I have decided to join the ranks of crafting blogs, at least until I change my mind. I looooove checking out Pinterest and Google for new crafting ideas, so my hope is to document both original pins or posts I am using as inspiration as well as my results - good, bad, or otherwise. 

With that being said, today's inspiration began with the desire to create a window cling for my front door that goes high enough for Charlie not to be able to see through. He feels it is his right and duty to suddenly and loudly let us know when someone is on our street. 

Could I buy window clings? Sure. But where would the fun in that be? On that note, I found a pin that led me to a post about DIY Holiday Window Clings on The Polka Dotted Turtle (fun name!) that specified how the blogger and her family made some fun patriotic (if you're in the USA, which I am) window clings. 

She used glue, dish soap, and food coloring. As any good crafter should, I easily found these supplies. I spent a little time online looking for a design to use, but I quickly decided the ones I found were too intricate for what promises to be messy and not precise at all. I made a simple design in Pages and printed off 6 templates, which I then taped under wax paper. 

My house is yellow and the front door is an adobe-ish color of orange, so it was decided to attempt yellow and orange ... but the yellow was transparent, which would defeat the purpose of thwarting my darling Charlie's love of startling us with updates on our neighborhood, so we decided to try orange and white. 

Obviously we didn't wait for the food coloring to work through the glue as instructed but I do like the fluidity of the colors (I apologize for the awful pic - so it goes). My thinking was the blue parts will be what we do white, and if it turned out we would put them up on the door when dry. 

Well, that didn't work. The glue is really runny and I sincerely doubt it will be opaque even if we do 6 coats ... so it looks like I will be stopping by the store later. 

The good part about this is I had fun trying something new-to-me with DD and a friend of hers, and I think they did too. Things don't always turn out the way we think they will, and that isn't necessarily bad.

Back again - embracing change and life.

I've written and rewritten this post many times in my head, so I think know it is time to sit down at my computer & type it. Many life events have happened since I last blogged, and while I'm not sure that the details are particularly important to anyone but me, what I do think is important is reaching out to others whether it's IRL (in real life for those of us who are life-experienced, and by that I mean old) or via the web. Today I want to thank you for stopping by to read my pitiful short little brief post - because the fact that you are reading it shows that we have a connection, and I appreciate your time. We all have demands on our time and I know I could make better choices about my "free" time  - instead of searching on Pinterest for recipes or knitting ideas, instead of scrolling through Facebook to see what everyone is up to, instead of reading all the junk emails with offers of 10-20-30% off, instead of watching movies I've seen too many times to count, instead of searching Ravelry for new projects or patterns or yarns - I could be exercising (sorry - if you know me IRL, you just snorted your coffee out your nose - you can go clean up - I'll wait), I could be reading a meaningful book, I could be calling a friend, I could be cleaning (sorry again - you may just want to keep the paper towels close by to clean up the coffee), or I could be doing 3,000,000 other things. Instead I do things that are not usually productive, but they do help me disconnect from stresses and come back with a fresh perspective. That's not a bad thing.

What does all this mean? It means I am coming back to the blog with a fresh perspective and bifocals. Because well, I'm life experienced. :)

Creating

DD mentioned how hard the porch swing is & she would really like it better if there were cushions, so off to WalMart I went. It's the end of the summer season so I knew it would be slim pickings, but I might be able to find a pretty good deal. Nothing I found was just right, so as I was wandering through the aisles I got to thinking how I could make my own, keeping in mind that sewing is one of the few crafts I just don't like.

I would need fabric comfortable enough to sit on but outside-friendly, so I headed over to the shower curtains. I found a real pretty soft blue paisley pattern that I liked, so I got 2 - better to be prepared for  "whoopses" that not.

Next I went to the craft section & found some prepackaged "bio foam" (don't know what the bio is about but it was the right size, density, & thickness).

Next I went looking for adhesive, finally settling on some E6000, a can of spray adhesive, & some white duct tape. I ended up not using the E6000, but overall I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I  plan on picking up one more package of cushions so I can take care of the back rest too.

DD likes it, but says I need to hurry up & finish it. That's 8 year old gratitude I guess.

Beautiful morning, I'm loving this weather, if we could keep it 75% of the time I would be happy (the other 25% would be lots of snow & rain).

Enjoy your day.

On my heart

I am a Christian. If you did not know that about me before, you do now. To me being a Christian is about my own personal relationship with God, not belonging to a particular denomination or religion. I am grateful to live in a day, time, and country where I can worship freely and can speak my views openly. Keep this in mind as you continue reading.

