'summer'ized

2011-11-30T22:41:00.001-08:00

Please, please watch this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuSc_U5VqDQ
If you want rights as a parent, you need to know this.

2011-08-06T13:23:00.000-07:00

I have a thing for chalkboards lately. It's not so 'lately' because it's been an interest for at least 5 years. But, something about the function and form of a cute chalkboard really appeals to me.

I found some old cabinet doors for $1 about a year ago. And they've been waiting for some new clothes. So, I painted the inside with chalkboard paint, and taped it off to paint the outside frame a cream color.

Then I added hardware I found on clearance at Anthro 4 years ago that were just waiting for a use.

I needed a way to hang it, so I popped of the little pull tabs on these soup cans and screwed them into the back of the cupboard door.

Here are some pics of exactly how I screwed in the pull tabs and the drawer pull. On the back of the chalkboard, I took very short screws and screwed them into the small spot on the pull tab.

I did this on both sides. And put dry wall screws into the wall to hang it just like a picture. Before I hung it, though, I found a stud in the wall to center the chalkboard on, because I wanted to screw the drawer pull into a stud for more stability.

I got a long wood screw (about 4 inches) and found a stud. Then screwed in the long wood screw through the drawer pull and through the hole in the cupboard door where the original drawer pull was drilled.

That way the screw would hold the chalkboard into a stud for more stability.

There it is. Another idea to keep you up at night.

Picky Eaters & New Food

2011-03-01T13:15:00.000-08:00

Lady is very consistent and predictable. Which is exactly the way she wants her food to be. So, new foods are a challenge. Any transition or change for an autistic is a challenge. Heck, I can be pretty challenged myself by new situations! So, no one is alone in trying to cope with change.

But as far as food goes, I found a trick to get her to attempt new tastes. I learned this from my friend, Michelle, whose son is also on the spectrum. Bless you, Michelle, for sharing this with me.

Take broccoli. This is a true story. We put broccoli on her plate every night for a month. Not the same piece, sheesh. But at first, she squawked about even looking at the broccoli. So we said she just had to keep in on her plate for now. A few days of that, then we made her just touch the broccoli on her plate every night. Some more days and now she has to pick up the broccoli and touch it to her lips. Don't taste it! Just to the lips. You see the pattern, just a few days of the same action until she is comfortable with that action, then move her forward. A few days of lips, then a few days of tasting it with her tongue and spitting it back on her plate. When the month was done, she was able to chew it and keep it in her mouth. We are still working on swallowing, though. She'll chew that same piece of broccoli for a half hour sometimes. Just swallow, Lady! She eventually gets past it and it goes down the hatch. But it is still a struggle for her.

This technique of getting used to the food has come in really handy. Just last week, mushrooms. "Mom! I like mushrooms!" And last night, "Mom, I like pineapple!" A whole new world of flavor (and nutrition) is gradually showing up in my Lady's life. Predictability is still her thing, though. I know that if I serve vanilla ice cream with rainbow sprinkles forever and ever, I will be the winner forever and ever. Some things will probably never change. And in some ways, I hope they never do.

Magic hands

2011-01-26T13:13:00.000-08:00

This post is another autism help. But the funny thing about autism helps is that they help so many neurotypical people as well as autistics.

I learned this trick from an occupational therapist out in Baltimore. Sadly, I can't remember her name. I only met her a few times. But I owe her this one!

When Lady gets frustrated or has to sit for long periods of time, I take her hand and start to massage her cuticles very lightly. I apply light pressure to the fingernail, mostly. I do that to each finger very slowly. Sometimes I lightly pull at the fingernail and draw my hand up and away from her hand and then flick my hand like I'm setting something free or flicking something away. I pretend with her that this pulls out the negative feelings from her fingers. All those frustrations get pulled out of her fingernails and her head and sent on their way up to the sky.

She doesn't like her thumbs to have the pressure. Don't know why, but I can be flexible. We don't do thumbs. I also will sometimes rub her fingers and palm very gently, or tap my fingernails on her palm. She calms down within seconds.

I've tried this on many children, both neurotypical as well as special needs. It works on all of them. Just on Sunday, a little 4 year old boy sitting behind me in church was pulling my hair, trying to get my attention. He was bored. Don't blame him. It's church. I taught him last year in his Sunday school class, so I knew him well. I finally grabbed his hand when he pulled my hair again. He tried to yank away, but I held on with a smile, and began massaging his fingernails. Talk about melting! Within two fingers-time, his head was resting on my chair-back and his hand was dangling in front of my face, completely cooperative. He calmed down almost instantly. When I finished, he was giggling because my finger-tapping on his palm tickled. I let go of his hand and went back to listening. Within seconds, he was gently shaking his hand in front of my face. Wanting more?

I did this same thing with a boy in Lady's class on Friday. He is neurotypical, just as the 4 year old I just told you about. He was having a rough morning and had already been sent away from carpet to put his head on his desk. (That means he's pushed it too far.) He usually is a very cooperative boy, so this surprised me. I sat down next to him and whispered, "So, you're having a rough morning?" He didn't look at me but his eyes were wet and red. I said, "Can I show you something I do when I'm frustrated?" He nodded, so I took his hand and began pulling out the bad feelings. 5 minutes later, not kidding!, he was smiling at me and laughing when I flicked away the feelings to the sky. 5 minutes more and he was participating in the group discussion from his desk, completely engaged with the teacher.

I tell you, it's magic. Try it sometime. The child probably won't trust you at first. They will think they are getting in trouble. But when they realize you are only there to listen and rub their hands, emotions change pretty quickly. It's amazing.

Snowball Emergency Kit and Tree Skirt

2010-12-23T12:25:00.000-08:00

Can you tell life has calmed down a bit? I finished the sprint to Christmas and now have time to post a few things. I'm also stuck in take-out boxes. For a few neighbor gifts I made more divinity, rolled it into balls and then made snowball emergency kits like this one.

The sticker label across the tops says: "Snowball Emergency Kit:

We're dreaming of a white Christmas, but in case it isn't white;

These little baby snowballs are ready for the fight!

Hope your Christmas is heavenly and that you enjoy this snowball divinity!" Then I attached a more religious message with a bow on top. Take-out boxes are so much fun.

I also needed a tree skirt. Since we moved, we couldn't find the one my MIL made me about 10 years ago that we have used every year. We have searched every Christmas bin and still no luck. I swear, we always lose things when we move! I still can't find my silicone hot pad that I lost 5 years ago in our move to the East Coast. I'm still a little sore about that. But, anyway, I digress. Tree Skirt: We got this ginormous tree this year! (Never doing that again!) Since we couldn't find our traditional tree skirt, we had a tarp wrapped around the base. UGLY! So, I bought a little one from Target. Now, my allegiance to Target remains steady, but the little tree skirt just wasn't big enough. It was 48" diameter and solid red, and just NOT big enough for this tower of a tree. Seriously, I think it's 17 feet tall. It touches the vault. I digress again.

So, being unhappy with the little red tree skirt that couldn't, I thought bigger. And I see potential in things beyond what they're intended for. I didn't want to spend $50 on a big tree skirt, so I found a round tablecloth instead. $15 and a pair of scissors later, this is what we have!

I cut a slit down the back and a circle in the middle, hemmed the edges and wrapped it around the trunk! Took a whole 20 minutes. And the tablecloth was 70" in diameter, so quite a bit bigger.

I must also say that I like the print of the tablecloth-turned-tree skirt. It has the 12 days of Christmas printed around the edges and a great round red border. Made it easy to cut the circle out of the middle.

So until we find the tree skirt of yore, this one will fit the bill. Happy Christmas!

Fortune Cookies! And Divinity. Remember that?

2010-12-14T22:53:00.000-08:00

For teacher gifts this year, I dipped fortune cookies in chocolate. Made a ton, and really fun. I had 11 teacher gifts to make this year. Why, you ask? Because my Lady has a whole crew of wonderful people who support and teach her. And I wanted to thank them because they put a lot of effort into helping my Lady progress.

