I've been on a bit of a sewing kick this summer. Thankfully, I'm getting over the bug in time for "normal" life and routine to start up. Here's what I've been doing:
I made a "moby" wrap (baby carrier) for my sister from this fabric.
And, because I'm super-excited about becoming an aunt, I made a quilt for my future nephew, too. I refer to this as my first "grown up" quilt. The tutorial can be found
here.
A good friend is also expecting her first baby (a boy!), so with extra quilt fabric I made a diaper stacker for her, loosely following the guidelines of
this tutorial.
Lastly, we will be heading in to a birthday party in an hour to give a little girl this apron that my son helped me to make and begrudgingly models for you. There are many tutorials online, but I liked
this style.
That's what has been keeping me busy and away from blogging (in part) this summer. I still have to make another apron for a birthday next week (it's going to be my standard gift, I think), but after that it is just random projects to get done when I feel in the mood.
1:59 PM |
Category:
Projects,
Sewing
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Memory Verse for the week (Feb 28 - Mar 6):
But the end of all things is at hand;
therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.
And above all things have fervent love for one another,
for "love will cover a multitude of sins."
I Peter 4:7-8
Spring Cleaning, Week 2 - The Kitchen:
I'm dreading this week. The fact that it took till Friday to get the little bathroom done does not bode well for the rest of the project. There is just SO much to do in a kitchen to really get it clean. I might even have to carry this room over to another week. Here it goes...
Wash and put away the dishes that will likely be on the counterDust the ceiling, corners and light fixtureRemove items from cabinets and wipe inside and out
- Plates/cups cupboard - Baking goods cupboard
- Staples cupboard
- Spices cupboard
- Cereal/drinks cupboard
- Pans/Tupperware cupboard
- Silverware/Utensil drawers
Sort through items, organize and replace in cupboardsClean appliances - Microwave
- Toaster
- Fridge
- Oven/Stove-top
- Kettle
Clean window space and windowClear off countertops, sort through items and replace only what is necessaryClear out cleaning supplies, clean cupboard and organizeClear out catch-all drawer and organizePull up linoleum in strategic areas to clean underneath (thanks to a clogged washing machine that led to controlled flooding)Scrub down the sink areaSweep floorsMop floorsHeave a huge sigh of relief
12:34 PM |
Category:
Homemaking,
Projects
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Memory Verse for the week (Feb 21-27):
Only fear the Lord, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.
1 Samuel 12:24
Spring Cleaning, Week 1 - The Bathroom (and Hallway Closet)
Do to the quirky British custom of having a toilet in one room and a sink and bathtub in another, my bathroom cleaning plan might sound a little funny at times. Without further ado and in an order that will NOT be strictly adhered to, I give you THE CHECKLIST:
- Dust ceiling and walls of both rooms
- Sort through bathroom cabinet and toss excess
- Clean cabinet inside and out (and on top)
- Organize and clean both window ledges
- Sort through bathroom literature and recycle outdated magazines
- Organize and clean toiletry hanger in the shower
- Clean shower and tub
- Wash shower curtain
- Clean sink
- Clean toilet
- Clean ledges behind toilet and sink
- Wash rug
- Restock toilet paper in basket
- Replace old hand towel with a clean one
- Take out trash and put in new trash bags
- Vacuum the floors
The more things on my list, the more I get to check off. I feel like singing the Count Dracula's counting song on Sesame Street.
- Take all linens out of closet
- Wipe down shelves
- Vacuum the dust bunnies out of hidden spaces
- Sort through linens and eliminate excess
- Replace everything in a sensible order
- Stand back and survey the work
- Sigh with relief - and try not to dread the work that the kitchen will require
7:06 AM |
Category:
Homemaking,
Projects
|
I had way too much fun browsing the web for creative projects last night. I don't know if I will get around to doing any of them. Most of them probably take more time and ability than I have, but it's fun to see how creative people can be. As much as we might be denying it... Christmas IS coming and these might be some good gift ideas.
Have fun!
I had mentioned
a while back how much I enjoyed using
Blurb for my digital scrap-booking. It is a free download, easy to use and probably cheaper than all the costs that go into paper scrap-booking. On top of that, I don't have the hassle of getting pictures developed and I can print as many copies of my books as I want for grandparents, friends, siblings, etc...
