jump up and down

flower power

If you are wondering how I used those crochet flowers I made last week, here it is - my flower garland that I made for spring/Easter!  I have done at least one of those projects I wanted to for Easter.  It might be the only one - I always forget how close Easter can be to Peter's birthday, and since they are just five days apart this year, we'll be doing some partying this week and not too much more crafting before Easter. Now I'm just hoping that this garland's flower power can actually get a little bit of spring here!  I am itching to wear skirts and go outside without a coat on.

These are fairly simple to make - I wanted to do a tutorial, and probably will at some point, but it's just not going to happen for a little while with the moving to-do list and birthday partying that I have now.  I think they would make a great pin on a purse, jacket, shirt, etc. too.  I might have to make a few more for my spring and summer wardrobe.

I am heartened that you all feel that my to-be home is not nearly as bad as I had first described.  I forgot to mention that when we first looked at the place, the blinds were not open so the wood look a lot darker and foreboding!  I should also have noted that I do actually like the kitchen, the cabinets at least, and the amount of them.  The countertops are pretty beat up and the linoleum has a couple of rips (will be covering these with rugs), but the cabinets are totally vintage cute.  Did you see this?  (See the whole house here).  If I had the budget to replace all of my furniture and decor, I would totally do it and be incredibly trendy, at least for a year.  Alas, I do not have that sort of a budget, but I do have some good ideas and projects already going.  Thanks so much for all of your suggestions and advice - it has sparked some great inspiration on my part!  It looks like moving day will be May 22...we'll be counting down the days!

the before

I've been trying to get myself to post this all day.  After I went and looked at the place again yesterday I got a little overwhelmed - trying to make decisions about what to do and really just about how much effort and money to spend to do things when we really won't be there for too long. 

I really am grateful that we were able to find this place and that the timing is right for us to make this move.  Ryan's commute has been a major source of stress in our family for the last two and a half years and it really will be nice to be closer to his workplace.  

I do like that there is so much natural light in this room - there are three big windows and one small one.  This is more natural light than we've ever had in any place we've lived.  It will be good for me.

It just seems like a big task right now.   We won't actually move until the end of May when Peter is finished with preschool (yes, you are going to have to wait a long time for after pictures), so I've got quite a bit of time to do some research and make decisions (I might need some help!). 

I have to keep reminding myself that this will be worth it.  We moved and made a big change (I quit my lab research job and became a piano teacher) about a year before we moved out of California and we were so happy that we did it, so I'm trying to remember that when I get overwhelmed.

And the funniest part - when we were all looking out the window as I took measurements, Peter said, "Look, it's like a yard!"  Too funny - I replied, "It is a yard, Peter!"  I think at least one member of our family has a 100% chance of liking this change.

p.s.  I did not take a picture of the sponge paint - I think I may take your advice, paint over it and risk losing the deposit (it's really quite small - nothing compared to the $1000 deposit we made for one of our California apartments).  If I do, there will definitely be a before and after.

our housing dilemma

Yesterday afternoon the boys and I ventured out to the town where Ryan works.  Have I ever mentioned that he works 40 miles away in a very small town (population 1800)?  I'm not sure why the government decided to build their research station there, but they did. 

When we first moved here, we tried to find a place closer to Ryan's work, but not wanting to buy (Ryan's job is temporary - I explain it by saying that it's sort of like a medical residency, just for a person with a doctorate degree - it's meant to last only 2 to 4 years), we just had no luck and ended up in the closest "big" town about 40 miles away.  It has turned out to be a good thing that we are here because of Peter and the services he has needed and being able to put him in a good preschool this past year.  But, next year he will enter kindergarten and I really think that he might be better off in a smaller school where he would get more attention from teachers, aides, and therapists.  I called and talked to the speech therapist in the small town elementary school and it was confirmed - his speech therapy would be on a one-to-one basis for a longer time instead of in a small group setting for a shorter time as it would be in our current town.  I'd also like to be more involved in Peter's classroom and it would be much easier if we were somewhere where Ryan could just pop home for an hour to watch Ned and then go back to work.

We are also nearing the end of Ryan's appointment - we know he has to be finished by November 2010, so we are absolutely in the last year and a half and that might mean more late hours in order to get things done.  Not to mention the fact that he has never quite gotten used to his commute.  He does carpool most days in the winter, but in the summer he often has to drive by himself, and boy did that hurt with last summer's gas prices!

So, we thought it might be a good idea to try again to find a place to rent in the town where he works.  And today we went to see the a potential place.  On the upside, everything was functional and fairly clean, the house was bigger than where we are now, the garage was ginormous, and the rent is significantly less than what we pay now and we would save a lot in gas too.  On the downside, it was so ugly that I'm not sure I can do it, even for only a year and a half.  There was dark wood paneling in the entire (and fairly large) living room and upstairs bedroom (which would be my sewing space), along with a few random pieces of wall paper, horrible light fixtures, pretty ugly carpet and the entryway had been painted with that sponging technique that is oh so 15 years ago.  I tentatively asked about the prospect of painting and was pretty much shot down (the landlady said she had just painted almost the entire house, including that hideous entryway).  Am I being too prideful?  Should I just suck it up and live with it for a little while?  Will you still read my blog even if you see wood paneling in the background of the photos?  I'm pretty sure the owners like the wood paneling - some sort of rustic appeal - bringing the outdoors in sort of thing, so I don't think we'd convince them to do anything to it.  So if we do decide to move there, does anyone have any great ideas on temporary ways to cover up walls or brighten up dark wood paneled rooms? 

