Whereabouts and such.

I could easily throw myself into typing a rather lengthy list of reasons why nothing seems to be going on here (perhaps that would answer some of the almost panicked e-mails that have been arriving in my inbox these last few days?) but that would be sufficiently boring, I am sure.

I can tell you that the headaches I seem to have are not friendly to a computer screen.  Not really friendly to much to be quite honest.

Then there are projects that I have been working on, that are very friendly to my headaches.  Projects that require not much thinking at all, repetitive actions, and lots of holding still, or being semi-still. 

There are also possible reasons/causes for these awesome headaches..  just a few theories: 

- allergies

- sinus issues (due to the above)

- sleep deficiencies

- children (reason for sleep deficiencies)

- old age (?)

- too much sugar

So following one of the possible theories, I, in a rash decision (according to Merrill), vacated my craft room to turn it into a bedroom for Ashley.  If you, or he, were here to experience what  a non-peaceful event bedtime was, you would have done the same thing.

Ashley and Peyton are not good roommates.

Well, that actually depends on who you ask.  They would say that they make fantastic roommates, I would have to disagree.  You see, Ashley has encouraged, cheered-on her younger sibling to ascend the ladder to the top bunk to “hang out” and “talk”.  I took that ladder away.  I took it far, far away, and then what does the older, influential sister do?  Why teach her younger sister how to scale the bed frame, using the windowsill, whereby to gain access to that upper bunk.  The look of triumph on that littlest girl’s face was magical.  The look on mine was pure annoyance, a sheer second of shared excitement, but mostly annoyance.

(Fantastic roommates!  If no one needed to sleep.)

Bedtime commences around here at 8:30.  They would usually fall asleep somewhere after the final beating, or to people who go by actual “time”, roughly 10:30 pm.  Sometimes later, after more beatings, and various threats.

Bedtime for me, took on an entirely different name.

Thus, the move.

Justified?

Totally.

Ashley does love her new room, I have somewhat enjoyed putting it together.  I only wish that the weather would cooperate so I could finish painting a shelf to help rid the floor of it’s newly inherited mess.

Bedtime, is back to being bedtime in my book.

(Success!)

Meanwhile, I am homeless.

My stuff, the whole lot of it, sits in one of the unfinished rooms in the basement, waiting for me to feel inspired as to what to do with it.

Merrill seems to think that I should take the large room in the basement.

(Well, that is only after the thought that I was too “rash” and should not have given up my room in the first place, but remember, *he was not present for the hellish routine of bedtime on the most hellish of nights*.  “Rash”, I think not, I have been pondering the move for quite some time now.)

Now back to that room in the basement.  It is a very nice, large space, with sucky morgue-ish lighting.  It also has a wall color on one one (thank heavens) that resembles a place where bright orange outdoor basketballs have been massacred.

Can I be creative in a poorly-lit basketball murder scene?

(Quite a coincidence how the two of those details go hand in hand..)

No, I can not!

I need a color that inspires, lighting that makes me feel alive!

So maybe, once I feel better, I will want to paint, and move on in…

Meanwhile, I am homeless.

Oh, and I have a headache now.

In the genes.

Quilting, the love of it, the ability to do it, is in my genes..  I am sure.

I grew up helping and watching (mostly) my mom and grandma, my great aunts even, while they quilted.  Laying underneath the quilt on the frames, watching how fast they would work, learning how to roll it, and get a good, tight roll.  From that point on, I have loved doing it. 

I made my first quilt when I was twelve years old.  I used a pile of scraps that my grandma gave me.  They consisted of everything from polyester knits to 100% cottons.  Quite the mix for a pieced quilt.

I pieced it together using a re-furbished old Singer that had issues with it’s tension.  I didn’t use it much after, out of frustration mostly.  I think it’s still in my parents crawl space, but I really want to conquer it.  Like, bad.

I bound my funky little pieced quilt by hand as I sat with my grandma, and as my mom and brothers shoveled snow off of her roof.  It was an exciting winter.  I am sure, if I tried, I could find that picture..

