Summer Bucket List: Part 1

I saw this idea online to do a Summer Bucket List. There were many different crafts, activities, places to see, and things to do that I could choose from, or make up my own. The kiddos are a little young for most arts and crafts stuff and they aren't as in to it yet as I would like them to be. So I chose something different.

They like to play on playgrounds and go to the park. We have three small parks within walking distance from our house. While I was looking online I found other parks in the county that they might like to visit as well. Our Summer Bucket List contains 13 parks. We've been to seven of them already!

Here's our list so far:

1. I didn't take the camera with me when we went to the community park this year, but here are some pictures from a previous trip to the park. I promise we really did go.

2. The train depot has some swings, a big metal slide, and a half circle climbing ladder. The kids love going to the depot to see the train and have a look around the inside of the depot.

3. The ball fields are very close to our house. We can hear the crack of the bats, and the cheers from the excited parents as their boys and girls play baseball, softball, soccer and football. There is a small playground there and we take the kids there the most.

4. The walking park in the small town next to our small town built a wooden playset last year (?). The Sheriff's department put it together.

5. Another set of ball fields are about 10 miles from the house. They have a pretty cool playset so we checked it out for the first time.

6. Virginia Hylton park is a little farther away. It is very wooded (so you stay cool) and has great trails and streams to look at. The kids would have enjoyed playing on the playgrounds (a toddler one and a big kid one) more if other kids weren't there. We are working on that social aspect of childhood. The girl is a little better about playing around other kids. I did get some great pictures of the kids though.

7. I found this little park online. It has a couple of swings (not pictured), a playground, and some plastic musical instruments (not pictured), and a water tree. It took some getting used to by the kids. The whole "other kids being around" thing again. We were able to get in a little water time before the boy decided he wanted to go home and play in the pool instead. The girl refused to play in the water and had more fun playing with the sand and putting it in the water tree floor area.

We have six more parks to visit before the end of summer, plus going to the Peach Festival, and the museum. I am also working on a trip to the beach after Labor Day. The kids have never been so it should be lots of fun. I am looking forward to it. So much more to do before the summer ends and we are only half way through.

Nightgowns

The girl was in need of new pajamas and I didn't see any in the store that I was willing to pay for. So we went shopping for fabric instead. I love the green-gray-black big dot fabric. It will probably be a skirt for her, and maybe one for me, too. Maybe a circle skirt? But I want to try out that technique before I cut into this fabric.

I made my own pattern to sew nightgowns. I used an existing dress that had the cut and shape I wanted for this project. I assembled my tools: dress, paper, pen and scissors.

I traced around the dress making a front pattern and a back pattern. The front pattern needed a lower neckline than the back pattern. I chose my fabric. The girl loves Minnie Mouse so I chose that one for the blog. I measured down about 19 inches to make sure it would be long enough.

Creating a pattern to use does take some trial and error until you find the right adjustments for your project. But with pajamas it doesn't have to be exact...it's bedtime wear not everyday wear. If something is a little off, no matter, it's still perfect for bedtime



For this project I didn't want the "tank" look so I didn't use the upper portion of the pattern piece I made. I wanted to add my own straps to it later. I drew my line from the under arm to the bottom of the nightgown. I angled the line a little to get some flare at the bottom. I made the neckline straighter and used the pattern piece to cut out the arm holes. I cut out the front piece and the back piece.

I serged the edges of my pieces and they were ready to sew together. I lined up my side seams and sewed those together.

Be sure to iron all seams. It really does make the finished project look so much better.

Pin and sew the arm holes, the neckline, and the bottom hem. Almost done. I had a small strip of white bias tape that I used to make the straps. I sewed the open end of the straps and then cut to the length I needed. I pinned them to the gown to be sewed on.

A finished project! One nightgown ready to be worn.



I made three nightgowns to add to her pajama pile. Now we won't run out of things to wear to bed before laundry day. The geo-hearts nightgown was the first one I made. It is lightweight and kind of stretchy. I think I should have used a zig zag stitch for it because I think I lost some of the stretchiness with a straight stitch. With the green-blue-yellow flowers I made the pattern a little bigger on the sides by adding to the seam allowance and dipping the neckline down a little more to make it easier to fit over her head. It's roomy on her. Then came Minnie Mouse, with a straighter neckline and added straps. It, too, is roomy on her.

Getting pictures of her in her new nightgowns was hard. She does look good with them on.

I thought the Minnie Mouse gown was a bit too roomy and the straps kept falling off her shoulder. I remedied that by adding a pleat in the back. I sewed it at the neckline and a few inches below that to pull it in a little more that the sides. You can kind of see how it puckers by her elbow where the fabric can once again be free. Her straps stay on now and if she grows and needs more room I can let out the pleat.