So, I bought a few bags of chocolate chips (only used 2), and one large bag of fortune cookies from a restaurant supply store. It made probably 100 cookies.

This is my double boiler. A pyrex on a pot. Medium low heat, 2 inches of water in the pot, make sure glass doesn't touch the water. Simmer. Chocolate melts as you stir it, and don't cook it too long, because chocolate will change it's consistency permanently if heated too long. We found that out the hard way.

Then we dipped them in candy sprinkles! Aren't they cute?

Put them in take-out boxes that I got from that same restaurant supply store.

Then tied these tags on that say: "We feel so FORTUNATE to know you! Thanks for all you do! All the Merriest!" Hope our Teachers like them.

And this is random, but I made divinity for a cookie party I went to last week. I hadn't seen divinity is probably 20 years. But I remember my mom making it in her big Bosch mixer (you know, the never-say-die mixers that can keep on trucking through an atomic bomb!). My Kitchenaid had to do for this one, but it was a rough task for my machine. (Wishing I had the Bosch right about now.) Seriously, the motor on my Kitchenaid was HOT from all the beating. Anyway, the divinity still turned out wonderful, in spite of a hot mixer and a cloudy, very cloudy, overcast, did-I-mention-foggy?, day. I'd forgotten how DIVINE this confection is. And I introduced a whole new generation to the treat of the gods. (My kids got to lick the bowl and beater. Happiness on a spoon!) Very sweet and heavenly. The treat truly lives up to it's name.

Here's the recipe:

Perfect Divinity:

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1/2 cup hot water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans (totally optional!)

Directions:

Prep Time: 15 mins

Total Time: 35 mins

1Line 2 cookie sheets with wax paper, and butter the wax paper. Set aside. In a 2 quart saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, water, and salt.
2Cook, stirring, till sugar dissolves. Wash sides of
of pan with a brush dipped in water to remove any sugar crystals. Boil, without stirring, until mixture registers 260 degrees on candy thermometer. This makes the syrup.
3Meanwhile, as temperature of syrup reaches 260 degrees, beat egg whites on high speed till stiff peaks form, at least 5 minutes.
4When syrup reaches 260 degrees, very gradually add the syrup to egg whites, beating at high speed with electric mixer.
5Add vanilla and beat until candy holds its shape and begins to lose its gloss, about 4-5 minutes.
6Stir in the chopped nuts, if desired.
7Quickly (work very fast!) drop candy from a buttered teaspoon onto buttered waxed paper, swirling the top of each piece.
8Let cool. Yield about 1 1/2 lbs.

Letter Tracing

2010-09-16T14:17:00.000-07:00

Many of you know Lady is autistic. At the suggestion of my mother, I am going to start including things that help us cope and work through raising a child with autism.

And this is my first post. Lady struggles with fine motor dexterity. This morning we were trying to trace letters and she was about to melt down. So, what I did was using my fingernail, I gently traced the letter on her left arm as she was tracing it with her right hand on the paper. She would follow my pattern, so she formed the letters correctly, but I wouldn't begin until she started moving the pencil on the paper. She needed that sensory motivation to complete the assignment. I also would use the pad of my finger as if it were a pencil eraser and rub her arm over the spot where I just traced the letter so we could start a new letter. I also did that if she erased on her paper. She responded beautifully. We have some great looking pages of A's, B's, and C's.

Headboard: Anthropologie attempt

2010-09-01T23:01:00.000-07:00

So I saw a wall about 4 years ago in an Anthropologie store back east. I fell in love. My mom came to visit me this week, and we needed a project. I had this one stewing for about four years and we thought we'd take on the challenge. And, true to form, it was a challenge, with many layers of work to complete the project. What were we thinking!?! We were attempting to recreate the Anthro wall, but modify it to match the bird painting I love.
We started with this frame. 2x12x8 foot boards, but in half so they were four feet long. We had B screw 2x4's into the back for the legs and to hold up the 2x8's.
Then we tried this wonderful technique for aging wood. We soaked steel wool in vinegar for at least 4 hours, added some (about a cup) water after they soaked, then scrubbed the boards with the steel wool.
This is how it turned out.
Then we took my favorite wrapping paper, spray adhesived it to the wood, put a water color of brown over it, let it dry. It wrinkled the paper and I loved the texture it added. After it dried, we dry-brushed cream paint over the black flowers to tone them down. Let it dry, then sealed the paper with clear, satin polyurethane.
This made the paper curl some, but the texture was great, so I just nailed down the edges of the paper that curled.
Next, we took muslin and silk and ripped it into 4 and six inch strips. We had to use Rit dye for the teal/aqua color on some of the muslin because I couldn't find that color. The natural muslin was left alone because it's texture was a little rougher than the muslin we used to dye. The silk was stuff I already had.
And a project isn't a project until the hot glue comes out! My SIL called it the crafter's power tool. Too true. And you can't truly due a project until you get burned by the glue gun, too! Anyway, enough about the glue gun. I cut out three cardboard circles, small, medium, and large. We hot glued the fabric strips around the outside edge first, then filling in the middle, pinching the fabric to make the gathers. Confusing? Sorry.
We placed the fabric flowers, and then I used green mesh floral wrap for leaves. I cut long strips of it, wrapped the center with floral wire, then stapled the flowers and leaves to the wood in whatever fashion.

My blessed B screwed in the 2x4's into the bed frame, and my good boy helped hold up the beastly headboard. Man, it was heavy! It took about 20 minutes to move it from the garage to the bedroom just because I had to keep resting!

Pretty close to the painting! And now I really need new bedding!

Birdhouse, Night light and Lady's room

2010-08-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

I've got a thing for trees. I love them. I just do. I can't help myself. In our house back east, I painted a tree in my kids' room in the corner, floor to ceiling, and on the ceiling. I seem to still want that. So, since we moved into a rental and I can't paint the wall, I made a tree out of cardboard. You can see parts of it behind the night light.The night light was a lot of fun. It hangs above her bed and has LED Christmas lights in it. The lights don't get hot, they save energy, and they're blue! So, it almost looks like a moon or fireflies caught in the japanese lantern. I also had this awesome sunflower that is seriously 4 feet across. It hung above the stairs back east, and it's just so happy I had to find a place for it here.
The room is still in progress, probably always will be.
Entry to the room.
Pretty good shot of most of the room. At least the tree, bed and book house. Remember the pvc house we built last time? Well, Lady wouldn't allow us to break it down, so we had to move it to her bedroom. It sits between her bed and bookshelf (that we built this spring and posted about that a while ago.) We left one side open to the books, filled it with pillows, and she decorated it like Christmas. She loves it.
I also made this birdhouse for her tree and thought I'd include instructions because it's made from recycled stuff and I love that. I took a cereal box and a granola bar box and a paper bag.

I cut the granola bar box in half,Taped it to fit in it's corners so it would be pitched like a roof. I covered all the boxes in the brown bag paper.Hot glued the roof to the cereal box, hot glued felt cut-outs on the box, stuck a pencil in the bottom and cut out a hole for the bird to go in.Home, tweet home.

Pvc Pipe Play house

2010-08-07T15:53:00.000-07:00

I finally got to this project. Thanks to Wintertree Design for her instructions. We modified it just a little. We made the connection from the roof to the cross connectors longer for a taller roof. I can actually stand inside it.We took old (repurposed-love it!) curtains and hung them around the side, they worked out really well.
Lady actually hung a flashlight from the cross bar on the roof for a night light and she slept in it a few nights ago.
We still need to add a front door and some details. Any ideas?

Then we got to my son's loft bed. This was completely constructed from our own plans, so we made it up.
Talk about a custom house. It will eventually be a fort.
My son actually cut the pipe himself. He loved it.
Great summer time project.

