What is on my....

...coffee table.

I'm trying to keep up with the book club over at Simple Mom. The first book, Your Money Or Your Life, has been very interesting but difficult to follow. I get the general concepts so far but have not been tracking my spending down to the penny. The message that your money is really the same as your energy I completely understand. I really felt this when I was running my Etsy shop. The money I was making was not worth the time or energy it was taking from my family. Maybe someday I'll be able to have time for a shop again. In the meantime I'm really enjoying my kids.
The Daring Book for Girls is a great book to pick up and read in chunks. It reminds me of when I was a Girl Scout. Our area does not have an organized troop but I think it is important for my girls to know everything from how to start a campfire to how to set a table.
Simply Salads = yum. Finally, the last book is a knitting book I borrowed from my mom. She offered to copy some of the patterns for me but there are just too many I want to make. I keep meaning to return it but something else will catch my eye. Don't worry mom, you'll get it back.

... knitting needles.

A chunky scarf I am making for myself. I love this thick yarn. I made one in December but ended up giving it to a friend as a gift. Now I just have to figure out when I'm going to need it. There aren't too many days we can bundle up in Arizona.

... craft room table.

Piles of projects to be started and finished. I hate having to put craft time on a to do list. My list of goals on 43things.com has really helped me get focused and organized. I've also started using my yahoo calendar and task list. I have had less time in the craft room lately but my dinners have been relaxing and delicious, our clothes are clean and put away and the house is clutter free. Ahhhhh. Now I just need to sneak in some time to make myself a new apron.

Annie and Heart

Introducing Annie and Heart Rainbow Sprinkles Love.
You will be hearing more about these little ladies as we get to know their personalities better. What we know so far is Annie likes to swing and Heart would like a haircut. While I work on making them some clothes of their own here is the story behind what they have on.

My favorite toy growing up was my Doll, Baby Ann. I still have her and her classic Fisher Price dress (pictured above). When Annie needed something to put on this is what my daughter dressed her in. It fits perfectly. Talk about a heart warming moment. It is amazing when a bond you have with someone becomes tangible in something like this rose covered dress. She has never even liked dolls. Never in her entire six years of life has she shown any interest. I think she has a new love.

The shirt (below on the right) that Erin picked out for Heart also has sentimental meaning. It was one of the handmade preemie shirts that Ava came home with from the hospital. I don't think I've written about the details but she was 3 months early and weighed just 1 lb. 12 oz. That story deserves a post or two of its own. Back to the shirt. I wasn't sure what I was keeping it for, but now I know. It wraps up like a robe so the doctors could easily check all her wires and lines, today it is just perfect for those little fingers learning to fasten. They will get new clothes, I promise, but for now I'm loving these.

Making Dolls

Well the dolls are coming along slowly but I am so pleased with how they look. I can't wait to see their personalities emerge with faces and hair. We have passed this cold around for a week now so my energy is low but sewing is a nice quiet activity. I'm bummed I missed a sewing party at blog friend's house last night. She started selling fabric a year ago and has grown quite fast. Can you imagine having hundreds of bolts of beautiful fabric at your fingertips? Forget dinner! Lets sew! Anyway maybe I'll make it to the next one. Check out her shop, Above All Fabrics, if you are in the mood to snatch up some pretty new fabric. I know these little people will be needing some Spring dresses.

This picture reminds me that I must update my inspiration board. Crafting in a mess just isn't that relaxing.

A hat for me

Hat #2, and this one is for me. I just bought yarn in a lighter shade for gloves and I plan to combine what is left of the two into a scarf. While at the craft store I also bought the rest of the materials to start my Wee Wonderful dolls. I can't wait. I want to get straight to those adorable dresses and shoes. I hoping to work on them tomorrow but my youngest has a fever. It may be another day of knitting on the couch, but who's complaining. By the way it was 89 in my car today. I'm not sure how long this knitting frenzy will last.

January in Arizona

Yes, it is January. You would never know it by these pictures I snapped yesterday.

Ironically I finished the little wool hat I was working on and immediately started a new one. It was beautifully restful and relaxing.

Ta Da...

Now for one in my size.

Double pointed needles

The first hat is in progress. I just needed some quiet time to concentrate and count stitches. It did not take long to work through the circular needle and transfer to the double pointed set. I'm proud to say it was a smooth transition. I hope to finish at the park this afternoon. This will be a gift for a little one I know soon to turn one. I'm not sure when he'll wear it, being that it is 80 degrees in January, but it is the thought that counts.

Patience...

