School's Closed Projects

Since schools are closed today, I think I'll have to figure out some fun projects to do.  I bought some window markers a couple of weeks ago, and when Lucas goes down for a nap, I think Lauryn and I will have to decorate the windows with a Christmas theme.  We might bake some cookies this afternoon, too.  I have some leftover decorations and I know Lauryn would love it we made her room a little more Christmas-y.  :)  I need to get laundry done, too, and at some point, I'd like to get a few more things listed on eBay, so I can hopefully make a little more money before Christmas.

Feeling A Little Crafty

It's been a while since I've felt like making anything but over the weekend I decided to make Lucas a stocking cap.  I haven't used my looms in quite a while and they're so easy to use so I decided to use one to make his hat.  Since it's been a while, I had to look up some directions to refresh my memory on how to use it.  Once I did the first row though, it all came back.  I finished the hat early this morning but found it was a tad too small for Lucas so now Lauryn's baby doll has a new hat and I've already started another on for my little guy.  I'll post pictures of him wearing it when it's done.  :)

Motivation

I really need to find my crafting motivation.  I recently crocheted a couple of baby wash cloths but other than that, I haven't made anything in quite some time.  There's a whole room in the basement just filled with supplies, I just need to get back into it all.  While out shopping the other day, I noticed some really cute nursing uniforms and my first thought was that they would make some adorable decorative pillows for Lauryn's room.  Only two problems with that though.  One, I still don't really know how to use my sewing machine and two, I have no desire to sew them by hand.  I've gone through lulls before but it's been a while since I've had any desire to make anything and it's getting to be a bummer.  I need to find a project I can get excited about!

Crafting

I have been feeling very crafty lately but my hands get very sore, very quickly when I start crocheting so I think I need to start doing some other things.  I've talked, quite a bit, about selling my crafts but never get a lot of inventory to actually get it going.  A friend of mine was talking about starting a Facebook page for Personal Creations and I think that's a great idea.  I have a shop on Etsy but I haven't put anything on it and her idea to start a page on facebook is great because that way you can see if your items will sell before you decide to open a shop and pay the fees.  Lloyd and I are still working on the coat racks we want to put in and I found a great idea for coasters on Pinterest that I want to try.  I still have tons of beads from when I was making jewelry and I think it's time to get that back out.

Decorating for the Holidays

I'm getting so excited to decorate for the holidays!  I have so many Christmas/winter decorations that this house will actually look full!  We don't have tons of every day decorations so it will be nice to see pretty knick knacks everywhere.  I can't wait to get the tree up!  I'm still working on the tree skirt but at the rate I'm going, it shouldn't take too long to get it finished.

Over the weekend, Lloyd got the storage shelves built and we were able to get everything organized and put away.  My craft room is still a mess though.  I forgot I have so many things to work on.  I still have lots of jewelry to make and also a couple of pillows for Lauryn.  The pillows will be made from a medical uniform, like nurse's scrubs, that were covered in teddy bears.  Once that room is all organized I'll be able to see all the projects I've been wanting to work on and really attack them! :)

Crafts

My craft room is such a mess right now!  There's yarn, nylon netting, crochet hooks, books, sewing materials and boxes and boxes of beads.  I nead to take some time and get it all organized.  I think it's time to do some different crafts too.  My hands have been hurting a little bit lately so I haven't been crocheting much, beading jewelry doesn't hurt my fingers and it's something I haven't done in a while.  There are also all the new crafts I want to try because of the ideas I've gotten from Pinterest!  I suppose I should get that room organized first though, before I start a bunch of new projects!

Gettin' Crafty

I have been feeling very crafty lately.  It happens from time to time and right now, I'm taking advantage of it!  I finished my bag dispenser a couple of nights ago, yesterday I made a fall wreath and a dry erase board and today I'm working on a project to decorate a wall in our bedroom and melting down Lauryn's broken crayons to make new, daisy shaped, multi-color crayons.  I blame Pinterest for this.  I have been getting tons of great, inexpensive craft ideas there....and I LOVE IT!!!

Bag Dispenser:


Fall Wreath:

Etsy Shop

I'm still working on getting my Etsy shop up and running.  I've made quite a few washcloths, scrubbies and baby washcloths to get it started.  I started taking pictures of everything but some of the darker colors aren't showing the true colors on my camera.  I don't want anyone to think they are different than what they are so I'm working on fixing that.  I want people to know exactly what they're getting.  I heard that some people have receipt printers to give receipts along with the items that were purchased but I'm thinking I'll stick with printing one off on my computer and sending a handwritten note with it.  Anyway, I'll keep everyone posted on when it's up and running and I hope everyone passes the word :)

Setting Up Shop

So I finally decided to give Etsy a try.  I've had a lot of people tell me Ishould try to sell the things I've made there and I was always a little too intimidated to do it.  I got over that and I'm determined to make it work!  I've spent the past few nights figuring out my shop policies and shipping and I'm basically trying to figure everything out beforehand so I know exactly how thing will work, what I expect from my customers and what my customers should expect from me.  Once I have it all taken care of, I'm going to start posting scrubbies and wash cloths.  I want to start small and see how it all goes and then I'll add jewelry, blankets and more.  I'm very excited about it!  There's an online handbook that gives sellers suggestions and I found one suggestion in particular to be very helpful.  They suggested I get a mail scale so I can know exactly what my items weigh and will know exactly what USPS will charge to have items shipped.  That was a big problem I had before when I was trying to sell things online.  I guessed at the shipping and it always costed more than I had asked the buyer to pay.  Lauryn and I went to Greenville today and I picked one up while I was getting a few other things.  I am really hoping to be able to bring in a little more money for us. 