If I really wanted to, I could dig in my cedar chest, waaay down to the bottom and un-earth that first little quilt of mine.  Then you could see just how far I have come.

I have made many quilt since then.  I like to think of it as our storage of warmth in case we lose power for an extended period of time.  I have no blanket shortage here.

Here’s the latest:

   

I have to admit, I have had this material for more than two years.  I bought it when I heard that my sister-in-law was having a girl.  I saw it, and fell in love with it, thought it would make a darling quilt for a baby girl.  Then, she posted her nursery on her blog, and there was the same fabric.  Needless to say, since she is also an amazing quilter, I gave up on that.  So it has sat.  Then I decided to do something about it and just do it!

(Maybe if I have another baby girl..  someday.)

(Or maybe I will just hold on to it for a grandbaby..)

(Do you know my husband?)

I got really giddy about making my own bias tape.  Grandma left behind her own little pattern for making the fun stuff, but I also found helps on the internet.  There are great resources out there.  My favorite one for pictorial help is here and the technical one is here.

(I am not so proficient in math, but that technical one is awesome, I found the most help there.)

It was fun making it.  I am not going to lie, I got a bit geeked-out about it.  But it matches my quilt perfectly and I love it!

I already have another one in the works, ready and waiting..  if the weather stays the way it has, slightly warm, rainy, snowy, warmer, windy, snowy..  it will be perfect weather to be snuggled-up inside working on another one. 

Thinking Summertime..

Even though the weather forecast is talking rain, and threatening snow, Carina Gardner has me thinking summer.

(Click on image for list of full credits.)

All this lovely floral is from Carina’s newest release, “Fresh Picked – Summer”.

I love the gentle feel of it, but there are some fun vibrant colors!  Perfect to showcase this pic of Ashley.  (One of my favs.)

I’ve been hunting around for Carina’s fabrics and patterns too.  She is certainly a woman who inspires!

Paper Kiwi

I recently got a book printed with Paper Kiwi.  They are local (to me), just a couple of hours down the road. 

Let me tell you a little about my experience:
I created my book in Photoshop Elements, saved the files as jpegs and uploaded them into their software (that you must download) dragging them into place (super easy).  You can create your book using their software too.
I loved how you were able to select your style of book, how it let you preview exactly how it would look while you were building it (to see how pages would merge together and such), and I loved how easy it was to add pages! 
The final step was to proof just how the book would look, catch any mistakes before you click on that final submit button.
I ordered my book late Tuesday night and had it, in my hands on Saturday afternoon. (!!)  Can you say fast?
I chose a hard-bound cover, in color, and was amazed at what I saw.  It is gorgeous!  The colors were a little darker than I saw on my monitor, but my monitor isn’t calibrated either.  That would be one detail I would have to remember for next time, to amp that up a little bit.
The first two pages were perfect, great weight of paper, colors vibrant (but still a little dark), and then the pages were sideways. 
I had to giggle.
Then I notified customer service via e-mail, and they responded later that evening.
(Fantastic customer service!!)
They informed me that they would begin re-printing my book first thing Monday.  And they did.
(Awesome customer service!)
A week later, my corrected book arrived, all things in their proper order!

My experience was amazing. 
I had read other reviews about slow software, but I didn’t experience any of that as I didn’t use their software to create my book. 
Comparing it to my Shutterfly book, I would have to give Paper Kiwi the upper hand.  The cover is thicker, more substantial, the pages seem to be a little thicker to me.
I definitely plan on using their services in the future. 
(Did I mention that their customer service was incredible?)
Love my book!
**My review and opinion of this company and it’s services were compensated with a free 8x8 printed book.  Just sayin’.*

Welcoming a new designer.

Jodie Lee is a new designer to Jessica Sprague.  

Her creations are amazing!  I was lucky enough to get to play with some of her designs in the last class I took, and fell in love.

Today is her debut.  She has some shabby, amazing, gorgeous products out today.  Go check them out!

