Lab Work Sleepover Pants

 

During Christmas vacation, K* and I picked out some fabric at JoAnn's for her to sew S* some pajama pants.  On Saturday, January 19th, she got started by cutting out the pattern pieces and fabric.  We then spent a couple of hours taking our time sewing the pants before it was time to call it a day.  We used the sleepover pajama pants pattern from Oliver + S.  So this was not a "beginner" pair of pajama pants in that the bottom cuffs and waist band were out of a contrasting material.

Monday, January 21st, there was no school, so while S* was in their room playing we finished the pajama pants up and made a tee shirt to go with them.  Well, we didn't actually make a tee shirt, we found an orange one at target and stitched a rectangle of fabric to the front.  I think the fabric is called Lab Work and has fun lab and robotic things on it.  S* loves science. 

 

 

 

I'm pretty proud of K*. She really did the bulk of the work. She cut the pattern and fabric out herself. I would iron one pant leg to show her what to do and she'd do the other pant leg. She guided the fabric through the sewing machine 90% of the time. I helped with the peddle depending on what part she was sewing. I did do the top stitching on the orange contrast cuffs and to make the elastic casing for the waist. She worked hard and did her best and they turned out fantastic for a first real sewing project. And I think her brother felt pretty special that she made them for him

 

Ribbon Heart Wreath

 

My mom made this ribbon heart wreath for Valentine's this year; inspired by pins on pinterest, like this one.

Currently Reading: Jan 2013

I am currently reading these two books:

 

 

Between Shades if Gray is the first book I've read on an electronic device.  Kind of neat.  Only the iphone screen is a bit small.  Not sure I want to read all my books that way, but when I can't get it from the library as quickly as I'd like, it's a nice electronic option.

 

Between Shades of Gray

 



And, I have these two waiting on my nightstand:

 

 

I used to be really good about keeping up with updating my goodreads book lists, but not so much over the last year.  I forgot that it was nice to keep a list of books I may want to read and to look back at books I have read and really liked {or didn't like}.  And by seeing books my friends have read, are reading or want to read, it gives me ideas of what I might want to {or not want to} read in the future.  Since moving into our apartment over the summer, I haven't read many books.  Which is unusual for me, I'm a normally a bookworm.  I have been reading magazines and things online though.  Anyway, here's to hoping I get around to reading {and keeping track of} more books this year.

Heart Shaped Carrots

I saw a pin on pinterest for heart shaped carrots, so I tried it out earlier this week in some vegetable soup I made for dinner one night.

 

I pretty much followed the way she explains it at Sophistimom, except to shape the pointed bottom part of the heart, rather than peeling it to a point I used a knife to slice each side for the point {if that makes any sense} and then my kids ate the thin carrot sticks leftover from doing it that way.  Also, I'm pretty sure the bigger the carrots, the easier it is.  I just used what I already had in the fridge and they were pretty small.

New Year's Interview 2013

After seeing several pins on pinterest about New Year's Interviews, I decided to quickly type one up for S* & K*, pulling from all the various ones I had looked at.  Nothing cutesy or fancy, just a word document that will be easy to use each year with minimal changes.

 

At four pages, it may initially seem long, but my kids are old enough I think to handle it.  So, as well as some fun questions and questions that will show how their likes change or stay the same year after year, there are also more thoughtful questions that I look forward to reading and remembering what really meant the most to them over the year as they think back on how things were from their perspective.  It may or may not also be my way of making a "cliff notes" version of 2012 as it was kind of big deal to sell our house of 12 years and I haven't been so great at keeping up with journals.

 

I already found out S* would change his name to Bob and K* would go by Anna.

 

 

 

I also plan to do a 52+ reasons jar for my DH as a Christmas gift in 12 months.  Once a week, I will write down something that I love about him or that I noticed he did for me.  I love the idea of 365 reasons, but I'm trying to be realistic and don't want to set myself up for failure.  Once a week seems more doable, but the + can be for those times when I'm on the ball and write more often.  I don't have a jar or container at this point in time, so it's an envelope for now.

 

And this may seem ambitious to go along with the above two items (the New Year's interviews are about 95% complete though), but I plan to do a family memory jar for the year also to read on New Year's Eve 2013 as a family.  I think it will be fun to write down big things, little things, blessings, sweet things, silly things and whatever else my little family decides to include in the jar throughout the year.

 

 I see both of these ideas as a way for me to focus more on the positive, little things in life throughout the year, especially when it comes to family and the things we experience together.  And hopefully my family will too.  I really like the idea of having a memory jar each year with a picture on a shelf somewhere.  And, no looking back wishing I would have started or done something in years past when the kids were younger. 

 

Some ideas: 365 reasons, a jar full of memories, New Year's time capsule, memory jar, and New Year's Eve jar.

Clothing Sewn in 2012

1. Vintage Modern meets McCall's 6313, 2. Pintucked Corduroy, 3. Citronille Daisy, 4. Brynnberlee Brooke Dress, 5. Farmdale Blossom Skirt, 6. Summer PJs, 7. Bedtime Story PJs, 8. Yellow Sunshine Skirt, 9. Onion 20026, 10. Bunny Tee & Skirt, 11. Lucky Charm tee, 12. Paper Airplanes pj pants & tee, 13. Onion 2002614. Not available15. Not available16. Not available

Crafty Projects of 2012

1. Colors Quiet Book- Cover, 2. Sugar Rush made with Make Life, 3. Turning Twenty made with Yad Sale, 4. Pencil Rolls, 5. Pencils Rolls, 6. Wooden Nativity, 7. Hooded Baby Towel, 8. Arrow of Light Career Arrow, 9. String Art, 10. A grandfather is, 11. Hoo's in the Forest Pencil Roll, 12. Summer Reading Log, 13. Ribbon & Button Bookmark, 14. Chocolate Bunny Blocks, 15. Butterick 4251 Tee Pee, 16. Campfire Cupcakes, 17. Wooden Conversation Hearts, 18. Happy Birthday blocks & presents, 19. Summer Breeze tablerunner, 20. Hometown tablerunner #1

Felt Quiet Book: COLORS

 

For Christmas, I made my niece E* a felt quiet book about colors.  I was inspired by the felt color book from the turnbow family blog and using fabric letters (cut out with my silhouette, my first time cutting fabric with it!) from everyday celebrations, she has a nice tutorial for her colors quiet book.  And I like the idea of using balloons instead of flowers, found here.

 

K* went to JoAnn Fabrics with me one afternoon and we picked out three fabrics for each of the eleven colors.  We were a little worn out from all that coordinating/thinking.  I tried to let my sweet, seven year old pick all the fabrics out with minimal guidance (and picking from what was on sale of course), I think she did pretty good.  The felt for the flowers is from Hobby Lobby.  All the fabric, the buttons (3/4") and gray felt for the book are from JoAnn's.  The font for the color words is Pea Sarah Lynne (124 pt).  It's about 9" square.  The flowers are just over 2" across.  I used heat 'n' bond ultra on the letters and fabric rectangles to adhere them to the felt.

Activity Days: Secret Service

For our activity days activity the week before Christmas, we used this idea from the fickle pickle for secret service.  I pretty much copied what she had typed up, just a few small changes.  Fonts are Miserably Lose and GungsuhChe.