Again, thanks to marrying an Apple user, I can be more creative with programs like Pages to make my lay-outs. I'm sure Windows has some equivalent, but I'm not up-to-date on it. I highly recommend this method of keeping and sharing memories.
Here's my latest page for my daughter's "First Year" book:
If you *hopefully* get hooked and want to know how I transfer my Pages documents to the Blurb program as pictures, just ask and I will pass on what my computer-savvy husband taught me.
Here are some from the book I did for my son's first year:
Hooked yet?!
2:17 PM |
Category:
Internet Finds,
Projects
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Ah... the satisfaction of going into my garden, picking some vegetables and serving them for dinner.
We are going to have to grow a whole lot more next year, I think. There just wasn't enough for me this time around. We'll know better what we are doing next time, too, since we more or less just threw some seeds out to grow and hoped for the best. Hurray for gardening space!!!
9:33 AM |
Category:
Gardening,
Projects
|
When we moved into our semi-furnished house, we were happy to discover that the couch hiding up in the bedroom was also a pull-out bed. The only problem was its intense pink color. Nonetheless my husband struggled it down the stairs so that we would have SOMETHING in the living room. Our hope was to get it covered eventually.
Well, thanks to fabric donated by my lovely aunt, great sewing done by my mother while she was here and a staple gun loaned from church, it is done (except that I should probably iron it)! I hope that slowly I can decorate the room in brown and teal.
Thanks, mom, for the pillows...and all the sewing.
I also discovered that using a staple gun is rather therapeutic and potentially addictive.
Is it Wednesday already!?? Because I've been writing and saving blog drafts for the future, I feel like I have posted more often than I have. Sorry.
This is another Wednesday that might not get much done. On Wednesdays I have a ladies' Bible study at church in the morning and today I had to make a cake to take for an activity that is happening there tonight (I'm not going, they just needed desserts for it). This afternoon I have to swing by the clinic to pick up a prescription for iron tablets. Sigh... apparently my iron ended up too low after all. Hopefully we can get it boosted to the right levels else I will have to have a hospital birth. Shouldn't be a problem, says my midwife.
SO with all those excuses and a few more.... in the time remaining, dinner to get on and a little boy to keep busy, I hope to:
1. Take my 35th-week belly picture
2. Clear out the things that are dying (or worse, growing!) in my fridge
3. Hem up my second living room curtain
4. Work some more on the baby blanket (It's almost done. Yay!)
The only one that might not happen is #3.
Alright... "hi-ho, hi-ho... it's off to work we go..."
2:42 PM |
Category:
Homemaking,
Projects
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I'm not sure how well I will participate in the "No Procrastination Wednesday" today. We will be taking my husband to the airport (on the bus), so most of our morning will be out of the house. This week (and the ones to come) I will be focusing on my
Pre-Baby "To Do" List, and already things are getting done. Unfortunately, I've thought of more things to add to the list than I have checked off. Oh, well. Checklists are very helpful for motivating me. Yes, I'm one of those who will add things to my list that I have already completed just so I can have the pleasure of checking it off. Such was the case with item #3 on my list.
1:55 PM |
Category:
Homemaking,
Projects
|
With June only a month away and approaching my 34th week of pregnancy, it is time to start checking things off the list. I was just updating it this morning and starting feeling over-whelmed at everything that needs to get done. With my husband gone for a week, I'll make it my goal to get what I can checked off the list. Unfortunately, quite a few items are contingent on people and circumstances, so we'll see what gets done and not worry about what doesn't, right? (
Hmm.. easier said than done!)
Pre-Baby "To Do" List
Sort through baby clothes for things a girl could wearTry to get newborn spit-up stains off clothes and wash everything- Clean stroller from thrift store
Clean car seat from Freecycle- Decide on a middle name
- Buy some kind of organizer/hanging shelves for baby's clothing
- Make a list of things to try to buy at big, summer Kwon sale
- Cloth diapers
- Diaper pail
- Spit-up rags
- Girl accessories – shoes, bibs, hair bows
- Warmer layers for colder months
- Highchair/booster seat
- Car seat
- Buggy board for the stroller
- Receiving blankets (or make them?)
- Send wish list to parents for things from Indonesia (cinnamon, Hagelslags, tumeric)
- Make wish list of things for mom to pick up while she's in America (if she has time)
- Make a 1-month menu plan (with diabetic-friendly meals for dad)
- Make a grocery list to cover the menu plan and stock up the pantry
- Set up guest room
It still looks like this with a few more baby things filling up the space.
