jump up and down

a new year: balance

I don't usually make New Year's resolutions.  I think that if something is worth changing, it's worth putting the effort into it no matter what time of year it is.  This year, our family is anticipating big changes (job search continuing for Ryan, hopefully a new job, move, etc.) and the challenges that go with that.  My modus operandi, especially during stressful times, is to throw myself into one thing and forget everything else.  This year, I want to approach life with balance.  If things get super stressful this year, I want to be able to keep my head on straight and remember what's important.  I want to be able to not put all my hopes on one thing and then feel devastated if it doesn't happen.  I want to know that while outside events and other's decisions certainly effect us, they are not the sole determinant of our peace.  So, no resolutions here, just a thought with a purpose, acknowledged and shared to help remind me if/when things get tough to seek balance.

thrifty refashion: my christmas garb

I always got a new dress for Christmas when I was a kid.  My mom always let me pick out the pattern and the fabric that I wanted and I loved it.  My Christmas dress was often made from a rich velvet that always made me feel that magic of Christmas.  I haven't had a new Christmas dress in several years.  Last week on Thursday, I was thinking about this and thinking about how nice it would be to have a dress this year.  And I thought I'd procrastinated too long again because there was no way I was going to pull off a Christmas dress before Sunday when my first thoughts of making it were on Thursday.  Then I remembered a skirt that I bought a while ago that had been hanging in my "to refashion" pile and I had a bit of inspiration.  So, I didn't end up with a dress, but I did come up with an outfit that I really love and it even made me feel a little bit like I had put on a velvet dress, but for a lot less money.  
I've made a lot of effort in this past year or so to wear more thrifted items.  I think I've gotten to the point where I am wearing about 75% thrifted clothing.  I hardly even shop anywhere but the thrift store for clothes.  This Christmas outfit is kind of a culmination of that effort - minus the shoes and tights, it is almost completely thrifted or made from items in my stash.  The skirt was refashioned (using this tutorial -same one that I used for this skirt) from a longer skirt with a smaller waistband  that I got for $3 and it's kind of a silky fabric, so it had a touch of fanciness to it.  The sweater is also thrifted - it is a basic elbow length black GAP sweater that I have had since early this year and have found so essential to my wardrobe.  I think I paid between $2 and $4 for it.

I did have to buy the ribbon for the belt, but the flowers are made completely from fabrics in my stash - my favorite is the yellow plaid wool that I thrifted.  I'd like to do a tutorial for this, hopefully by next month.  I've seen these belts around the web for some crazy prices and they are so easy to make.  I made mine in about an hour the night before I wore it and had several hot glue gun burns on my fingers to prove it!  But it was definitely fast, easy, and inexpensive to make.  

It was nice to bring back some of that magic of Christmas from my childhood.  I've really tried to relax and take it easy this holiday season and it seems to be working - I'm so enjoying the holidays this year, really enjoying watching my kids get so excited.  I hope you are having a wonderful time celebrating also!

 

in the kitchen: crock pot peanut clusters

 

I got this recipe at a Relief Society Candy Recipe Exchange activity that I attended a couple of weeks ago.  There were many delicious candies and recipes shared that evening, but this is the only recipe I brought home because it was the only one that I really thought I would make because it was so easy.  I think I might be getting lazy, or just more realistic about the amount of work I am actually willing to put forth for something good to eat.  

Crock Pot Peanut Clusters

16 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

16 oounces white chocolate chips

16 ounces white almond bark

16 ounces dry roasted salted peanuts

16 ounces dry roasted unsalted peanuts

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker on low for 1 hours, stirring occasionally.  When the chocolate is completely melted, use a spoon to drop small mounds on waxed paper.  Let the mounds set up and store in air tight container in the fridge.  Makes a ton!  Well, not really a ton, but around 100 clusters.

For the salted peanuts, I used the dry roasted peanuts that you can get at Costco.  These are very lightly salted and I think you could use two pounds of these peanuts instead of the unsalted and salted.  If I make them again, I'm going to try this.