It was an interesting undertaking to create my own pattern and try it out. I think pajamas was a good place to start. If it was something more important I think the process would have been more frustrating.

I apologize for some of the bluriness in the photos. It's the bad lighting I currently have in my sewing space. Once I get my sewing/craft space built it will have better lighting, because I will have windows to let in more natural light. My current space has no windows and the open door does not let in enough natural light, it faces the wrong way.

Enjoy!

Random P.S.: I am loving my new grouping skill. It is so much easier to get multiple pictures in one photo upload.

Whale: Unfinished

Super cute shorts for my super cute son.

This project is unfinished because I want to iron on a whale to a shirt using the same fabric. I just haven't done that part yet. Or how fun would it be to cut out the colorful individual whales to iron onto the shirt? Just thought of that. Might be cute. Would take some careful cutting on my part and some patience. Hmm.

I got the fabric from Wal-mart. I hardly ever remember the name of the fabric or who designed it. But I did look it up. The fabric is Oceans Away Whale of a Tail Blue manufactured by Springs Creative. I also have this fabric in a purple with more girly colored whales that would be perfect for the girl.



He looks  like he is almost ready to go to the beach. I love bright and fun fabric that I can use for boy projects.

I also love how I was able to group those three pictures together. Took me most of the morning to figure it out, and I made it harder on myself by not searching online for instructions sooner, and by finally remembering an additional step to save the picture, but I did it! And it looks awesome!

Go me!

Next time it won't take me nearly as long. I should write myself some instructions though, it will save me the trouble of trying to remember how to do this in the future.

(The back view)

I used the KID Shorts tutorial from MADE. Thanks Dana for being so wonderful and sharing your awesomeness with the rest of us.

Next time I will post the complete project. May even be able to get the girl whale outfit completed as well and get both of the kids to pose for pics. We'll see. I can usually get one to agree, but not both and still be able to take some great photos.

Route 66: Bag, hat, shorts

(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66

If you ever plan to motor west,
Travel my way, take the highway that is best.
Get your kicks on route sixty-six.

It winds from chicago to la,
More than two thousand miles all the way.
Get your kicks on route sixty-six.

Now you go through saint looey
Joplin, missouri,
And oklahoma city is mighty pretty.
You see amarillo,
Gallup, new mexico,
Flagstaff, arizona.
Don't forget winona,
Kingman, barstow, san bernandino.

Won't you get hip to this timely tip:
When you make that california trip
Get your kicks on route sixty-six. ...

-Nat King Cole (written by Bobby Troup)


I had seen this Route 66 (2002 Alexander Henry) fabric a few places online and at Joann's. I didn't know what to make with it until I got the book Oliver + S Little Things to Sew: 20 Classic Accessories and Toys for Children by Leisl Gibson and found a pattern for a messenger bag. Fabric, idea, and a pattern equals a project.

A bag that can be used for traveling that is about traveling. Genius! And perfect for my nephew who now lives in Texas and close to Route 66. The blue one is his.

I couldn't stop at just a bag. Or two. If you are traveling then you need a hat. So I made a hat. I have found a pattern (several actually) for a newsboy hat. The Gatsby Hat pattern is what I used for this particular hat. Pinterest has helped me find inspiration for tons of projects.

If you have a bag and a hat, then obviously you need some shorts. I made some Racer Shorts using Dana's tutorial and pattern. She's awesome!

Everything is set for an adventure. Combine all three peices and you've got yourself one handsome boy ready to travel!

Sometimes you just have to start over

Recently I asked my mother to bring me the little white table that was in her basement. I thought it would be perfect to put my sewing machine on, especially when I get a room to put it in.

Me: "Can you bring me that little white table that is in the basement?"
Mom: "You mean the sewing table?"
Me: "That's what it is?"
Mom: "Yeah, it's a sewing table."
Me: "Perfect! That is actually what I want to use it for."

I didn't know it was a sewing table and it had been in and around the house since I was little. I even painted it white the first time around. I thought it needed updating and my mom let me. After I went away to college it kind of got neglected and was left in the basement, with no purpose for the future.

When the grandparents came to visit the kiddos they brought the sewing table with them. I figured a couple of coats of fresh paint and it would be ready for use. It needed a lot of love. I didn't know how much until I put a couple of coats on paint on it. I had some white paint leftover from when I painted the bed frame to my son's big boy bed.

(Ignore my shoes)

Apparently, the paint had gotten mildewy or moldy since I used it last. This project was going to take a little longer than I had planned. I had to start over. So I stripped all of the paint off and got it back to it's original state. That also meant a trip to the store for a small can of new paint. After some scrapping and wiping and labor it was ready to be painted again.

