Introducing... Alice&Victor !!

Last week I mentioned that I was thinking about opening a shop on Etsy... Well, this past week I did it!

Alice&Victor

It took me so long to come up with a name... I love this one, though - it's the kid's middle names.  I'm excited to show you the shop header that I'm working on.  Hopefully soon!

That's why I haven't been writing much this past week; my spare time has been spent dreaming up this new shop and reading up on all the stuff I need to know to open.  I took the plunge and the first step of actually creating my Etsy shop the other day, and am in the process of coming up with the design / look and am starting to list some items. 

I just came in from a little product photo shoot in the back yard to get more pictures of my goodies - Madeline said she was watching me out the window for a bit and that I look like a pro!  Ha!  I did pick up two pieces of white foam board at the dollar store the other day for a makeshift lightbox; propping them up on a lawn chair together with the use of my reflector seemed to work ok - I'll know once I have a look on the computer if I need to adjust anything.

So mark your calendars and get ready to shop! October 10 is the date I am planning to launch this thing.  Thanks to so many of you for being supportive of me and my little shop in the past. (And another one - in the comments of my last post a friend said she found me another place to sell!  I appreciate you, Deb!)

Handmade by Carolyn...

So I mentioned last time that I planned to do a one day sale in November...

It got cancelled.  Some politics between the organizer and the community association.  Oh, well.  Like I said, I rarely do well at them (but there's always the hope!!).  I found out yesterday morning, and yesterday afternoon got a text from a friend suffering from ear infections (yes, two) saying thanks again for the magic bag because it's really helping and she doesn't know how anyone lives without one.  That was nice to get just when I was bummed about selling my stuff.  A reminder that they are a great product, and that there are other outlets for selling them.

The first ones I ever made.

And then today!  Today I got an order from Ambassador Coffee for a bunch of coffee cozies to sell in their newly renovated boutique shop out east.  Very cool.  I'm glad there are places that are interested in selling locally handmade goods. 

I'm pretty sure they make your coffee taste better.

I'm checking out Etsy as a place to host my shop.  Do any of you sell on Etsy or buy stuff through there?  I have bought a few things and quite like it.  The idea of people finding me when they want what I have to offer is a big pull, rather than me trying to find places to sell.  Just thinking it through at this point.  I'll let you know when I'm ready to launch.

September.

September.  Back to school and routine; funny how even though it's only one out of four in our family that is back to school, it still affects us all.

Madeline of course has the biggest changes - new school, having to get up earlier and walk half an hour to get there (which she enjoys, actually), getting to go out at lunch with her friends and get a drink at Starbucks if she wants...  Ah, the freedom.  I've mentioned soccer - that's a change, too, because now she's playing full field, 11 man, 90 minute games.  Youth group is also different; she's in senior youth now at church, and with different connections through camp, is interested in going to groups at other churches.  Ours is on Tuesdays, so that frees up her Friday nights to go with friends to theirs - I won't complain about the extra driving for that kind of a social life!

I also got an inhaler for her today.  She's had a cough for a while, and since we were at the doctor's anyway, I had him check it out.  Sounds like asthma, so she'll puff it up till the snow comes and see how it goes.

Changes for Nolan are coming up.  I'm planning to take him to the toddler storytime at the library, and he's registered for his first round of swimming lessons later this fall.  He'll be in the 'Duck' class.  He was sleeping through the night finally, but now is back to waking some... grr.  Will it never end?  He's got a cold which made last night really bad; hopefully when that's gone we can all get back to better sleeps.  He's learning lots of words and growing - those developmental spurts can be attributed to messing up sleep at this stage, too.  Sigh.  If you ever wanted to send up a prayer for us, we'd sure appreciate it!!

Changes for me?  My days are simpler again, with just Nolan around.  Planning for suppers can be challenging having to be flexible around M's soccer schedule, but we're settling into a routine where Sean will pick up subs or something after work and come out and join us at her games, so really I end up cooking less.  I do have to make M's lunch the night before, which sometimes is a chore if I forget until I'm ready for bed, but isn't too bad usually, and it makes the mornings way smoother.  I used to send leftovers or something that needed heating up lots, though, and now with only two microwaves for the whole cafeteria, I'm sending way more sandwiches.  Takes more planning since I can't just send what's on hand.  The plus side of that is that it's not a peanut free school, so pb & jelly, honey or banana are back in rotation!

