Silky and the lines are shiny

A sort of Transformer?

Ocean waves

Varied design w/ Made in Japan on the salvage!

When he finally did send me fabric, he did a good job. I got a HUGE pile of batiks – that have already been stashed in the fat quarter box – as well as these ones pictured and a few others that have already been used. He sent the Transformer-like fabric for Jake, we haven’t used it yet, and Hello Kitty for Alice, designated for a new bag. The batiks are in our fat quarter box to be used whenever, same with these other cuts.

Except for the silks at the top. SO pretty! I’m saving them for the inside of a purse or bag, they aren’t very large pieces. We’ve been saving the salvages for ages now (it’s awesome how quickly these can add up!) and I’m excited to have a made in Japan one. Too cool.

Japanese Fabric is a post from: me being crafty

It’s been a while I know.

JW Conway

born Jan 18, 8 lbs 15 oz, 20 inches

On Jan 17 in the evening my contractions got regular and the dr told me take a  bath and see what happens. The bath didn’t speed anything up, and I managed to get some sleep. The contractions did wake me up at night, but it wasn’t anything really horrible. When I got up in the morning I told my Mom it was time, and we got to the hospital at about 9:30 or 10. When we got to the hospital, I told the nurse I was there to have my baby – she said “I never got a call about an induction for today, nothing is on the books.” I said “oh no, I mean I’m in labor now and am having him today.” She looked at me like I was crazy. Hahaha

I labored on my own for a handful of hours, until the nurse said we should do pitocin to get me over the hump, to get things kicked up a notch. Once I got the pit, things definitely moved along. I went from being dialated 2/3 to 5 really fast, then on to 9 shortly after that. He was born at 4:27PM, after just a few minutes of pushing. For some reason, I think the actual having him hurt more then with my other kids! I’m not sure why I feel that way.

JW – one month old

We had a rough start to having him here. He lost two pounds over two weeks due to my not producing enough milk, so we started supplementing with formula. He rebounded fast and at a month is almost at ten pounds. He’s doing good now and I’m finally moving on to trying different things to help with my milk. Nursing is important to me and while I still am, I’d like to not have to use formula.

With luck I’ll get better at updating here, this post took several hours due to a combination of my laptop not cooperating, the kids, JW, eating food, etc.

Oh Yeah That Baby is a post from: me being crafty

Last night she started quilting hers and I finished one set of three blocks for mine.

I made three of this block – I found the pattern on the Quilters Cache website, it is called Clay’s Choice. It called for three colors and I used four, but I really like how it turned out. And I’m quite proud that I can get the points in the middle to match up!

This morning I started this block! It’s not even sewn together yet. This one is also from the Quilters Cache – it is called Card Trick. But it looks totally different then the Card Trick! That’s because I used fat quarters, vs using something more like a half a yard. So we had to fudge and figure what would work with the fabric we had. And I like this! I like the blue marble and blue flower making diamonds and triangles, and I like how the dark brown airplane and paisley prints match up in the square in the middle. So it’s more like the Card Trick block was the inspiration vs the actual block. I like that block though so I’ll have to remember it for a later time.

I have two more of this one to make and then a third block. I’ll need to do sashing and a border, then finish. Luckily for me, Mom is way closer to having hers done so if the baby is waiting for a blanket, it won’t be too long.

Two Quilt Blocks is a post from: me being crafty

I woke up yesterday and proceeded to feel really tired despite getting a decent amount of sleep. Then I spent most of the day laying on the couch and drifting in and out of napping. My contractions were sort of regular – every half hour, with a few coming ten minutes after that (so 30, 10, 30, 10) but they never got regular. I wake up today thinking okay this could be it!

Only I’m still home and still pregnant. My 30 minute contractions quit this morning sometime – I slept from 8:30AM-10 and from 10-about 2 I only had five contractions. It was sort of disappointing really. I walked around the house for five minutes every half hour and that didn’t help move things along either. Mom and I went to the dr’s office this afternoon and he says “oh yeah, you are in early labor! It could be tomorrow…or it could be in two weeks.”

I figure maybe the baby is waiting for something – Mom and I both are making him blankets so maybe that’s it. I finished three blocks of the nine I need, and Mom is quilting her blanket now. So we could be done fairly quickly. Maybe once one of us is finished, he’ll decide to arrive!

I’ll be back tomorrow with pictures of all that I’ve finished – the three quilt blocks and four passport covers. Oh and Mom made a coupon organizer too! So we’ve been busy, despite staring at the clock.

Unexpectedly Absent is a post from: me being crafty

Or the weaving is going to win!

Mom wanted to make these pillows for a girlfriend of hers. It took us a few hours of cutting and weaving the ribbon, when we were done we ironed it to a piece of interfacing and sewed them shut around the pillow form. The ribbon and pillows were bought on sale so this is a great inexpensive project and gift.

We had to be very careful ironing though, one of the ribbons – just one! – was the type that melted even using the silcone iron protective sheet. We took it out and you couldn’t tell the difference, but for sure next time we won’t use the shiny ribbon – not glitters, but the slick shiny kind. We figured the protective sheet would work to protect against melting, but it didn’t.