It looks so pretty after several coats of paint. Nice and clean. Ready for use.

Now I can't wait to get my sewing room built around it.

It will go approximately in this spot with a window above it. Just imagine walls, ceiling, roof, two windows, and a door on the left hand side. It'll be great, and hopefully big enough for all of my sewing, crafting, and scrapbooking stuff. I can't wait to have a space to be creative in again. I've been trying to get my husband to let me make it a little bit bigger, use of more of the additional parking space in our driveway. I don't think he is going for it though. I can continue to hope though.

Whispers From God

Have you ever heard or felt something and not known exactly where it came from and then never really gave it much thought? You thought you did it yourself, that you were clever enough to make that decision on your own, you took credit for it. You are not alone in what happens in your life. Ever hear this saying, God answers all prayers but sometimes the answer is no.?

This story could be really long, but I hope when you read it you will not feel that your time was wasted. I will try to keep it short though. You are welcome.

One of my goals as a child was to marry someone who went to church on a regular basis, every Sunday. I wanted that to be a part of my new life. I wanted to have someone who would help me to learn more about God and Jesus and to guide me in this new territory. I’m still a long way away from knowing everything, or anything really, but I am off to a good start. I married a church going man. I am learning. There hasn’t been too much guidance on his part for me but maybe we can work on that.

I’m going to change thoughts processes here, but stick with me; it will all make sense in the end, hopefully.

I get bored at work sometimes. I needed something to keep me occupied so a friend of mine gave me some books to read. Karen Kingsbury writes Christian fiction. I think I have read almost every book I could get my hands on that I wanted to read. There are still some out in the library system, I’m sure I will get to them at some point. In her books the characters struggle with their faith and beliefs and life in general. It makes for a good story and makes them more human. They are not perfect, but in the end they all have a strong faith in God and His work. They pray a lot. And sometimes she writes little snippets of God’s words, like little whispers to the heart of the characters. They feel God and hear His voice. As a reader, you get to hear His voice, too. I am aware that people who have faith can feel God working in their lives. That is not something I have really ever experienced until this year, so hold on and I will get to that. I always sort of knew God was working on me and my life I just couldn’t see it, hear it, or feel it. I never really understood what people meant when they would say something like that. After reading some of Karen’s books I knew I wanted see, hear, and feel God the way her characters and other people did.

Changing thoughts again. Hang in there.

My sister found this community church through a friend of hers. Their goal is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus. That’s a great goal for a church to have! She would tell me about certain sermon series’ they would do and the best part was you could watch them online or download them to your ipod and listen to them whenever you wanted, you know, at work. Arthur is one of the pastors at this community church. He did a series on men and women. My sister kept talking about it and I wanted to listen/watch it as well. I got the website from her and listened to the series, which was excellent. From listening to Arthur and learning from him, I too wanted a relationship with God and Jesus. Arthur would say things that stay with you and help you grow as a person with faith. Things like, you believe in God/Jesus but do you follow God/Jesus? People believe in lots of things but do they follow those beliefs? Just something to think about. Arthur is pretty cool and his series on men and women was awesome. His parenting series he did with his wife is pretty good too. It’s not a sermon series just a series he did for anyone interested in their thoughts and views on parenting and what the Bible says on how to raise children. I’m learning a lot.

So far I have seeing, hearing, and feeling God and obtaining a growing relationship with God. I’m getting there.

I recently joined facebook, mostly so I could get on Pinterest, which has cut down on how much I read at work now.  I picked up a few friends and have used facebook more than I thought I originally would have. This story picks up with one of those friends. Her name is Autumn. She married a wonderful man named Will. A few years later they have a baby girl--Aurora (Rorie). A couple years later they are blessed with having another baby--Arianna (Aly).

March 25^th 2012 Autumn is in the hospital giving birth to their second daughter. Her husband updates her status. She is one month early in her delivery but all seems to be going well. The baby is healthy and small, but a fighter. Then the unthinkable happens.  Autumn is rushed into emergency surgery for a ruptured liver. Barely two days have gone by since the birth of a baby and mom is fighting for her life now. Will asks for prayers. This is when it happens. I feel something, I hear a whisper. The time is 2:38pm on March 27th. I remember praying for Will and his little girls. That God will stay close to them and comfort them. I think this is weird because I should be praying for God to save Autumn’s life, to have her come through surgery just fine and raise her girls alongside Will. So I try again. I can’t seem to pray for Autumn the way I think I should be praying. I keep praying for God to be with Will and his girls. Then, just like in a Karen Kingsbury book, almost written in italics, I hear/feel someone say something like the prayer has been answered. Wait. What? Which prayer? Whose prayer? I now know that my prayers and everyone else’s have been heard by God. I also know that what I have been praying for has an answer. I feel that. There is this prayer and there is an answer. I didn’t make a lot of sense because my particular prayer didn’t exactly have a specific answer. It wasn’t like I had this question-prayer and God answered the question. It just felt more like there is this prayer and here is an answer, not the answer. I am slightly confused by this answer. Something doesn’t feel quite right. Then this thought comes into my head, a very quiet whisper, sometimes the answer is no. Then there is this sense of peace I feel. No more worrying about the situation with Autumn.

