Christmas Photos

We're way past Christmas (has it really been that long?) and I'm trying to organize this house. Seems that the places I thought would work for things aren't so I'm rearranging. Don't even get me started on the garage (looking forward to Ben making shelves so we can find stuff). We still haven't unpacked everything, so I wonder if my attempts to organize will be shot once we open the rest of the boxes.

Anywho... as I've been shuffling, I came across my precious Christmas photo cards and pictures that friends and family send every year.

For the record: I LOVE getting photos from friends and family, anytime of year.

But now I wonder what to do with them. They'll certainly not go in the trash (I don't throw friends and family in the trash, thank you). I'd rather them not spend the year in a box somewhere. There are too many for frames (although they all DESERVE a coveted spot in a frame, but I don't have the space to then put those frames). Not being a fan, the traditional peel and stick albums aren't an option, especially because I'd like to have them alphabetized then add to them each year.

Ooh, that reminds me of something that might work... but I still wanna know if you have ideas.

I diiiiid see a cutecutecute album thingy that a friend at church made for each of her girls. It was a SUUUPER simple idea, although she did WAY more than my short-attention-span could handle (in a scrapbooky sort of way). Right about now would be perfect for a visual aid, but I don't have one so you'll have to use your imagination.

It's an A to Z book. Each letter has it's own page. Each page has a picture of the subject of honor doing the particular letter, like: asleep for Sleeping, laughing for Joy, looking cute for Cute, holding a ball for Ball. Then each page had simple lettering added such as "S is for sleeping" applied with the S being a die cut. To finish, each page is laminated (thickly), hole-punched and attached using a simple binder ring (kinda like a skinny metal shower curtain ring) with matching ribbons knotted to it. SOOO cute!

Q: So do YOU have any ideas for the Christmas pictures?

Apron Swap - My Creation

... and I literally mean my "creation" because it was my first attempt at an apron, or anything like it, and I did it without a pattern.

I don't sew much lately, but had the fabric from two Christmases ago when my MIL, SIL's and I collected our handpicked fabric for our holiday craft project. I never got around to making it for myself, so the fabric was lonely and begged for some attention. I felt guilty waiting such a long time to make it for myself (I would think of how long it took everytime I saw it) so it made sense that I'd make it for someone else instead. Why am I saying "so" so much? Sheesh. Anywho, I LOVED the pieces I picked out and, apparently, my swapping buddy did too...

"your apron buddy loves her new apron and hasn't taken it off for two days. She almost wore it to bed the first day!! You are adorable."

Here's the apron my swapping buddy sent.

Here's the Apron Swap coordinator's blog.

Here's a link for the current swap (sign up April 28 - May 5 and mail apron by June 9, 2008).

Apron Swap

Don't you just LOVE getting an unexpected package on your doorstep? Isn't it even BETTER when the contents exceed your expectations?!

Abby at A Feathered Nest coordinated an Apron Swap for anyone who wanted to join. Having been busy with moving, my sewing machine is sadly neglected. There's just something about running fabric under the sewing foot in a steady rhythm that I miss. So I signed up with an idea of what I'd sew and got mine from Kimberlys French Bee Collection in the mail today (she also has an Etsy store). I almost didn't open it because I haven't sent mine yet (for the record, I wrote my buddy a letter letting her know it's coming soon), but excitement took over and I couldn't resist. Sew cute!!!

Thanks, Abby, for coordinating this fun swap :0)

And THANK YOU Kim for the darling apron!!!

Lookie what I got...

I'm SEW excited about the apron I'm making (hope my buddy likes it)!

Stuff to Take to a Family

My back is on the upswing, although not back to normal (whatever that means these days). Saturday afternoon I realized I probably wouldn't be able to give my talk in church the next day, so I sent an email to let them know.

Sure enough, the next morning I'm still horizontal and send Ben and kids off with my encouragement that Ben would represent our family well in front of the congregation.

When they got home, Ben told me the Bishop excused me by saying that I had a MEDICAL CONDITION. I guess Ben mentioned that meant my back was out so I didn't end up being the talk of the town for the week.

The best part? Judy brought over yummy, still-warm, straight-out-of-the-oven, homemade wheat bread! WARNING: spoiler coming if you're wanting to bring me something I want... Now THAT'S the kind of treat I like delivered to my house! I KNOW, crazy that I don't want sweets.

A list of non-dinner ideas to bring a family:
bowl of cut up fruit
fresh veggies, washed and ready to chomp into
baked bread (maybe with a homemade jam or special butter)
salsa (tomatillo salsa is refreshing; will post the recipe if you want) and chips
pasta sauce (having a yummy sauce to pour over quick noodles)
a craft kit for the kids (construction paper, glue stick, crayons & instructions)
few leftover magazines you've already finished (even if they're older)
some easy-to-make recipes
pencil with some sudoku games(www.KrazyDad.com) printed on lightly-colored paper
chicken salad in a sandwich bag that's easy for mom to make her lunch
fixin's for the kids to make snacks (ants-on-a-log, peanut butter crackers)
your kids can get in on the fun and send some of these for the kids
{edit}
WendySue: paper products so they don't have to do dishes, +1 on cut-up fruit/veggies

Q: Do YOU have suggestions to add to this list? Put them in the comments and I'll edit the post as they come in :o)

Gordon B. Pumpkin

Just got this in my email and there isn't any recognition of who made it. CUTE!