Woven Ribbon Pillows is a post from: me being crafty

It’s been … well not a struggle, but we have had to figure out what works and what doesn’t in terms of storage. She has a hall closet that we use for fabric, supplies, etc., and we also have the bottom part of the kids closet as storage for fabric. She doesn’t do many other crafts such as making cards, scrapbooking, etc., so it’s mainly sewing in this house. I’ve managed to crochet a few things and we both do beadwork.

So we use the hall closet for storage – that stays fairly organized with bins and buckets. The space in the dining room surrounding the kitchen table though, that has been a lot harder for us to get under control. We’ve tried stacking fabric on a chair (yeah…that doesn’t work so well!), we’ve tried baskets, and then those end up stacked on top of each other, we tried putting things away and only getting it out when it was needed, that really doesn’t work well at all. Mom had the idea that she wanted a bookcase with cubbies in it for quite a while and we finally got one last week.

She wanted a mix of baskets and the fabric bins you can buy that fit the spaces, and ended up with six fabric bins because we had a hard time finding baskets that would fit. The one we used at the bottom sticks out a little, which isn’t too big of a deal since this sits in a corner and people don’t run into it. Now all we have is the basket to the left that holds the sewing machine quilt table attachment and the rulers. Everything else we are using and working on is in the bins!

So yay we are organized!

And the real benefit of being this organized – the little pile of fabric next to the sewing machine and red circle bobbin holder – Mom whipped out five matching needle holders and pin cushions.

As a sidenote, the green sewing machine up there is the Janome Hello Kitty. Alice got it for Christmas! She (and I) was SO excited! We got it out on Christmas day and set it up – only to have the thread tangle up if you even look at the machine funny. It’s a huge disappointment because she really enjoys sewing and I don’t want it to be a chore for her. It’s also annoying for us because we (Mom or I) have to quit what we are doing in order to try to fix it. I asked a friend who I know has the same machine only to be told that she had the same problem. So I am going to send it back and invest in a quality machine for Alice. Sure it won’t have Hello Kitty on it, and it won’t be pretty and green, but it’ll be a machine that works!

Kitchen Table As Sewing Table is a post from: me being crafty

See!

But oddly enough, I’ve technically only gained two pounds. That’s because of losing so much weight at the beginning and throughout. But he still grew and is doing great. He constantly moves and I’ve been having Braxton Hicks contractions forever now. A couple of weeks ago, for one day, they were every half hour, but I knew they were nothing. At my dr appointment last week, the dr estimated him to be seven to eight pounds – and said if I go to my due date, I’m looking at a nine pound baby. The kids were with me and I said oh Jake was almost nine pounds, and the dr said “well then!” So that’s a good thing?

I woke up today kind of feeling sick and wondering if that means labor is coming – but really it’s probably the cheese bread and pizza I had for dinner. Either way, today I’m going to pack a bag for the hospital, just to be prepared.

I had a moment the other day where I felt the NEED to clean up this pile of papers next to my laptop. Nesting!? I actually look forward to that. Mom suggested nesting and cleaning my room and closet would be a great nesting thing – too bad you don’t really control what it is you clean or organize. I remember with Jake I took all the plates, dishes, pantry items, etc., out of the cupboards and cleaned everything, then rearranged when I put them back.

I am interested in him hanging out until his due date though! I have a thing with numbers and his due date works. Hahaha

Baby Update is a post from: me being crafty

This is the first star that I made – I made it at home a couple of days before the class so I would know what to do. I ended up taking it out a lot (I can’t even remember how many times) and it is a little bit bumpy or something in the middle, where the points meet. However, this is the first one I made of this color, then I made the red below, then another of this purple one – and the second purple one, wow – it just about all matched up AND lays flat in the middle. I’m amazed I was able to do that because really, the pinning really threw me off. I’m not sure why it took as long to figure out or to catch on to either. This is the first time I’ve ever strip pieced though so I’m very happy.

Here’s the red (and purple I suppose) star – this one I don’t think I took out at all and it ended up with nearly every point meeting up and the middle lying flat. I have yet to add the white, but am going to get that done this week. During the quilt class Mom taught, one of my friends used this same material and also copied my pattern – so I figure I’ll finish this and give it to her so she can have a set. Mom already said I’m going to be the star quilt maker in the family since my stuff has matched up so easily and the center lies flat.

The book that Mom has that she uses is the Radiant Star Quilt by Eleanor Burns. We used the four color and just adjusted the size for a 18″ pillow vs a blanket.

Star Pillows is a post from: me being crafty

But for the first craft of the year – I made myself a crochet hook holder. I’ve been wanting one for quite a while and finally got around to it. We spent the night in Seattle when we dropped Chris off at the airport, and I came home and immediately cut the fabric for it. It took a few hours because I couldn’t grasp the idea of the instructions – and of course after I finished the project, the instructions are very easy to follow along with.

One mistake I made is putting the flap on the left side (as you can see) because in the instructions it says to put the flap in between the inside and outside fabric, on the top right side. Well they meant the top right side after you were finished – not the top right as it was laying on the table. So my flap ended up there. But it still worked just fine!  There are 12 pockets for hooks, as well as a larger pocket on the right side for scissors. The flap makes it so the hooks don’t fall out and it closes with a cute button.

The button I got from my Mom’s stash and was a quick add. This project is from the Sew Darn Cute book – there are several things in here we are going to be making over the next month or so. My Mom already made a handful of needle books from it, and Alice is going to make headbands for a few of her girlfriends.