Dots baby shower

2010-07-11T22:19:00.000-07:00

June was insane. But somehow I was able throw a baby shower for my sweet, very, very pregnant friend. But because of the insanity of the month (we moved, school was in its final phases, scout camp, youth conference, blah, blah), I chose to do a simple theme of just dots and circles of primary colors and brown. Above is the invitation that I made on Photoshop Elements. (My first attempt at Photoshop, not too bad.)
This is the centerpiece. I filled my three cylinder vases with these. The tall one has alphabet blocks. The middle is filled with wiffle balls (circles on circles!) and the m&m's in the small one had a spoon in them and were part of the refreshments. I put paper circles on the table over a white table cloth.
The favors were just m&m's in a basket tied with tulle. More circles.
As they entered for the shower, they wrote notes on clean diapers so my friend could have some reading material or some laughs while she was changing diapers. Some of my favorite notes said, "does this diaper make me look fat?" and "Daddy's turn." The written-on diapers went into the "dirty" basket.
Favors again.
I glued the invite on a big red circle and wrote "come in" with chalk on the blue circle so people knew to just come in and we didn't have to answer the door. The refreshment table had five salads, spinach dip and french bread, snickerdoodles, and Costco cream puffs. (And m&m's). We played only one game where we made babies out of bubbleliscious bubble gum on index cards. Laura got to choose which baby she liked best and the winner got a package of Sugar Babies ('cause that's what we made.) Then we opened presents. It turned out to be nice and simple, and fun still. Congrats, Laura, with your new arrival!

Place mat purses

2010-05-27T22:12:00.000-07:00

My MIL taught me how to make these about two or three years ago. Funny how what goes around, comes around. This year for mother's day, guess what I made for her.
Yep. A placemat purse. A different placemat and with a few alterations from what the original instructions were, but still a purse. Interesting, too, how useful place mats are and for more than just a place mat. I was intending them to be used for scripture totes. My MIL likes red a lot, so the red one is for her.
And my mom likes softer colors, so this is more gentle for her.
Hope they like them. Happy Mother's Day.

Lamp shade

2010-04-25T21:59:00.000-07:00

I hate lamp shades. They are so hard to figure out. What I've concluded about them is to never, ever buy them separately from the lamp. Or to add blue flowers. Which is the mistake that happened here. I had a perfectly good drum lamp shade. Plain, but good. Here's the problem: I always think plain is just not enough. In this case, it should have been. So, after I added the blue flowers, the shade looked a little too wedding-cake-ish. Not going to fly on the lamp. Not at all! So I had to laboriously pull (rip) each fabric flower, (which had been attached very well!), off of the shade. It left horrible pock marks of hot glue all over the shade where the flowers were attached. See here:
Poor lamp shade. It was still very useful, but I just couldn't leave the hot glue unattended. (You never should. Says so right on the hot glue label.)

So, this is how I fixed it. I know-- pretty unoriginal to just add ribbon around the edge of the shade, but I already messed it up so badly before that I just couldn't dare to hurt this poor lamp shade any more.

Nice and clean. Much better.

TV console cabinet

2010-04-10T20:29:00.000-07:00

That student budget thing we were living on really got to me. I guess we're still living on it. We got a new TV a while ago, (time to join 2010, summer!) after not having one for about a year. And this new TV had no home in our house for a while until I found this cabinet.
In 2 pieces!?! It was a sawed-off hutch that also had a removable base, which is what you see here.
The top of the hutch was simply cut right off before I bought it, but it left these huge, ugly grooves in the top. I found it at a thrift store (yet again) and a lady who watched me buy it said, "Oh, I'd never buy that thing. But she's young and ambitious." I thought, "why yes, I am. And a little bit crazy, but that's always served me well." I loved being referred to as "young." I like to think I am. I wasn't about to reveal my true age. I won't here, either.
This baby had tons that needed fixing, hence, the "ambitious" part of the above comment. It was missing a hinge on one of the middle doors. You already saw that it was in two pieces and had gouges in the top.
The glass in this door was broken.
And some of the moulding on the base had come off, but we still had the piece.
Step 1: get the broken glass out of the door. I thought this would be easy. NOT SO! I was very wrong. First, I had to remove the wood that held in the glass. Not hard at all. Gloves and putty knife were all that I needed.
Then came the glass, which was actually GLUED in! Oh nooooo! Glue? So, I researched how to remove glass from cabinet doors and came across some pretty great websites. One said to use a heat gun to melt the glue and then pull out the glass. Ahh, I don't have a heat gun.
But I have a hair dryer! And it worked!
Slowly, but 2 hours (yes, a heat gun would have been much, MUCH faster!) I got the silicone to soften enough to pull out the glass. Halleluiah! After the glass was out, I went to Lowe's and had them cut a new piece of glass for me, costing a whole 6 bucks! And it took no time. They cut it for me right there in the store on a really cool wall mounted glass cutter. I was impressed.
I filled in the grooves with wood putty and let it dry FOREVER! (Can you tell this project was getting long? Maybe I was too ambitious. I am learning.)
Primed everything. And somewhere in there put the molding back on the base.
Then painted! I also used old hardware I had to replace the existing hardware.
It's a great size for that wall.
And for the TV. Thanks to B for mounting that.
Tada! Pretty insane project, but it's done and was a total of $41 out of pocket. We won't count up elbow grease or cost of labor hours spent. But all in all, not too bad. Don't know if I'll do that again, though.

Lady's Chair

2010-03-30T22:31:00.001-07:00

Guess what I found at a thrift store. Oh, just a way cute chair for my little Lady's bedroom! It's even a bit shorter than most chairs so my little Lady's legs will fit just right for quite a while. This is how it started. Brown. And really upholstered. UPHOLSTERED?!?
After I primed and painted the thing white (and taped off the real upholstered -beige-bluh- seat), then I said, "Oh crap. I have no clue how to take off the springs and burlap wrap underneath this very comfy cushion. What do you do when you have no clue?
You staple and glue! I stapled the new fabric right over the top of the old by tucking in the new fabric as I stapled so I had a clean edge. The corners were tough. But B helped me muscle our way around them.
I had to buy gimp to edge it. I had some pom pom fringe that would've been fun, but would've been pulled off too easily. I tried using different kinds of glue to hold the gimp down. Nothing grabbed fast enough. So, I ended up with the trusty hot glue gun. I know I left some skin under that edging, and it's not the most permanent thing to hold down the gimp. But, it will work if no one starts pulling on it. Let's hope, anyway.
Here she is. Finished and ready for the ball.

Place mat Pillows

2010-03-30T09:27:00.001-07:00

Gotta love Tarjey and Pier 1. So much possibility. I made a toss pillow for my living room by taking out the side seem of this Pier 1 place mat so it was like a pillow case. Then I slipped it over a travel pillow from Target. About $7 and one straight seam later, I have a fun little pillow for anywhere.
I actually took this baby on road trip. Never had a problem finding out which pillow is mine, and super comfy and durable. Fun little idea.

Welcome Spring!

2010-03-08T11:37:00.000-08:00

We've waited a long time for spring to get here!

This is what I see out my window as I'm doing dishes. Not bad. It's the peach tree in our back yard, and it looks mighty happy right now.

I'm trying to figure out this lens type called "macro" and I still have no clue what I'm doing.

But it's fun. And after a while, I seem to get some pretty decent shots.

Whatever I come out with on, though, I'm pretty happy with these pics so far. Maybe some of you more experienced photographers can give me a few pointers. I'd sure appreciate it.

For now, welcome, welcome spring! We're ready for you!

More fun with mirrors.

2010-02-20T10:23:00.000-08:00

I think I'm addicted to mirrors and their possibilities. I love finding old things and turning them into something else.

This mirror is heavy. Very solid. And brown just wasn't working for me. But, we always see potential around here. Especially in thrift stores.

Normally, I would just remove the mirror like I did with the turquoise mirror a few months ago. But this one was a beast to remove. So, I just covered it with newspaper and taped it off, making sure a bit of the tape went between the gap (which was very, very small) between the mirror and the frame so no paint would leak through onto the mirror. Because that just means the paint that leaks will get reflected, too! So, I very carefully made sure that tape was under that gap to prevent this. I also primed it with spray primer, but that wasn't getting into the ornate carvings. So, I brushed it with the black paint so I could mash the paint into the grooves. My brush didn't thank me for it, but it got the paint to cover it. It took two coats, even over the primer. Lots of nooks and crannies.