While Lauryn and I were shopping, it all the will I had in me not to go crazy on clothes and shoes for us!  I kept telling myself that I wasn't there for those things and we did not need them.  I did good but there was one pair of womens boots that I had to make myself put back.  They were awesome but honestly, it's sandal weather and I won't be wearing boots any time soon!  Lauryn doesn't help either.  She tells me, "Mama, that's pretty!"  and "Mama, I want that shirt!  It's so cute!"  The two of us could be dangerous if we didn't have to be concerned about spending :)

Pillows

When I was cleaning out my closet the other day, I came across a nurses uniform that was never worn but had a cute teddy bear pattern on it so I'd saved it.  I think when I'm taking breaks from working on the Christmas tree skirt, I'm going to use the uniform to make some pillows for Lauryn.  I've made pillows before but I've always sewn them by hand.  I think this will be a good, simple project for me to try to figure out my sewing machine on.  I know Lauryn will love the pillows with that cute pattern :)

I Don't Want To Clean!

I had another long night last night and I have zero energy today.  I have a lot of things I have to get done around this house and I have no motivation to do any of it!  Tomorrow is garbage day so that means I have to clean out the fridge, wash the leftover dishes, gather up all the trash, sweep, vacuum and empty the canister and change the litter.  It's already 3 pm and I haven't done a single one of those things yet!

I finally sent out my Pay It Forward gifts.  I really hope everyone likes them!  I delivered one personally yesterday, to Kathy, and she seemed to like her gifts very much :)  I can't wait until everyone has theirs so I can finally talk about what each thing is and show pictures.  Since they were all things I hadn't made before, I'm excited to show them off! :)

Whew!

Lauryn and I ran a few errands this morning and ended up going to a nursery nearby to get some flowers and things for the garden.  It's pretty nice and warm today but being in those greenhouses was fricken hot!!!  We both left a little sweaty and red-faced but we got some very pretty flowers and some peppers, cucumbers, melons and herbs for the garden.  I let Lauryn pick out some flowers to plant and she was thrilled!  I told her she could pick anything she wanted and she went for some pink ones, which made me very happy because they will compliment the flowers that have already been planted.  She's very much her mama's girl, picking out the pink :)

Mom will be coming over for our usual Friday visit.  I'm going to be making chicken breasts on the grill, rice and watermelon.  I picked one up yesterday and it was delicious!  Perfectly sweet!

I'm almost done with my Pay It Forward crafts.  I've made four different things, that I've never done before, and the five recipients will receive one of each.  Once I know that the gifts have been received, I'll be posting pictures of each projects.  They were all little things but since they were new things I'd never made before, it was fun and I can't wait to show them off!

Crocheted Netbook Case

I finally finished my netbook case!  I'm really happy with it :)  I love creating stuff on my own, not using someone else's pattern.  I never remember to write the patterns down but if I ever make another one, it should be pretty easy to do.  I lined it with felt so nothing can poke through and I've decided to add a pocket on the back.  Here it is:

I love the ladybug buttons :)

What To Do?

As Lauryn pointed out this morning, "It's raining...All Over!" so today will probably consist of cleaning, cooking, crafting and maybe some hide and seek. :) As much as I love getting out, I don't mind rainy, stay-in-the-house days either. Maybe we can color some spring themed pictures to decorate the picture window. That's one of my favorite things to do on a rainy day!

I saw a friend on Facebook mention getting a hybrid car. That got me thinking about the pros and cons of having one. I started to a little online research and found an article about hybrid car insurance being so much cheaper! That's a big pro! The more I read though, the more I realized there just as many cons as there are pros. I think I'll stick with what I've got.

Busy Little Girls

We have Willow here today and it's so much fun watching these girls interact.  They talk up a storm, they run around and chase each other and you can't help but laugh when they get to giggling.  They also wear me out! :)  We've played hide and seek, we've colored, they've been on the potty a half a dozen times (without success) and we've played with baby dolls.  They're down for a nap right now, so the house is a whole lot quiter!

I'm getting so close to finishing my netbook bag.  I need to sew the felt in, sew the buttons on, sew up the sides and attach the handle.  If I have enough yarn when I'm done, I'm going to whip up a pocket for the back of it.  I'm getting so excited and can't wait to see it when it's done.  I get pretty proud of projects when they are my own and not someone else's pattern :)

Lloyd and I have been talking about weight loss quite a bit lately.  We both want to lose some weight and get into better shape.  We've been talking about P90x, m drol, actually using our elliptical machine, etc.  We need to stop talking about it and start doing it!  A friend of ours posted before and after pictures after using P90x and the results are amazing!  We both just want to be healthier people so we can set a good example for Lauryn....and have more energy to keep up with her!

