SEW

I made these kitchen towels as a Christmas gift...but after finishing them, I loved them too much and they matched my house too well to give away!

Super simple, just 3 strips of fabric...but it's nice to have them in the kitchen.  I wrapped them up and gave them to myself for Christmas  :o)



ORGANIZATION

I really had no good way of organizing my thread...I like to keep the matching thread and bobbin together, but other than that, there was no system.  Well, I shouldn't say that.  I would put them in tiny baggies 2 colors per bag, then throw them in this box.

I would dig and dig until I found the color I needed...or one that was close to the color I needed!

For Christmas, My Mom gave me a big pack of thread, and Brian's Mom gave me this wood rack and more thread!

I'm so excited to have it organized and out where I can see it.  As I make a bobbin for each color, I slip it under the spool and they are always together!  I think I might have Brian screw them into the wall next to my sewing station to free up this space.  All these colors make happy :o)

Sick Days

 Do you ever have one of those days where your just done with people?  Not anyone specific...just need to not hear voices, not be handled, not be doing something for someone else.  It happens to me frequently.  I just need to be alone.  Everything bothers me, even the simplest request can turn me into a crazy person.  Lucky for me, my husband "gets it".  He can tell when I'm at my limit, and he'll take the kids to whatever floor I'm not on and leave me alone.  Sometimes I need to just go to bed at 6:00 and watch my shows by myself or read, this weekend I needed to MAKE something.  I locked myself in the office (literally - they couldn't get in) cut and pieced this quilt top for two and a half hours.  No interruptions.  And guess what?  It's for me!  The line is called Fandango and it is the perfect colors for my house - teal and dark orange.  I had a layer cake and charm pack, so it made the cutting go super fast.  I used this pattern but changed it up just a tad to make it longer.  I am also going to add a boarder, but I ran out of money!  So it will sit until I can afford the boarder, binding and backing fabric. 

 Yesterday I was sick.  Not *that* bad, but enough to take the day off.  I sat on the couch most of the day & let the kids watch way too much TV.  That's the way it goes though.  While I was sitting there...I stitched up this cute little pillow. It says "Spring always comes".  I found the free pattern here.

It's pretty much perfect for this girl, who HATES winter. 

I put it on a pillow using reverse applique, so that it would pop out a little.

It gave me a chance to learn a new stitch, the chain stitch on "spring"...really pretty easy and super cute.

I also learned the difference between a running stitch and a back stitch...running there are spaces between the stitches, there isn't in a back stitch.  Words = back stitch...swirl lines = running stitch.

Here is a better picture of how it kind of pops away from the pillow. 

 So 2 project for myself in less than a week - it's a record I think!  But they both make me happy and I love them.

Now to keep it real...while I was stitching away...this is what my kitchen looked like!  Gross!

*CRUSH*

I made this cute bag without a pattern...My first time making ANYTHING without instructions.  And I pretty much love it.  I need to go back and add a magnetic snap, but other than that I am so pleased with how it turned out

 The outside fabric is home decor weight and I think it helps the bag hold it's shape a lot better than regular Cotton would. 

 The inside is a bright green that just makes me happy.

I had planned on using it to tote library books, but I just signed up for a new bible study, so I might use it for that instead.  While I have the seam ripped open to add my snap, I'll add a couple pockets too for a pen, coffee shop card, and gum. Then it will be perfect!

ROUTINE

Don't hate me BUT...I spent a few hours last night making our menus FOR THE WHOLE YEAR.  Well, the main dishes anyway - which is the hard part.  Some items are every other week (taco Tuesday!) Some items are every month (lasagna) and a bunch are every other month, so we don't get too sick of them.  I left Sunday's to try something new each week...if it's a keeper, then I'll erase something later in the year and add it in.

Friday's lunch is "hot lunch"  it will be leftovers from the weeks dinners, or maybe soup...or maybe just something that isn't your typical lunch food.

Breakfasts and lunches are pretty much the same thing every week - for example we will always have eggs and toast on Monday, and sandwiches for lunch on Thursday.  I will change up lunches by switching out all the snacks, fruits and veggies, but the main "thing" will be the same each week - although they will get their choice of what kind of sandwich etc..

This is my favorite week in my calender!

Here is the end of the year, just in case you didn't believe me ;o)

I didn't do breakfasts and lunches over the summer - it's just too unpredictable.  Not that it would be that hard to fill in our "usual lunches" when I need to anyway. 

Here, again, is my list of lunch ideas - it's going to be a bit tougher next Aug when Ellie starts school, because she is SO PICKY (kinda like her Mom, so I can't blame her)  But I think we will have enough of a variety to get a balanced meal in the kid.

Of course I will have to make adjustments - I have no idea when soccer practice will fall, and things come up...but it's nice to know that we just need to rearrange the nights rather than come up with a new menu every week!

Thinking of a menu every week, was kinda stressful for me.  Now I have one less think to do every week!  I will collect all my recipes (including my weekly new one) and make a shopping list on Fridays, so I can get my weekly shopping (without kids!) done on Saturday.  E-mail me (my email address is at the bottom right of the blog)if you want the list of main dishes I fox thorough out the year...with a picky family of 5, there isn't that much variation, but I hope to improve on that with my weekly new recipes!

ORGANIZATION

Yesterday I tackled my bowl of embroidery thread!  It was easy to store, not so easy to find a color if I need it.  It took a while to wrap it over the little plastic pieces, but it was worth the time.  They are all now in number order and east to read!

Before:

AFTER: