Home with a Cold

Today I...

Made homemade whole wheat toast with jam for breakfast.


Warmed up soup for lunch.

Worked on knitted this while I listened to the rain.

Pulled out my grandmother's scarves.

Made plans for these.

2 Years and 200 Posts Later

I started this blog just over two years ago. A now after 200 posts I take a look back to see where My Craft Evolution has taken me so far. From embroidery to making crayons to sewing and knitting, it has been a very busy two years.


Although this has been a wonderful place to record all the things I have made for myself, family and friends, it has stored my most cherished possessions, family memories. Not just holidays and vacations but also the small moments of day to day life with my husband and children. I am so grateful to be so blessed.

This blog has also become more than just a blog about crafts. I have learned so much about photography, gardening, cooking and giving back. I can't wait to see what lie ahead.

Milk and Sugar

Today I'm writing about food and sewing and recycling. I love when my worlds come together. Sometime last year I made these little sleeves for old olive jars after reading about Beth's post here. I needed a new sugar bowl didn't want to go buy more "stuff" and the jars work perfectly. The tall one is for salt and the shorter one is for sugar. I know this but someday I need to label them for my husbands sake.



I chose to write about these today because yesterday I switched from my flavored coffee milk to good old milk and sugar. This may seem like a little thing but it makes me happy for several reasons. First of all I never liked buying creamer with all those artificial ingredients. We call them Fru Fru Milks in my family. Second, I am now free from shopping at those big grocery stores that carry Fru Fru Milk. I had to make a special stop to get it and would inevitably end up buying more than I needed. I can now do my shopping at Whole Foods and Sunflower Market. (Now if I could just wean myself off Costco). Finally, I get to use this cute container every morning. Three great reasons to switch to plain old sugar.

Swoon - Pudding Pie Cardigan

I fell in love with a sweater today. The funny thing is I am close to finishing a sweater that is very similar. I know what I will be working on for the rest of the weekend.

Check out more views over at Anthropologie.

100th Day of School

Erin's pre-k class celebrated their 100th day of school this week. They got to bring in 100 items of anything they wanted and my little princess wanted 100 jewels. We were down to 99 by the time the poster made it to school. They also go to wear their pajamas all day, create fruit loop necklaces with 100 pieces and eat cupcakes. Sounds like a pretty good day to me.

Erin's teacher interviewed the kids and here is what Erin had to say:

"If I could I would eat 100... pieces of cake"
"I would not eat 100...worms."
"I can lift 100... elephants."
"If I had $100 I would buy... $100 for my house."

Old to New: Part Four

My husband put in a request for a plastic bag dispenser to store the bags he uses when he takes our dogs for walks. For some reason this pair of ripped shorts I've been hanging on to popped into my mind. Maybe because it has cool straps and zippers or maybe because it is the only masculine scrap of fabric in the house.

(before)



I just cut them right up the middle and sewed the back and front together. Next I ripped a little slit in the bottom hem and added elastic. Finally, I took the belt and made a loop out of it so we could hang it by they back door. It was easy, free and has more character than our last one. All in all a successful recycling project.

(after)

Little Projects

One of my good friends recently discovered Amanda Soule and all of her wonderful crafty, motherly, handmade goodness. She was inspired to pull out her sewing machine and start some projects with her kids. This inspired me to clear my craft table and get to work.

Making a special bell for my sick girl was first on my list. Ava woke up with a soar throat and runny nose. Having a mild case of this last week I know how painful it is to talk. I loved when my mom would set me up on the couch with books, paper dolls and a sweet little teapot filled with hot tea. I even had a little bell I could ring if I needed her. This is not to send the message of servitude but more as a security bell. Just give it a ring and I'm here for you. Ava's face beamed the first time she used it. The little extra attention goes a long way when you're not feeling well.

That instant gratification was motivating but it is a little hard to pick up my sewing projects where I left off when it has been months since I've been on my machine. I needed to get my feet wet. After thumbing through Handmade Home I found a few things I could start and finish in a morning.

Some pot holders.

