I still blog!

A whole week and not one blog post!


I missed blogging!


However it could not be helped.


Here's what happened.


It all began late into the night last Sunday the 23rd.

See the Big Dipper in this photo? I'm quite sure it was feeling very badly for us that night!

Miss Sofi Bug...

my baby...

said she wasn't feeling well.


Oh man was she not feeling well!


I'll suffice it to say there was very little sleep, many trips to the bathroom, the need to have a bucket on hand and lots of hair holding!


It was a horrible, no good, very bad night!


Maybe it was something she ate.

No it definitely wasn't what she ate.


I think she got a double nasty stomach virus.


I spent Monday and Tuesday caring for my poor sick girl and napping any chance I could.


I made her chicken soup. It's always good for what ails you!


I wrapped her in a snuggly blanket and watched or I should say slept through a video with her.


I often rested my cheek on her forehead to check her temperature which reached 100.2˚. That's right a Mom's cheek can read a sick child's temp accurately!


I kissed her forehead frequently! I don't get to do that as often as I once did now that she is taller than I am and her forehead is not as easy to reach as it once was! Without question this was my favorite part of caring for Miss Sofi Bug while she was sick!


I also told my girl that I was praying she would get better soon.


Miss Sofi Bug said that she had prayed all night Sunday night that she would be better and then angrily pointed out the fact that she was not better.


I understood her anger.


Life has not been easy for our family and loved ones lately. There are struggles with finances, illness and loss. Life just isn't what I think it should be lately. I don't always understand why God allows some of these things to happen. It can be very easy to get angry like Miss Sofi Bug did.


However, in this situation I could see what Miss Sofi Bug could not.


I shared with Miss Sofi Bug that if she had not gotten sick or if God had healed her in the night, which He very well could have done, I would not have gotten the opportunity to wrap my girl in a snuggly blanket. I would not have gotten to make her soup. I would not have gotten to rest my cheek on her forehead and plant dozens of kisses on it.


I explained that I was getting to take care of her in a very special way! A way that happens only when children are sick.


Miss Sofi Bug acknowledged that she really liked being taken care of when she was sick.


What I didn't tell her but I know in my heart is that Miss Sofi Bug was also learning an important lesson about compassion and caring for others. A lesson that can't be learned just by being told. It's a lesson that one learns best through experience.


One day my girl might have children of her own. Children who, when they get sick, will be wrapped in a snuggly blanket, fed some warm chicken soup, it's good for what ails you, and get dozens of kisses on their foreheads. Miss Sofi Bug will remember that her Mommy did the same for her and it taught her to care for others and it made her feel good.


Hopefully Miss Sofi Bug is also learning to offer the same care and compassion to others around her who need someone to care for them. 


Who knows maybe one day far into the future Miss Sofi Bug will wrap her Mommy in a snuggly blanket and kiss her Mommy's forehead and her Mommy will think, I taught her well.


We may not understand why God allows certain things in our lives. I believe He does have a good purpose and He will use all things for the good of those who trust in Him. A lesson God reminded me of as I cared for my sick Baby.


Christine


P.S. That explains the lack of posting for Monday and Tuesday. To be continued for Wednesday through Friday's explanation.

Overnight

Yesterday, they were this big!

Now all of a sudden they're this big!

How does that happen!?


Don't explain. I know how it happens. But why does is have to happen so fast? sniff


Christine

Drawstring bags

Oh my word! I meant to get this blog post out earlier, but I decided to help the girls clean out their closets first. 


What was I thinking? 


I guess I was thinking closet cleaning would only take a half hour or so.


Two and a half hours later...ugh!


Finally! Here we go. Let's make some drawstring bags!!


They're really easy to make!

No, really! I promise!!


You will need a few supplies:


1. A sewing machine...if you are interested in learning to sew but don't have a sewing machine and you do not want to purchase one only to learn that you do not enjoy sewing, do some checking in your area for craft stores or fabric stores that teach sewing classes. Some shops in our area allow people to use their machines to work on projects, for a small fee, during down times.


2. 2 pieces of fabric that compliment each other. I like that you can use a wide variety of fabrics for this project. I mostly use a nice cotton fabric. You could even use old fabric...old t-shirts, old sheets. Miss Sofi Bug has a pair of old flannel pajama pants that she has grown out of. I plan to use them next time.


This time I'm using a patterned cotton with a solid cotton for the lining.

Pretty!


3. Ribbon, bias tape, or enough extra matching fabric to make your own drawstring ties.


4. Thread that compliments your fabric. 


Finally you'll need a few general sewing supplies...fabric shears, pins, seam ripper...in case you like me occasionally have to remove a seam because somehow, very probably a lack of my explaining the directions very well...it won't be your fault...like I'm sure my error wasn't my fault...it must have been lack of proper directions...that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!


