Simplicity Pattern 2788 - A Purple Cat Costume

Lawd knows how much I love a good Halloween. And a good Halloween we HAD.

This year Everett's costume was store-bought, since I had no desire to tackle the whole cosplay thing. Alice wanted to be a purple cat, so we went to Joann and let her pick out her favorite fleece fabric. Her arms and legs were kept warm by purple leggings and a long sleeved shirt from Primary.com.

Her costume pattern was Simplicity 2788, and I substituted a cat ear headband for the hat options. The cat face was freehand work. I cut felt pieces out of fabric left over from costumes of years past, then did a whip stitch to secure them in place. I prefer this hand sewing method over gluing or fusing, since I find those other methods tend to peel at the corners.

I wrapped the headband (one with cat ears I found at Joann) with random purple polka dot fabric I had in the basement (also used for the cat's pupils). To do this:

• Cut fabric in 1/2" strips using pinking sheers (to avoid frayed fabric). Ribbon could also work.
• Use a hot glue gun on about 1-2 inches of the headband.
• Carefully wrap the fabric around the headband and over the glue.
• When the glue cools a bit, press the fabric down.
• Add another 1-2 inches of glue (depending on how fast you work), and keep wrapping until you reach the end.
• To finish, put some glue on the end of the fabric covering the headband.
• Tuck end of fabric strip and place over the glue. Hold until firmly in place. 
• I also added some little pieces of pink fabric to the ears using hot glue because I knew it would make her happy.

And there you have it. My little purple cat! 

Is there anything more fun than trick-or-treating? 

So you don't think this all went over without a hitch, Alice was DEVASTATED to discover I had used green felt for her cat's eyes. She wanted PURPLE. Even though the pupils were purple, she did.not.want that green. I explained to her that cats' eyes are green or yellow. She didn't care. So I reasoned. Iiiif there was time, I would change the green to pink. But, Mommy might not have time to fix it, ok? She was completely fine with this, and we (surprisingly) moved on with life.

Candy Corn Halloween Dress

When your niece sweetly asks if you will make her a Halloween costume, you wipe a little tear from your eye and quietly whisper, "Yes. I'm not crying. You're crying."

She specifically did NOT want it to look like a costume. She wanted a dress. She's stylish like that. We went to Joann's together, and I showed her how to look at the pattern books to see if anything spoke to her. She settled on Simplicity 8101, but she did NOT want a pocket. She then went to the fabrics and picked out what she wanted, and declared that she would be wearing bright yellow leggings for the bottom yellow portion of the candy. Isn't she the best?

When getting the bias tape for the neckline and hems, she discovered the magic of rick rack and had the idea to add fun accents to the contrasting fabric. She's such a gem!

I can't wait to see it on her. Yellow leggings were ordered from Primary.com. She's going to be the belle of the Candy Corn Ball*!

*Not a real event. It only exists in my mind.

Painting a Rocking Chair

The weather is warming, the rain is ceasing, and flowers are blooming. Garage sale season is finally here! 

Now we own some sawhorses (of which we share 50:50 custody with my mom), and a rickety old rocking chair.

I am a firm believer in paint. Specifically Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. You know what I love most? There are roughly 37 paint color options and that's IT. No staring at color cards and buying 3 different paint samples before settling on a color. You get what you get. Sort of...

We are going for "French Country" in this room, so I bought a can of Napoleonic Blue. Is there anything more French? Except it was a tad too Crayola for me, so I custom mixed it with a bit of Graphite from a sample that was available. By the way, I buy my Annie Sloan paint from Mel's in North Spokane.

I think my blue to black ratio was about 1/8 - 1/12. I just kind of eyeballed it.

I really love the result. It is so pretty in person, and it has a very custom feel to it since the color is truly a one-and-only-anywhere-ever. And of course I added a bit of wax to make it glow, and to protect the chalk paint. Then I did some distressing with sandpaper around the edges to give the curves some contrast. I've been watching Queer Eye, and I can just picture Jonathan yelling at this chair saying, "Highlight those curves, Queen!" while chasing after it with sandpaper.

