Projects. Lots of them.

Pinterest has been a bad wonderful addition to my life. It inspires me, shows me how much I could be doing, and takes up a lot of my free time. Mostly, it just takes up my time, as I rarely get around to actually doing any of the cool stuff I find there. But there are the exceptions. Here's my Pinterest projects that I've done since, oh, maybe last October. Some of them I did for Christmas and just never posted them. 

Up-cycled sweater bag. I love these. I think I'm addicted. I have another wool sweater just waiting for its turn to become a cute bag. 

Before felting:

After:

Cute bag, but wait, there's more!

I had so much sweater left over in the sleeves, so I made these little owls, 'cuz, you know, owls are 'IN' right now! 

But then I still had half the sleeve left, so I made THESE:

Fingerless gloves. I love them. When I'd get in the cold car, I'd just roll down that cuff to keep my hand from touching the cold steering wheel! Ok. I'm a geek. Whatever.

This is the turtle that was all my sweet Kate wanted for Christmas. It took me forever, mostly because I kept screwing it up and so I unpicked it like 5 times. But it's pretty cute. 

His little vest, attaches to his shell, so he can go...

Comando! The beret was an addition Kate wanted. Because he's french. Obviously. 

Then I made this Totoro for my brother, his kids. Notice who's bed it's on?

Side note: I must not be Japanese enough, because I don't get anime. At all.  

Then I begged a piece of cork board off my father and put it up behind my desk, so I could fill it with crap, all my stuff that must be remembered and will only be so if it is right in front of my face most of the day. 

I taught the girls how to cross stitch, and Kate made me this:

(collective Awwww!)

This is my attempt at a cheap meaningful wedding gift. You know, not just another mixing bowl set. I found it on Pinterest, but didn't have the right kind of software, so I spent the next TWO HOURS trying to make it work on my Pages layout. It was HARD. But, now I just have to switch the name of the bride and groom for the next wedding, and voila! Wedding gift in 2 min. 

(Notice the second couple down? My little Mormon touch.)

This is the project I've been drooling over for many months. I bought the supplies 2 months ago. I printed out the numbers 1 month ago. I stained the board 2 different colors (the back is much darker) 2 weeks ago. Drew on the lines/numbers 1 week ago. Finally got around to adding the hand prints and labels just a few days ago. I LOVE it. I used baby books  and my Mom's growth chart that I made her 10 years back to fill in the missing info. I don't know why the camera picked up that varnish around the 5 like that, but you can't see it normally.

Then I had each of the kids put their hand on it. Ella's is in pink-- hard to see, but they match their color marker, so I can easily see each child's progress through the years. For instance, here you can see that Luke was the same height at age 7, that his sisters hit at age 6. *snicker* 

And lastly, Chris' little reading nook. His little desk is tucked away in the tiny alcove, and was so bare it felt like we'd shoved him in a corner. So I put up the photos our 'family photographer- Jordi' took back in 2005 that I had originally made for Chris' office at school, because he was commuting to Cedar City on the weekends and was horribly lonely. I like the way it turned out. (Photos mounted on to foam core and cut to varying sizes, stuck to the wall w/ double stick tape)

The Least of These...

A recent conversation w/ my cousin, started w/ this comment on her recipe she posted on her blog:

Me: ah– you go to all the trouble– I go get a frozen Costco lasagna! lol. It looks yummy though! 

Her: You should have tasted the cream cheese tartlet thingies that Brooke(my sister) brought.  They were the hit of the dessert bar for sure.

Me: she's such a show-off w/ her fancy desserts! lol.

Her: Laughing.  Each one had fresh raspberries or blueberries on the top and she served on cake platters that she had embellished with ribbon.  It looked really pretty.

Me: I'm so glad I don't have to compete w/ her on a daily basis. Sheesh. That would get old fast. It's bad enough being constantly upstaged by Ryan and his gourmet cooking... "Mom! You have to get Ryan's recipe for Asian tacos! He's the best cook... blah blah blah" 

"shut up already and eat your tuna casserole."

It's hard being the 'slacker' in a family of Domestic Gods/Goddesses.

It wasn't always this way, I used to be able to hold my own with the clean house, good cooking, crafting/decorating... *sigh* I'm afraid all that has gone the way of the dodo for me. It doesn't bother me, I've given up hoping to one day be Martha Stewart, that is, until I get around my family... then I start to feel a tad bit insecure.

My sister is equally at home with a spatula as she is w/ a band saw. And because she has already mastered all things domestic, she recently learned to change her own brakes. Because she can. 
Here's her family last Halloween, you know, because 'theme' costumes are so easy... notice the blue feather wigs she made? And you can't see it, but the girls shirts say 'thing 1' and 'thing 2'. She even remembered the dang fish bowl!