We mounted it with two heavy duty wall anchors that will hold 200 lbs. Yeah, a little much, but I just wanted to make sure it wasn't going to pull off the wall. The mirror only weights 27 lbs. But, better safe than sorry. Screws are cheap security.

Here's my entry way now. It sits right across from the coat rack and bench, making a nice place for taking off shoes and unloading coats and checking yourself out to make sure you don't have any food in your teeth. Have a happy day!

Coat Rack

2010-02-20T08:59:00.000-08:00

Remember these?

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They are now on this:

Well, at least the glass door knobs are. Here are some progress pictures.

I adhered wrapping paper to the front of the wood and painted the edges and the top shelf piece black.

Getting the glass knobs on was actually a challenge because they are antique. Which means they are not on the "interchangeable parts" spectrum and you can't find modern screws to fit them. Which also means I didn't want to permanently glue them onto the shelf and ruin them. Instead, we wrapped the closest size screw in electrical tape to beef up the screw a bit and then screwed the knob onto it. This actually became very sturdy and will still allow us to unscrew the knobs eventually if we (I) decide to use the knobs for something else. Like a door.

Kind of fun on the blue wall. (The color on the wall is called "Winter in Paris" by Behr.)

Tada!

Valentines paper hearts

2010-02-19T16:28:00.000-08:00

I know Valentine's is over, but I wanted to share these. These paper hearts are made from patterns off of Martha Stewart Paper heart bon bons. But, of course, I changed them a bit. The three large hearts can hold candy and fun prizes, (careful, they tip!) and the smaller hearts are just ornamental. But they both use the same pattern.

The small hearts are neat because they are 3D and kind of like a mobile. Instead of punching the hole through just two folds as it says to do in the pattern, punch the hole in all four folds so it's through the center. You'll get the idea. Just fun.

Valentines for school

2010-02-08T12:44:00.001-08:00

We had 54 valentines to give at school this year. Yes, that is just one child's list. So, this picture isn't even all of the valentine's we made. But it's a good representation.

And being on a budget, I needed something inexpensive and quick, but hopefully still cute. Don't we all need something like that? So, here's what we came up with:

Just some pretty scrapbook paper (heavy kind, so it was sturdy paper), a printer, scissors, and a lollipop. We printed words onto the 8 1/2 x 11 paper, then, by folding the paper down the center of the words, cut out completely imperfect heart shapes around the words. We got 6 to fit onto one sheet of paper.

Cut slits above and below the words and poked the sucker in.

Same idea with this one, but no hearts to cut out and it used up the scraps of the 12 x 12 paper I had cut into 8 1/2 x 11. The "o" has a center hole cut out by a hole punch. A bigger punch might've been better. But it's what we had.

My favorite one is just the heart one. Made a ton and for only $2, because I only had to buy the lollipops. SWEET!

Desk redo

2010-01-19T20:22:00.000-08:00

These pictures might be familiar, but this time it's not about the mirror. That little brown desk under the mirror finally got some attention.

I've been noticing the 40's glam stuff lately and thought I'd give it a try. The little green notebook is what inspired me on this one. Here's the inspiration pic from her blog:

But I didn't have the $ for silver leafing or mirrors, so I used stuff I already had on hand:
-Sandpaper
-Silver spray paint
-rags
-Wipe-on poly
-I think that's it

I sanded it down, with the help of B and M, then sprayed it with my leftover silver (from the acorns). After it dried, I used the rags and wipe-on poly. It actually took off some of the spray paint, but I'm in no mood to redo it again. So, it'll have to do.

Added some pretty knobs (thank you Anthro and Hobby lobby! Can you believe they matched?)

Turned out pretty different and I think I like it. So, there you go.

Hardware love

2010-01-15T16:54:00.000-08:00

So, if you had these pieces, what would you do with them? I think I have an idea. Or two.

Fun with acorns

2010-01-12T20:06:00.000-08:00

I wanted a really inexpensive item to fill some glass cylinders I have. We had tons on great acorns on the ground at a park, so I played 'squirrel' and gathered at least 100 of those nuts.
And of course, I couldn't leave them alone. So, silver spray paint...
Red, yellow, orange, and blue acrylic paint and glitter glue...
A 'spray booth' (box)...
And some big glitter later, we had tons of decorated acorns to hang or toss anywhere, or pretend they were little people with hats. These glittered acorns ended up on our Christmas tree. Nice sparkle.

Living room pillows

2010-01-06T19:42:00.000-08:00

I'm in need of some major assistance for this @*#$! living room! Where are you, Mom, Holly or even Christina at Full house? Somebody help me!
I tried a quick fix: pillows.
B thinks they're too wild. I think they're a hoot!
Can you tell my living room is boring me?
Oh no! She's bored again!
That means something hairy (look on the seal-skin pillow) is about to emerge.
Any thoughts?

Tiffany Blue Mirror & a Christmas Tree

2009-12-16T16:40:00.000-08:00

You may remember this. It is my wicked stepmother's mirror, mirror on the wall.
It is now reincarnated and named "Tiffany Blue." I got a comment a while back from Julie saying I needed to post some pics of my "eek to chic" mirror project. So, voila! The above pic is what my front room looks like right now. I wanted a white, gold and silver tree this year, promising not to buy anything to make it happen. And true to the challenge, all white, silver and gold tree all from stuff I already had.
Entry way at Thanksgiving.
Just some detail of the frame. It's fun for now. But I'll probably get bored. Yet again! And it will be brought back to life in some new color that matches my mood.

cake plates

2009-12-02T16:45:00.000-08:00

I've wanted to do this project since this summer when my MIL and I saw it at a fancy boutique in Utah. This is my not-so-fancy version with dollar-store plates and glasses and some glass glue. That's it.
The plates we saw at the boutique were on silver bases with fancy china on top. So, it has tons of possibilities.
If you want to see some that are just fantastic, go see what my friend Holly did with this project! Oh, if I could just think like that! Good stuff, Maynard!

Aspen Window Painting

2009-11-12T10:07:00.000-08:00

So, I got bored again. We have this huge window for a front door. For Halloween, it was a jack-o-lantern. When I took it down, we were back to living in a fish bowl. So I bought privacy window film (called "frosted glass") and put it on the window. It was great in creating privacy and still letting in tons of light. But it was boring. Just a solid block of frosted glass. That's when I got this idea that a little bird told me. I painted the window film. The pic above is what the finished product looks like from outside at night.
These next few pics are of the progress. I used a paint pen to draw on the main idea.
You can see that better here.
Then I used acrylic craft paint and a foam brush to paint in the aspen trees. Got this done in a few hours. The picture below is the finished painting from the inside of the house. We have a pretty grey day outside, so it's a pretty dark pic. But it added a ton of interest to the plain frosted glass. The red bird is a cardinal that I free-handed and cut out of red paper. Didn't want to paint that!
The cool thing is that when I get bored of this (bound to happen), the paint washes off the window film! Ha Ha! Then more crazy ideas and window murals can start popping up any time I feel like it! The fun never ends! (I just wonder if people might start driving by just to see what's in the window of the crazy lady's house.)

I got a new Camera!

2009-11-03T17:24:00.001-08:00

So I finally got a new camera. Happiness. Now I just have to figure out all the buttons.

Below is a pic of the chalkboard I made. And the next few shots are some fun stuff with my camera.

These two pictures are kind of fun. You see the leaf in the top pic? That's right in front of me when I took the picture. I stayed in the same spot and used the zoom on the camera and took the picture of the same stop sign that you see in the background of the top pic.
Kind of fun being able to zoom like that with just a point 'n shoot. So far, I'm happy.