So that was the first craft of the new year! Actually, the first after Christmas craft as this was done a few days after Christmas. I also embellished a crochet hook (need to get a picture of that, I thought I had one but guess not!) and worked on baby moccasins that day. Living with my Mom has really opened me up to being able to sew and be even more crafty then I used to be. It helps that I went back to school and the kids are in school. Before we would have full days and while my own schooling keeps me busy, I have lots of free time when everyone in the house is gone so I can get a lot done.

First Crafts of the Year is a post from: me being crafty

Last year my words were: Just Breathe. Be Strong. Be Generous.

I didn’t try to actively do any of these things, like doing something and then realize oh I should be generous. Instead I tried to just live my life that way. I tried to be strong because living at our last duty station was horrible, I tried to be generous when we moved and were on the road for so long, and in times of anger or sadness (or anything in between) I reminded myself to just breathe.

I want to pick new words for this year. I think these went along together nicely and maybe I’ll keep one or two of them. We are facing another year of challenges – a new baby, public school woes (there is a bully who just won’t leave my daughter alone!), sports, traveling, being apart from Chris, and I’m sure I’m forgetting a few things!

We’ve been in the military for 11 years now, married for 9 of those, and the past couple of years have been the hardest so far. I didn’t think it would get easier, I didn’t think that him going from enlisted to officer would mean it would be easier either, but I certainly didn’t think it would get this much harder. Somedays I just focus on taking care of the kids and myself, and just breathe and be strong to get through the day. Being separated by over 14 hours and who knows how many miles and hardly getting to see each other – it’s a test of a relationship for sure.

So the quest to find my 2010 words is on! I have several blank notebooks that I plan on journaling in this year and am thinking I’ll devote one to my words.

2010 Plans is a post from: me being crafty

I did good in my classes for the quarter – I did end up with a C in Algebra, which I was disappointed in. My teacher said if I got a C on the final, I’d end up with a B for a final grade – so after seeing the C, I figure I bombed the final. I knew I didn’t do that great, but I didn’t think I did that bad! But a C is passing and I got two A’s, so my GPA is good (not like that matters too much since I’m transferring the classes out anyway!). The next quarter starts in a couple of weeks and since the baby is going to be here shortly after that, I am taking two classes but they are art classes and will be easy to keep up with, or catch up with anyway. I’m taking the second beadwork class, with the same teacher from the first one, and then a drum making class. I’m excited about both! I am not sure what projects I want to work on for the beadwork class, but she said she lets us pick whatever we want since we know how to bead from the first class (or in my case, I’ve known since I was like 11 years old).

Chris is still gone – which is annoying but that’s how it goes I suppose – but he did get to come back for a few weeks at Christmas. He’ll actually be back in a few weeks because he gets baby leave. I just found a great ticket for him last night actually! He is going to fly into Vancouver vs Seattle – we are about 45 minutes from the Vancouver Int’l Airport, vs being two and a half hours away from Seattle. So I can just leave a little before his flight will be there to pick him up vs driving hours or having him ride the shuttle (so a small amount of savings) and then when he leaves we don’t have to stay overnight, we can just drive up, which saves on a hotel room. Oh and he doesn’t have to pay for a hotel over in Japan because of when his flight leaves. Even better, the price difference between the ticket to Seattle and to Vancouver is $130. Figuring in all the savings, it’s cheaper for him to fly there. How awesome is that!

Today we are not doing much, we all stayed up very late of course. I’ve been very crafty for the past few months and will start posting some pictures as an update. I hope your new years eve celebration was fun and all that you wanted it to be! Here’s to a fantastic 2010!

End of 2009 is a post from: me being crafty

It’s a good secret! It’s one that I didn’t want to share because I was scared. I was just scared out of sheer being scared. Nothing is wrong.

First – check out my kids on Halloween – Jake was a mouse and Alice was Fancy Nancy!

They got great reception from the houses we stopped at on Halloween. Jake’s class also had a party Friday afternoon and everyone loved his costume. I love that he picks outside the box costumes, remember the egg from last year?

I even dressed up for his party though I didn’t on Halloween. All I did was drive them around the neighborhood, I probably would have if I was walking.

Mom made me the M&M costume.

But it wasn’t really my costume.

It was the baby’s first Halloween costume.

See, I told you it was a good secret!

We are having a baby at the end of January. I’m feeling really good, I lost weight at first and have yet to gain it all back – but he’s growing, moving, kicking and doing back flips. I was worried at first, considering that George died that’s normal I suppose. Mom went with me to the big ultrasound, the one where the baby is checked out, measured, etc., and everything was/is fine. That was a big relief for me, though this time getting pregnant did not involve already being on birth control.

And yep, I said he. Another boy! With the babies my brothers have and my (now) two boys – we can have a football team. Amazing! Who would have thought my Mom would have that many grandkids.

I Haven’t Shared is a post from: me being crafty

We have gone the route of buying the various legos for the kids, especially last year at Christmas. We spent so much time putting together this set or that one – Alice got the pink legos that come with a girl and a horse, and Jake got a big Sponge Bob one – then what happened: they all got mixed up together. Ah well, at least we did them once to see what they looked like!