I have been wanting to start learning to do circular knitting for months. I set the patterns aside during the holidays so I could focus on the gifts I was making. I even made a few quick scarves so I could get some knitting out of my system. Then after two frustrating trips to Joann's and one more to a knitting shop I finally had all the tools I needed. Now for the last three night's I have sat on the couch and started and restarted my first attempt at a hat. I would forget the stitch marker, run out of yarn while casting on (long tail cast on) or just end up with an unexplainable gap. Not to mention the constant bombardment "Mom!"'s. I realize this is a learning process and I need to be patient but I just want to get started. Let's hope the next post is not a picture of this mangled ball of yarn.

Functional sewing

I just love when I can fix a problem in our house by crafting. There is a closet in my craft room that is not well insulated. Every time I open the door it is like an icebox. I have been putting a blanket on the ground to stop the cold air from coming in but that just wasn't going to cut it. I was energized by the flickr group crafting365 to just quit procrastinating and get it done. The most difficult part was choosing which fabric scraps to use. I chose this Amy Butler pattern and khaki because it of the neutral coloring. Luckily for me I had just enough dry beans to fill it. I'm sorry for boring you with the details but it was quick, simple and I think it came out pretty. I wish all problems could be solved so easily.

Happy Dogs

The dogs have chewed through the toys I made them a few months ago. Today Wrigley asked me to make him some new ones. This is a great project for my little sewer. Ava sat on my lap in front of the sewing machine and we talked about the types of stitches and what would be the most durable.
What's "durable"?
"Strong, so they wont chew through it."

Wrigley waited patiently for them to be stuffed.

Ranger dove right in. Then the dogs wrestled and Ava giggled with delight. They all thanked me.

My Grandmother's scarves

Awhile ago my mom gave me these two boxes filled with my grandmother's scarves, handkerchiefs and gloves. I found them the other day when we were cleaning out our closet. What a wonderful collection. I love how they are both vintage and modern at the same time.

The real treasures are these hand embroidered handkerchiefs. She had the same initial (L) which makes them even more special. And then there's the gloves. Don't you just love them? I wonder where she wore them and what she wore them with.

This piece of paper with ways to style them was just an added bonus. Thank you grandma. I wish you knew how much I love them.

Muffin Tin Meal - Food Challange!

Muffin Tin Meal - Food Challange!
Originally uploaded by MyKangaroo

Muffin Tin Meal - Food Challange!
This week I cleaned out our fridge with a Muffin Tin Meal Food Challange. I pulled two leftovers from each food group and had my kids vote on their favorite. And the winners are...

Chicken vs. Ham Ham!
Cheese vs. Eggs Cheese!
Honeydew vs. Cherries Honeydew!
Carrots vs. Corn Corn!

Out with the old, in with the new.

Here is a (not so great) pic of a scarf I just finished. There is still a stack of projects in the works that I need to get to. I am very much in the mood to check things off my list. In addition to my crafts I have cleaned out my e-mails, closet, laundry room and bookshelf. There is a large pile of giveaways sitting by our front door. Thanks to all those organizational posts out there that inspired me to start the year off right. New favorite blogs include Small Notebook, Whatknot and Remodeling This Life. It seems I keep finding great links to add so check out the blogs on the right.

Tea for Two

We love tea parties at this house. We have them all hours of the day. Today it was blackberries, tiny sandwiches and apple juice for breakfast.

Soon after all the girls were off for haircuts. Ava and I went to the fancy salon to get our hair done and Erin had a Nana haircut. We are all happy and feel refreshed. Jeff but new shelves in our closet as I sorted through clothes to give away. I already have a few things to check off my New Years List.

I promise I will get back to crafting soon. I have a growing list of projects I'd like for the house (potholders, pincushions, a new apron, pillows for the girls room).

Setting goals

Today I spent a lot of time on the computer getting inspired. Then I took all those creative ideas, plus some mental notes from "to do's" around the house and I started a list of goals for 2009 using 43things.com. What a great website to track goals find others who are working towards the same things as well. I like having the list in one spot and not writing them down on a million pieces of paper. Plus I get to check them off when I'm done. Right now I'm around 24 or so. These include:

• clean out my closet
• learn to make pizza dough (check)
• go to the dentist

Yes, I fueled my organization efforts with some cooking. Homemade waffles for breakfast, pizza from scratch for lunch (dough, sauce and all) and a no-can bean burrito for dinner. Thanks for the recipe Katy. Now I'm off to read bedtime stories and then curl up with my knitting. I'll keep you updated with my goal progress.

Lazy days

A new year, a new batch of play dough. We have tried several recipes and I think this personal experiment is the best so far. I'm not sure I could reproduce it though. Ava's school will be having a science fair in the next few months and I think play dough testing would make a great project.

We have really enjoyed doing nothing these past few days and are looking forward to more of the same through the weekend.