Gordon B. Pumpkin

WANTED: 1/2 Apron Pattern

So I'm here in Seattle with my family and in-laws. There are 4 of us girls (including my MIL) and we always do some kind of craft when together on vacation. Well, tonight my MIL and I were at JoAnn's Fabric getting Christmas pillowcase fabric and we went crazy coming up with fabrics to make 1/2 cooking/kitchen aprons. Problem is... we don't have a pattern, demo or prototype to work off. We bought 1/4 yd of 5 fabrics (one fabric we bought 1/3 to have extra for the tie) and then muslin for the backside. I'm figuring we'll finish the 5 edges then gather them into pleats/ruffles/gathers and start at the bottom of the muslin and stitch them at the top of each working up like shingles on a roof. Make sense? Anywho... I'm hoping one of you have a pattern to share that we can use in the next several days (we won't be starting until after Christmas). In a pinch I'll just make one up.

Quilts - at the end

These have been done in the last year. There is one missing because I don't have a picture of it yet - it's a blue/white pinwheel for my nephew (2nd to make me an Aunt).


Actually I think this was made over a year ago because I just saw the little guy who has this blankie and I think he's almost 2. Eek! Fun monkey fabric.


I about killed myself over this one. My FIRST full-size-adult blankie. Baby blankets are quite manageable because they're smallish. THIS one, phew. I decided to make a blankie for a friend that is so kind to everyone. Don't think he gets as much as he gives. I joked with him once that I'd trade him a professional framed photograph of his brothers work (he's locally famous for his photos) for a blankie. I meant the blankie I was already planning to make for their last baby but he tried to make it seem like it would really be for him. So, with his wifes permission, I set ahead to make him his own. I thought it'd just be 2 pieces of fabric, sewn right sides together, turned right sides out and stitched around the edge - maybe tacking it down here and there so it didn't lay funny. But I couldn't find the fabric I had pictured in my mind because they only made that kind 45" wide and not 60". Then I went off the deep end and picked this Bullseye pattern because it's a masculine design and he's very meticulous so it fit. I busted this blanket out in about a week and gave it to him on his wifes birthday (SHE insisted I take it to him that day instead of waiting until Christmas). The whole family loves it and that makes me happy.


I dabble in purses. These were my first 2 and I've made a couple since. I might make some wallets similar because I cannot find the perfect wallet to hold all my frequent-purchase cards (like the buy 10 get one free at Bajio and stuff).

Quilts - in the middle

Then I got a little better with time and practice...


This was my first attempt at the triangle edges. Jeannine showed me how.


This was for my niece and the first time I used higher quality fabric from actual quilting shops (Stitching Corner in Orem - LOVE them). I emailed my SIL links to fabrics and she picked out what she wanted. She was the first baby to make me an Aunt!


The story about Kira and Olivia (both adopted and born 7 days apart) was so precious that I had to make them special blankies. They're babies adopted by my friends friends. Made with a lot of love.


This is Olivia's blankie - different from her sisters.


Threw together this yellow & red (bad pictures, I know) blankie for my daughter.

Quilts - from the beginning

Per Compulsive Writers request (well, insistance), I'm going to post the quilts I've made that I actually have pictures of. In the beginning of my quilt making days, I started out small and simple. My MIL taught me to sew as an adult (my own mom attempted to teach me but as a young girl I had NO attention span for it) in 2001.


My son's blankie was the first quilt ever. Notice how the backside, that's supposed to be 1 whole piece, has a border on it? Well, measuring isn't my strong suit and I made the top too big to fit the back and had to jimmy-rig the back to fit. That was an ordeal --- being my first quilt and all.


The second was made from some squares I bought on eBay (that's the middle) then the checkered lavender fabric was vintage that I also got on eBay. That was my first time stippling (quilting by hand with the machine in a puzzle-shape pattern but using no pattern, just eyeballed it).


My first attempt at Yellow Brick Road (although not my last). I made a handful of these because I didn't realize all the fabric would make so many. So there are a few with these same fabrics floating around out there. Maybe about 3 or 4 more.


This is little Jenna on her blankie. She's bonded with it and still? sleeps with it (she's 5ish). Well, the last time I talked with her mom she told me about how she couldn't go to sleep without it. That makes me feel mushy inside. LOVE it.




Diane's quilt was made out of much love for "Other Mother" so her grandkids would have a blankie they'd use when visiting Nana and Papa's house. Her favorite color is blue and I used vintage replicated fabrics.