The back pillow will eventually end up outside when we have our annual drought. It is technically an indoor pillow, so here it resides until the rain officially ends.

I'm so happy I could rescue this chair from its fate in the junk yard. There is something so gratifying about upcycling things: good deeds, saving money, turning something old into something new-er. This chair has watched generations of children grow, seen maple sprouts turn into a tree canopy, and now gets to be a part of our family's story. 

Chair news aside, it's been busy around here, as usual. The garden is coming together, and we enjoyed our first fresh-cut salad the other night. Lawdy I love the summer. Even though I am already covered in mosquito bites.

Wallpaper Removal Round 1

The projects never end when you own a home. Even though our house was move-in ready a year ago, there are still remnants from the former owners that are not necessarily our taste. Namely: wallpaper.

For the most part, I believe most of the wallpaper in our house was tastefully chosen. I love the way the living room wallpaper reflects the golden afternoon light. The whole room is aglow, and it makes me feel so happy and content. However, if you look closely the print is super outdated, and it is in pretty poor shape.

Our bedroom wallpaper is a classic smoky blue color that is still very popular in many homes, and it is dark enough to hide any aging. But then you look closer and it has an odd texture, and there is a white border that was added on top that is...no longer white. Not to mention the off-white wallpaper accent wall and off-white trim that make the room feel dingy.

Alice's bedroom would not be so offensive, except the emerald green carpet that is paired with it. The kids' bathroom has already been (mostly) cleared of wallpaper. This project was expedited when they decided to take the wallpaper removal process into their own hands. Once the weather gets nicer I'll need to wrap up that project, so more on that later.

Today, we talk about the dining room. This wallpaper pattern was by far the most offensive to me. The pattern was a compacted version of what is currently in the living room. When I took a picture of my kids, all I could see was the wallpaper.

The pattern was far too dark and busy for the size of the room, and it really did date the house. When I say date, I do not mean in the classic way like our original pine finishes and built-ins. The picture below is one I saved from the listing.

I had the help of a couple girlfriends. It took 2 days just to get this stuff off the walls, one day of priming, 2 weeks debating on a color, and an evening of painting. Here is what I did:

•  Rough up the walls with a scoring tool. I used the "Paper Tiger".
• Get the walls damp with soapy water. I dipped a washcloth in hot, soapy water and got the walls super damp. Have plenty of towels ready so you do not damage any baseboards or wood flooring.
• Start picking at a seam and peal as much as you can at once. This paper was put on really well, and the glue was stubborn in many places. Having a flat head screwdriver was helpful in these areas, and tweezers were often a requirement. Do not let the walls dry! The glue will reset itself and you will end taking two steps back in any progress you have made.
• Once all the paper was off I washed down the walls once more with water, vinegar, and tea tree oil. While they were wet, I took a plastic ice scraper (for windshields) to the walls to get that last layer of glue off. 

Virgin walls!

• Apply paintable caulk around molding, baseboards, windows, etc. Seal it all in! We use the painter's tape trick for this, making sure to tape the wood finish really well, and do not forget to remove it while the caulk is still wet. 
• I filled any plaster cracks and nail holes with the paintable caulk and spackling compound. This probably isn't the way a contractor would fill these, but it meets our needs for now. I read blogs where they tore out all the plaster and redid it with drywall, but that was a bit beyond my capabilities and time frame.
• Apply 2 coats of primer. I am SOOO glad I did this. There were a few areas that still had glue I unknowingly missed, causing the primer to bubble. I was able to scrape that off and add another coat of primer without any repercussions. Losing a layer of paint like that would have killed me. 

Freshly primed walls.

• Two coats of paint finished the job.  

I love how you can see the "matching" living room wallpaper in these pictures. It helps me picture what the whole space will look like once I am brave enough to tackle the next room.

This is much easier on the eye.

You would not believe how much brighter the house feels now. It is amazing how much one room can affect lighting. I'm nervous and excited to get rid of that "golden" living room wallpaper.

What are some wallpaper removal tricks you've picked up? I need all the help I can get!

Buffalo Check Quilt

Another project to share!

If you are looking for a relatively fast and easy quilt, look no further than the buffalo check! I am a sucker for anything gingham or buffalo check.