Fast forward to living with Mom and trying to think of what to bring with us. I didn’t plan very well when it came to that! I didn’t bring all of my clothes so don’t have any sweaters or winter jackets, and did bring some toys but it seems like I left the things they really wanted in storage.

We do have legos with us though. Hence the creation of a lego parts store:

From the top you can see there is a leg section, a hair section (the brown spot above the heads), a head section and then the body section. I’m not sure why the bodies have their arms up like they were first captured by the police, before going to the store. The ones laying down on the side are the ones just made.

Next up on my list – the Lego Advent Calendar!

I wanted one last year and never bought it because I wanted to make one for us to use. Well I feel the same way this year, I want to make one but I am also going to buy this one. It looks so fun.

I figure this will be the one that’s left out for the kids and the one I make will be full of treats for the grown ups – either candy or sewing/crafting supplies!

Lego Parts Store is a post from: me being crafty

Beading

Sewing

Crocheting

Soccer

Jake #22

Alice – the defender for the team

And in the midst of it all

Jake’s first lost tooth!

What I’ve Been Doing is a post from: me being crafty

We Can’t Afford To Wait is a post from: me being crafty

First Day of School!

Alice is in 3rd and Jake is in 1st grade.

We went yesterday to drop off their school supplies – Jake didn’t have too many but Alice, wow her backpack was heavy! – and luckily caught the teachers still there getting things ready. Today when we went they each knew where their desks were and were SO excited to go.

I made it a point to say (on facebook) that I didn’t cry when I left the schools – but I admit I got teary eyed because Jake hugged me twice and said bye. Alice on the other hand, she knew where her desk was and just walked over and sat down. She didn’t even say bye to me! I felt emotional so just walked out of the room, but had to go back to say where I would meet her after school.

Next week they probably will ride the bus. I’m nervous about that because it seems our neighbor kids are bullies. I don’t want my kids picked on the bus, I’m doing good keeping them apart the past few days. School for me starts in a couple of weeks so they will have to do some after school care, but I haven’t decided where yet.

Overall a completely fantastic first day for them. I am SO happy about that, and also amazed that I have an 8 and 6 year old now. Wow.

First Day of School is a post from: me being crafty

We swam a few days in a row while being at the hotel, it was hot and of course you can’t hang out in your hotel room the entire time!

The base is closing and I’m not sure if they’ll leave the sign or not, but it’s a huge sign on the edge of town. I didn’t stop to take a picture until we were about to move – I haven’t seen a sign like this anywhere else we have lived.

We stopped in San Antonio and walked along the Riverwalk, saw the Alamo and stopped at both the Wax Museum and Ripley’s Believe It or Not. It rained while we were there, starting out as just a little drizzle but by the time we were walking back to our car, it was a full on downpour. Our time in SA was extended because of car problems, but after a couple of days we finally got on the road.

Alamo

w/ Tom Hanks

Oprah!

& a sub officer

Last Days In TX is a post from: me being crafty

The trip ended up lasting longer then initially planned because my brother’s mother in law unexpectedly died. She has been sick for years, but I didn’t realize how bad she had gotten recently. I am glad we were able to be there for my brother, for my nephews and for his mil’s daughters.

We left town right before a really bad rain and wind storm, so bad we barely got out of town and stopped at the new grocery store to wait it out. The storms while we were home were AWESOME! There is nothing like a thunderstorm on the plains. I’m glad there were some while we were there, the storms out on the west coast – well, wait – there aren’t storms out here! When it rains, it just comes out of the sky. Thunderstorms are loud, throwing rain and lightening at the ground and hard wind. People sometimes don’t believe you when you say you miss those storms.

Taken when we first got into South Dakota. Huge storm and thunderheads.

Overall the visit was great. I was happy to be able to see my friends and family and Grandma’s Memorial was nice. There was a tiny bit of drama, but I got over it fast. There never feels like there is enough time to see everyone you want to or visit for them as long as you want to.

Summer is coming to an end, I feel like mine was full. We moved, got settled in, went home for my father in law’s funeral, sent Chris off again, went home to SD again and then some.

Two weeks in SD is a post from: me being crafty

I signed up for a few college classes for the fall. I’ve been taking college classes since I was a junior in high school due to an agreement the local tribal college and the school district had that allowed hs students to take college classes for dual credit. My senior year of high school I only took a few classes at the school and worked every afternoon, taking college classes in the afternoon or evening. I remember I took my (required) health class independent study since my schedule didn’t allow for me to be at school when the class was. Understanding teachers are the best!

I’m taking three classes – Algebra (after all these years, I still need this class!), Beadwork (which will just be too fun) and History of Federal Indian Policy. I am slightly nervous about going back to school, but it’ll be fine I know.

When I was a kid, ie fourth/fifth grade, I wanted to be a lawyer. Goals change and move over the years and now I’m at the point of just wanting to be done. I’ve been in college for too long to not be done.

My new goal is to be done with my undergrad degree by the time Chris is ready to go to shore duty (shore is basically in an office vs sea duty being on a ship/sub/boat) because it’s possible for him to get stationed with an ROTC unit at a university – thus we could be stationed somewhere long enough for me to get my Masters. But, no grad school without undergrad already finished.

This is step one, part of it anyway.