These are her Vintage Paper Textures, perfect for this layout.

(Click on layout for full credits.)

The happiest puke-face in the world.

I got my due punishment for taking Ashley to lunch at McDonald’s (or as I have so appropriately re-named them “Yak-Donald’s”) yesterday.  You see, there were basically no groceries in our little house.  I fully intended on procuring some while Ashley was at kindergarten (because only one child makes that errand MUCH more enjoyable), but instead, got caught up at Costco, two fabric stores and one thrift store.  Oh, and a book store.  No groceries were purchased (other treasures were), unless you can count the three bricks of Tillamook colby jack I bought at Costco a meal.

So we picked up Ashley at school, and went to that “one place” for lunch.

(It helps to go shopping with a full stomach.  I know, I have had experience shopping with an empty one.  I almost bought a cake at Sam’s club because I skipped lunch one time.)

We had a great lunch, and even greater lunch conversation.

“Mom, I have to tell you something, and I don’t know how I am going to tell you this…”

“Just tell me.”

“But it is something serious and I am not sure how you are going to take it.”

“How about telling me, and seeing how I take it.”

“Okay….”

(Deep breath followed by a sigh.”

“You know that kid from PBS kids, Calliou?”

“Um, yeah.”

(I am thinking about that annoying kid.  The show I dislike SO much because he is ALWAYS whining about something…  why did I ever buy that DVD?!?)

“Well mom, he’s bald.”

I’m laughing.

“Seriously mom.  He has NO HAIR.”

“Well (more laughing) that is usually how one looks when they are bald.”

Holy crack me up.

Then, while shopping, she brought up an un-finished conversation that started during sacrament meeting. 

“Mom, does your middle finger really mean a bad word?”

(See why it was left unfinished during sacrament meeting?  I seriously prayed that she would forget entirely about it.  That seemed like an appropriate thing to do during sacrament meeting, pray, I mean.)

“Yes.”

“What bad word is it?”

“I will not say it.”

“Why not?!  Tell me!!”

“No.  It is the worst word ever.  The finger is an obscene gesture, it is basically telling someone: ‘Forget You”, and that just isn’t nice, we don’t want to forget people.”

“So we shouldn’t show people our middle finger?”

“No.”

Later on, she got a paper cut.  The only reason why I knew was because she was trying to swing (in the nanosecond of actual spring weather we had yesterday..) with a Kleenex wrapped around her middle finger.

I asked if she wanted me to put a band aid on it.

“Yes.  I am tired of holding my bad word finger.”

See, funny.

But now I get to the follow-up to our little trip to “Yak-Donald’s”…

I get her up to get ready this morning.  She doesn’t feel good and proceeds to throw up.  (I am blaming “Yak-Donald’s only because the food is gross and the place is a breeding grounds for all sorts of communicable diseases.) 

But get this:

She is the happiest, cutest, sweetest puker in the whole world.

(Of this I am completely sure.)

“I love you mommy.”  she said after I wiped her face.

“Thank you mommy, I love you.”  she said in between heaves while I held her hair out of her face while it was in the toilet.

“I love you mommy.”  she said again while I pulled it into a ponytail while she threw-up in the barf bowl.

And after every session of heaving, there would be a little, weak smile on her sweet face.  I wouldn’t be smiling if I were barfing the day away.  I could learn something from this kid.

Later on, after a bubble bath in my tub, she thanked me again.

“I love you mom.  I am sorry for giving you attitude and not being nice or making good choices, and you love me anyway.”

That is my job.  To love her and take care of her no matter what, and sometimes she gets it.

She really is the sweetest, happiest, cutest puke-face ever.  I am glad she is done puking though.

Jaycie

I used to babysit this girl, and now, I am taking her senior pictures?!
Thank you for making me feel old..
(There were other moments of that this past week, me feeling old and all..)
But what can I say, I love her!
The weather did not want to cooperate with our desires whatsoever, so we made do, at an indoor-ish location, which had great light, I might add..