It also helps that the pattern is very easy and goes by fast. This would be a great project for a first-time quilter. I used 6 inch squares with a 1/4 inch seam allowance and used this pattern. As always, my favorite binding tutorial is HERE.

This project is a donation, and I had so much fun making it. If the price is right, it may just end up on Alice's big girl bed...although I think it will clash with the wallpaper in there. (More on wallpaper later.)

Now back to my socks!

Icelandic Sweater

Did you know March is Icelandic Wool Month?! Ever since we visited Iceland, Jeff has coveted  handmade Icelandic sweaters. The problem is that they are ridiculously expensive.

When you are in Iceland spending an excessive amount on food and lodging, coughing up hundreds of dollars for a sweater is less than appealing. Since Jeff and I are cheap, he assumed for years that I was just going to make him one. Ha! Why does he think I know how to make a sweater? In both my distant and recent memories, I know I have uttered this statement at least three times: "Jeff, I am never going to knit you a sweater. Ever. So please remove that from your life expectations."

...I knit him a sweater...

The problem with making somebody something for Christmas is that you have to do it all in secret. Anyone with a child will tell you that secrets are not easy to keep with little mouths that talk. 

For 3 months, everyone in the house was talking about the blanket Mommy was knitting for Baby KJ (a rumor I personally started). By the way, it took me a god's age to make this because I really only had time to work on it a few hours a week. Stop judging me!

I had to restart the bugger 3 times. Please feel sorry for me. When you cast on hundreds of stitches using tiny little needles this is no small task. One time I was a good 8 inches deep into the project when I realized I had twisted the knitting at some point. *@#^$%@#!

Starting off is easy once you get over the initial cast-on drama. You really just knit in the round for the body and the sleeves. I put stitch markers at every 50 stitches, and a different colored one at the halfway mark, to easily keep track of counting.

Once you get to the sleeves it's business as usual. Keep knitting in the round until you get to the desired length. I made the sleeves and body a little longer for Jeff, since he is taller than the average global citizen.

When it came time to join the sleeves to the body...now this is where it started getting tricky. I have an image that I took on my phone. I will spare you from that image since it is poor quality.

At this point we were really getting down to the wire. Christmas was around the corner, and I only had a few days left to finish the project. I made excuses to hide from Jeff for hours at a time: my mom needs help wrapping presents, my brother needs a babysitter, I have to help out at church. Lord, forgive me for all the lies. On Christmas Eve it was finally done (after I spent 4 hours that morning knitting in a Starbucks).

I blocked the sweater in the upstairs shower underneath towels and the thickest Harry Potter books on our shelf. I crept upstairs early Christmas morning and quickly wrapped it after weaving in a few loose threads.

In conclusion, knitting a sweater (especially in secret) is not for the faint of heart. Be prepared for late nights and voluntary seclusion. If you decide to tackle such a project, hopefully it will be worth it. In my mind, this sweater will be passed on to our son and grandchildren. May they appreciate it as much as I am imagining. Who am I kidding, it will be at Goodwill in 15 years.

A few things to note if you are considering such a project:

• The pattern I used is from the Handknitting Association of Iceland. The kit I used included the pattern, the yarn, and all the knitting needles I would need. The website also offers free pattern downloads, but I thought the price of the kit was worth it, considering the yarn was authentically Icelandic and of high quality. I think it was around $90 at the time plus shipping.
• If you decide to use yarn from Icelandic sheep, be aware that is is very course and slightly scratchy. This does not mean the quality is inferior. On the contrary, the yarn is more lightweight, durable, and waterproof than other softer wool options you will find on the market. If it protects Icelandic sheep from harsh climates, it will do the same for you. Jeff wears a shirt under his sweater to protect his delicate, American skin. 
• Lettlopi (pure Icelandic wool yarn) can be purchased from the Handknitting Association of Iceland, but I also found some at this shop in Western Washington. You can order online from Tolt Yarn and Wool with extrasuperduper fast shipping. I know this because I just bought some Lettlopi to make a sweater for myself! This is a much more economical way to complete the project since you do not have to pay international shipping, and you can get the needles from Joann with coupons one week at a time...I told you I am cheap. I got this pattern for my sweater, but you can use a free one from the Handknitting Association of Iceland.
• When knitting the fair isle pattern, do not knit too tight or too loose. Keep one ball of yarn to your left and one ball to your right, making sure to stay consistent on which one gets looped under/over to avoid twisting. If my memory serves me right, I believe the "under" yarn will pop more in the pattern, so plan accordingly.
• Have fun and take your time. Expect mistakes, and embrace a missed stitch - hopefully it will be under the arm and no one will notice. Otherwise, I am here for you when you have to backstitch.  