I’m also thinking about how I work online, about what I need to do to get back to being fully active in the websites I have. I also need to be better about staying connected with the couple of military wife forums I am a part of and maintaining friendships I have. It’s easy to settle into being so happy to be around my Mom again, that other things end up slipping.

Changing Goals is a post from: me being crafty

Right now we have three quilts at the machine quilters (conveniently just a few minutes away from us!) and two or three more ready to go to her. We are going to tie I think two others, maybe more then two I’m not sure. There is one in process on the table and two more that need to get going farther along then they are.

My crafting has been consumed by the sewing machine. It’s been so fun to see it all come together! We are leaving in about two and a half weeks so everything has to be done by then. We didn’t count to see how many we are taking back, but it’s enough.

I wanted to be sure to have two quilts done – one for one of my cousins and one for a niece. I need to double check I have that! I do have one for my neice but I’m not sure about the other. Considering I’m home and the kids are at camp all day all week, I can get another one done super fast.

I’m excited to see these finished. I have other projects I want to work on – sewing and otherwise – and once the planning and prep for Grandma’s Memorial is over I can get to work on them!

What are you working on?

Crafty Goodness Update is a post from: me being crafty

Here’s the rules:
Copy and paste the questionnaire, and post with your answers on your blog.
Refer and link back to me.
Tag four bloggers and leave them comments to let them know they have been tagged.
Answer honestly!

What is your blogger name?

I typically stick with my real name on my blogs. It’s just easier to be me then try to keep up anything else!

When is your birthday?

June 12

photo credit: Riggzy

How long have you been blogging?

I started blogging in September 2004.

Who tagged you?

Holly – she’s also at Inka Dinka Doodle

Tell me your five most favorite body parts.

Mine? Eyes, legs, nose (that’s five, technically I could stop now!) pinky’s and feet.

What do you wish most for your birthday?

For more family time – Chris missed my birthday last year, missed it again this year, that’s life but it still sucks.

What color are you nails right now?

Regular fingernail color – I do have clear polish on though.

photo credit: dead redhead

Have you had any depressing thoughts lately?

I find friendships confusing sometimes and that depresses, and annoys, me. I’m 31, I don’t need drama, I wish it were easier and I am glad we got to move.

What’s your plan for the next month?

Finish a couple more quilts, make sure the tops already done are finished all the way, make travel plans to go to South Dakota.

photo credit: bl▲ckm◉th

At what age did you have your first crush?

In talking to Mom I must have been in second grade. I don’t remember anything until I was a teenager though.

Have you attended any school reunions?

No but I enjoy seeing my old friends. We sort of stay in touch and it’s nice to see each other when I’m back, which isn’t often. I know there wasn’t a 10 year reunion but a group of people did go out together, it looked like fun! This is why facebook is a good thing.

Have you ever passed gas in public and pretended like you didn’t smell anything?

No.

Are you a clean freak?

Not really, I do like to be organized and even if it looks like that’s just a pile of papers I know I can tell you what is in that exact pile.

What era do you wish you were born in?

Chris says I should have been born so I could grow up during the 70s.

Are you a vegetarian?

Nope.

How many pillows do you sleep with at night?

One really good one, maybe two depending, but really just one.

Are you a light sleeper or a heavy sleeper?

It depends on how tired I am!

photo credit: marymactavish

Do you secretly wear granny panties when your man is not around?

Ha, as if that has to be a secret. No though.

What is your ultimate dream job?

Still to teach at a tribal college/university.

What does your husband do that annoys you the most?

Shaved his head. But at least I don’t have to look at it every day! Then again I don’t have to look at it every day. Annoying.

What is your dream car?

Right now it is a Dodge Charger. The new one.

Do you wake up easily in the morning?

Yep.

Do you like hairy men?

No, And I’m blessed that my husband is not hairy and never will be.

How about a man with a goatee?

Um, probably not.

Which would you prefer: a two-hour spa massage, a two-hour Thai massage, or a two-
hour foot massage?

2 hr spa

Have you ever wished you had a different name? If so, what name?

Nope, my name is awesome.

What is the most extreme sport you have ever done?

Navigating the Tricare system or maybe PCS’ing across the US in five days or PCS’ing across half the US in two. Any of those count I’m sure.

Do you prefer traveling in Europe or Asia?

Asia right now.

What is your favorite food?

Indian Tacos. Or Chinese. Or Mexican.

What is your most embarrassing moment while out on a date?

How about in relation to a date – a friend and I went shopping. We were gone for hours and finally her husband called to say the baby was crying a lot, I said oh he can handle it let’s stop at another place. She kept acting like she wanted to leave but we went anyway. When we finally got to her house Chris and the kids were there because as  a surprise he arranged for them to watch the kids while we went to dinner for our anniversary! I was embarrassed that I didn’t realize what was going on, even though as a surprise I wasn’t supposed to know.

I’ll take the easy way out and tag you! If you haven’t filled this one out, feel free, and be sure to let me know.

Questionnaire Tag is a post from: me being crafty

I made the header a couple of months ago actually, because I found the theme at least that long ago. From left to right the pictures are:

1. Pieces on a design wall from a quilt class I took. I can’t remember the name of the pattern but it was called a Ribbon class. I really want to work on and finish this quilt but can’t find it anywhere! I am sure it’s in the large storage unit, I already searched the small one.