Like I said in my last post, I'm not a big fan of making the same thing over and over again for neighbors and friends, so I also made these simple homemade oreo cookies, this pumpkin bread, and a great simple bread recipe that I know I got from a blog a while ago, but I can't remember which one.  And of course, there have been lots of extras for us that I've been enjoying a little too much in the last few days.  Tis' the season, right?  Enjoy!

holiday happenings

Hello there!  Here I am, still here, alive and breathing and getting ready for Christmas.  I shut down the shop a couple of weeks ago so that I could relax, enjoy, and spend more time with the boys and Ryan.  It's been lovely.  I think my Christmas cards are going to get in the mail before Christmas - this is progress for me.  

Life has been pretty much more of the same the last few months - the shop for me, school for the boys, and the job hunt (for Ryan).  There are a few things happening  with the job hunt, but I think I'll keep quiet about them on here for now.  The stress of it is becoming more normal, or I'm finding better ways to deal with it.  I did start substitute teaching in October and it's been nice to have a day or two a week to be out of the house and be occupied.  Christmas is also a good distraction.  

The boys are more aware than ever of when Christmas is and what it's all about - their enthusiasm is catching.  We had a great time tonight delivering goodies to our neighbors and friends and it was fun to have two boys willing to help out.   I always make many different things to give away.  I get too bored making just one thing for everyone.  This year our options were peanut clusters (made in a crockpot.  so easy!  I'll share that one later), homemade oreos, pumpkin bread, or bread and jam.  And I made this fun tags by downloading a free printable (I wish I could remember where this came from - help me out if you've seen this and know where it came from) and then adding some personalization to it in Picnik.  I had the file printed as a wallet at Costco and they worked perfectly.  I think we might start using something like this for all of our gifts - so easy to have our names already printed on the tag!

Well, I hope you are enjoying your holiday preparations!  Tomorrow is cleaning day for us...and Wednesday too probably.  I hope to be back here more often, especially after Christmas.  My camera is broken (I bought some things to clean it and hopefully fix it, but I'm still a bit scared to do it so it hasn't happened yet), but my phone takes a pretty good picture, so that will have to do for now.  The stress of the job hunt comes and goes, but one thing that definitely helps keep me level-headed is staying busy and doing normal things, even if I feel like things could be changing any day now.  

i'm retiring to northhampton

I must be in this choir - I wonder how old I have to be to join...

Go...if you haven't seen this movie yet...go get it.  Fabulous, I tell you, fabulous!

They even have their own website.  

p.s.  does anyone else watch a million movies while sewing?  I never thought that opening my etsy shop would turn me into a movie/TV addict.

moving along

The middle of September is here. When did that happen? We are settling into routine over here with the start of school. Peter has made a pretty seamless transition back to school, leaving Ned and I feeling a bit lonely without him with us all day.

We did hear back about the job in NC and it was a no. We are sad and disappointed, but didn't expect this to come easy. It wasn't easy four years ago when he graduated and the economy was in much better shape (well, that's debatable given what was just about to happen, but there were a lot more jobs). There are a couple of other prospects, but I probably won't say much about them here until we are further along in the process with them.

 

Other than that, I have cut my hair three times in the last month - certainly a record! I chopped off my long locks and donated them to Locks of Love.  I wasn't happy with the first or second haircut (an attempt to fix the first one by the same stylist) and it took going to a different stylist to get it to an acceptable point. It's ended up being a lot shorter than I originally intended, but at least I don't have triangle poof hair anymore.

The weather is still pretty nice. We've had a few cool nights, but I feel grateful that winter hasn't come with full force yet because it can come this early here. The boys are playing lots of Indiana Jones outside and my flowers are still blooming except for the sunflowers which get eaten by the birds the moment any seeds appear. The first time I went out to find my sunflower heads had been whacked off, I thought it was a prank pulled by neighborhood kids. Nope - just the birds and possibly the squirrels chowing down!