I also am planning to do another craft sale later in November.  Part of me wonders why, since I have done really poorly at most sales I've ever been in, and there are other outlets to sell my stuff, but this is just a one day event close by, so it won't be a huge waste if nothing sells.  Six hours is more manageable than a whole weekend to be away from my family, too.

Sean is probably the least affected by September's back to routine.  The biggie is that instead of M coming up from her room after Dad leaves, she is now eating her breakfast when we come down and then playing piano while he's still home.  I'll admit that I like the togetherness before everyone goes their own way.

I hope your September is full of joy and stress free.

Tidbits from the past week or so...

Madeline and Cailey - a friend from her other (red!) soccer team - playing against each other in their first high school games.  Wearing the same #21, too.

I gave Nolan another haircut.  We did the top / front sitting on the back deck Tuesday, and wasn't able to do the back until Saturday... You have to find the right balance of cooperation and quiet!  Then when he showed Dad, Dad thought it would be a good idea to style it up all spiky.  Pretty cute!

A downside to writing more letters is that I was getting a little too excited for the mail to come each day, thinking that writing more meant getting more... silly me.  But then I got TWO!  Kadence and Zach picked out cards and wrote in them and took them to the post office to send to Auntie - I smiled all day long.  They're sitting on my desk making me happy even now.

I found a great surprise when I was purging our bookshelf last week.  Back in 2007, I got bookmarks from my nephews with their school photos on them.  I had one in my bookmark box that I keep on the shelf, but had no idea where the other two had disappeared to, and that had made me sad a few times over the years.  I found them - in some of the books that I had been working through and forgotten, I guess - and that made me pretty happy, too.

Did you know there are three verses to Row, Row Row Your Boat?  We have a book of nursery rhymes that we've been pulling out at bedtime, and Row, Row Row Your Boat has been a favorite that I have sung hundreds of times lately, before putting him down for a nap or bed.  I'll leave you with this now and hope it gets stuck in your head.  You're welcome.

Row, row, row your boat,

Gently down the stream.

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,

Life is but a dream.

Row, row, row your boat,

Gently on the tide.

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,

To the other side.

 

Row, row, row your boat,

Gently back to shore.

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily,

Home for tea at four!

Red

- How was her first week? asked our friend at church this Sunday, as we sat on the floor of the nursery, playing with babies.
- Good.  She made the school soccer team and their first game is tomorrow!
- Do you remember when I reffed her games?  That was a long time ago.  I think you guys were red?
- Red.  (I laughed.)  So many years she was red.

So many years of soccer under her belt already.  So many years of being on the red team, although there was a blue year, and a maroon, maybe?  Plus a few seasons of indoor.  Then this last year she played club soccer instead of community.  More cost, more committment, more competition... She's developing greater skills and a love of the sport.  Making great friends there, too.  And wearing red.

And now a new achievement - a new step, playing for the school in a season that fill the months till club starts up again.  A grade nine among the ones who have been wearing the black for years - new jersey, new competition, new friends.

(I'm linking this up today with Lisa-Jo Baker and her Five Minute Friday.)

Little Pouches!

I've been wanting to sew some little pouches for a while now, and have a whole bunch of tutorials pinned and waiting... I finally jumped in, and made a whole bunch! I'm in love with these little beauties!

I love the bright colors, the colorful zippers, and the fun linings.  The orange with blue is in my purse, and I've given my mother-in-law one that is red with an orange inside.  It was special because it had zig zag stitching to fix the cut on the lining piece where Nolan practiced cutting with scissors.  I guess I shouldn't have taught him sitting at the sewing desk, but it made for a memorable fun little bag.

Click on over to the shop to see each one, if you'd like.  The shipping on these would be pretty cheap.  Just saying.  I've got more in the works already.

Thought I'd show you something else I finished recently.  These bibs are upcycled from an old towel - super solf, but the ends were frayed.  I used a bib my mom had made as a pattern and finished with bias tape and velcro.  They're great.

Lastly, a couple of better shots of the camera straps I made.  I'm going to have a table at the Women's Wellness Day at my family's church in Winnipeg at the beginning of November, so if you're planning to be there, you can pick something out in person.  There will be magic bags, coffee cozies, the little pouches and the camera straps.

First Day of Grade Nine: The Photos

My Beautiful High Schooler

Still Goofy

And the one who didn't want to pose with her.

A little excitement on the first day of school - a domestic disturbance in the neighborhood made the police and school board put the school in lockdown.  No one in or out all day.  Didn't affect them much, just knowing it was going on was something to make the first day memorable.