2. My Dad’s blanket! I just finally finished and gave it to him when we were there a couple of weeks ago. It’s about time I finished it, it was supposed to be a Christmas gift!

3. A rag quilt for my niece’s son. Sure technically he could be called my grandson, but 1-I’m too young for that and 2-he already calls me Auntie. I’ve had this material for years and starting sewing it together last fall. Once I was working on it I decided to give it to him. This also needs to be mailed still!

4. Blue and Brown – this is from a kit I purchased. It’s the same pattern as the blanket I made for my Dad. I haven’t done anything with it since it is also in storage somewhere! I hope to find it so I can finish it this summer.

5. Horses, cream and brown blanket – this is a baby blanket for my youngest nephew! He was born in October and I started the blanket back then. I finished it not too long after he was born but hadn’t finished the binding until recently. Actually my Mom put the finishing touches on the binding.

6. The striped and car fabric is a pillowcase for Jake! And yes, the other stripe on the fabric is a pocket for him. He asked for a pillowcase and then said he needed a pocket too. When you ask why he wanted a pocket he has a few answers for you. I never made a pillowcase before this one and wow, super easy!

7. I’m not sure…

8. This is a picture of the kids asleep in the back of the van while we drove to South Dakota. It was last August when we were driving home because my Grandma died. I love the picture, they are so cute.

9. Picture of sign for Rosebud Sioux Reservation

10. The brown and pink card with a flower is one of (if not the) last card I made for a swap with friends. I made the cards while I was at a friends house. We tried to get together often so be crafty together – we moved from scrapbooking (her and another friend) to making cards (me) to making quilts for our husbands. I miss those crafty days!

11. The brown quilt is the one I made for Chris! This is a simple pattern – I think it’s the Turning 20 Again pattern. So easy. I didn’t use 20 fat quarters like the pattern calls for but that’s because I really liked a couple of the fabrics I found. He has this with him now.

12. The orange and blue is an Auburn University quilt I made for one of the guys that is serving on the ship with Chris. When we made the decision to make the guys quilts, I knew an Auburn one had to be made for him – not only did he attend Auburn, I’m pretty sure he has a tatto of the logo or something related to Auburn anyway. This is a Turning 20 pattern so it came together very quickly. He loved it and as far as I know also has it with him and is using it.

New Header Picture is a post from: me being crafty

photo credit: Markus Rödder

I have journals that have just a few pages filled out, journals that I started to keep track of a vacation we took or with the intention of writing in it regularly. Obviously those plans never panned out.

Chris has been gone for a couple of months now and we have sort of kind of regular communication via email. But email doesn’t always help because he’s pressed for time. The time difference doesn’t help either! I’ve been doing fairly okay with him gone, I don’t think about how long he’s going to be gone, we aren’t doing a countdown or anything like that. The kids aren’t stressed about him being gone which I am so very happy about. Kids don’t really have a sense of time though. Once they start school (yep, they are going to public school this fall! I’m still nervous about it!) the topic may come up more often, but we’ll wait and see. It helps that we are right with family.

And so my new journal already has been broken in. I’d like to say I’ll write in it every day. But maybe I won’t. And maybe it won’t be journaling but I’ll actually be able to get back to writing. I’m reminded of my love for writing by being where I am now. Hopefully, that will come back.

Getting Into Writing is a post from: me being crafty

One comment I read said something along the lines of (sorry in advance, I can’t remember where I read this!) Jane Doe in England might not know the soldier from Kansas to mourn his death, but she knew Michael Jackson. I feel along the same lines. I think the coverage was excessive, but considering who Michael Jackson was, that’s about the coverage I’d expect!

I think it can be hard for those of us in the military to come to terms with the fact that people in the general population probably are not thinking about the war, the cost of war, the families that are alone, the parents who send their children off to fight and never have them return home, daily like many of us are. In my own family my Grandpa was in the Army and my Uncle in the Marines. My Grandpa was in WWII and my Uncle in Vietnam. My husband is in the Navy and though there are sailors in Iraq and Afghanistan, they aren’t mentioned nearly as much as soldiers (yes, it’s upsetting to me to see the majority of things referring to the soldiers at war, considering it’s more then soldiers, but that’s for another time). My husband isn’t there and he’s been deployed numerous times over the years he’s been in the Navy because that’s just how the Navy works.

I think people in the general population do recognize the lives lost despite not thinking about it daily – for us it is our life, it is what we are a part of, for them – it’s their friends child, their brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, kids they watched growing up, kids who had kids, and more. People watch the news and see the coverage about the war. Entire towns and communities and families hearts are broken over the losses of these people. Their hearts are broken.

Since my husband isn’t directly at war I don’t think about the what if of him not coming home. I don’t have any plans. But I know so many people who do. And my heart hurts for them. To even have to make those plans is a so difficult. To have to think of the possibilities of your loved one not coming home is something I’d rather block out. Sure that doesn’t help the situation, but for me, for right now, it’s the easiest thing to do.

