My darling husband decided this weekend that my mental health would quickly deteriorate if my sewing machine was not replaced. So here she is! This thing sails. I couldn't believe it. I just can't wait to break her in on a major project soon. In the meantime I finished the pillowcases for Abby's room. She was very pleased. Although I am mourning the death of my old machine...I think my grieving period will be short!
I came upon this idea on Kelli's website. Its a fun idea for this time of year. I'm always looking for ways to observe the Lenten season in an original and meaningful way. So for the next forty days I am going to try to "pay it forward" a bit. Whether that means opening doors for people or just helping out a friend. Maybe a bit of crafting love for those not normally on my list. I love to think about it. Maybe you should too! For the next 40 days it would be great if we could all make that EXTRA effort to make our lives and our worlds a more peaceful place.
Speaking of peace, I truly enjoy the opportunities I have to watch my children dance. The grace and peace it has instilled in their lives is unmeasurable. Abby is getting to an age where she really feels the music and can interpret emotion into movement. It truly is an amazing thing.
The stitching gods are not smiling on me today. Shortly after I finished the bag, old reliable finally bit the dust. It wasn't the most expensive, fanciest sewing machine. It had a very limited stitch selection. Even skipped a stitch every now and again. But she was a good machine. I learned how to sew with her by my side. She will be missed.
So no WIPs this Friday. Maybe some creative accounting and a post about a new one. Keep your fingers crossed.
Please be spring, please be spring, please be spring!!! The power of positive thinking (or sewing) can be oh so powerful. The weather went from 8 degrees this day last week to a balmy 64 here today! Playing outside, walks around the neighborhood, and drink on the porch...so much to do with so little time. You see, while it is warm today, it will inevitably snow on Sunday. I'm serious. God love Kansas.
So here I am with my new tote. I thought I would do a handbag, but I found this fabulous floral print and I thought a BIG bag would be called for. Bright colors and big flowers...at least I can think like spring. And carry my big, bright new bag!
My sweet, sweet nephew (and my sister and brother-in-law) came to Topeka to see us yesterday. Oh what a day. I couldn't decide what was more amazing, how much he had grown in so few weeks or how amazing a mother my sister has become. To see that kind of special love between a mother and her son is really something to behold.
The other amazing part of this trip was seeing my own girls with this small babe. It seemed like yesterday when my ten year old was in my arms. Now...she's a baby hog! I swear...I had to pull that baby out of her arms!!! Thanks for making the trip guys.
Well, she won. Abby is now ten years old and feels as though she is in need of her own room. Abby and Morgan have been sharing a room since Parker was born. This was all fine and good until recently. Abby has taken a turn away from playing with dolls (unless she wants to), watching cartoons (unless she feels like it), and playing with her sister (unless she is bored). Morgan and Parker have hit a stride recently and decided it might be fun to share a room. We do have four bedrooms...but no one has enough guts to sleep in the basement (including mama). So all are happy about the Wise household. Abby has her own room (albeit 5 feet away from her old one) and Morgan is the boss for the first time.
And with a new room of course come new fixins. Abby and I picked out the fabric for her curtains on Saturday. Blues and browns and pinks and peaches. I want her color palette! Its still very feminine and girlie, but not too pink and fluffy. It suits her. I finished the new curtains (a bit of a dark picture...of course I can't finish a thing in daylight) and pillows and such are soon to follow. For now, I think I just like the peace that has covered my home for the past few hours. Whew!
When you grow up in Kansas you get a lot of flack from other folks across the country for being bumpkins, or cowboys, or generally less intelligent. I beg to differ. While some folks do still farm and raise livestock, the vast many of us are just like anyone else. We love our families, work hard at our jobs, and live a pretty average lifestyle. We like cool music, we don't all wear pig tails in our hair (all of the time), and not everyone has a pet pig.
However, we are proud of our heritage. Maybe if its slower here it just means we can spend more time on what's important. Family and friends. Food and the best crafters around. Sunsets and wheat fields.
These ads were sent to me by a friend from LA. A Kansas transplant. So funny!
Oh baby, its cold outside. We are talking middle of the afternoon, bright sun, and 5 degrees. That is cut you in half, freeze your boogies, make your eyes water...cold. The kind of cold that seeps deep into your bones. Yuck. Not my favorite time of the year.
But there are things that make it all a lot better. A new scarf (my first try at the patchwork kind with chenille) with bright colors. A sky so blue it doesn't even look real. A new coat of freshly painted sunny yellow paint on the walls. A fire and while watching Jayhawks basketball. My babes all cuddled up under one blanket, their warm little bodies making the whole room nice and toasty. Hot tea...or hot cocoa sipped from my favorite mug. Good things. The best things. Even if its cold enough to freeze your tongue to a telephone pole (anyone ever actually heard of someone doing this?). Time for some chili, cinnamon rolls, and friends. mmmmmmmmmmmmm!
When I really need a new purse, I can never seem to find just the right one. Thus was the case last weekend. Will's end of the year party was Saturday night. I have been needing a new bag for quite some time and I wasn't about to carry that old rag tag bag to this party. So I had my perfect excuse for shopping (like I really need one most of the time). Multiple shops later I hadn't found one (the Coach purse that was FABULOUS was a bit out of my budget ). So off to the fabric store. It was a last ditch effort (those seldomly work for me). An hour later I was pleasantly surprised at how my bag turned out. It was just what I wanted. The grand total had to have been under $3. Add a few yo-yos and an antique button and I was done! I love it when things turn out better than you were expecting!