There is a great deal of talk of tolerance and respect being shouted for one and all to hear ... yet what is the message? I am supposed to be "tolerant" of others' views even when they conflict with my own, yet when others hear my views they are not "tolerant" of me - why is that? When did tolerance turn into agreement? Why can't it be simple acknowledgement of differences and respect of others? Why do I have to embrace a view that is drastically different from my own but I cannot (nor do I want to) force someone else to embrace mine? Why do I get labeled, branded, and judged for my views when I do not use those labels on others? Why am I lumped in with others who claim the same beliefs that I have but when you truly study their views and actions do not represent me and my beliefs?

Christmas Knitting

Below is a list of gifts I've made, am making, or will make in the future.

1. E's "Fred" - done.
2. J's "Ninja" - in progress.
3. R's "Jacque Cousteau Cowl" - future.
4. J's present - future.
5. J's "Warm Socks" - future.
6. H's present - future.
7. M's Cowl - future.
8 - 24. Mini-stockings for a variety of special people - future.
25. 2 Teacher presents - future.
26. Do I really need more?

I'll get back to working on these just as soon as I finish designing and making my Wrist Sock iPod Cozy, because I need to have inspiration while I work. Right?

Movin' Right Along

I love the Muppets. The original ones, from the 70's & early 80's, with Kermit & Gonzo & Miss Piggy & Fozzie & Waldorf & Statler & Dr. Bunson Honeydew & Beaker & Scooter. The original "Muppet Show" with Pigs in Space & the Swedish Chef. The movies "The Muppet Movie" and "The Muppets Take Manhattan" and "The Great Muppet Caper." I love the music and the stories and the lessons I learned - it's not easy being green (or red or yellow or blue), but it's ok & it's beautiful and I like it and it's what I want to be; never agree to help Fozzie with a joke because more often than not it will backfire or just plain not work; don't try to figure out the Gonzos in the world, just appreciate them for who they are; sometimes there are going to be people who heckle you & pick on you regardless of what you say or do; and singing loudly (in-key or out) can make a bad day better and a good day great.

How did I get on this subject again?

Oh yeah. I was going to post about how it's the end of summer and school will be starting next week here. Changes are coming, ds is going into 5th grade and dd into first. I'll be volunteering again, dance and tae kwon do will start soon, girl scouts and boy scouts will keep us hopping, and just for fun I've decided to take ballet. No, I'm never going to be a ballerina, never wanted to. It just sounded fun, and I really like the woman teaching the class. Anyway, changes are coming & I'm not sure how often I'll be posting... but having said that, I'm kind of a random blogger anyway, and I like it like that.

"Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection...
the lovers, the dreamers, and me."

I'm famous!

Well, no actually I'm not. But I did answer a survey about craft blogs and I'm one of 3 craft bloggers in South Dakota, which I think is pretty cool. Here's the link to the results, and by the way the survey is still open just in case anyone wants to add their two cents:
Craft Book Project
This survey is actually part of a woman's thesis, which I find quite amazing. I never could have imagined, years and years (and years, if you must know) ago when I was in college this strange thing called The Internet would be this big, this important, this much a part of everyday life. Way back in The Dark Ages (ie, when I was in college) the World Wide Web was young and kind of scary, and many of us weren't sure it would be around for long. I remember working at the front desk in my dorm and a friend being in the office behind me, claiming to be talking with someone in Russia. I didn't believe her, I thought it was probably someone much closer who said they were in Russia but trying to scam her. Fast forward to now and not only do I talk with people around the world but I absolutely love reading craft blogs from Norway, England, and anywhere they post in English. I salute the creator of the project and her effort, what a neat idea and wonderful execution. Great job, Alicia de los Reyes!

Aren't I crafty?

Well, no actually, I'm not. I like doing crafts, but I don't think of myself as crafty. Having said that, here are some things I've made or done semi-recently.

               Painting a bathroom should count, right?

               Family bracelet

               Gift bag

               Lanyard

               Monster for graduation gift

               Wall Organizer

Hmmmmm... maybe I am crafty after all :)

Look at what I found!

While meandering around the internet looking at anything that could keep me from doing housework, I found this wonderful post, which I am going to 100% try to figure out how to add as a button or catch or whatever it's called... someday. It's titled "Blogging without Obligation" which makes perfect sense to me - this is not a business or a necessity, but something fun to do when I have the time. Simple & to the point. Great, ain't it? Don't you wish more of life were like this?