At 3pm Will updates Autumn’s status. She had passed away. Everyone is devastated by this news. Autumn is my age, slightly older, and her birthday was coming soon. She was one of those beautiful people that you meet in life. So kind and helpful to everyone. She had qualities that I want in my life, which I want to pass on to my children. She was so wonderful. Her girls will always know the kind of person their mother was because anyone who knew Autumn will tell them so. Will will make sure they know. They will be constant reminders of her in his life. He has to navigate the world of parenthood without a wife, but with God. He is now the sole parent of two girls. My prayer is answered and will continue to be answered. God will hold them and comfort them, even though we are heartbroken.

 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NIV)

I have read this passage in Karen’s books and through the lives of her characters I see how it works in their lives. I better understand what it means when I see an example of how it would be applicable in everyday life. I get it now.

I look forward to feeling, seeing, and hearing God work in my life, and meeting the people that He will bring into my life so that I can continue to grow in my faith and help my children grow in theirs. I want them to believe and follow, and one day lead their children the same way I am leading them. I hope the results are good ones. “God blessed you with these children. You have everything you need to raise awesome kids.” –Arthur Mace (This is not an exact quote but it is what I picked up from his parenting series and absolutely something he would say).

See, feel, hear, grow. Keep on going.

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Listen to Arthur Mace online. His sermon series on Men and Women can be found at the link below. Starts on date 2/8/2009 and ended on 3/1/2009. This is mp3 format only. His later sermons can be viewed as videos or you can just listen to the mp3. You have options.

New River Community Church

The parenting series can be found on vimeo.com.

In the search box type in: Parenting 101 week 1 (or 2,3,4,5 or 6). If you have watched any of Arthur sermon's you know you have the right ones because you will know what he looks like. Or just look for his picture on the church website.

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Oh I can hear 'em playin’ / I can hear the ringing of a beat up old guitar / Oh I can hear 'em singing / Keep on dreaming even if it breaks your heart

“Even if it Breaks Your Heart”-Eli Young Band

Easter to Birthdays

Sorry to be gone so long. I've been busy with Easter and three birthdays, then my hubs and I went on a weekend trip, back to work, starting/completing other projects to share later, and finally have time to put some sort of post together.

Today I will share two outfits I made for the girl. One for Easter and one for her birthday. Both of which were inspired by Pinterest. Check out my Sew Cute Idea board to see more wonderful ideas. **WARNING** cuteness overload may occur while on Pinterest.

I will also share the birthday cake/cupcakes I made for my kids' birthdays.

Ok.
Ready?          
Good.

Easter

I saw this Fabric at Joann's and knew I had to get it for this particular project. It's Springy and colorful but not too Easter-y. It's something she can wear again.

                              Love that dimple!  (Hubs took pictures and did the hair).

Birthday

I loved this angled stripe fabric. I had the perfect shirt to match and added her age to it.

I made a matching hair clip with a rolled fabric flower. My technique still needs some work, but it still looks cute in her hair.

On to Birthday treats...

Birthday cake and Cupcakes

Once I saw a pin of a Robot Cake I knew it would be perfect for the boy. It was fairly easy to make and assemble. The part that gave me the most trouble was the icing. I got the color I wanted but making sure I had enough to cover the whole thing and making sure the points were pointy enough...it was time consuming and time was something I did not have. That is why the feet look different from the rest of the body. I do not yet have the patience, or skill, and had not alotted enough time, to do it perfectly the way I wanted. But it was made with love.

When it came time for the girl's birthday, I kept it simple. She likes Minnie Mouse so I made her cupcakes with simple icing that doesn't require perfection and some oreos for ears. I used the wrong tip to make bows - but again, didn't allow enough time to do it right. Both of them enjoyed their birthdays and are young enough to not really care about my mistakes. They got presents and got the eat cake, or lick the icing off the cake and that is all they really care about at this point. It was their special day and they knew it.

The end. More to come later as I finish up another project.