I'd love to say that something better might come up, but based on our previous experience, it probably won't.  The places we looked at when we first moved out here were in such disrepair that they really were unlivable.   At least this place has new pipes, new electrical, is wired for cable, and had forced air heat with a fairly new furnace.  We will do some more searching, but that is difficult too.  All of this is by word of mouth - I suppose they figure if you want to live there, you know someone who knows someone who...it's a little frustrating because we don't really know anyone. Oh, what is a girl to do?

wip: finally, the pillows

Sorry for my disappearance last week - studying took over my life.  I'm glad I only have two classes.  It's just right most of the time.  But, when things get crazy busy, I seem to be able to manage two things.  The boys (the three of them) are always number one of those two and so that really only leaves room for one more thing - last week it was studying.  And then we had a lovely weekend - great weather, a little outing to a nearby town where I dropped the boys off at the park (the plan was to drop them at a movie, but Peter and Ned didn't want to go - I'm not sure what that was all about) and I went thrifting, and we all enjoyed a delicious dinner at a great BBQ restaurant. 

And I managed to finish my living room pillows!  A true miracle indeed, since these have been in the works since January.  I'm so glad that I took my time with these though - I'm very happy with how they turned out. 

I was able to use one of my favorite pieces of thrifted fabrics.  I think this was the perfect use for it - something that is large enough to see the fabulous print and something that I will look at and enjoy every day.  There's still a bit left of it - I may have to work it into the wall hanging I need to make.

I love the grey corduroy on the back of these - I found it at JoAnn when I started this project and I think it may have been a big part of why I actually got started on it. I've been thinking about making new pillows for about a year and a half - thinking about sliding my fingers across that soft corduroy was the motivation that I needed to get to it.  And I made sure to make these covers easily removable - I didn't do that with my last set of pillows and regretted it everytime they started looking shabby.  And now I might just have to sit on the couch with my pillows this afternoon and watch the snow fall (yes, it's a downright blizzard out there after such loveliness on Saturday) while I read a book.

spring plans

This little guy needs to be taken to a better place.  I think I bragged about keeping him alive way back here - and that was the beginning of his demise.  But, I think I'm ready - spring is coming, I think, and this guy is on the list.  What list?  Oh yeah, that list of all my spring cleaning chores that I made in church yesterday when I should have been listening attentively.  Now I just have to wait for spring break...next week!  Hooray!  And for once, the geniuses (note sarcasm) that run all this city's going-ons did something fabulous - we all have spring break next week!  One full week of staying home, cleaning, cementing that potty training (yes, it is going well but still needs a week at home where we can just let him run around in his underwear and get comfortable with the whole thing), and of course crafting and sewing (the living room pillows are also on the list).   I also have teacher that did something that I love - both of my tests are on Friday, which means no homework for spring break either...but that does mean that I better hit the books now!

wip: living room update 2

No, I haven't forgotten about the living room projects I have going - next to the kitchen, the living room is where I spend most of my time.  We have to pass through it to get anywhere in the house and since I took all the pillows of the couch and the quilt off of the wall, I think about my plans for them every day.  I've just been in the collecting stage of this project - collecting fabrics.  I have something with a very patchwork feel in mind.  Some of these are from my stash, but I have also collected a fair number of new, but small, pieces for this little project.  Most are 1/8 and 1/4 yard cuts - perfect for patchwork!  I hope to get a chunk of time this weekend to get a good start on the actual sewing of these pillows - hopefully I will have more to show next week. 

And here's an interesting page from my latest Better Homes and Gardens magazine - all of my colors on one page.  This came a week or two after I had decided on the colors.  I'm just using a little lighter hue of the blue and not really using any brown, although all of the furniture in our living room is brown, so I suppose that will count for the brown. 

I can't wait for this to all come together.  I've been wanting to do new pillows for about a year now, but for the longest time could decide what I wanted to do.  I'm glad I waited because I'm really excited for these colors and how this all going to come together.

won't you sit down?

Another project that my Mom and I tackled while she was here was putting together this table and chair set from IKEA (this is the part I did), staining it, lacquering it, and making chair pads for it (my mom did all of this with a little help from Peter on the staining).  We are missing one chair pad still because we ran out of ribbon to finish it, but it should be done soon.  The boys have been in love with little tables for a while and so when my Mom asked what they wanted for Christmas, I knew just what to have her get.  

I moved all of the toys up to the boys' bedroom just before Christmas hoping that the downstairs would stay a little neater and that the boys might spend more time being creative as I still kept all of the paper, craysons, markers and such downstairs in the kitchen.  I'm not sure if it's all working out as I pictured it, but Ned, especially, loves to sit down with the crayons and color for a bit and then get his car and pretend the car is crashing into the crayons and scatter them over the floor.  Such a boy!  Oh, and he likes to just sit on top of it to eat - this time to eat an apple.

Maybe we will pull the table into the living room today and sit at it while we watch some inaguration coverage.  I'm fairly sure neither of my boys will remember this day, but I know it will so much affect their lives, for the good, I hope.  I am excited to witness such a historic event!