle every time). It feels appropriate, as I get adjusted to driving something so fancy.

I'm itching to take a trip now...

Little boxes

I made a couple of little boxes this weekend. I found the kit at Goodwill a while ago, it's been in the project pile. They were pretty fun to make, and I like to think about using them to wrap presents for years and years. I also got to do a couple of things I've never done before. I used iron-on interfacing and tried out the "stipple" quilting method (meandering stitch) I drew some lines on the fabric and then just tried to follow them. I'll need LOTS more practice at that if I ever want to use it on something real.

I used slurmies instead of ribbon, because I love slurmies.

Here they are:

And inside views with gifts for scale.

Good things about growing up.

(Happy Happy Birthday Phinn!)

I'm 30 now, but 30 still sounds young and hip to me, so I'm not worried.

I was thinking today about the things that I like about being (at least on paper) a grown-up. Here's a little list.

1. Having my own bottle of super-glue. (it was actually this joy that prompted the list)
2. Staying up late.
3. Having my own house.
4. Living with Matthew.
5. Anna.
6. Taking trips whenever I want.
7. Buying candy bars at gas stations on said trips.
8. Having matching dishes.
9. Feeling good about who I am.
10. Not having to do math.

Here's Writer's Almanac for today. Thanks Dad!

Rainy Day Things

I made a big ol' pillow for my bed today, with fabric that matches the curtains. I always thought making a pillow sham with a flanged edge was something fancy, but come to find you just make the pillowcase 3 inches bigger all around and then sew a seam 3 inches in, and there's your flange. Simple as can be. Here's my little darlin' (sick today) using it to watch Robin Hood.
We got to see Heath and Jenny and their boys this weekend, that was fun. We went to the park and the kids ran around together, but I forgot to take any pictures. Oops. They'll just have to come back. :)

Matthew and I started watching "All Creature Great and Small" last night. We both just finished the books and loved them. The show is wonderful too. We laugh and laugh, and, unlike most other things, we can watch it with Anna around. It's eerie. I know my parents watched them when they were on TV, and it makes me feel like I'm little again. It's all so familiar. I remember thinking that my parents watched really boring TV, and now I'm choosing it. Does that make me old?

My Dad sent me a link to this article about people's top 5 books, and asked for our lists. I took that to mean books I loved and would always want to have around, and read over and over. Here's mine: (edited after Susan called me out, saying there's no way I'd put the Bible above Anne. I'm afraid she's right, but that's terrible. She also said I couldn't count all of the Anne books as one, but I'm going to anyway...People count the Lord of the Rings trilogy as one book...and hey! the Bible has lots of books in it too. So there.)


1. Anne of Green Gables, et al--L.M. Montgomery
2. The Bible
3. Cannery Row--Steinbeck
4. Our Mutual Friend--Dickens
5. Papa's Wife--Thyra Ferre Bjorn


Now--What are your top five??

Dollar Store Challenge

I entered this month's Craftster Challenge, though my entry is just a trifle alongside the incredible, amazing offerings of the other craftsters. It was fun for me, and I learned several things, and I know what I want to do with what I made, so I'll not feel bad about my entry.

Here are some that you should definitely look at. The challenge was to spend no more than $10 at a Dollar Store and make something.

Hands off my trash

The shag bag

Mod circles bath mat

Mum & Bub rainy day ensemble

Shoes!

Super functional kitchen caddy

Fancy Pants outfit for a toddler

Retro-style flower hat

The Amazing Technicolor Puppet Theater

Goodbye, sweet friend

Matthew bought me a new car. He says that when we got Prissy I was sad and just missed Iggy. He says it wasn't until she told me her name that I loved her. I guess I'll love my new car too, but I think I'll always miss Prissy a little.
Remember...

• Bringing Anna home from the hospital.
• Driving home from Denver for Katrina's wedding, with Chelsea and Brandi and Katrina, feeling like no time had passed since High School.
• Getting stuck in Traffic for hours in the Smoky Mountains, tossing gum to fellow travelers, scaring Katrina.
• Going to Henderson TN, instead of Hendersonville in search of Johnny Cash's grave.
• Leaving her lights on at the State Fair Brad Paisley Concert. Katrina and I trying to jump-start her.
• Anna's crazy poo explosion in Limon on our first big trip together.
• Exploring Kansas.
• Driving all over Corpus Christi with Susan looking for the Selena Museum, and wondering where all the people were.
• Ringing in 2006 with Matthew driving through Scott City, singing Tiny Dancer at the top of our lungs.
• Mice living in the car that cold winter.
• Playing Fiona Apple loudly on bad days at the High School.
• Playing Vico C loudly on good ones.
• Accidentally going to the airport instead of the hotel in Wichita with Abby.
• Learning where my turn was when we moved out to the country.

Please share your Prissy memories. I'd love to know. And a prize to the first person to guess how many miles I put on her in the 52 months I had her. Within 1,000.

I feel like I ought to be sending her off into the world with a little personal ad on her windshield--

"Single White Female, loves long trips, the beach, loud Spanish music and Johnny Cash. Looking for love AND a good time."