Add to that I’m a person who grieves in private. I’ve always held my emotions close to me. Yes I wrote about my Grandma dying and my son, but that’s it. And sure that is out there online, but I don’t tell people I just met easily. Friends and family know about George, and I ended up telling a few friends when we lived in Texas, but that’s my business, our family business. That’s my kids who think about the brother they never got to know and my husband who didn’t get another son. It’s me having life inside of me and then it was gone. I don’t talk about that because my soul hurts with the loss. I don’t share about the issues in dealing with my Grandma’s Memorial or our plans or lack of plans for more children. Maybe having others know what I’m going through would expand the circle for which I would be able to draw support from, but who I am, I mean, my personality is such that I just don’t share that way.

Grieving for a celebrity is so different then grieving for a family member or someone you knew. Grieving for Michael Jackson is a sign of the loss of a fantastic performer, someone who entertained people for the majority of his life. And then you go about your business. You go to work and do laundry and go to meeting and file papers and play catch with your kids.

When someone you love, someone you watched grow up or gave birth to or so many other scenarios, dies the loss is felt in your soul. It is felt to the core of your body and changes who you are. From that moment forward you are a changed person. Your body aches when you think of them and your tears come easily.

Entire towns, communities and family are aching and how they deal with it is their business. I don’t want anyone I know to have a funeral broadcast over tv and have millions of people grieve for them, because that grief is short lived.

Hearts Are Broken is a post from: me being crafty

After a short stop for the kids and I to see my Dad and brothers (and of course, the cute nephews!) we came back home. We did a quilt shop hop (stopping at 22 shops – out of 57, we didn’t even stop at half of them!) that was really fun. The kids did pretty good too considering we took them to all the stores with us! Actually it was a ton of fun because not only did Mom and I each get a packet that contained pieces for a quilt block, but the kids each got to pick a piece of four inch fabric. Their fabric is all random stuff, which they don’t mind, and we’ll probably end up making doll blankets or something with.

We went to all those stores and I bet we spent less then $400 total (together I mean). I only spent cash and had money left after four days of shopping! For the first three days we matches fabrics to the projects we were already working on, then the last one (three shops on that last day) we got fabric for our stashes. OH! And I found Navy girl (okay it’s really military girl I know) fabric that I was looking for forever! I need to get a picture of it.

This week is a busy one – Alice is taking a Pioneer Crafts Class at the local community college, it is three days long and already after one day she brought home strawberry jam, butter, a cornhusk doll, and learned to finger crochet. There is a kids craft show at the library at the end of July that I am going to sign her up for. It’s only kids selling things and anything you sell can’t be more then $4. Perfect for her and Jake!

My nephew is taking a camp from the Boys and Girls club so that leaves Jake and I do wander around and find stuff to do. Yesterday it was the library, lunch and a quick shopping trip – today we are doing the library for a longer amount of time, lunch and then who knows. I have found a few more things for the kids to do – and am also amazed at how expensive some camps are. No way am I paying $165 per kid to go to a day camp from 9-3 and still have to take them lunch!

Where We Are Now is a post from: me being crafty

What brand and model do you have? Brother Innovis NX-450

How long have you had it? since December 2008

How much does that machine cost (approximately)? Mine cost approximately $700 from a Singer Sewing Center, I didn’t look anywhere else to compare prices. The price included a year warranty through the store as well as a free cleaning within a year of purchase.

What types of things do you sew (i.e. quilting, clothing, handbags, home dec projects, etc.)? So far I have sewn quilt tops as well at machine quilted a few quilts and I’ve made a couple of purses. I’m working on mainly blankets and quilts for a family event so that’ll be what I make for the next few months.

How much do you sew? How much wear and tear does the machine get? I sew at least every other day. There will be times when I sew every day and then times when I don’t sew at all (during our vacation). I did use it just about every day for three months getting the secret quilt projects ready. Since we were moving I wanted to take advantage of the free cleaning from the store I purchased it from, who said since I only had it for a few months it wasn’t necessary. However, the needle threader quit working so I had them look at that and do the cleaning. It was an easy fix (which I didn’t pay for) and they also did the cleaning. I do notice when something happens with the thread you need to take the bobbin out and put it back in, and since I do so much sewing I do change the needle fairly often. 

Do you like/love/hate your machine? Are you ambivalent? Passionate? Does she have a name? I really like my machine! I’m sure I will love it once I use more of the functions. I have used some of the decorative stitches when I do the edge of the quilt (just decorative on the binding) but I really haven’t done a lot of them. I really want to use more of the stitches just because they are so cute! I also have a couple of styles of the alphabet available and want to use them for something. Maybe the signing of a quilt! Definitely passionate about it! And no, no name yet.

What features does your machine have that work well for you? I do love the needle threader as well as the cutting function – okay the cutting function is awesome! The machine just in general works really well. I also love how quiet it is.

Is there anything that drives you nuts about your machine? It can be annoying when I am starting sewing something and the beginning edge of that fabric is pulled down into the – whatever that area is called that the needle goes into. But it doesn’t happen too often.

Do you have a great story to share about your machine (i.e., Found it under the Christmas tree? Dropped it on the kitchen floor? Sewed your fingernail to your zipper?, Got it from your Great Grandma?, etc.!)? We want to hear it! When I got this machine I walked into the store and looked at three models before picking this one. It was our anniversary and we were heading off to dinner! I needed a new machine desperately because I had so many projects I was working on. I didn’t take too long to buy this and despite not having done any research beforehand, I am very happy with it. It took me maybe 15 minutes to pick it out and purchase, we got to the store right before it was closing that evening.

