knitting, creating, and loving life in the Midwest
Valentine’s Day is barely over and I’m already eyeing the next holiday!
We had a rather ugly frame that had the redeeming quality of being wide and flat, so I figure i would decoupage it with St Patrick’s Day-themed papers. I got the little Luck, of the Irish embellishment and placed the paper so that the large shamrock would be in the lower right corner.
Easy peasy!
So, a couple of weekends ago we were all sick as dogs. The boys were running around, not letting their coughs interfere with playing, but my husband and I were feeling like spit warmed over. I had a whole Sunday ahead of me and I decided to do something productive. I mean, more productive than adding to the used tissue pile.
The last time my fabric store had a flannel sale I snagged a few different pieces.
Blues were the dominant color, but I chose patterns that weren’t too baby-ish. I’m kind of done with puppies and kitties and duckies at this point.
I made a few sets of jammies with my boys’ initial on the t-shirt top.
They share the same first initial, so handing them down to little brother won’t be a problem!
I also made a few fitted sheets and pillowcases
I found cute blue ribbon with moons and stars, I thought it fit the bedtime scheme, so I added it to the pillowcases
All in all I made 2 fitted sheets, 3 pillowcases, 3 sets of jammies and about 8 pajama pants. No, I didn’t make them all on that Sunday, but I started then, which is the toughest thing to do, to get started.
I get this silly “frontier woman providing for her family” feeling whenever my boys wear or use something I’ve made. It’s a great feeling.
We are spending tonight as a family, I have planned a scavenger hunt for the boys and some sweet prizes. Should be lots of fun! I also got some heart shaped pasta for dinner – ravioli (from Costco) for us and plain (from World Market) for the boys.
I did, however, put together a little board with an outfit for a fancy Valentine’s dinner out. Yes, that is Kate Middleton’s engagement dress, but in a lovely burgundy color, with classic accessories and my favorite perfume for dressy nights.
I am so excited about tonight! Hope the boys like their scavenger hunt!!
This morning I was at my sons’ school, helping out in my oldest’s classroom. I listened to him and his classmates singing their days of the week and their months of the year. The last syllable in December lasts longer, and goes higher, and it always makes me smile, to listen to all those sweet young voices singing it.
As I left, I stopped by the office to buy some Valentines for him. My little one has no classes there on Monday but my oldest does. They’re raising money by selling lollipops you can buy for $1 and they will be delivered to the classroom. I hope he likes them.
I went through the playground to get to my car and got sweet hugs from my boy, who was on recess. I also got some winks. Winks are awesome, and he does them so well. Then his BFF came up to me to get a hug, too.
I smiled as I got in my car, my boy and his friends playing in the cold, but sunny morning, their laughter a tender melody; my other boy learning more every day in his classroom, too.
It was a good moment. I love my life.
The first step in finding a solution for a problem, as we all know, is to acknowledge there is a problem. In my case, there were two problems that prevented me from looking presentable when doing the school run.
One – I like to have stuff ready
Two – I panic when I have to make split-second decisions
This meant I ended up running out of the house in sweatpants and one of my husband’s t-shirts most days, because nothing in my own closet seemed to suit.
Now, with a little pre-planning, I am hardly likely to make Vanity Fair’s Best Dressed List but at least I don’t look like complete and utter shit while dropping the boys at school.
No, I don’t make a pic like this every week, this is just for demonstration purposes 😀
What I do do is, set up my clothes and accessories on hangers so they are ready to go, and all I have to do is grab them and get dressed.
Every weekend I take 7 hangers for the upcoming week and first hang a pair of pants on the hanger bar, then take out some t-shirts/tanks/blouses and hang them on. If it’s going to be a chilly week, layer on the cardigan/jacket/sweater.
I also add the accessories at this point – any jewelry gets hung on the hanger, as do scarves if needed. Brooches/pins get put on the outer garment. If I think I’ll wear a hat, then I either stuff it in a pocket or lay it over the pants hanging inside.
This is just my little method to look respectable in the mornings. It works for me, it alleviates my panic (I take meds, but I’d rather make things as easy as I can) and I don’t need to think about it too much. Win-win!
I’m linking this up to Amanda’s Weekend Bloggy Reading Party!
I was told that if I wanted a photo of my oldest with the jammies I made him, it would only be with him standing on the back of the sofa.
Only 5 years old and already making demands like J.Lo, I tell you!
I just bought some flannel – it was super cheap at JoAnn – so I’m going to be making some fitted sheets and more jammies for my sweet boys.
My oldest boy went through a serious elephant phase a couple of years ago, and even though dinosaurs are now his thing, he still has a soft spot for elephants. I had bought some soft flannel fabric to make him blankets, but now that he’s left behind footy pajamas, I figured I’d make him some two piece jammies.
A couple of months ago I made him a gray set – gray/cream elephant print pants and I cut out his first initial out of a scrap of fabric left and sewed it onto a plain gray t-shirt. He loved it, my mother-in-law loved it, and my mother even thought I had bought it somewhere.
Out came another elephant fabric blanket for the transformation. Here are the steps I have followed – mom taught me how to get a elastic-waist pants pattern from a regular pair of pants.
Start out with a regular (not elastic waist) pair of pants.
Take one of the legs and pull it inside out.
Cut out the applique in the shape of your choice. Lucky for me, both my boys’ names start with A 😀
Stitch applique onto shirt. I use a zigzag stitch and do all the edges twice.
My boy is pretty psyched to wear these, but he needs to stop jumping around while watching Godzilla so I can snap a good pic 😀
Casa de Berry 