And I'm having fun playing with the photo apps on my phone.  Maybe there would be more blogging going on around here if I just used phone photos...don't hold your breath!

first day of first grade

Here's the big guy already for his first day of school!  He's been talking about school for about three weeks, so when the day came he was ready.  And I think he's wearing the same jacket as last year, but it fits a little differently this year.  True to form, the weather really cooled down on Monday and it was the first day that we needed jackets.  He still wants me to walk him to class, but he doesn't mind too much when I leave.  He's adjusting well, but here at home we are missing him.  Ned had a mini-breakdown yesterday when I told him Peter wasn't coming home for lunch and I find myself really wanting to go get him around 1 or so.  We'll survive, I suppose.  I think I'm going to sign up to do substitute teaching and Ned starts pre-school next week.  We are still waiting to hear back about Ryan's job interview - it's been a week now.  He did really like the company and said he thought the interview went well, so we'll see what happens.   

lost in summerland

 I've really got to stop saying that I'll be here more often - it's just not happening right now, it is what it is, and I'm OK with it, so it's just how it's going to be for now.  We've just been soaking up the summer - eating shaved ice and watermelon, going swimming, playing in the sprinkler, playing outside.  The weather is beautiful in the summer here - perfect temperature with occasional mild thunderstorms and not too much wind - but, it doesn't last very long so I always feel like I'm racing against time in the summer.

I've been doing a bit of worrying about Ryan's interview, but we are just over a week away, so it doesn't seem so far away now which was a large part of the stress.   Uck, I really hate waiting!  I've been watching him prepare and I feel confident that whatever the outcome is, he will have done his best.

My shop is pretty much going nuts lately - summer is wedding season and if the sales in my shop are any indication, vintage linens banners are pretty popular this year.  It's been fun, but a bit exhausting.  Most of my shop sewing happens between 9 pm and 1 am.  When it's not busy, I cut back by not staying up every night, but when it is busy, the consecutive late nights really start to get to me.  I'll be getting a break once I finish up my outstanding orders though.  I've closed it down for a bit since we are heading out later this week to leave the kids with Grandma and celebrate 10 years of wedded bliss and after that, the boys and I  will stay with Grandma while Ryan flies out for his interview.  Then school starts when we get back and summer will essentially be over - sad times!   

Anyway, just thought I would pop in and say that I'm not dead, just trying to take in all the summer I can fit in, keeping up with my shop, and trying to not think too much about our unknown future but just enjoy what's going on today!  Hooray!

refashion: jumper to skirt

Thanks to those of you who have given advice and info about North Carolina.  The interview is in a month and we will just go from there I guess - fingers crossed and prayers sent.  And while we're waiting, I think I will try to be here a bit more often to keep myself distracted.  I have reminded myself of all the hard things about moving in the last day or so (like packing - I hate packing, waiting for the kids to adjust and helping them through it, making new friends which can be great or just difficult, etc.) and that has helped curb some of my anxiety.  

So, it's time for catch-up around here.  A few weeks ago, I was on the hunt for things that I could refashion - it's slowed down a bit now because I have a bit of a backlog.  Anyway, of course as I was browsing through racks of denim jumpers and ill fitting early 90's dresses (how did we convince ourselves to wear those sacks?), this 80's number really stood out.  Even better, it was the 50% tag color!   The white graphic flower and polka dot on red are a little much to wear all up and down your body, so I cut it to a skirt and used this tutorial to give it a waistband and then hemmed it up a bit.  This one was super easy because it was already the right size.  I did have to do the waist band twice because I made it a little too big the first time.  Maybe it's a little out there, but I think it's perfect for summer days when you just feel like having fun and being in a light-hearted mood.

It's definitely coming out a few more times this summer, even if Ryan does give me funny looks when I'm wearing it!

work in progress: new quilts for the boys

In an effort to give the kids more room for playing, we bought them bunk beds a couple of weeks ago. I decided they needed new matching quilts for their beds, especially since Ned only has baby quilts as he moved from a toddler bed.  I was first thinking of something really simple - just blocks/squares of my striped sheet fabrics.  Then I decided to browse Flickr for quilt ideas one day and came across this one that I loved.  It's a little more work than just blocks, but not too much.  Here's what I've done so far...

Cut it out - I think I did enough for both of the quilts.  I guess we will find out for sure when I get a little further.

 A stack of blocks in progress.

 And a couple of strips.

And I need to get motivated on it again.  But my mind is in other places.  Ryan got an e-mail last Friday inviting him to go for a job interview in North Carolina.  So all I can do is think about it and scour the internet for information on the Tri-Cities area.  I've really got to work on re-directing myself though - the interview is still a month away and then who knows how long after that until we will know if he gets the job or not.  Any tips for distracting myself?  Or maybe you can just fuel the fire and tell me if you know anything about the area, LOL.