Would you recommend the machine to others? Why? I would! I think this is a great machine because it is about mid-level as far as pricing. I think you do need to spend a little more so you will get a machine that will last. I had my previous two machines for a very short amount of time before they broke.

What factors do you think are important to consider when looking for a new machine? Functions – if you use a certain thing over and over or are used to having it, your new machine would need this function as well. The price of course. How heavy it is can be a deciding factor for some people.

Do you have a dream machine? At this point, I don’t. I am happy with my machine!

Sew Mama Sew – Sewing Machine Meme is a post from: me being crafty

After our quick stop in San Antonio turned into a two day event, we had to change plans. What was to be San Antonio – Albuquerque – Las Vegas – San Diego – San Francisco – Seattle turned into kicking Las Vegas out of the lineup. Which was disappointing because we had planned on meeting friends for a day or two.

We didn’t spend very long in any place until we got to San Diego – where we spent a very busy week – and then another week in San Francisco. We stopped in Oregon to have a fantastic dinner with friends and then made it to Seattle the next night, where we had another awesome dinner.

Considering Chris has been in the military for over ten years, the few places we’ve lived and the handful plus of times we’ve moved you’d think we’ve been on vacation before. But we just never had the time! We had to meet our stuff (HHG or household goods for those not in the military) or we only had a matter of days to report somewhere, and a vacation just never made the list.

So this time we did. We stopped at more then a dozen places along the way and while I thought we did such a great job at not spending a lot of money, looking back I can see other ways to save. I’ll be sharing my tips as I share our adventures.

Technorati Tags: vacation tips, travel

Quick Vacation Recap is a post from: me being crafty

I should have bought it last week when it was a bit cheaper! As it is, the countdown has started. He’ll be leaving soon and then a new countdown will begin – of course the new one won’t really have a purpose. We don’t know what happens next – how long he’ll be gone or if we’ll be able to live together soon.

I have so much to share! The typical vacation season is almost here and I have so many tips for people traveling to San Diego!

For now we are just about settled in. We’ve unpacked most of what we have here with us and will need to get more from the storage units. With luck we’ll be down to one unit by the time Chris leaves. I don’t need a lot but we packed the pantry and my fabric and that didn’t make it to the house.

I’ve missed reading blogs and finding out what my online friends have been up to. It’s been a long month.

And So It Begins is a post from: me being crafty

Today is the last day in southern TX! I can’t say TX because we aren’t going that far away tonight and who knows if we’ll leave early enough tomorrow to actually get out of the state. It has been fantastic living in a hotel. No cable bill, no electric bill, no internet bill (and yay, the internet is fairly fast!), and sure we are eating out a lot but we also have a fridge so have veggies to snack on to keep me sane. Oh and the best plus about being away from the stress ball that was military housing – clear skin! Seriously folks, if you live in an environment that crazy (I know I haven’t said much about it, but I will) moving away is awesome for your skin!

We are planning a crazy awesome vacation. Chris is getting a huge amount of leave – which you can look at a couple of different ways. I decided to be positive and happy about the fact that we get to take this crazy amount of leave now despite all the years of never getting to take leave in the past. I guess it all worked out? Yeah.

First stop, San Antonio. If you know where we are, you are laughing because we are a mere couple of hours away from SA. That’s okay, at least we are getting started and will be on the move! We leave tonight after Chris gets off work. On Thurday the plan is to do a walking tour of the Missions and maybe a Riverwalk boat ride and then leave, heading for New Mexico. We have much more planned along the way and I’ll share pictures as we go.

For now, I’m going to attempt to go back to sleep for a couple of hours.

One Last Day is a post from: me being crafty

Living in a hotel room makes me realize how much trash tv there is! Oh how I miss my DVR.

• Rock of Love Bus – Seriously? I didn’t realize this was time number 3 as I don’t watch the show. I like that they are showing the preview of him saying he’s tired of this and that’s why he has a ring. I’ve only seen two (maybe three) episodes of this but I hope he picks Mindy. I felt bad for the girl who ended up being the third girl, I can’t remember her name. She was sort of crying and saying she loved him and he dumped her on tv but she hoped they could be friends and hang out. Weird.

• For the Love of Ray J – Um, okay. Well I’m not sure who I hope he picks. The girls seem nice enough but damn catty to each other. Why would you want a woman who is that rude! That’s crazy to me. You can’t say oh it’s a game when the outcome is supposed to be a relationship. Sure it’s tv and whatever relationship comes out of it probably isn’t going to last, but at least try to be real, just a little. And if they are that catty and rude even off the show, dang. Actually I hope he picks Cocktail, real name Joanna.

• I Love Money 2 – Okay this show is hilarious. I never watched the Flavor of Love shows or whatever else the rest of the cast came from, but putting them all together to fight for money does get good laughs. The lady who only ever wears a bikini and loves the pretty boy – funny! It’s funny watching it because you know what is being said and you know what is going to happen, but in the moment the people don’t. There are a lot of people left so I can’t say who I want to win.

I think the Rock of Love Bus finale is tonight, but the others have a bit to go. I’m sure I’ll catch who won on a rerun!

Trashy TV is a post from: me being crafty