My brother Ryan-- well, let's just say, I envy his wife. He cooks, he cleans, he can fix/make anything. And I'm not just talking mac n' cheese from a box. I'm talking Emeril. He is hands down the best chef in the family. His house that he gutted and remodeled is GORGEOUS. I sigh every time I walk in that place. It's a craftsman masterpiece.


Ryan's wife, Les, is by far the most organized, on-top-of-it gal I know. She keeps an immaculate house, which is always decorated for every holiday, AND she does cute crafts with her boys, like this:

My brother Dru, among all his other talents,  has a thing for cake decorating. He and my SIL could start a business. He is also multi-talented in the handy-man department. Oh, and he sews. Yep. He stepped in and made these little owl pillows for our neices, because my SIL was feeling overwhelmed w/ her Christmas craft list. Uh huh. I can't find a picture of them, but they were darling.


Dru's wife Melissa USED to be the one I could outshine. Then she hit her own domestic goddess stride, and started keeping her house tidier than mine, and cooking delicious meals every night, and knitting hand made purses for everyone. I tell you, I can't even keep up with the non-blood relatives anymore!

Well, maybe Bjorn. I can still top him, but that's only because he's not even remotely interested in this game. As he told my sister, "I went to law school so I could PAY someone to change my brakes." Little did he know at the time, he'd marry my sister, who's motto in life is, "Why pay someone to do what you can do yourself-- and do it better?"

Now I'm really feeling sorry for myself. LOL.
Oh well... better get making that tuna casserole for dinner...

The whole talented bunch

A few things...

that make me happy. These beautiful lilies,
I bought for the science class I teach at Luke's co-op. I needed a flower with definite pistil and stamens, this was all I could find.
I was trying to be cheap, so instead of buying the Easter lily plant for $7, I went to the florists and just bought the ONE stem. When she rang me up and said, "That'll be $7.69", I realized, being cheap never pays. Sigh* I didn't turn in the reciept for reimbursement though, because we've had them a week, and they made my whole house smell like flowers, and there is still one flower left to open. Gorgeous. I love lilies.

The next picture is of my kitchen wall. A new clock, yes I know, I am anal about time. We have a few clocks in the house, but then I have a good friend who has 15 clocks in 2 rooms, so cut me some slack! The vinyl is also a favorite, it's crooked, but not my fault. Technically it's level---I used a level! But apparently this old house is not, um, square, the result? It looks crooked. Chris says he can't tell, but that's not saying much. Anyway, the quote is by Emily Dickinson, and says, 'Eden is that old-fashioned house we dwell in every day, without suspecting our abode, until we drive away.' Perfectly sums up my home.

Voila!

Before..............................After, PB Brookstone Moss
White

My favorite quote..........The dining room, Anjou Pear

My fingers are raw (from scraping the floor w/ the razor blade)
my back and forearms still ache, but it was all worth it. The color
adds so much warmth and coziness to the house. I love it.

Painting 101

1. NEVER, never, wear your favorite Lucky brand jeans to paint in. Even if you did get them at the DI for $10.

2. TAKE OFF your wedding ring and watch, BEFORE they are covered in paint splatters.

3. Use a drop cloth. It takes all of 5 sec. to spread an old sheet on the floor vs. 5 min. of scrubbing paint splatters off said floor with paint thinner.

4. DO NOT use oil based paint UNLESS you are a professional. Even if your Dad, the expert, told you to. If the fumes don't kill you, the paint thinner will.

5. When the paint thinner fumes start to burn your eyes right out of your head, DO NOT use your paint covered hands to rub them!

6. Paint first, ask permission from Landlord later. Otherwise, your intended color (Red) will be banned under the category of 'dark colors', forcing you to settle on the second choice, Sage.