The kids and I went on a pilgrimage to Tolt when we were in the Seattle area last weekend. It was everything dreamy that I was imagining, and no one gave me the stink eye when my toddler was pulling every reachable pink and purple skein off the shelves. Definitely visit them if you happen to be near Seattle, and snatch up one of their cute mugs. 

Making a Modern Concept Quilt

I was looking through some old photographs and realized I never fully shared the quilt I made a while back, other than on Instagram.

This quilt took a pretty long time for me to make. Like, months...more months than are in one year. In my defense I got pregnant and lost steam, as you do. It was originally supposed to be a wedding present for one of my best friends. My present to her was not puking at her wedding instead. I think she was thrilled to receive such a gift. Anyway, one thing led to another and it became an anniversary present instead...anniversary plus a few months.

So here's what I did. 

I knew the happy couple loved visiting Mt. Rainier when they lived in Seattle, and that area meant a lot to them. I found a picture they had taken while hiking, then went to town trying to recreate the scene in a modern, textile format.

Some of the fabric I used was left over from the previous quilt I made, and the other pieces were acquired to fill the colors that were needed. I think cutting fabric is my least favorite task of all tasks that could possibly exist in this world, and try doing this task during the first trimester. Sheesh. I'm sweating just thinking about it.

Once I got over my anxiety and finished cutting (after Alice was born), Jeff helped me arrange the strips. I should mention that it really only took me another 30 minutes of cutting. I hate how crippling anxiety can be.

Anyway, then I sewed the rows together.

Next, I joined all the rows and trimmed to a rectangle, adding more strips to the ends when/if needed. 

 Here's a picture of the sweetest baby there ever was, since that's how old these pictures are. 

My friend's favorite color was turquoise (it was even her wedding color), so that explains the background color choice.

(Try to ignore my feet.)

This quilt may have taken the back burner for a little longer than originally planned, but I am so glad I was able to wait for Alice to arrive before finishing it. She was the sweetest little baby helper ever. And I did manage to finish it in less than 2 years, so small victories. 

The good news...I signed up to make another quilt for Everett's school auction.
The bad news...this means I need to start cutting fabric pieces pronto. Help me!

The Grass Is Greener

We are officially moved out of our old house. We handed over the keys and drove off into the sunset with a box full of plants we dug out of the yard. Shhhhhh...

As I walked through the empty house, all the memories came flooding back. Everett standing in the front window of his room waving at the people walking by, Alice toddling around the bathroom pulling all the Birchbox samples out of the cupboards, bringing home our babies from the hospital, learning how to bake bread, successfully growing my first garden, bubble baths in our custom master bathroom...

All the backbreaking work we put into the house to make it what we needed. This place was Us.

I sat in the stairwell, staring at the empty master suite we created, listening to all the familiar sounds of Home. Then I locked the doors one last time, saying goodbye to my rhubarb, lavender, cherry tree, and all the other plants I bought over the years with Groupons, or had grown from seeds that cluttered up our mantle, all on our small budget of often only one income. Over the course of 8 years it all turned into a beautiful garden. It may not have been a landscaper's plan for the yard, but it was made with love and authenticity.

And now we start over. New house, new projects. A new place to call Home.

I am eager to get started, but for now we are unpacking and settling. I think we have had enough chaos these last few weeks. As I mentioned before, we did not really want to move. We were not looking, and we were perfectly happy and content in our little green house on the boulevard. We were going to stay there forever. I think this is what made it so hard to leave. We had to break up with something with which we were still in love.