Anyway...


Cut out a 9x17 inch pattern. I used a piece of tracing paper. If you prefer you can draw out a 9x17 rectangle directly on your fabric with tailor's chalk. I made a pattern because I have made several bags and it's easier to use a pattern over and over instead of drawing it out every time.


Using pattern, cut out a rectangle from each of your fabrics.

Once you have your rectangles, pin them together right sides facing.

Sew with a 1/2 inch seam allowance along the long sides. Leave short sides open.


Turn fabric right side out and iron seams.

Fold open ends over 1/2 inch. Iron. Keeping first fold intact, fold over again 1 inch. Iron and pin in place.

Still with me?


Now is when it gets fun!


Sew along the folded over edge about 1/8 inch from edge creating a channel. To be clear, looking at the above picture, the yellow pinhead side of the fold! We don't want to have to rip out any seams here!

Once your channels are sewn, fold the bag in half with outside fabric facing. The patterned fabric is going to be the outside of my bag, the purple is the lining.

Pin sides and sew with a 1/4 inch seam allowance. Stop 1/2 inch from the channel seam. As I get close to the point where I want my seam to end, I curve the seam toward the outside edge of the bag. I think it looks nice.


Turn the bag right side out.


For this bag I used 1/2 inch black ribbon for the drawstrings.


You will need 2 pieces of ribbon, twice the length of the top of the bag plus 6 inches. My ribbons were 20 inches long each.


Attach a safety pin to the end of a ribbon and pull it through one channel and then through the other. Both ends will hang to one side of bag. One end from each channel. Again using the safety pin, pull the second ribbon through channels, starting from the opposite side of the bag that the first ribbon is hanging from.


Make sense?


I will admit that it took me a minute to puzzle out how to run the strings so that they would pull the bag closed. I must have been really tired the first time I tried it. Yep, that's my story!


And Voila!

Fabulous!


Leave a comment if you make one of these little drawstring bags or if you have any questions!


I think you'll like them as much as I do!


Christine

A few of my favorite things

I've been sewing a lot of these little drawstring jewelry bags.

I'm keeping this one for myself!


It has become home to some of my favorite pieces of jewelry. Pieces that I don't wear anymore but have special memories attached to them.


Like these earrings.

I wore them when the Husband and I got married. They weren't fancy or expensive but I thought they were perfect! 


I also liked the noise they made when they clacked together. Every time I pull them out to look at them that clacking sound reminds me of that special day.

I keep this antique brooch in my little jewelry bag too.

My Uncle gave it to me when I was in high school. I think it's lovely. I couldn't find a picture of me wearing it which is too bad! You would have laughed! Imagine...huge 80s hair...white dress shirt, collar up and pinned together in the front with this brooch. And don't forget the white eyeshadow!! Oh yeah baby, that was hot stuff in the 80s! Please feel free, take a moment to laugh at that mental picture.


All done? 


Shall we move on?


I also keep this bracelet in my bag.

I got this charm bracelet of Disney characters when I was in 2nd grade.


My Mom won, that's right when I was in 2nd grade she won a trip to Walt Disney World! Fabulous!! 


It was the first of several trips my family would take to the happiest place on earth!

That's me with my little sister and Tigger totally experiencing the happy! Holding that charm bracelet definitely brings back happy memories from our first Disney trip!


There you have it, that's what I keep in my little jewelry bag.


Just a quick heads up for my friends who do not sew, do not want to sew, or breakout in hives when I mention sewing, take an antihistamine tomorrow before reading the blog. For those who love to sew, tomorrow I will show you how to make these great little bags so you can make one too!


Christine

Subtle differences

Overall the Husband and I see things pretty much the same way.


Oh we have our subtle differences, but at the core we're pretty much alike.

While he may parent in strength, protecting the girls and being the leader of our family and I may parent by nurturing, I comfort and guide, we both love our girls and want very much to parent them well!


At the core, we're much the same!


While he likes a Mountain Dew in the morning for his caffeine fix, I like my caffeine to come from a Starbucks Mocha. We both just want our caffeine in the morning.


Again...core...same!


We both like to watch the television program Castle on Monday nights. There really isn't any difference here. We just really like the show and I wanted to tell you.


While I decided last weekend to buy sparkly silver nail polish to paint my nails and make them look pretty,

the Husband decided to buy black spray paint and paint the rims on his Jeep to make them look shiny and pretty!

Yep, at the core, we both like shiny and pretty.


See, we're pretty much exactly alike! Except for the ways we are different.


And there is nothing wrong with different!


Different can be good!


I say Vive la Différence!


Except for that Mountain Dew thing. I don't like the Dew. Not that it matters! He can like what he wants. 