Bench and Bookshelf

2009-10-18T22:08:00.000-07:00

I need a new camera. BAD! But, I managed to get these pics. This bench was a recovering project. The cream in the fabric matches the cream in the wood. But before I recovered it, I dipped the fabric in linseed oil and made it an oilcloth so it could withstand the rigors of the kitchen table. Then I stapled the heck out of it on the the original cover. Fun, fun. By the way, anyone who wants to make oilcloth, it takes at least a week for the cloth to dry. But it's very durable after. (Even though it still smells like linseed oil.)

And this bookshelf is what my hubby and son made for my daughter's bedroom. (Which is coming along quite nicely! If I ever get a camera again, I'll be sure to post.) But this shelf is something I wanted very badly for her room. I wanted a reading corner (still needs seating there) that would also look nice. So, the shelf is actually 4 ft wide x 6 ft tall so it could display all her beautiful children's books. The art on the covers of those books is so fun and often gorgeous, I always felt it a shame to just show the spines of the books. So we made it big enough to be a display shelf as well as a book shelf. I can't tell you how nice it is. Perk 1, she reads more (which means we all read more). Perk 2, she keeps her books cleaned up (don't know why this helps her do it, but it does. No complaints there!) Perk 3, I get a functional piece of wall art and the books don't hide. I'm thinking a bean bag chair or two would do the reading niche trick. Any suggestions?

more living room project materials

2009-10-05T13:36:00.000-07:00

I have collected a few more bones for the living room. We'll see how this goes. The green velvet chair was a $10 yard sale find. And the beige beast below, a $5 find. I promise it will be recovered and, most likely, painted. But the caning is good on both chairs, the velvet is in flawless condition on chair number 1, and the comfort level on beige-ey boy is a 10.

I just need some great flashy fabric and good paint and I think I resurrect the beige-man.

Suitcases, I think I'll use them for an end table that holds games. Got some good brainstorms for that one. And casters!
And the final project: (what am I saying! Nothing is ever final!) Snow White's wicked stepmother's mirror! Oh, this thing is cool. Don't know where it goes yet, maybe you could give me some pointers? And it is absolutely in the category of "I can be any color" if needed. Gold doesn't have to stay. So, help anyone?

More living room pics

2009-10-05T13:30:00.000-07:00

Here are more pics of my living room that's got potential. But that's all it's got. And a couch and a bird painting, of course. All you creative brains out there, help!

This wall is the same wall the couch is on (first picture). It is opposite of the fireplace wall.

Vintage modern stuff

2009-09-17T20:41:00.000-07:00

I really like it. Could I go this way?

The photo is by Tim Walker photography. Here's the url: http://www.urbanlifestyledecor.com/2009/04/home-couture-european-eclectic.html. Beautiful.

So it's been forever and I have a new couch

2009-08-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

What would you do with this couch? And this painting? These are the bones of my new living room. I know this blog has been in the "dead blog" log for the past five months, but I'm thinking of beginning a resurrection of sorts for the blog. I don't know if anyone ever reads this anymore, but if you do, I'd love some input on what to do with this and the room. Thanks for checking back. See you soon.

Easter basket improv

2009-04-16T18:14:00.001-07:00

So, we went up to visit my sister for Easter and I forgot to get baskets. I remembered everything else. And since Easter is on Sunday and I didn't want to go buy something on Sunday, I improvised. No surprise. Here they are: Easter baskets out of cereal boxes! We used Trix and Waffle Crisp and Captain Crunch. Yum! I'm sure they could've looked better, but I was in a hurry and they played the part just fine.

2009-04-16T18:14:00.000-07:00

Paper Easter Basket

2009-03-22T18:03:00.000-07:00

My son wanted to make Easter decorations today. This is one of the projects he and all of us made: Easter baskets out of paper. You know, the kind you make in 1st grade where you fold the paper into 16 equal squares, cut the corners to fold in and glue them up to make the box. I used brads to fasten the handle to the basket. I wish the photos turned out better. Fun little project.

little wallets-pocket size

2009-01-01T21:26:00.000-08:00

About 6 months ago, my little tiny wallet broke. It was really the size of a business card holder, but it fit credit cards and cash very nicely right in my pocket. And since I hate carrying a purse, I really missed having just that little pocekt-size wallet. I looked for a replacement, but all the wallets I found had buckles and zippers and snaps-things that would hurt to sit on and things that wouldn't sit in a pocket so well.

So, I improvised. I made one up. Using the old broken wallet as a pattern, I cut out scrapbook paper, contact paper, and fabric. I glued the scrapbook paper to the fabric. Then I covered the paper with contact paper. I trimmed, then sewed the edges. It didn't take too long, and I still have the original one I made 6 months or so ago. I was so pleased with it's size and durability that I made one for each of my sisters. These are very easy to make and can be customized. In the picture below, you'll see the new ones I made for my sisters and one from a Trader Joe's bag. Talk about recycling! You could use bags, scrapbook paper, wrapping paper, the fun never ends!! These pocket size wallets are still holding up! Fun little project.

latest crafts

2008-12-20T20:23:00.001-08:00

Okay, so I'm a little behind on my blog. Oops. I have been officially running the sprint to Christmas since late September. Hence, only one post since then. Tisk, tisk. But, I'm repenting and posting some pics of the latest crafts. I sold these crystal ornaments at a few craft fairs this year. They are the acrylic jewels you put in candle displays. Turned out pretty fun.

And these are the glass blocks I sold at those craft fairs. (Hence, another reason why no posting has been going on.) These are glass blocks stuffed with Christmas lights and wrapped like a present. They add very nice light under a tree, on a mantle, in a window... I actually lucked out and got them put in a little shop about 20 minutes from my house. Very flattering.

And this is the fall tree. Well, branch, really. I took a branch and hot glued silk fall leaves on it. Talk about cheap! I did this for Thanksgiving. I had the silk leaves and glue already, so it only cost me time, and not much of it. This pic is a little late for the season, but it looked great on the mantle with the reflection from the mirror.
I'm also in the middle of more ornament making. I'll post pics soon, even though it might be past Christmas when I do.

You know you've been at the computer screen too long

2008-10-10T20:13:00.000-07:00

1-when your eyes start to cross

2-when they go completely out of focus the instant they see the screen

3-when you see little purple squares when you close your eyes

4-when you can't count how many windows you have open

5-when your eyes start to slide down the screen against your will

6-when your eyes are watering

7-when the screen leaves up images from the window you just closed

These are happening to me write now. Even the words I type are a little fuzzy and I'm blinking a lot. Huh, I can't even get the correct form of 'right' right now. I think I need a little sleep, or a lot. This virtual world is really getting to my cerebellum.

The picture at the top is of a butterfly at Mount Vernon. The gardens there were just wonderful. We went a few weeks ago and very much enjoyed a non-cerebral day, walking in honest-to-goodness dirt and trees, rather than looking (more like squinting) at them on a much abused computer screen. Virtual reality has nothing on the tangible, tactile world.

sprout a couch

2008-09-25T19:32:00.001-07:00

This was just so clever I had to put it on my blog. Because some day (when I get a yard) I'm going to make one! Here's the link: Sprout a Couch

I just thought it was so funny. And I love that magazine, too.

latest projects

2008-09-03T17:50:00.000-07:00

I made a bunch of backpacks when my sisters came for a visit. They were for Christmas gifts, I just gave them 6 months early because we used them on a trip to New York. But I forgot to take pictures of the backpacks before I gave them away. So, here is one I made for myself. Kind of fun. And you only need about 1/3 yard fabric to do the whole thing. I lined it, so it would be 1/3 yard of both fabrics.

I'm fairly pleased with how it turned out. And really pleased that it used up a ton of my scrap fabrics. So, this project fits with my attempts of being resourceful and giving something more than one purpose. Not only does it put the pretty fabric to good use, it cleans up my "creativity corner." (My dad lovingly labels these kinds of craft supply corners "crap supply" corners.) And as I mentioned in one of my (way) earlier posts, this project also fits with my desire to do handmade gifts this year. Whatever it is, it's nice to be happy with what you accomplish, and clean up and out all at the same time.