- Buy a bed
- Buy sheets, pillows, comforters, etc…
Buy/alter/line and hang curtains in guest room- Get closet cleared out
- Fill out residency paperwork
Apply for Pregnancy Grant- Find dentist and make an appointment
- Make couch cover – okay, maybe I’ll get mom to work on this while she’s here.
- Finish baby blanket
- Arrange babysitters to watch De Sheng when giving birth
- Make schedule and explanations of De Sheng's routines for carer
- Fill out paperwork for helping in the nursery
- Buy birthday gift for De Sheng
- Send out update email
- Prepare baby announcement email
Get a joint Gmail account and let people know about it- Hem up living room curtains
- Write a few blog posts to save and publish after the baby is born
- ....
Yikes!
7:26 AM |
Category:
Pregnancy,
Projects
|
It is that day of the week again - Wednesday. Today I have tackled getting my nooks and crannies cleaned out and organized. I am sharing my Before and After pictures and trying not to be too embarrassed about the "Befores" and hoping my "Afters" won't revert back too soon.
This is not the final look that I am going for. Someday when my poor husband actually gets paid for all the work he's doing, I want to buy a cabinetted computer desk where I can hide away all our office supplies.
I also:
1. FINALLY oiled my squeaky bedroom door
2. Got up-to-date on our personal expenses spreadsheet (we keep our receipts and track our spending in an Excel document).
3. Ran some letters to the postbox (the only way to mail here besides the post office)
4. Wrote my "No Procrastination Wednesday" post..... Phew!
2:30 PM |
Category:
Homemaking,
Projects
|
Here are a few photos to show the progress of our plants. Parsley on the left and tomatoes on the right.
Ooh.. I just love watching plants sprout and grow.
Cheering them on.
We've actually transplanted some out into our backyard to see how they do. Apparently it snowed here last year at this time, but we've been having wonderful, warm days for a while now, so I hope all chances of frost are over.
What has been really fun is being able to give some of our extra plants away to people on Freecycle
(see previous post). I've had 2 men come by to pick up my extra tomatoes and parsley. Having been on the receiving end of people's generosity, it is fun to be able to give a little as well.
1:11 PM |
Category:
Gardening,
Projects
|
Over at
my cousin's blog, she's put out an invitation to join her in trying to use Wednesdays to tackle those projects that are so easy to procrastinate on. Since procrastination is a definite weakness of mine, I've found this to be very helpful and I wanted to pass the invitation on.
Since I'm posting at the end of the day, it will give you a week to think about it and work on a To-Do list. Actually, I've found it so motivating, that I've been more energized all week to not procrastinate and get things checked off my To Do list (or is it that I've been getting more sleep and enjoying beautiful spring days?) Thanks, Anna!
Here was my simple list for today in order of importance:
1. Clean fridge
2. Send over-due emails/messages to three friends
3. Finish hemming dining room curtains and making tie-backs
4. Write a post about "No Procrastination Wednesdays"
Thankfully, everything got done and while there are many more things to do, taking time to enjoy this rare, sunny weather is remaining a high priority.
7:39 PM |
Category:
Homemaking,
Projects
|
Before my son was born, I sewed him a baby blanket with safari animals on it. Now in anticipation of having a girl, I want to make something a little more feminine - pretty and pink (or purple). Unfortunately, I had to leave my sewing machine behind in China.. and the one before that in the States (*sigh*).. so this will have to be a crocheted blanket.
Here are is what I am using:
Here are my teachers:
Crocheting Solid Granny Squares Slip-Stitching Crochet Squares TogetherAnd this is what I have gotten so far:
I'll show you the final product when I finish... which hopefully I will.
3:23 PM |
Category:
Pregnancy,
Projects
|
With it being a cold, windy, rainy day, it was definitely time to start planting in defiance. This year I hope to grow tomatoes, green beans and green peppers in whatever spare part of the garden we can find (our landlord is partial to the flowers he has planted out there, so little room is left). I also hope to have an herb section. For the moment we are starting with tomato and parsley seeds.
Oooh! Water!!!
There are our little seeds, all ready to start sprouting!
Water, water, water!!!
The end result: seeds planted and ready to grow....
....and a very wet and dirty boy ready for the bathtub.
8:38 AM |
Category:
Gardening,
Projects
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