Update before Coffee & Presents

I've been wanting to log some finished projects and haven't taken the time yet, so while the coffee is brewing and the kids & dh are playing I'm going to do just that.

Fruit Cozies

Little Piggy

Rasta Hat

Bella's Howl

Slip On Down Hat

Spike's Howl

There are a couple more, but they're wrapped so I need to get pics as they're opened. I'm pleased with how much knitting I've gotten done, and what's more I've really enjoyed it.

The coffee is done, the kids are waiting patiently, and it's a beautiful day to celebrate Christ's birth. Merry Christmas.

Updating my FOs

Short post just to catch up on my Finished Objects (FOs):

Braided Cable Handle Tote

Fetching Miten

Cafe Au Lait Beret

Octopus

Respect

"Do you work?"  Yes. I am a SAHM.

"Oh that's important."  Yes, it is. 

"It must be nice to be able to afford to do that."  Yes, I am blessed that my husband's job provides enough for me to be able to be in my chosen life work. Did you know that there are many women whose husbands make much less than mine does and stay at home also?

"I'll bet your house is always clean."  Actually I'm a horrible housekeeper. I'm ok with that.

"I'll bet you get so much done during the school day while the kids are away."  Actually I seem to find myself more away from home than at home.

"I could never do that, the kids would drive me crazy."  Even if it were what you were meant to do, they would still drive you crazy. That's their job. Mine is being at home with them.

I hear the above or variations on it a great deal, and I honestly don't get it. All parents are important. When you have children it's not a 9-5 or 7-3 or even 6-10 kind of job, it's 24/7/365 for life. It doesn't matter if you work outside or inside or beside the home, parenting is parenting. Having said that, I did always want to be a SAHM. I'm not Becky Home-Ecky or June Cleaver or Wonder Woman. I'm just me. This is my job. I enjoy it, I get annoyed by it, I have deadlines and assignments and get bonuses and have to juggle a schedule and do bookkeeping. I am a counselor, a nurse, a firefighter, a mechanic, a teacher, a janitor, a referee, a cook, a plumber, a taxi driver, a police officer, a judge, a jailer, a parole officer, a pastor, a handywoman. Can I do everything? No, of course not. No one can. I respect women who have families and work outside the home. I couldn't imagine doing your job either. But I respect that it's what you do. Please respect what I do.

PS - Becky Home-Ecky, June Cleaver, and Wonder Woman all have one thing in common: they all came from someone's imagination.

Summer Sock Saga

Anyone who has ever tried to knit something and had it turn out less than minimally acceptable knows how I feel about knitting socks - I worked on a sock almost all summer, toted it to piano lessons, lugged it to wait in lines, and took it on trips ... my first toe-up sock, knit specifically to fit my left foot, in bright sherbety summery colors, soft and comfortable, in a blend that would be comfortable to wear in the summer and fall and spring (and winter if I really put my mind to it, and darn it if I'm knitting something I'll wear it when I want to regardless of season appropriate-ness). It was a thing-of-beauty-in-progress, and I was proud of it. I got to turning the heel and was so pleased with how it had gone from a tube to something that could actually fit on my foot, until I tried to put it on my foot and discovered I had started one needle off, which put the heel somewhere around the inside of my ankle.  DH couldn't understand how I could cry over a sock and was wondering aloud if I had taken my medication. How could he understand? He's never knit anything. On the other hand, he has had projects that haven't turned out the way he has wanted, after putting in lots of thought and effort to bringing them to fruition. That he understood... although he still thinks I'm nuts for wanting to try again. 

That's ok. Gotta keep that mystery alive somehow, and after 17 years of marriage I'll take it any way I can get it.

:)

A Turtle on my Counter

I never thought I would have a turtle on my counter, and yet this afternoon that's exactly what I have. He's been to school and to daycare and ooh'ed and aah'ed over by many, and after his brief stint of being famous I'm sure he'll be quite happy to be released later today. I'll be happy when he's off my counter.

On the crafting side of life, the weather has turned cooler (well, not today but it was earlier and will be again) and I realized that our mittens & gloves are MIA so last night I cast on for some mittens for ds. The first one is ok, although not exactly what I would like for a finished product. I've figured out some modifications to try for the next pair, as I'm certain at least one of these will wander off so he'll need more. I cast some for dd this afternoon as well and am planning on trying the mods on hers. Wish me luck.

