Progress and Planning

This week has gotten off to a wonderful start. My penchant for planning luckily is appreciated by my hubby. Each week I create a list of ideas for dinner and lunch, and try and schedule study time and movie time. We don't always follow said schedule but it gives me an idea of what can be made and what can be accomplished during the week. This week my lovely planning needs have helped me allocate time to start my project for my first swap and even complete my bag from this great book....

Weekend Sewing by Heather Ross

I made the great big tote bag which allows me to stow practically everything in it and bring all of my treasures just about anywhere. I used sturdy heavy weight material not just cotton because I know I can be brutal to my bags and it came out beautifully.

I'll add a picture of the bag once I take just the right one, I promise.

I learned from this experience that a particular needle is definitely needed dependent upon the type of fabric being used. Also it's a good thing to wear glasses while you are sewing if you forget to change said needle and it breaks and launches at your face. I broke oh, three needles accomplishing this piece and I vow I will try the project again but will make several adjustments and I am sure one needle this time will be sufficient.

I was privileged to meet Ms. Ross in person and she was a delight. She demonstrated the smocking technique which is featured in her book and I plan on measuring my nieces this weekend (more on that later) to make them all a dress. This book is a definite recommendation for sewers out there. I loved the projects and can't wait to make the dresses and much more.

Now for the weekend...my best friend is flying in from Texas and we are going to veg out and catch up for as long as I can keep her, can't wait and then I'll be seeing my nieces and nephews from hubby's side on Saturday afternoon and then Saturday evening heading over to my AutoBot brother's house to watch this movie with his girls (did I mention that he and Nemo (his doggie) are seriously outnumbered in their own house by girls; I love it)!!!! So here's the movie....

Ballet Shoes is based on a novel by Noel Streatfeild and this movie version features Emma Watson, Hermione from the Harry Potter movies. Per Amazon.com "Orphans Pauline (Emma Watson), Petrova (Yasmin Paige), and Posy (Lucy Boynton) are being raised by an elder sister Sylvia (Emilia Fox) and her Nana (Victoria Wood) in the absence of their eccentric great uncle Matthew (Richard Griffiths). As Sylvia struggles to educate and support her three charges on very limited funds, she is forced to let rooms and enroll the girls in the Academy of Dance and Stage Training in hopes of furthering their education and preparing them to earn a comfortable living. While at the academy, each of the three ambitious girls discovers her own personal calling and labors intensively to achieve her dreams: Pauline studies to become a star on the stage, Petrova gravitates toward a career in aviation, and Posy trains to become a great classical ballerina. Their paths are difficult and full of adversity, but the sisters' steadfast support of one another and common resolve to earn a place in the history books based on their own merits propels each of them toward individual success. A compelling and inspirational film that encourages young women to strive for their dreams. "

All of us girls, Nala included will be watching the movie, eating cupcakes and having a ball.

I'm in!

I have been accepted in a grocery tote swap! Me, YES ME!!!! I'm so excited.

This weekend I'm going to create a lovely bag for my partner. I might even make a couple more bags.

Can you just feel the excitement!!!!!!

Swap-Bot

I joined Swap-bot and I've joined a swap for grocery bags. Reader, if you are familiar with my blog you'll instantly realize that this is the perfect first time swap for me. I have the experience since I've created so many in the past for friends and family. Plus its one of my favorite projects. I have learned how to modify my pattern by adding pockets, adjusting straps, and using different types of fabric. My last bag I used a great flannel material for the oustide and a linen type material for the inside. I'm a newbie but I hope they visit my website and see how eager I am to join and particpate. I promise I'll send in the project on time and get fabric choices that will be pleasing to my swap partner! I can't wait!!!!!

Updating

An 8 GB memory card is gleefully capturing moments of my family having a ball or getting in trouble, other fun events and some spectacular projects I’ve been making, whenever I remember to take a photo.

Trouble is I haven’t uploaded a third of these files to my computer to print them out or post them to my blog.

I keep saying I’ll do it tonight, tomorrow, in the morning, at lunch, sometime soon. I’ll even get on the computer, log-on to the website to upload them to either print out the pictures for display in my house, or make a scrapbook page but then I find one of these photos. I'll stop for a second and smile.

This is BB; yes I have other nieces and nephews but I haven’t yet obtained their parent’s consent to post them as of yet. Yup I make them sign a release form. :) not really. See, isn’t she cute, isn’t she funny, don’t you forget what it is that you were reading when you look at her photo. So I'll keep scrolling through my photos and discover yet another gem …

Well my finger stalls above the mouse button and I can’t click print. You see dear Reader, this was BB, but BB looks bigger and in just a couple of months. Hasn’t she just grown! She’s having her own tea parties for heaven’s sake and in just a matter of months! Can you tell I can't get over that fact.

My heart can’t hit print and place her pictures on my wall. I can’t take it. In just a month, a week, a day even BB will come bouncing into my house and I’ll again be struck by how much she has grown in so short a time.

She’ll smile at me and I might even get an “I lube you” and then I’ll melt. If I look up at her picture and see her "baby days" shining down at me I’ll cry when I notice she’s a big girl now.

It wouldn’t be just any cry either it would be great big gloppy tears and I’m not even her mother. What must poor sister be feeling!

Unfortunately or fortunately, however you see it life though must go on, BB will need to get big and strong and go to school, make friends, learn to share, drive a car…okay let me stop before I really cry.

This isn’t an experience that is entirely new to me, I’ve had my heart melted before, so many times by other little girls and boys in my family as I’ve watched them grow. But still no matter how many times it happens isn’t it hard to watch them grow.

I should print the pictures though, just to remember those special moments. I’ll just make one of those wonderful tissue holders and keep some on hand for the happy crying moments that are around the corner…

I could sure use a whole box of tissues right now.

Why I started blogging....

Reader, are you a true reader or a reader/blogger? If you are a reader/blogger why did you start your blog? Better yet, why are you keeping your blog active?

I started my blog, basically because my sister started her's. We have a fun thing in our family, when one person does something and it makes them happy we all try it and join in on the fun. Sometimes after our initial try, lifers are born and continue their new found happiness. In the case with my blog I tried it, I liked it and I kept blogging.

Conceptually, my blog was to have been the on-line location of all pictures, words, etc that were perfection by me. What ended up happening is I used my blog to vent, post my accomplishments, whine, celebrate my family, and mostly to remember.

Reader, I am aware that my posts are often staggered but you must understand I blog when I need it. When something truly wonderful strikes me I blog about it to capture it on-line and share it with everyone. :) While my posts will not bring down the Internet with the thousands of readers flocking to this site for my shiny two cents, it makes me happy. So I'll continue to blog until it becomes excruciatingly hard to blog, who knows when or how, and hopefully you'll keep visiting whenever you can.