Singing Contest

2008-07-16T13:47:00.000-07:00

My sisters entered an a capella singing contest and the only criteria for winning is how many times it's viewed on youtube. So, anyone reading this, could you help them out and take a look? The more views, the better. Just some good clean singing in a silly song. No, I'm not in the video, if anyone thinks girl #3 looks like me. She does, but it's not me. And if you're really good, there's some dancing eyebrows toward the end. See if you can find them! And feel free to spread it around! Thanks and here's the link:

Murdock Sisters Sing the Hot Dog Song

shin splints

2008-07-13T23:11:00.000-07:00

So, I've got them and they're not going away. I've bought new shoes, I've stretched, I've quit running for a while, and I've eaten tons of bananas. Why are they still hurting? Any ideas? This 1/2 marathon thing just might be the end of my running career. Not looking so hopeful, how do I turn this around?

digital scrapping

2008-06-29T19:25:00.001-07:00

How do you do it! I have not a clue and I see all these other cute blogs, and start to whine because mine is so boring! Somebody help me!

Anthropologie addict

2008-05-29T18:18:00.000-07:00

I admit it. I'm an anthropologie addict. Anytime I am remotely close to one, I will spend the extra on gas just to go to it, since I can't spend the dough to actually buy something from there. The ideas in there are just amazing. You should see the butterfly japanese lanterns they have right now. And, I believe I've gained a lot of my inspirations in there. For example, this picture frame. I was bored, again, with how it looked. So I borrowed an idea from Anthro, which is cover everything in fabric. The picture above is the before. And below, the after. It's hard to see, so let me explain. I spread watered down elmer's glue all over the wood part, dipped the fabric in watered down glue, and draped it over the frame. After it dried, I trimmed it because the fabric was stiff and stuck. Anthro does this all the time. It makes it a little more organic and not so stark. So, thank you Anthro for the ideas. That's all I can afford.

I think I'm crazy.

2008-05-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

Know why?

Because I'm seriously considering running for 13 miles non-stop. It's insane, and yet, the temptation is so real, just to say "Yeah, I ran a half marathon." Yep, half and half only. I've not totally lost it. This is just a moment of temporary insanity. And one that I am completely committed to--I think. (That doesn't sound complete, does it.) Anyway, if anyone has any advice, post away! I'm going to need it!

My whole family's asleep!

2008-05-16T19:37:00.001-07:00

Except me!! That's why I can post another post! But maybe I shouldn't, after all, it is getting late. But not that late, you say. It's only 10:30 and by anyone's east coast standards, the night's just begun! But you see, as a former westcoastian, I admit to still thinking like one. So I'm torn, do I stay up late, as my west coast mentality says it must be, or do I stay up early, as the east would insist? Alas, I don't know which coast to pick. Now normally, I would be right there in bed snoring with the best of them (grinding my teeth actually, but I digress) and as a mother, that sleep time is precious. It's like a card I got just before my son was born. It said, "when you become a parent, you begin to realize how important the little things are. Like sleep." And that has been all too true for most of my motherhood years. But then there comes a point when you stay up late just to get something done because your day is full of good little things that keep you from doing other, not-so-important-but-good-to-do things. It's a vicious cycle. But just because I'm feeling chatty, and because my whole family is sleeping in a tent in the front room (camping trip got rained out, but I'm okay with that-running water and good bed on my list of absolutes of sleeping), I'm here. I'm up. And in the debate of to snore or not to snore, I choose to not to. I'll regret that in the morning.

Dresser redo

2008-05-16T19:16:00.000-07:00

So I got bored with a plain brown dresser. I painted it white, then decided to take a picture. Still boring.

So I did this to it...

Not boring. This was done with wrapping paper, ribbon, and handles from the dollar store. I modge-podged the wrapping paper to the drawer. (I wonder if there is better glue for that, I got a few bubbles. Ideas anyone?) Then I glued black & white polkadot ribbon for the edging of the drawers, and put black handles (they are hard to see in the picture) in the middle. Cost: $7.50. The dresser was a hand-me-down. It'll do. I probably won't move it, though.

Frame collage

2008-04-30T15:51:00.001-07:00

I get a lot of inspiration from just observing, then modifying. This one is a twist on something I saw in PotteryBarn. Instead of using (and buying) all matching frames, I just took all my old unmatching frames, painted them matching black, and put sepia tone pictures in them. I put this in my entry way, which is where the initial idea was in PotteryBarn. Very cost effective. Oh, and the big center picture is actually the Family Proclamation. I used wordart to make some of the key words bigger and printed it out on my computer in a different format than what is standard distribution. I glued it to foam board, (which had been painted black, too), then had B build a frame for it out of moulding. The picture of the Arizona Temple right beside it was drawn by my sister.

Something else

2008-04-24T12:22:00.001-07:00

At the suggestion of Annie, I am going to include some of my crazy craft ideas. I hadn't planned on including that in this blog, since it was originally just an outlet for random thoughts. But that's just what some of my crafts are: random. So, here's this week's little idea (with a picture! what luck!).

I wanted a headboard for my room (married 8 years, and master bedroom is the last to get the attention it deserves--and still this is only a temporary fix!) The headboard had to meet some pretty stringent limitations:

1. had to be dirt cheap

2. had to be easy to move or disposable

3. had to be big impact and add weight to my light room

4. had to be interesting enough to look unique but good

5. had to be done with little or no prep

6. had to come together fairly quickly (not a ton of contruction.)

Here's the inspiration: (found at anthropolgie.com, cost: $998)

My cost: $9 to make this headboard. I used yarn. Wrapped pvc pipe and two golf balls in yarn. I used tacky glue to attach the yarn to the wall in the pattern above. Gives it a little 3-d effect and moldability.

Wind storm

2008-03-08T19:40:00.000-08:00

That's what we are having outside right now. It was interesting to watch the storm come in, tearing off siding of the house, blowing leaves and debris, even trees, sideways. It blew over two trees, two of my favorite trees that give us some privacy during the day. I hope they get put back up soon. The heavy grey clouds seemed to skim our house top and moved so fast. The power went out at the church which canceled our ward's pinewood derby contest. This actually was a bit of good news since my kids are sick and couldn't go. Now, we will be able to reschedule and hopefully we will be well. Especially since my dh made the pinewood derby car into a corvette, no surprise. Candy apple glossy red, and it really does look like a corvette. Amazing. And my son really wanted to see it race. But this has nothing to do with the windstorm outside, or maybe everything to do with that storm. I'm just glad to be inside, even though we are sick. How pleasant to be sick in a place that is warm and dry and safe and comfortable. To me, that is a blessing, sick and all, to be physically uncomfortable only because of a cold, not because of the cold you feel from the wind or weather. You are probably going to get sick, no matter where you are. I'm grateful to be sick in such a comfortable place and have the conveniences of life that help to ease the misery of the sniffles. It really could be so much worse. Gratitude shows up in funny little ways, doesn't it.

By the way

2008-02-17T18:23:00.000-08:00

How did you do on your January goal? I accomplished mine. All started sewing projects DONE! Wahoo! Now on to February. My goal: be cleaner. I have a habit of leaving out the cereal in the morning and the bread at lunch. I am trying to keep the kitchen just a bit tidier. I am measuring it with a bean jar, 10 beans in it. For every time I mess up, I remove a bean. At the end of the day, I empty the jar into a big jar. When the big jar is full, I get a prize! (Yes, I am motivated by shallow, juvenile bribes.) At the end of February, I will be able to measure how well I did on my goal by how many beans in the big jar. Even if I don't get a tangible prize, I will be rewarded by physically seeing, both in the jar and in my house, the results of my efforts. Already it's made a difference.

What's your February goal?

Belated Valentines

2008-02-17T17:17:00.000-08:00

Did it pass you by too soon? Or are you glad it's over? True it's argued to be too commercialized, too unimaginative, too trite, too shallow, too "single-awareness" of a holiday celebrating romance. But, you know, that is said about every holiday. Maybe not the single-awareness part. To all the holiday scrooges, I offer this counter: It's a holiday for a reason. You don't have to celebrate anything that irks you. But allow others to enjoy their celebration of something good without spreading the gripes.