I drove her to her friend's place in the morning so they could walk together, and after school we were off to the first piano lesson of the year.  After school today she's got tryouts for the school soccer team already.  Jumping right in!

Morning Fail - or - First Day of High School!

I wanted to post a first day of school photo for you today.

This morning, however, did not cooperate with that plan.  I though we had talked through all the stuff she needed to do, but for whatever reason - probably a dozen - the best laid plans were tossed in favor of rushing and stress and anger.

The anger on my part didn't last too long; once we were back home and settled playing in the back yard, I realized I should feel sympathy more than anger.  Yes, she could have had a much better morning, and hopefully all the mornings for the rest of the year will be!, but she is 14, and today is her first day of high school.  Who wouldn't be nervous about a new building, teachers, routines, and will I be able to find where I'm supposed to go?  Who wouldn't be nervous about finding her friends and meeting potential new ones and the sea of new faces, and boys, and whether friendships have changed over the summer, and if circles of girls can change? 

It is not a mom fail that she didn't respond as she has been trained when she was reminded to go back and brush her teeth. This morning as a whole was not great; not the worst we've ever had, but not one I'd like to repeat again soon, either; but it was not a mom fail.  It was one short morning that we get to do over tomorrow.  And the next day, and so on.  We each get unlimited second chances to practice better preparation, better routines, better responses.

So instead of first day photos, which I can still try to get this afternoon (and hm, the baby might actually be dressed by then), I'll share a few resources for Moms to help with the morning successes.

This post by Lysa TerKeurst is great on the school morning deal, and has links to a week's worth of emails she will send you to help you not become unglued over it all.

This post has five back to school prayers.

I'm halfway through this book and it has some pretty good stuff in it.

What helps your mornings to be great?

Back to Books

I am not a very good book reviewer; I don't feel the need to analyze or rate one once I've finished, I just pick up the next one.  It's partly the reason I stopped keeping a log of what I was reading for you, and it gets me tongue tied at times at book club...

That said, I do find it helpful to come across lists of books that 'real people' have read and liked (as opposed to lists of prize winners - am I the only one who finds those ones often odd? - or lists by people I don't know).  So new to the blog this fall will be a monthly roundup of books that I've read that I would highly recommend.  Just like what I would be happy to stumble across.

And I'd be thrilled if you would leave a comment with your latest great reads so I have ideas to put on hold at the library for next month!

Here are my recommended reads from this summer:

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles.  "Set in New York City in 1938, Rules of Civility tells the story of a watershed year in the life of an uncompromising twenty-five-year-old named Katey Kontent. Armed with little more than a formidable intellect, a bracing wit, and her own brand of cool nerve, Katey embarks on a journey from a Wall Street secretarial pool through the upper echelons of New York society in search of a brighter future." (From the book's website.)


Divergent by Veronica Roth.  I read this one last year and liked it so it was my book club pick for the year.  It was our summer read, so the one we'll be discussing in September.  A young adult dystopian novel.

Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry.  One man's life story, deeply thoughtful on life in community and belonging and place, and progress / government / war.

The Secrets of Mary Bowser by Lois Leveen.  Based on a real person, a freed slave turned spy during the US Civil War. 

Reminders in the Garden - Part Three

After the snow, the city cleaners come and sweep the streets, but after a few months, dirt and leaves and garbage blow in and make it grimy looking again.  Nolan and I were out front one morning and I grabbed a rake and a garden bucket and we started cleaning it up.  Lots of it raked up, but then we had to go get the brooms to pick up the rest.

And it got me thinking...

Sometimes in our lives, areas can get dirty or cluttered simply because we don't notice a gradual build up.  Too much internet time?  House cleaning?  Not enough quiet time each day?  I find that all of a sudden you just notice - maybe Someone brings it to mind? - and it's not too hard to jump in and want to make it right. It's a quick fix, a simple decision to change.  But then comes the follow through, and the realization that it's maybe a bigger job than you thought.  Maybe you ignored that voice suggesting you 'clean it up' a little too long and you need to do more scrubbing than you expected.  Has that ever happened to you?

Keep it up!  Good habits in life (and in keeping up the yard!) take continual reminders and motivation.  Find new ways to stay motivated, picture what you want the end result to be, and be encouraged!  The dirt drifting in happens to everyone, but we all have the resources to make changes for the better.

I should warn you: getting one area cleaned up will lead to you noticing other areas that need changing. :)

Thanks for reading my Reminders in the Garden this week!  Here are Part One and Part Two if you missed them.

School Supplies for Mom...