And since I'm relating painting errors and how to avoid them, I may as well regale you with the worst-painting-fiasco-ever-story.
It all began 6 yrs. ago when Kristin decided she could not live with the disgusting bathroom walls any longer. She MUST paint. Her husband said, "Fine, but I am NOT going to help you" (He hates all things do-it-yourself) and arranges his schedule to be gone when said fiasco occurs. Kristin begins to paint, before 18 mo. old Tess is down for her nap, thinking, "it won't be hard to keep her out of the bathroom". Half way through the project, Tess becomes interested in a can of spray paint. Yes, a can of spray paint, left, unwisely on the hallway floor, just outside the bathroom. Kristin sees Tess holding can up to her face about to push the nozzle. Kristin screams. (In hindsight, this reaction probably led to all those following. A cool head, however, rarely prevails when toddlers are holding cans of spray paint or running out into traffic.) Tess startles at Kristin's scream and immediately drops said can of paint. Unfortunately, she is standing right over a hammer, which, unbelievably, is situated on the carpet with the claw pointing up. Can hits claw, claw pokes hole in can. Paint escapes, under pressure, all over everything. Like spray from a fire hose, paint is coming out in all directions for 2 ft. around. Kristin screams again. Luke and Tess scream and run away, choosing their pathway through the path of the escaping paint. Mind you, the floor where this fiasco is taking place, is covered in dark gray carpet, the paint, is white. Like a chicken with her head cut off, Kristin grabs can of paint and attempts to take it...where? The tub would be a good option, containing the paint easily, and best of all, covered in washable surfaces. Nooooo, Kristin decides (can it really be called a decision?) to run down the hall, through the dinning room, and into the kitchen with it, where she deposits can in the sink to sputter it's remaining contents. In shock, Kristin emerges from kitchen to find her children. She notices little white footprints leading away from the scene of the crime, on the gray carpet. The children are now huddled, crying hysterically, covered in paint spray, in a corner. She takes them out to the front porch, sits down with them, and begins to cry herself. At this point Chris drives up and sees his little family, painted, and hysterical on the porch. Kristin cannot face the mess, and Chris is obliged to go in and do 'damage control'. Chris then agrees to finish paint job, when Kristin threatens nervous breakdown. This, ladies and gentlemen, is why Kristin so rarely ever attempts to paint anything. And how did the 'damage control' go? Well, it was latex paint, so it came off every hard surface. The carpet, sadly, told the story for years to come. Luckily, the landlords never inspected the property before we moved out, and in all fairness, it was time for new carpet anyway. Wish I had photos of this red-letter journal day, but I don't think I recovered from my shock, until days later.

Heaven...I'm in Heaven...

Chris left yesterday with the 3 older kids. A whole week they'll be gone. A WHOLE WEEK!!! I got up this morning and spent 4 hrs. cleaning, and now I am basking in the satisfaction of a clean house, knowing it will STAY clean for a WHOLE WEEK! I'm giddy with happiness. I know Chris misses us when he goes to work every week, but honestly...um...nope. I don't think so. I'm not going to miss them. Why would I waste my precious 'time off' moping around being sad and lonely? I WON'T! Instead, I am going to do things you just can't do with 4 kids running around. ei: Be sane. Oh and I'm going to paint the kitchen. We haven't painted a wall since we moved in nearly 3 years ago, even though the paint job is horrific and no two walls are quite the same color white. It's always a question of cash. Do I want to spend my own money on someone else's house? The answer has always been no, but frankly, we could live here forever, and I can't stand these walls anymore. So stay tuned for the before and after pictures!

Down & Derby

The last pinewood derby is over at last! Big sigh of relief. Cub scouts is the bane of my existence, so I am not sorry to see this last race done with. All the drama! Parents are the worst, but there's always one or two boys crying at the end of the night. It's an age old saga I suppose, but really, who needs this kind of crap? Especially at the age of 8-9-10! I think we oughta just put the boys in the room with their cars and track and let 'em play for a couple of hours. No announcing the winner and loser, no parents hovering over the track to 'adjust the car just right'. Ridiculous. The whole thing.
Luke's race started off bad to begin with, the leaders forgot to tell the boys the race had been bumped up a week, so we had 1 hour to make his car before weigh-ins. Chris had tried to help him the previous weekend, but ended up destroying the car, so he thought he'd have another try this weekend, except that the race got moved up. Luckily we had an extra car, pre-cut, with little plastic dude and everything. He just had to paint it and stick the wheels on. It looked great, but it was a, er, a little slow. Dead last to be honest. Oh well, Luke handled it really well, I was proud of his display of sportsmanship. He had fun, and that's what really matters right? Well, to us anyway. Some people must win to call it a good night, but those are the folks we don't like to associate with. Isn't the point of cub scouts to teach our young boys to be good solid men with integrity? I fail to see how parents arguing over the results, as judged by a computer no less, is going to acheive this lofty goal. I guess I just don't get it. Maybe winning is everything?!