This year I've taken a pledge. I, too, sometimes feel that holidays are advertised to the extreme. But I decide to approach it from the angle of what can I do to make it matter, and better, not what can I do to gripe. In my effort to make it matter, I'm trying to do gifts of thought, not price. Not to demean the value of chocolate or flowers: I admit those have a special place in my heart, and I am shallow or typical enough that I do enjoy those standard gifts. (Standards are also standards for a reason). So, what does I mean by gifts of thought, not price? Mostly, handmade or thought-full gifts. These include gifts of my time instead of my money. And I think that most people try very hard to spend their thought as well as their money on their gifts for others. And I like to encourage that.

I am lucky enough to have a Valentine in my life, and for the Romance day this year I wrote him a book. It's simple. It's made of cardstock and a manilla folder I had in my house. Only 9 pages in big print, each page with a different kind of fabric heart in the center. And it is the best valentine I've given. What a reward for me to see his face as he recognized the silly, sometimes cheesy, but specific reasons of why he is special to me. And he's not the cheesy type. But it mattered to him. And it was better than anything I could have bought because it was so personal. So what about the pledge, you say? It's this: I pledge this year to spend more giving of my self, not my money, on the people that matter most to me. Not only will it be healthy for the wallet, it's healthy for the heart.

New Year's tents

2008-01-01T19:04:00.001-08:00

I've been thinking. A dangerous pastime, you say. But, nonetheless, it happens. And it's happening to me. And tonight, I am actually going to tell you what I am thinking about, and not get lost in the running and rising stream of consciousness that often jumps the banks and floods my writing. I am thinking of New Year's goals. Isn't everyone? After all, it is the very first day of the very first month of the very brand new year. And it's nice to have a mark that says, "this is the beginning," (that kind of beginning would be a birthday, literally.) And it's also nice to have a mark that says, "let's start over," the kind of mark that today would be to anyone already arrived on earth. And I love start overs, or fresh starts. That's why I love moving (my dh thinks I'm crazy.) Yet, the beginning of a new adventure in a new place is extremely attractive to me. My grandma would say "You gotta keep 'em building their tents," when my mom would wonder how to keep us kids from getting bored. (You know, the kind of tents that put the broom up on phone books and drapes sheets across the top for the roof.) It's sort of manifest destiny. "Every living thing is under that necessity for continuous advancement."

Okay, but back to the beginning: with a beautiful fresh start, which I love having those, I am choosing to make my year's goals in short terms. For example, this month, I am finishing my started projects. And I am letting new ideas wait. I will write them down, hold on to them, but they will wait patiently until all the old are cleaned up, finished up, used up, and put up. This is my fresh start. By clearing away all the old things, getting them done, like all my sewing that I've begun and never finished. That's January. I will have all my started sewing done by the end of January. (See the purse, I did that tonight. So far, so good!) And when February comes, it's on to a fresh new goal. I don't know what that is yet, but that's alright. The beauty of my new year's goal is that it is to make a goal every month, and accomplish that goal in that month. So, I have the flexibility to make adjustments and new pursuits without feeling like I let myself down for not accomplishing a long term goal. I keep my advancements in short increments of time, so they are easier to measure. And I feel like I am advancing at a faster pace. Or at least continually advancing, moving on to new goals, new places, new tents, and new beginnings. And with those beautiful, progressive thoughts, I wish you a Happy New Beautiful Year.

Every body's waiting for the man with the bag

2007-12-19T19:47:00.001-08:00

And I would be too, but it depends on the bag. If it's from Anthropologie or Ann Taylor, I'm on the doorstep. If it's from the diaper pail, it's on the doorstep. So, what kind of bag are we really talking about here. Does this mean he got left holding the bag? And wasn't that supposed to be a bad thing at one time? So, then if everyone is waiting for the man with the bag, why did they leave him holding it in the first place? They should've just gone out, paid the waiter, or whoever it was that needs the bag, and then the waiting would be over. See, what good is it to give someone a bag to hold, leave them there, then wait. Go get it yourself! It'll be faster. I hate waiting. And, yet, it is one of life's eternal lessons that really turns into a lecture from the dark side that you wish you could just skip out of, but you already came to class, and now you're stuck listening to a lecture on patience that you've heard umpteen million times before, and it really isn't doing any good but to make you more impatient to get the lecture or lesson over with. And even when you have learned the lesson, it still shows up, reminding you that the waiting game never ends. You will be forever stuck in the perpetual patient zone, lessons learned or not, waiting for a man with a bag, whose bag it is or what is in it we don't really know, unless we take it. But this bag scenario, the man with it anyway, he's really just a hypothetical type, who in reality has already left us, waiting, (while he is happily in fiction-ville), to decide what goes in the bag, then acquire the contents of the bag, then distribute the contents to the rightful recipients. Talk about delegation. Good plan. And we take that delegated role, year after year, and happy to do it (myself included), and perpetuate the wait over and over again. And since I really did all the work, why does the man with the bag get all the credit? Oh wait, (I hate waiting), looks like we really got left holding the bag.

I break (brake) for brownies

2007-10-28T18:52:00.000-07:00

And it shows. Right around the hip and tummy area. See, here's the issue: I brake for brownies meaning that they stop me, I would like to pause and eat one, or two or three. But then here comes the conflict. If I brake for the brownie(s), then I will end up wearing it (them) around my hips for the next 10 years. And so I have to use this horrible thing called self-denial and refuse the beautiful brownie bites in order to not break my size. Causing me heart-break. Hence, both I brake and break for brownies because of the inner conflict of wanting yet not wanting to have this lovely taste of decadence. This struggle arrests me daily. It is relentless because it doesn't stop at brownies. Anything sweet and chocolatey tempts and tries my greatest self-restraint. I confess I give in more than I should, but not more than I want. I play tug-of-war with my tastebuds constantly. And I am often losing the battle. Yet, with what is left of my broken-down will power, I rise again the next day attempting to resist this most pleasurable of tasting sensations. What a pleasant, yet trying problem to have. I am a tortured soul. I need a break.

Waxing philosophical in the front seat

2007-10-07T05:29:00.001-07:00

well, really in the seat in front of the computer. But the thought came to me in the front seat of the car. Passenger side. Not on cell phone. No distracted driving here. Just in case you were wondering.

So, what's the philosophical part? Actually, it's tragic to mention, but all too typical due to mothering mania, I can't remember the philosophy. Besides, that word is hard to type. My fingers type it so unceremoniously! So, if you were expecting some great philsophiclllall (spelling?) insight this morning, I'm afraid I've misplaced it. Maybe you could offer one since, phyllosaughphiickallie (spelling???) speaking, I'm needing simplified spelling.

But back to the phyllahsoph...-the thought. I really did have one. Now what was it? You know when I'll remember? It's after I post this. Isn't that how it always happens? You can't remember something until after you need it. You can't find something until you ask someone for it, then just as you ask, you find it yourself.

So, for the sake of my waning memory and phillasohooey--oh you know what I mean, I will leave you with the wisest words that I never created: Use the force, Luke!

Till next time...

cheesecake

2007-09-07T09:09:00.000-07:00

can bring world peace. I've said that for years. Think about it. A piece of Dulce de Leche Caramel Cheesecake can soften the hardest of hearts. Oh, oh, and who's the kid with the Oreo Cheesecake? Or the Cookie Dough Cheesecake? Desires for a second childhood find fulfillment there. Life is so much smoother through Chocolate Mousse cheesecake, and we'd all be richer from Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake. Maybe even choruses of "Pineapple Upside Down Cheesecake is the thing to do" to the tune of Mele Kaliki Maka or Chocolate Coconut Cream Cheesecake for the financially free feelings of tropical delights. Chocolate Tuxedo Cream Cheesecake for nights out, Mixed Berry Custard Almond Crunch Cheesecake for nights in. Tiramisu for the daring, Key Lime for the coconuts (and mix them both up), Vanilla Bean for the standards, and 6 carb original for the guilt free! Not to mention the Lemon Rasberry for summer, Chocolate Raspberry Truffle for winter. What could possibly go wrong with any of these options? Surely solutions can be found in the thoughts evoked from tasting wonder and divinity. Yes, cheesecake could very well be ambrosia. I believe that if we could all sit down and share a beautiful cheesecake, instant harmony would arise. I know it works for me.