I've had some ideas floating around my brain lately of how I could reorganize around the house a bit.  One is about a new way to corral recipes, and the other involves a place to keep ideas for different things - a central location for lists and brain dumps.  Chore lists, blog ideas, my to do list...

So I've been half watching the school supplies, and today I came home with these beauties.

My frugal self thinks I could probably re-purpose a binder that I already have sitting on my shelf holding stuff I never look at, but I told that self to live a little and splurge.  Seriously, it was a few dollars.

My question for you, as I figure out exactly how to make these work in a way that is helpful for me, is how do you keep organized when it comes to your lists and paper stuff?

How do you keep your running to-do list?

How do you manage your multiple cookbooks and the recipes you use all the time? 

Or do you just rely on technology for all this??  

Come on, all you lurkers, I'm really curious, and I know I can just go search on Pinterest, but I want to hear from real people!  I happen to think that the people who read my blog are pretty awesome...  Thanks in advance for your input, and I will post what I come up with later.

Reminders in the Garden - Part Two

On Monday I wrote that lately some of the jobs I've been puttering away at in my yard have reminded me of parallels in other parts of life.  "Spiritual principles just hanging out in the yard waiting to be noticed.  God's message speaking through nature." Here's another one.

In the back corner of the yard stands my beautiful majestic big tree.  I didn't get a before picture, because I thought of this while I was working...  This tree has been allowed to freely bloom this year because I simply didn't notice the slow growth that turned into lots of green shoots coming up from the lower trunk.  I cut them off partly to tidy up the looks of it, and partly so that the nourishment from the ground goes up to the branches and leaves above and is not wasted on unsightly sprouts that do nothing for the beauty of the tree.

What parallel do you see there?  

It made me think of spreading my energy too thin, allowing things in my life that don't line up with who I want to be, and not leaving time and space to really build up that person. This wasn't a big 'a-ha' moment or anything, but a pretty cool reminder that when I do have a choice with my time and space, I should use my energy for things that fit with who I am and who I want to be.  Feed the beautiful habits; starve the ugly ones.

Part One is here.
This is Part Two.
Part Three on Friday...

Reminders in the Garden - Part One

We spend a lot of our time playing outside in the yard, and when I'm not playing with Nolan in the sandbox or with his golf clubs or tractors, I'm usually puttering around, tidying this and that or pulling weeds.  Lately some of these jobs reminded me of parallels in other parts of life.  Spiritual principles just hanging out in the yard waiting to be noticed.  God`s message speaking through nature. 

In my back garden (which is pretty pathetic, really), I have mainly orange lilies; a couple are wood lilies (or western red lilies, like the one on the Saskatchewan flag) and the rest Michigan lilies, which bloom seemingly upside down.  I know these facts because I just looked them up, not because I planted them... I have moved them around some, but these bulbs were here when I bought the house 13 years ago.

I noticed one stalk that was bent right over and was just about to cut it off when I saw that the buds were still healthy looking.  Either it was a recent injury or they were still getting what they needed through that broken stalk.  I remembered, too, the verse that says "A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out" (Isaiah 42:3), and I thought I would leave it alone for the time being.  Sure enough:

 

Beautiful flowers, growing right down there on the dirt.

I think of how God doesn't throw us out when we're not perfect, doesn't see us as useless, but gives us a chance to flower and shine and bring beauty to this world in spite of our circumstances.  Maybe situations beyond your control have left you broken, maybe you've made the choices that have left you bent, in the dirt, and feeling that you don't have the potential to become all that you once dreamed... either way, God can still use you to bring beauty and joy to his world.  He can and wants to use you - there is hope and wonder in that.

Though the stalk on those flowers was broken, it was still able to take the nutrients to the flowers and make them bloom.  Your circumstances do not need to determine your outcome.  Let God work in you, and may you shine out the beauty he made you with.

This is Part One of a mini-series - Part Two and Part Three coming up later this week.  Thanks for visiting!

Madeline Funnies

Madeline: Is there a Rider game today?
Sean: Yes.
Madeline: Is it here?
Sean: Yes.
Madeline: Who are they playing?
Sean: Edmonton.
Madeline: Oh! The Oilers!
Us: ha ha ha....
Madeline: Oh, wait... the Eskimos...

Ten minutes later, we're passing a Viterra grain terminal on the way to Gramma and Grampa's...
Madeline: What's Viterra?
Sean: A grain company.
Madeline: Is that the same thing as Viagra?
Us: ha ha ha... Remember the conversation we had the other day when you saw that ad on TV and asked what Cialas was??
Madeline: EEWW!