However, since I don't like it, I wish he would get something I do like so I could take a drink of his beverage those times when I don't have a beverage of my own. I won't drink Dew, so when he has a Mountain Dew and I have nothing I really have nothing, because I don't like to drink Dew. 


Ohhh, maybe that's why he drinks the Mountain Dew!


Apparently he too says Vive la Différence!


Christine

Fall in sepia

I love this time of year.


There is something about the position of the sun that fascinates me.

There is something in the rustle of dry leaves and grass that delights me.

There is something about the skeletal remains of summer flowers that I find beautiful.

There was something about this water pump that I thought was very cool. 


Get it? Cool! As in the water was cold! Ha ha ha...yeah lame! Sorry!

And this magnificent creature...

makes me want my own pony a field full of my own horses!


Hobby farm dream alive and well!


Christine

Sew fabulous

Do you remember the pile of fabulous fabric I showed you recently?

Well I've been a busy bee. 


That pile of fabulous fabric is now a pile of fabulous, reversible purses!


YAY!

The pattern for these darling little bags came from Martha Stewart. Of course!

I love them!

I love that one handle slides through the other, closing the bag!

I love that they are reversible! Two purses for the price of one! Who doesn't love that?

I love that they're easily carried on the wrist.

I love how perfect these fabrics are for Fall!


I also love that my girls were so eager to be models for me! Big round of applause for my lovely models!!


Applause, applause, applause!


Well done ladies!


Why, you may be wondering, have I made so many fabulous, little purses.


No, I'm not a hoarder.


I'm planning to sell them. 


I'm very excited about selling something that I've made with my own hands.


The making is the easy part.


The not so easy part, that's deciding the best way to go about selling the something that I've made with my own hands.


I've been considering my options...create my own etsy sight, or work with one of the many local shops that sell handmade goods.


They each have a lot of positives and not many negatives.


I just need to make a decision!


I just need to choose!


I think I'll...for sure let you know once I make up my mind!


Christine


P.S. I apologize for the cheesy title of this post. I couldn't help myself!

I love Tinker Bell buns

When the girls were little they loved to have their hair put into what we like to call Tinker Bell buns.

To make Tinker Bell buns I would begin to create a ponytail, but instead of pulling the hair all the way through the binder into a ponytail I would stop half way leaving the ends of hair caught in the binder, resulting in what looks like a bun. The ends of the girls hair would stick out all crazy and very cute!


The girls stopped wanting Tinker Bell buns a couple of years ago. 


It made me so sad.


It meant that my girls were growing up. They were getting too grownup and cool for cute Tinker Bell buns.


Until today!


Today they both wanted Tinker Bell buns in their hair!

In my opinion, still too cute for words! And totally cool too!

My babies!

Christine

My very glamorous life

My day began with shopping!


I returned home loaded with shopping bags !

Soon my trainer will start barking at me...

"Time for your weight training!"

Then it will be on to some cardio.


"Move that vacuum and get up all of that fur!"

Once my workout is done, I have an appointment made for a Master spa treatment. I'll throw in a couple of smaller spa treatments too.

With that out of the way, I will try to take a little me time before dashing off to watch one of my favorite sports teams play their final game of the season.

And in all probability, the Family will decide to go out for a fancy dinner after the game.

Tonight as I crawl into bed, the Husband, as he often does, will hug me and say, "Thank you for all you did today!" And I will wonder how I got so blessed to get to live this glamorous life and I will be incredibly thankful!


Christine

Too late

I asked the Family go for a drive this weekend so we could see the Fall colors and so I could get some beautiful photos to share with you.


The Husband called it a blogafari!


To be clear, I only asked the Husband and Miss Emma Bean to go for a drive. Miss Sofi Bug left us on Friday to spend the weekend with a friend at the friend's family's cabin. That's right, she took off to have a good time with her friend leaving the three of us to fend for ourselves! Therefore she was not around to go on a blogafari with us. Sniff!


I was really hoping we'd see some brilliant reds.

Some vibrant oranges!

And some breathtaking yellows.

But we got NOTHIN'!


We saw tons of brown!

Vibrant, brilliant and breathtaking were done. Over. The end!


We were too late!


The bit of color we did see...

was this Volkswagen Bug surrounded by pumpkins. I was too late for that too. Yep, I'm the one who got slugged!


At least I wasn't too late for the bakery. I did get to enjoy this very tasty pumpkin muffin.

Too bad Miss Sofi Bug didn't get a tasty pumpkin muffin. It may have helped her to feel a little better when, while away with her friend at her friend's family's cabin she sent me a photo of a cute kitten...

along with a text asking if she could bring cute kitten home and I had to tell her, "Sorry, you're too late, we already have a dog and three fish!"


Drat! Blogafari was a bust!


Christine