So I believe the Cheesecake Factory owes it to the world to hand out free cheesecake in the name of world peace. And we owe it to ourselves to support the cause and serve cheesecake at all board meetings, work functions, special or unspecial events, school lunches, bah mitvahs, church dances, book clubs, hoa meetings, birthdays (those two should never be adjacent, in the name of peace, of course) and seminars. And we could finally experience a taste of world peace. But don't go to their website unless you are going to act on your impulses. Because looking at the cheesecake doesn't do anything for the cause of peace. In fact, looking only creates longing, and just as we long for cheesecake and peace, alas eyes never could lift a finger. It's only the eating, the tasting, the actual action that brings the feelings of euphoria, a willingness to collaborate, to cooperate, to hug, dance, sing choruses of kum ba ya. So don't look at their website unless you are willing to do and going to do something about world peace. Like eat. Cheesecake.

110 degrees in the truck will melt chocolate

2007-08-29T19:18:00.000-07:00

And why am I in here? That's what I thought when I drove the hour communte from Mesa to Phoenix for about 6 months during my first pregnancy. And the truck had no ac. I had a good hour to wrestle with heat invoked dry heaving while maintaining a clutch in stop and go traffic. And that was one way. It makes me nauseaus to write about it. Sympathy pains for myself. But I had a craving one day for peanut m&m's. As I was sitting at my very grey and uninspiring cubicle, a sudden panic hit for the chocolate wonders with a very pleasant crunch. And there was no free agency left. Mission: I must obtain peanut m&m's or I shall go mad. And pursuit began. With a wrist flick, unsuspecting coins resting peacefully at the bottom of my desk drawer were suddenly clawed up for active duty, and within moments my coin-filled fist fired at at the innocent vending machine. It instantly surrendered the yellow booty bag, and I had my satiation satisfied. And it was just a small bag, maybe what 7 oz. or whatever that size was. I thought I was being entirely unrestrained and gluttonous when I ate that bag in two bites. I was ravenous. But it worked and I craved no more that day. I had no real idea what real craving was, until I had two children. Then I realized that severe cravings come after pregnancy. One day -two children later- I ate an entire family size bag of the candy endorphins by myself. And that day, I earned it. But this day, I'm paying for it with 20 lbs that refuse to leave me alone. Yes, I have a food storage. It's on the middle shelf right under the rib cage. Okay, maybe not food storage, but definitely left overs.

Lesson: leaving yourself unsatisfied only causes binging. But unrestraint inevitably brings remorse. You must fill yourself with good things so there is no craving for the bad.

It's been a long August

2007-08-29T14:27:00.000-07:00

Busy, but well worth the effort. With school begun and routines in check, I'm back. Full of interruptions and ideas. And while we're on the interruptions idea, that's what my afternoon was sparkled with. Little ideas that interrupt regular routines that require immediate action. So that's what I did. I interrupted my layer 1 (dishes) with a sparkling new thought of a song. I haven't written a song since college. I've tried, but the right brain connection is often unhooked since the left brain is in such strong demand. And if the right brain ever does get hooked back on the train, there's static and stones on the tracks. Dizzying thoughts, yes? Or just more static electricity that needs good channelling, really. And no, this does not follow normal trains of thoughts, if you are asking yourself why you are reading this and if it should make sense. It makes sense to me on my train of thought, but my stream of consciousness thought train often derails and lands just there, in the stream. It feels great to get all refreshed from the dip, though. So, could I offer you a lift?

I love Target.

2007-07-18T19:30:00.000-07:00

I could be a spokesperson for that company. And I should make a commission. I just got back and had to brag to my dh about my "fabuless" purchases of 50% off eyeshadow, flashlights, and bungee cords. What's the thrill here? Why the high? Seriously, I come home from shopping and feel so useful, like I've accomplished something. Probably because I have. I can have my need to accomplish something gratified by purchasing 32 bars of soap (bulk pack-zest energize scent-smells so clean). I feel purposeful and useful because I have solved a need for my home. Instant gratification. And I need this instant gratification of accomplishment because that sense of accomplishment is not so instant when I am maintaining the status quo on the home front. At home, I work in layers. My responsibilities stack on top of each other, and I must do layer 1 in order to even attempt layer 2 and so on. I am lucky to reach layer #1 (dishes and laundry) on any given day. Layers 2, 3, & 4 (mopping, dusting, showering, shampooing carpets, cleaning windows, lunch, the laundry list goes on, but I shall spare you) lay dormant, aching for acknowledgement and attention. No wonder women like to shop so much. It satisfies the inate desire of being useful, the "look what I did" urge, and satisfies it quickly. Hence, the rise of the shopping gene. I was born that way. I, therefore, find no shame in shopping, even at the risk of offending the men we love and serve. I have a proud heritage and image to maintain. I shall not wax lackadaisical. I will hold my head high, though my arms drag with bags. My sense of accomplishment rests in a bottle of Mountain Rain Purex. Ahh, smell the satisfaction.

so there i was

2007-07-17T18:33:00.000-07:00

when all of a sudden, out of nowhere...
Again, another random comment that has nothing to do with the post. This, of course, is in keeping with the tradition I've begun of writing titles that really don't relate to the subject at all. This, then, requires that you read the entire post to catch the entire meaning. This, of course, is what you want to do, since all of my (two) random posts are of the utmost relevance to normalcy of living. But this, the normalcy thing, will no doubt provide hours of endless subjects to post upon since so many things are normal and all normal things, including myself, love words, good words, said about them. They, nor I won't mind a bit that I blog on and on. You, dear reader, I hope, will add to the lovely words being said about normal things.

Today's normal subject: Oh, you can't really expect me to be so plain and predictable as to actually type it out. Where is the mystery in that? Normalcy--yes, mystery--missing. The search for the meaning in my words could cause critics to go crazy in hopes of finding double meanings or hidden messages in my writing (which, if you look long and hard enough, will find), thinking they will answer the antiquated, overrated, underestimated, often promulgated secret of life. When, or if, they find it in these words, (which if they look long and hard enough, could find), it will merely accentuate the beauty and mystery in normalcy, the joy of normal living, where all good things, good words, good works, good manners, good books, good looks, good cooks, good, honest people really do exist, but often go unnoticed, being nestled in plain and predictable patterns of meaningful living.

Dare I divulge the location of such normal, interesting people? Or has the curiousity peaked and you have begun your own search to find such relics and sages as normal people. Such a search leads to great discovery hiding under the name of "normal." We know that each person is fighting a hard battle, and each of us has something "normal" that adds authenticity, variation, and interest to our plain and predictable lives. So, there we are, when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, we, the normal, endless subject providing normal people, just might have discovered the secret of life. To our swords! No, Better yet, to our words!

the cat: day 751

2007-07-13T08:15:00.000-07:00

The title on this blog really has nothing to do with my day. I just remember it from a humorous door mat that began that way and I immediately thought of Bernie, a fat grey grumpy cat who was respected by the neighborhood pet community and left alone.

I on the other hand, am a not a fat grey grumpy cat, and I prefer to be alone only on rare occasions. Most of the time, company delights me, good company, and I am satisfied with that.

I don't know why I started a blog. I guess I just wanted more company, good company, to make my 751 normal days more satisfying. I have always loved to write. I know I am not alone in that, too, and that is also satisfying. And I am hoping that others who like to write and like company, good company, will enjoy a blog of normal no point conversations that may bring a bit of satisfaction to other normal 751 days of other normal lives.

I find satisfaction in that.