What Kind of Conference??

I was reading through a bunch of different blogs the other night, and two very different writers mentioned conferences; one was about an incident that happened while she was at a conference, and one was about the author having to overcome her fears of crowds and public speaking to go to a conference that she really wanted to attend.

I was struck by the fact that there must be conferences for everything - the one mentioned was a conference for DIY/Home Bloggers, with tracks both on DIY instruction and on blogging and social media.  I guess there are a whole lot of people out there who are interested in both... I browsed around and found lots of different kinds - academic conferences, Christian conferences, blogging conferences...

I have been to Youth Quake (a youth conference at Briercrest) and Breakforth (the largest equipping and renewal conference in North America), and two years ago now our church put on a great one day women's conference/retreat, but it's been a while since I've had to slap on a name tag for something like that.

Of all the ones I've noticed recently, the one that caught my eye the most was the Declare Conference.  It's a blog conference to encourage women to keep sharing their stories, and to equip them to share those stories effectively.  "God’s use of many voices for one message [in the gospels] resonated with our desire for Christian bloggers to share the unique story of God’s good news in their lives" (from their website.)  It's in Texas, though.  That's a little far.  And it was last weekend.  And as of last weekend, N was not weaned, so leaving for a weekend was not an option.  (As of next weekend, well, we'll see...!)  Maybe they will hold a fourth one next year...

Then there's the whole retreat angle - often as inspiring and motivating, but more hands on, maybe?  Where a conference fills you up with ideas and motivation, a retreat is more an outlet to unwind from everything else and focus on one thing, and get something accomplished.  A friend of mine goes on a yearly painting retreat with her sister, and some friends and I have gone on a scrapbook retreat for a number of years now.  Either one - a retreat or a conference - can be a great getaway, inspiring you in areas of your life that you feel strongly about developing.  I am looking forward to going on our scrapbooking retreat again this fall after missing the last ones, and I will begin to keep my eyes open for conferences that may fit with my passions and see if I can make something work one of these years.

Have you ever gone to a conference?  What kind?  What would you go to a conference about?

Top Ten Things To Know About Me

Every so often I try to rethink my blog and the purpose for writing.  I'm not a mom blogger or a food or craft or scrapbook or faith blogger, even though there's a bit of all of those in here.  I decided that 'Telling Our Stories' was actually a pretty good tagline for what I do around here.  I came up with these top ten things to know about me to replace my 'about this blog' page and the 'my story' page that just never got written. 

• I am a Christian, so everything I experience and do is filtered through my relationship with Jesus. 
• I was widowed at 30, and left with a four year old.
• I am happily married a second time, and am a stay at home mom again with a daughter just starting high school and a toddler son.
• I am an introvert (INFJ) and would happily stay home most of the time.
• I value relationships and so I also happily get out of the house for playdates and book club.
• I like to sew and to make money off the things I sew. (Check out my shop?)
• I like to stay fit and try to eat smart.  
• I like to sit and read and eat cookies, too.  It's all about the balance...
• I scrapbook and make cards, and am trying to write more letters and send more mail!
• I blog to stay connected with family (I moved 6 hours away from mine, so they can't see my kids every day) and friends, and to share our stories.

If you know me, is there anything on this list that you didn't know??
If you don't know me, what types of posts do you most enjoy reading??

What they're like now: 14 & 18 months

Madeline at fourteen

• likes doing her hair and experimenting with it
• struggles to find clothes that are trendy enough to make a style statement and yet are still within our modesty requirements
• has more freedom - a later bedtime, can go out with friends on her own, can walk or bike to farther places on her own
• has more responsibility - she babysits a little, has money coming in, has a bank card and a system for making sure she doesn't spend more than she makes
• is still social - she misses her school and soccer friends as it's been hard to connect over the summer, but has got in some good cousin time, and has had a good time making new friends at soccer camp
• is a little nervous about the first days at high school, and about going to senior teen since her junior teen week at camp got cancelled.  Back to being the youngest...