A new mouse pad.
I even managed to make something for my hubby, but I'll save that for tomorrow. Now that I've got a feel for it again I know there will me more sewing to come over the next few weeks.

Simple Food

I picked up this book yesterday and can't put it down. I've been looking to expand my cooking skills and this book is a perfect fit. Waters emphasizes fresh food and simple preparation to creating great tasting food. Her belief in quality food that is good for our bodies (and the environment) is the direction I want to be heading.

The girls and I visited the Farmer's Market this morning and came home with these beauties. I also bought some grass fed beef that I am excited to try. I am still eating primarily vegetarian but it is nice to find a source for local meat that is humane and not heavily processed.

I'm off to snack on these tomatoes. They taste even better than they look.

For a Friend

For Alison.

I wish I could do more for you dear friend, but for now I'm sending you something warm and cozy.

Black Apple Pins

I finally found a home for my Black Apple Pins. They have been waiting patiently for me to create a place for them but I decided to add them to my sewing box instead. Here I get to see them whenever I'm in the sewing mood.

The Ben's Bells Project

I may have mentioned Ben's Bells before but a place this special surely deserves its own post. Ben's Bells is a non profit organization started by a family in honor of their two year old son Ben who passed away suddenly. Read more about it here. The project started in 2002 as a way for the family to cope with their loss and spread kindness. It continues to grow year after year within the Tucson community and beyond.

Ceramic pieces are made and painted by volunteers then strung together to create bells. Several times a year these bells are distributed throughout Tucson for people to find and take home. The mission of the project is to inspire the people who discover the bells to pass the kindness on to others. In recent years the bells have been distributed in places that have suffered tragedies such as New Orleans and the campus of Virginia Tech. People involved with the project even travelled as far as New York City to leave them around Ground Zero on the anniversary of Sept. 11th.

My girls and I love to go paint the bells. This morning we went with a group of women. It is a wonderful activity for people of all ages to participate in together.

The girls not only get to be creative but is also a wonderful way to learn about compassion and practice kindness. A recent addition to the project are "Kindness Coins" created for schools to give to children who demonstrate acts of kinds (they look like the green flower I painted below).

The bells themselves cannot be bought but smaller versions and accessories such as necklaces and key chains can be purchased to help fund the project. In addition to the mass distributions there is a weekly "Belling" to an individual who shows exceptional kindness and contributes to our community.

I love everything about this project and have really enjoyed watching it grow. To learn more visit their site at http://www.bensbells.org/.

And remember... be kind.

Laws of Motion

Well in a day and a half I made up for all that holiday laziness. I tackled this room Sunday afternoon and today I spent the entire day running errands. I won't bore anyone with the details but I made over 20 stops. It was a busy day. I even managed to come home make dinner and then clean. I guess Newton was right when he said "An object at rest tends to stay at rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion". It feels so good to have everything back in its place again.

Now... what kind of organizer can I create for that big green space on the wall? Stay tuned.

Movie Day

I am embarassed to say how long it has been since I have gone outside. Tomorrow we will all return to our daily routines of work and school so we decided to go see a movie to celebrate the last day of vacation. That means I had to put on shoes.

We don't go to movies very often and the girls were very excited. I chose Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs mostly because it was at the dollar theater. Long story short... we get to the car and it won't start. Again. Last week I had a new battery put in and now it is dead. Again.

We turned around and headed in feeling disappointed. That was until I told Ava that I would make popcorn and we could watch a movie together at home. It turns out it was the popcorn she was really interested in. So I took off my shoes and ordered Julie and Julia on Demand and life was good again.

Making Lists

Let the list making begin. Now that the celebrating is over and the decorations have been put away it is time to get organized. There are so many corners of my home that have been neglected. The craft room and laundry room are at the top of my list.

My first instinct is to jump in and start working but before I make an even bigger mess I need to prioritize. Today I walked around the house and wrote down a list of home projects I'd like to get done. Although it would feel great to have these spaces put back together today I think I'll start with some small items on my list and save these for when I have more energy.