Life, paused

Sinus infections are my enemy, my nemesis. Go outside in the wind, get a sinus infection. Get a cold, it turns into a sinus infection. Open the windows because it's an absolutely beautiful day, get a sinus infection. You get the idea. I have found it impossible to do anything that requires logic and intelligence until the meds take effect because my brain isn't getting the oxygen it needs to exist, let alone work, so all activity is delegated to a complete minimum. Which is funny because today, at 4 pm, I will be at the middle school with over 100 girls doing iCarly activities for our local Girl Scout Fall Festival. Think about it: over 100 girls, ages 5 to high school, in a gym, for two hours, making Ocean in a Bottle and lip gloss and Spaghetti Tacos and who knows what else, and me. Thankfully I'm not the only adult there, otherwise things really wouldn't be pretty. Having said that, prayers are appreciated. :)

btw, I apologize for if what I've written doesn't make sense. No oxygen.

Baby Steps

No, I'm not pregnant. Not that kind of baby steps. More of the I've-got-it-figured-out-what-I-want-to-do-and-now-I-need-to-figure-out-how-to-get-it-done baby steps. I want to talk about specific goals but have decided against putting too much out here on the big wide web, at least too much too soon, so I have to keep things generic but still know what I'm talking about, which is turning into rambling so I should probably be making a point soon except I'm not sure what the point was supposed to be any more so maybe I should just stop futtsing around and do it. 

Baby step number one, making up my mind. Done. 

Baby step number two, telling someone so I have to be accountable. Done. 

Baby step number three, having a specific target date for baby step four. 

Done. Baby step four, get a job. Done. 

Baby step five, do it. That's where I am now. 

And I'm pretty happy with that. More goals to come later. 

(That was a lot of hyphens. Too many, I think. Oh well.)

A New Day

I've been doing a lot of thinking about daily routines and life, about organizing and routines, about worthwhile choices versus wasteful futtsing around (that's a Betsy-ism). My Ravelry name is HobbyCollector, which very accurately describes me - I love all sorts of arts & crafts hobbies. The problem is I don't seem to feel I have the time in the day to feed the artist in my soul because of my lack of taking the reins on my own day-to-day life. I've decided to make some changes to my outlook, my personal spaces, and my activities. I've also decided to use my blog to keep me accountable to myself, because really, there's only One other who knows me truly and completely, and I know He loves me regardless of what I do but that He does want me to use my gifts, abilities, and knowledge for His glory. And so, today is a new day with new possibilities, new opportunities, and new choices. It's a beautiful new day.

My Opinion

First and foremost I have to admit that I did not see the news about the man who tried to bomb Times Square last weekend. I have a tendency not to listen to the news - I could use my kids and Spongebob as an excuse, I say I'm too busy doing ________, but the truth is I forget to pay attention sometimes. Having said that, I was thankful my Mom told me about the attempt on Times Square. There are lots of news reports and speculations floating around so I'm going to throw my two cents' in and be done with it. Why did he do it? Who knows, he was brainwashed, he made a bad choice, he's disenfranchised with "The System," he ate a bad tuna salad - for whatever reason, he made the choice to follow through with it. My prayer is that he gets what he deserves. Having said that, here's my true opinion: I love living in America and being an American. People noticed something wasn't quite right and dealt with it. People got involved, made good choices, and ended up saving countless lives. We in America don't put up with those who want to hurt those we love, whether it's bullies on the school playground or bullies trying to blow us up. Some have tried and succeeded in giving us a black eye or a broken arm, but we keep healing and growing stronger because WE ARE AMERICANS. We stand strong together. God bless America.

PS - To those who don't like America, go somewhere else.

May has arrived!

I have always loved May - and not just because of my birthday - May baskets, birds, beautiful flowers, baseball,  the end of the school year - and of course, allergies. OK, so I don't love that part. But allergies are another reminder that spring is definitely here, and I can handle that.

I've been knitting a lot lately (can't do much else, allergies have knocked me on my butt), and it's actually a great way to be productive when you don't have the energy to do anything. It gets you to focus on something other than your infirmity/illness, you can actually make something useful (clothing, wash cloths, hats, blankets, etc), and depending on what you are knitting, you can actually expand your brain and learn something new. To quote Martha, it's a good thing.

Today I am blessed to spend the day with one of my favorite little people, Mason. It's definitely a good day.