Nolan at a year and a half

• loves kitchen 'toys' and will happily play with pots and pans and the big spoons - his latest favorite is the griddle and spatulas and flipping the dishcloth steaks / pancakes, saying "Hot! Hot!" and mimicking Sean's timer for going out and flipping the burgers on the BBQ. 
• is finally sleeping through the night for the most part.  He'll still wake and cry occasionally around 1 am, but can usually just fall right back asleep.  It's been a long journey to get here!
• is weaning - we're down to just one bed time feed...
• loves his monkey pj's and will keep the monkey shirt on as long as he can in the mornings
• loves running water - the hose, the spray pad down the street, the taps in his bath and while we're brushing our teeth
• and brushing his teeth: Winnie the Pooh on his toothbrush (the dentist gave it to Madeline to give to him!), and now toothpaste of his own - Thomas the Train
• is a big fan of trains - toot toot!  He has a few train books that we read regularly.
• has awesome hearing, whether it's the trains two blocks away, planes in the sky, or the back up beeps of construction trucks or garbage trucks, he notices.

Desperately Seeking Snail Mail Stationery

I received a lovely sympathy card when M's Grandma passed, from M's Grandma's sister.  Her sister passes and she sends us a note.  How sweet.  This lovely lady sends a note every Christmas, and I wanted to send a letter back.  I had used up all the letter writing paper I had, so I set out to find more... it's now weeks later, and I've searched in just about all the shops in town I can think of, with no luck.  I've also browsed online with little success.  It's quite possible that I've missed some, but I think the sad reality is that there is little call for paper for writing letters on.

Yes, I can pick up a pad of plain white paper that is letter sized, but I want pretty.  I want fun.  I want colorful.  I am so demanding.

Later...

I stopped in at Chapters on the way to pick up M from soccer camp yesterday.  We had been there somewhat recently, but I couldn't remember if I had checked.  They did have *TWO* styles of writing paper - one good quality but plain, and the other, one that I had seen online and liked.  So I picked up the 'Watercolor Birds Letter-Perfect Stationery' by Peter Pauper Press and have got my first letter written and ready to mail.  You might want to watch your mailbox this week and see in you're the lucky recipient!

I came across an article that said long letters are on the downturn, but that sending short notes is still quite popular.  I did find lots of card sets both in shops and online, so I would suspect that is true.  I do find that I send cards far more than letters; the difference maybe is that a card is usually sent because of an occasion, or for a reason, although once in a while I will send one just because.  A letter in my mind is completely just because.  It's a bit of love via pen and paper for no reason other than genuine affection.  And cards I can make; paper has to be bought... or so I thought.  I found a blog called Papered Thoughts and like some of the ideas she uses to send letters.  I might go through my scrapbooking stuff and make my own letter writing paper, too.

I guess what matters is that sense of connection - that there is something in the mail because I think you're important.  Whether it's a card or letter, bought or made, for a specific reason or none at all, it's something special.

I am going to try to send more mail.  You?  What was the last piece of mail you got or the last fun mail you sent? 

Huge Family Heirloom Denim Picnic Blanket Quilt

Well, it is pretty big, it is denim, and it is meant for the picnics I've dreamed of having on it... but family heirloom? We'll have to see if it lasts or not!  And if either of my kids are sentimental... that might play a big role in that question.  :)  Actually, I don't think 'denim' and 'family heirloom' belong in the same sentence.

Ta Da!!

Can you find the two pockets??

Throw on a toddler for perspective...

Had to throw this one in.

The back - a fun splash of color.

The End!

I didn't handstitch a blind binding on it - too much work for what it's on.  I sewed it on the back first, then when I flipped it around to the front, I was just careful to stitch close to the edge and cover the first seam.  So the back has a line of stitching that shows around the binding, and I am just fine with that.

I'm done just in time, because I hear a toddler awake in his crib... poor guy is a little sick and his coughing woke him up an hour too soon.  We'll have to have a mellow afternoon making cookies and supper.  He loves playing in the kitchen (flipping 'steaks' on the griddle, and imitating Sean's timer he uses for flipping stuff on the bbq), so it should be an ok couple of hours until we have to go get Madeline from soccer camp at the University.  She had a good first day yesterday, but came home TIRED.  Ha ha - it'll be a good week for her.

Love you all!!  Thanks for visiting!

a nap time truth

The house is quiet with one napping and one out babysitting.  A truth I've learned is that if I get some work done first and then sit with my book, the hours of nap feel longer and more productive.  If I sit first, I get groggy and it's hard to get up to do anything. Today I sat first, but managed to get my but in gear to also get at some 'can't do with Nolan's help' work.  It helps that my book isn't all that captivating.  My quilt is almost finished - only one side left of the binding to sew - so I'm headed to my machine to see if I can knock that one off my to do list.  It's been a long project and I will be so happy to have it done, even thought it's been in use already many times unfinished.  Photos to come!