But the right house did find us on the Boulevard, and we are definitely not looking back. It's like how Jacob thought he imprinted on Bella, but all that time she wasn't really the right one...it was her daughter. Yes...yes, this is a Twilight reference. So on that note I must conclude, but you get the idea. We are sooo(infinite o's) thrilled to be in our new place, but it was bittersweet leaving our little home behind. However, I can't wait to share our new lives on the Boulevard.

When Life Gets Too Boring

Just when life was starting to feel a little boring, when I told myself, "I finally have time to pick up the guitar!" I planned a million things to do over summer to fill our weekends, we started the planning phase of rebuilding our deck. Life was comfortable!

And then we bought a new house.

And the house is glorious.

It needs some work, but it is just simply glorious. It is in our favorite part of town, has so much character (built in 1934), and is covered in wallpaper. So maybe that last thing isn't necessarily a sell, but everything in the house is high quality and so well maintained that we can be happy with some wallpaper while I figure out my vision (pronounced with a French accent).

We will now be living in a house that has some legitimate history. I feel nervous and honored to take over the care of the home, but we need to carefully maintain the integrity of its original construction, or run the risk of being chased out of the neighborhood by purists wielding vintage pitchforks.

To start, we are having the wiring updated. Once that is done we can officially move!

I am definitely not looking forward to moving. I have been avoiding moving for years. Please send all positive vibes my way.

So why did we choose to move? I was driving home from church with Alice a few weeks back and saw an open house sign pointing in the direction of my favorite neighborhood. I drove past without stopping or acknowledging, then a few seconds later something told me to turn around. Alice was overdue for her nap, but we would just be there for a couple minutes, right? We got out of the car, walked up the steps, went inside, and I knew I was home. The more I went through the house, the more certain I became that this was where we would be for the rest of our lives.

I went home and gave Jeff a flier for the house. I didn't say anything, I simply told him he should check out the open house. At that time Everett woke up from his nap and Jeff said he wanted to go with ALL of us. You guys, I cannot begin to describe how odd it was for Jeff to agree to this in the first place. We were not looking for a new house, and he hates doing silly things like going to open houses. In fact, we had firmly decided we were going to live in our house forever; never moving. If Jeff could have chosen to do anything at that moment, I bet it would have been to eat a turkey sandwich and take the kids to the park. But defying the laws of logic, he went to an open house instead. And he loved it. I watched his face go from mildly grumpy, to neutral, to excited, to ecstatic, to DESPERATELY NEED. And after 10 minutes exploring the house from attic to basement, Everett told us which room he wanted.

So we did not exactly choose to move. I think the house chose us. The previous owners were thrilled to have another family move in, and they cried when they watched Everett play in the tree house (yes, there's a tree house). By the way, it has only been occupied by 2 families since it was built. The place has been loved and cared for, and we will do our best to care for it too.

We put our current house on the market a couple weekends ago, then sold it in about 5 days. How did it sell so fast? Well...we are really good at staging:

Now we talk about owning two houses. Yesterday we did yard work at our current house, then packed the lawnmower and the kids in the car to do yard work at the new house. Fun stuff!

Easter Love

Life is full, life is rich. We are spending our days in the grind and staying afloat, magically. Here's a little of what has been going on:

• Alice moved up to the toddler room at daycare a couple months ago. This has been life changing in the best possible way. She eats, she sleeps, and she is so happy when I pick her up at the end of each day. She is still not walking, but scooting around quite a bit. I honestly believe much of her development was stymied by her experience in the nursery. She was always cranky because she could not get any sleep, so she was always being held. I am so lucky that she was in a center where the workers cared enough to give her what she needed: physical contact. Even though she was cranky, she always felt loved. She is thiiiiis close to walking and takes a few steps unassisted, but still prefers to scoot around on her hands and knees.
• Everett has been taking one-on-one swim lessons at Gonzaga for the last couple months. I can see an improvement every week, he loves the experience, and he absolutely idolizes his swim coach. Bath time these days has featured him giving his rubber ducks swim lessons. He has also enjoyed the change in our weather, since that means he can play outside and explore.
•  We planted our cold weather veggies! It will be so nice having healthy food to come home to once everything starts growing. The rhubarb is coming back in full fury, like it always does. I rediscovered this picture from a couple years ago and it continues to crack me up. All that being said, I think I need more rhubarb recipes. Please send them!
• We are planning some pretty great vacations, so that is exciting. Our camping gear will get a lot of use this summer.
• Easter came and went. We had a wonderful day surrounded by family, and I did not lose my sanity with all the church obligations that were on my plate. And now it finally feels like spring is officially here. 