20/70

It's official, I get older, my eyesight gets worse. Last eye exam I was 20/60, now it's worse. I wouldn't even have gone, but I lost my second and last pair of glasses, and now I need new ones.
Of course the pair I like are about $250. So I will just have to be a menace on the road for a bit longer (did you know you can't pass the test w/o 20/40 or better?). Good thing I don't spend much time driving around.
Luke also failed his school eye exam, so we took him in, his vision is barely 20/40, so he got glasses. Now I have to worry about 2 of us losing glasses though. He really likes them, and I think he looks pretty cute, of course he picked out the most expensive pair. The selection wasn't very good, ah well, I don't need to see anytime soon.
Hopefully this will help with his headaches. Not a one since pulling him from school, and it's gone pretty smoothly at home too (knock on wood). He joined a co-op group that meets for 4 classes on Thursdays. So for all you worried about his 'socialization', there you go. 4 whole hours socializing with other weird home schooled children. (awww, kidding, there's only a few that are weird) Chris and I are working with him on his social skills, and I am optimistic he'll be ready to go back in the fall.
Anyway, I will take a turn teaching the science class. Hope I can remember how that goes...it seems a life time ago since I had to think about chemistry and physics. I vaguely remember calculus, at one point in my life I could claim to be educated. Now...not so sure, I think I lose IQ points with each pregnancy. I'm hovering around 'mentally challenged' these days. Which reminds me, yesterday Kate was twirling something sort of like a baton, and said, "Mom, watch me! I'm a genius!" If only that were the measure of IQ. We'd all be geniuses. Which reminds me of something else, (I'm losing it, I know) my niece left an interesting article about nerds and schools in my comments, I'm not sure it is entirely accurate or applicable to Luke's situation, but check it out, http://www.paulgraham.com/nerds.html and tell me what you think. Chris of course, agrees 100%, especially on the part about schools becoming a society similar to Lord of the Flies. I'm not quite so positive, but it does beg some consideration.
Wow! what was the point of this post anyway? My brain is on 'circle' apparently. I may come around to a cohesive thought soon...stay tuned.

Luke trouble...again...

The migraines are back. At least one a week, usually Sunday night. Go figure. Monday he came home from school with such a down trodden look on his face. I asked what was wrong.
"Jessie (the bully who shoved him in a hole last month) told everyone in class that I'm stupid, so now Treavor (the kid with a hair-lip) doesn't want to be friends with me. He was my only friend mom. No one likes me."
By this point I am teetering between tears of sorrow for my sweet child and rage at the meanness of kids. Chris came home and I cried. I don't know what to do. I can't stand to see my child in pain. Physical and emotional pain. And yet, do I rescue him from these hard situations that he'll have to learn to deal with sooner or later? Can I handle having him at home? We all know how that went last time! Is he just weird? Why don't the kids like him? He has lots of friends in the neighborhood, older and younger, boys and girls, and has no problems at church. It seems to me to stem from this one child in his class. I suggested maybe moving classes, to which he replied, Jessie pretty much tells everyone what to think, and there are already kids in the other classes that are all to eager to join the gang of oppressors. What do we do?
Chris, ever the sage, suggested that he's not weird, but that he just refuses to join in the pecking order, and so the kids don't like him. He doesn't understand why the hair-lip kid is made fun of, or why the girls shun the less pretty. To him, they are all just kids, and he tries to be friends with them all.
Unfortunately, schools teach kids that there is a social order at a young age. It doesn't matter where you fit in, geek, popular, bully, but EVERYONE has to have a place, and get in line. Society is the same. The problem is, kids learn this order at a tender young age before they have a well developed sense of self, and more importantly, confidence in who they are. This pecking order system can destroy some kids before they even know what hit them.
It took me a while to digest that. I had been worried about shielding him from life's problems, when I shouldn't, but in reality, adults do this to each other as well. The difference between experiencing it as an adult, is that hopefully, adults know who they are, and can make a conscious decision to just ignore the petty minded. Kids on the other hand, don't have the wherewithal to make that decision. They just want friends, and want to be accepted. To some extent we all do, but this life lesson will always be there. I can't shield him from it forever, but I can protect him until his self esteem can handle it. Till he's mature enough to see it for what it is. I may be overprotective, but after much thought and prayer, my sense it to take him out of this harmful environment. I refuse to put him on narcotics for the headaches and just force him to cope. So....yes, it's come full circle. Luke will once again be homeschooled. Till the end of the school year. Next year I have both he and Tess enrolled in a new charter school. Several of their friends are also enrolled, and they have multi-age classes, so I can only hope, he'll be okay. I know my limits, and long term homeschooling wouldn't work for my temperment, but I can deal with this for 4 months. I have to. For Luke's sake.

New Chairs!

Well, new to me anyway. I had to recover them, but for those of you who know we've been sitting on an odd assortment of folding chairs, office chairs, mom & dad's old cane chairs, and occasionally the piano stool for FOUR years!--well, you know I have been PATIENT . I'll never ever buy a table w/o the chairs again. I always wanted to find some really great antique country french chairs to go with the table, but never could find any in my price range....I got these 4 for $100, and the designer fabric FREE from my decorator friend. Not bad, now I just need a couple of armchairs, I don't care if they all match, just as long as they're basically the same. These go with my table pretty good eh? Hooray!! Dining in Style at casa de Johnson.