Can't Wake Up!

For some reason I could not sleep last night.  There wasn't anything wrong, I was just awake!  We all got up around 7:30 this morning and I still feel like I'm not with it.  I think after lunch Lauryn and I are going to have to take a walk down to the park for some fresh air and fun :)  Maybe that will give me the boost I'm looking for because the coffee isn't cutting it!

I'm thinking about setting up a shop at Etsy and trying to sell some of my crafts.  I have quite a few things made already so I would have a good start but I just don't know if anyone would want to buy them.  I was looking around at other Etsy stores, comparing other people's crafts to what I can do, and it just seemed like everything they made was so much nicer or fancier than the things I make.  Lloyd says it's just me but I don't know.  I guess I should just give it a try and see how it goes :)

Sunshine!!!

I love the sunshine!!!!   I love being able to have the door and windows open so the fresh air can flow through the house :)  I had Willow today and after the girls got up from their naps, we went for a little walk.  They crack me up, pointing everything out.  "It's a birdie!  It's a car!  It's a stick!!!!"  They are very obvservant little girls.   Poor Cloz'r had to stay home though.  I don't dare try to take her with us.  With one girl on each hand, I don't know how I'd be able to take her too!  She'll have to go later :)

I'm making an easy dinner tonight.  Grilled ham and cheese sandwiches and fries.  I usually plan dinner early in the morning (or the night before) so I'll have time to thaw the meat out but I didn't do that today so I'm keeping it simple :) 

I got more nylon netting yesterday.  Three spools!  I ordered pink, purple and blue.  I think I'm addicted to making scrubbies!!! :)  Now if only I could sell them!

Much Better!

I called the salon early this morning, explained why I was not happy with my haircut and they told me to come in and they'd fix it.  When I got there, I was very happy to see that the girl I like the most, was there to do my hair.  Unfortunately she didn't work yesterday :(  I wouldn't have had to go back if she did!  Anyway, as soon as she saw what was going on with my hair, she called the manager to have a look.  They were both pretty surprised at the job the other girl had done.  She wasn't there so she couldn't see how upset everyone was about it.  I told them I didn't want her to get into trouble but she didn't do what I'd asked and didn't do a very good job overall.  I told them that I felt she rushed since it was getting close to closing time.  Stacey did a great job fixing it and I was very happy when I left.  Lauryn had a great time running around there.  I couldn't keep her sitting still but she didn't do anything naughty so it was okay.  She was chatting away with all the stylists and the other customers :)

After that we headed to Grand Rapids and went to Michael's.  I LOVE THAT STORE!!!!  I got more yarn to finish my netbook case, felt to line it, thread to sew it and a plastic mug for Lauryn to decorate :)  We stopped in at Lloyd's office on the way back for a quick visit.  When we got home, Lauryn went down for a nap and I fell asleep on the couch for about 25 minutes.  Then I called mom and found out that she didn't have to work tomorrow so I invited her over for dinner.  I'd had a roast and veggies in the crockpot all day and it was pretty yummy!  Lloyd's parents came over after we ate and visited for a couple of hours.  Now Lauryn's in bed and we're chilling for the rest of the evening :)

Disappointed

I had a much over due hair appointment tonight and I was really excited about it.  I wanted to get my hair dyed and cut.  The color turned out a little darker than I had anticipated but I really like it.  The layers in the front, that I had asked for, are really cute and I'm happy with how that part looks.  What I'm disappointed about is that the back of my hair looks choppy and uneven.  The stylist asked me if I wanted layers in the back and I told her that I didn't.  I'm not sure if she didn't hear me or what but even if she was trying to put layers in it, they don't look good.  They were closing when I left otherwise I would have went back as soon as I noticed it.  I'm going to call them in the morning and I'm hoping they will make it right.

Tomorrow, Lauryn and I are going to go to Grand Rapids for a little bit to do some shopping at Michael's.  I have a project I can't finish until I get more yarn and some felt.  I'm making a case for my netbook and I really want to get it done so Ican see if the finished project is what I had in mind! :)  When I do get it done, I'll post pictures of it.  I think it's going to be cute!

One Tired Mama

I started a making something new last night for my Pay It Forward project and ended up staying up way later than usual.  We've been up for a few hours now and I still don't really feel awake.  Maybe when it's Lauryn's nap time, it will be Mama's nap time too! :)

I can't wait for this Pay It Forward project to be done with so I can post pictures of what I've made.  I don't know if any of the recipients read my blog so I can't post anything yet.  So far, I've made three things for each person, things I've never made before, and I can't wait to see if they like them or not. 

I got a very good start on getting my craft room organized this weekend.  It's clean, I threw out a bunch of junk but I still have to figure out where I'm going to put a few things and I still have to get curtains and some decorations.  It's looking pretty cute already though!