fabric ban

I was motivated this morning. The big kid and I went through my fabric tub, sorting the remnants from the scraps from the half finished projects. I shouldn't be allowed near a fabric store. I shouldn't be allowed near my cutting mat. I have enough cut out projects to keep me busy for a while. I found one half finished mei tai and enough twill to make at least one for a petite friend. Shameful!

In the picture I have three novelty (not big enough for many gifts) stockings I cut out two years ago, two reusable bottle carriers I started sometime last year (sorry Jessica), five old diaper soakers from all-in-ones that I'm going to repurpose into Swiffer WetJet pads, and a fabulous blanket idea I came up with for the big kid a few years ago.

Stay tuned for photos of the completed projects. To be sure you are actually reading, the first three to respond to this post will be added to the PIF project.

i heart tutes

I may not follow through on the many tutuorials I find online, but I do enjoy seeing creativity exhibited in simple, easy steps. This goes along well with my passion for fabric. You'd never guess I have a eye for such things, considering how basic and not-trendy my wardrobe is. My uniform of the day is usually jeans/khakis and a v-neck/polo shirt.

My craft drive is a hot or cold thing. I'm either sewing night and day or I scowl and curse my machine everytime I pass it in the laundry room. I have a hard time doing certain things in moderation but that's a conversation for another day (or never.)

I found several online tutorial lists and decided to compile my own. Here's my dream list of things I'd like to start and complete.

Pincushion/Thread-catcher
Tea Wallet
Sewing Kit (baby food jar)
Sandwich Wrap
Journal Cover

I have my own idea, swirling in my head for an over-night toiletry bag. Something both cute and functional to hold a small shampoo, conditioner, body wash, toothbrush, toothpaste, and razor. I want this for our quick getaways when we evacuate.

I've played around with reusable bottle carriers and pint ice cream cozies but would love to perfect these patterns.

For kids, I want to try:

Crayon Roll
Felt Food
Fabric Concentration

I've made felt hairclips and have a ton that are half done. Shock!

I found some 2ml Pul on ebay. I picked up a few half yards of fabric from The Fat Quarter Shop. I couldn't resist a bundle of remnants from littlefishbigpond on Etsy.

Wish me luck. I hope I am still feeling inspired when it all arrives.

toddler amnesia

Except that's not what it is. The big kid was, I can now admit, an easy toddler. The terrible twos weren't that terrible. Our home was easy to baby proof, only requiring a couple of gates and some closed doors. We experienced more of a terrible threes but that's not the point. The point is how out of our minds we are with the wee one. She's clever. She's cunning. She's resourceful.

To you and me, it's a decorative pillow for the sofa. To the wee one, it is all she needs to plunder the kitchen. She'd been out of sight for 10 seconds, which is cause for alarm. I get up to check. What's that she's dragging off the counter and bringing to me? Ah, yes, my expensive (even though it's no longer new) dSLR that I thought was pushed back far enough.

It was cute when she was 15 months old and wanted an eating utensil for every piece of food. (Try explaining to a persistent child, you don't need a spoon to eat goldfish crackers.) It's not cute when she's running away from us with a fist full of forks. Who needs storage bags, foil, and plastic wrap stored in their convenient packaging? Not I! The wee one delights in yanking them free and hiding them around the house. Sure, it's okay if she gnaws on that stick of butter. It's not my day to change the "fun" diapers. Perhaps the big kid did something to deserve being beaten over the head, by her little sister, with a miniature rolling pin. It's possible.

I just placed an order at One Step Ahead. If anyone has any favorite baby-proofing products, I'd love to hear about them. Our major problem is the not-square, irregular opening to the kitchen. On one side, there is a door we can close. The other side is a challenge. I have a gate coming that is similar to one we used with the big kid. I also ordered drawer locks, a fridge lock, an oven lock, and a stove guard. All of those are in case the gate doesn't work (or as back up.)

When is it they are capable of some impulse control? It's going to feel like forever before we are there.

who needs cable?

Part of becoming a more frugal family included turning off our cable. We spent roughly $100 a month for a bunch of channels and DVR. We would DVR most shows and watch them at our leisure, rarely watching anything "live". It was more fun to fast forward through commercials (boo hiss to pushy or crude ads) and get to the meat of it all.

We have an old TV. No high def or 1080 blah blah blah for us. I ordered our digital converter box coupon as soon as I tired of the snowy picture on the two channels we picked up with our rabbit ears. What a difference! We get our local channel (ABC), Fox, and three public television stations. The best part? They come in crystal clear with out rabbit ears. Right now we are debating the investment into a stronger antenna.

I'm sure most of you reading know about watching TV shows online. I didn't. Okay, I did. However, I was unaware of just how much there is to watch online. Fox, CBS, NBC, and ABC all offer full episodes of their popular programming. I can watch House, all three CSIs, 30 Rock, and anything I miss in its regular time slot on ABC.

Bring on February 17th. We're ready.