Lend Me Your Sleeves

And I will make pants.  My daughter needs a lot of them with the cooler weather coming and all.  And, now having three children to clothe, I needed inexpensive.  Well, it doesn't get more inexpensive than free.

So today I found the time to do a fun, quick and easy project and the result was that my daughter now has a lovely little pair of cream colored silk pants. Made from the sleeves of an old sweater.  And now that I have the basics all sorted out, I see lots more of these in the future.

Holy Cats

That's a saying my best friend coined, and for some reason, whenever anything remarkable happens, that's what pops into my head now.  And something remarkable did happen today.  Somehow, I was able to carve out a couple of hours and sew.  I find that even though the kids go to bed relatively early, by the time they are down, I am just too wiped out to go downstairs and do any of the incredible things I imagined that day.  My mind is just too worn out to think as hard as it would need too.  And my body just wants to sit and do nothing after all the up, down and all around that raising three young ones demands.  So, if I can't get it done during the day, it usually doesn't happen. 

But, today it did!  And I was able to get these lovely darlings sewn up. 

Sweet little baby shoes for Emeline.  The red was from one of her dad's old sweaters.  The floral was a little perk I got in an Etsy purchase I made a while ago, bonus fabric used as packaging.  I love it.  And I love the look of the shoes.  Sadly, when I got them on the model I noticed they're too big in some places.  She has long skinny feet.  So, maybe tonight I'll get back down there to tweak them.  If I'm not too tired, that is...

What a Weekend

Well, perhaps I didn't get as much done this weekend as I would have liked, but, thanks to my wonderful hubby, I was able to get a little done.  I did manage to get my daughter's dresser partially painted.  It still needs another coat or two and then the verathane and then the hardware.  Ah, me.  It will get done eventually, right?

Another on the must do before it gets cold list, brought to mind by the cooler weather recently, is make shoes for my daughter.  I could buy them, but I just can't bring myself to do so.  Since I made Jonas his first pair, I really want her first pair to be homemade.  Here's a pic of Jo's, which he graciously let Emmy wear Sunday.

I have been cleaning and throwing out tons of stuff.  I am tired of the constant clutter.  However, on Sunday I did have Justin pull something out of someone else's pile of trash and bring it home.  I am super excited about it though.  It's an old screen door.  I love it's chippy black frame.  I had hoped to use it as art over Em's dresser with a mirror in one part, cork board in another and art in the last.  But, on closer inspection, her room doesn't have the wall space I would need for it.  So, now I think that I will use it over our blue couch.  Stay tuned for the results...

And for some inspiration, instead of looking online or in magazines, I am looking around my home, focusing on the things I have that make me smile every time I see them.  Here's one of them.  I love these pictures of my grandparents.  My grandma looks so beautiful, and my grandfather, so dashing.  The one of him in the tree reading and smoking his pipe is so him.  I remember him reading three books at a time.  My grandparents played a huge role in my childhood, and I am pretty sure they are why I love all things vintage.  Anything that comes from their era, I am a sucker for.  And seeing their wedding picture reminds me of the Thanksgiving that my grandmother was in the hospital, and my grandfather was pacing whenever he wasn't with her.  It reminds me of the playful way they acted together at their 50th wedding anniversary.  And it reminds me of the incredible last moment they shared together just before he passed away.  I am so glad to have found a love like that myself, and am so thankful for their example in my life.

Woo-hoo

A second post!  Already we're off to a better start.

Speaking of starting, that seems to be all I am able to do these days, start something.  I have started redoing the boys room, but that is slow going.  Who knows when I will be able to paint it, and only then will I be able to decorate it.  I know they don't mind, but aesthetically, it's killing me.

And then there is Em's room.  Uggh.  It has somehow become the room where the laundry goes after being folded.  I have started redoing her dresser, but only being able to work on it for five minutes here and ten minutes there means, it may get done sometime next year.  Today, though, I did manage to get the last of the drawers sanded after filling in the grooves  with wood filler.  Hopefully, I will get a chance to start painting it this glorious three day weekend.

I also started on a hat, one that perhaps my daughter will get to wear this time.  I love making these things out of old sweaters.  They're so quick to do, and yet somehow this one is not quite done.  I can't make up my mind again.  Sad, I know.  I am not sure I am satisfied with the flower.  What do you think?  I can remove the black flower and the pink button.  The ticking fabric is on for good.


Now then, my oldest, Isaac, was inspired by my dresses in a previous post and asked if he could borrow my old prismacolors.  He turned out a line of dresses of his own and asked that I post them on my blog.  Without further ado, here they are.  My favorite is the eggshell number.