For the Easter extravaganza I made Alice and I matching outfits. The boys were maaaybe going to get matching bow ties, but I certainly didn't prioritize it, and I definitely didn't budget for it when ordering fabric. Next year. Maybe. Probably not.

 I had been eyeing the Hanna Andersson matching spring outfits for a while, but hated the idea of throwing down hundreds of dollars. Much of it is sold out now, but I believe the adult skirt was upwards of $80, the t-shirt was $34, the shoes paired with it were well over $200, and the baby dress was $45. Not happening.

I spent less than $40 on fabric from Fabric.com (I still have a TON left), the t-shirt was $7 from Target, and I already had the Saltwater sandals. The skirt pattern was $1 from Joann's, and Alice's dress is a free pattern from The Cottage Mama.

Regarding the picture...Alice had just woke up from a nap (see: hair), I still hadn't brushed my teeth or put on makeup, and Everett was over it. Also, Jeff couldn't figure out how to use the camera. A winning experience for all involved.

Please also take note of the rhubarb plant photo bombing us in the bottom right corner. 

Everett was pretty much head to toe in Cat and Jack. He picked out everything himself, with a small bribe of shark slippers to sweeten the pot. Honestly, I'm shocked that we got him in this outfit since it doesn't have any firetrucks, dump trucks, dinosaurs, or monster trucks on it. Boys. The suspenders were from the dollar bin at Target, and he loved looking like a farmer.

Alice was comfortable in her dress all day. We had a sweater layered over it for most of the day, as Spokane springs are still quite chilly. She even took a couple naps in it without complaints. It should also be noted that she and I wore our outfits all day without the fabric wrinkling. That's a major bonus in my book.

I would say the day was a success, and so were the outfits.

Finding All the Balance

It's the end of another year, and that makes this the perfect time to sit back and reflect on what we did, what we did not do, and what we want to do better in the days going forward. In the spirit of the Zeitgeist, I can honestly say 2016 was one of the hardest years our family has experienced, so we are definitely looking forward to new beginnings. Things will still be hard for a while, but we can finally see a light at the end of the tunnel.

So what have we been doing to find balance during this hectic time of life?

Look forward

I never really get the post-holiday blues, and I think this is because my life so full that I always have something to which I can look forward. Having something fun in sight always keeps me motivated. Even during our darkest days of 2016, I planned family trips to Glacier and the Portland Zoo. When finances were tight, small and budget-friendly ways to fill our days were planned in advance: taking a city bus to the park, walking to story hour at the library, taking hikes, and wildlife watching excursions.

Each Friday, Jeff brought Everett (and sometimes me and the baby when I was on maternity leave) to the Waldorf school for a parent-child class. After each class they would go to a coffee shop or the Donut Parade (RIP) for quality time. Having events on a schedule removes so much daily anxiety. And you are forced to get up, get ready, get out! Our hardest parenting days are the ones we spend cooped up inside with nothing to do.

Put others first

Doing things with kids is never easy. Taking a trip to Glacier with kids is vastly different than the National Parks trips we took a few years ago (we will not be carting 60 lbs of kiddos into the Grand Canyon anytime soon), but Everett soooo appreciated the experience. Even when the wind and rain kept most tourists inside, he wanted to throw rocks into the lake or drive around looking for bears (we saw many!). On a regular basis he asks if we can go to Glacier again. The trip was hard, but it would have been even harder had we not set aside our adult expectations and let the kids have a good time.

I found myself frustrated this Christmas for many different reasons. I was cranky, irritable, and determined to show it! Then I got to thinking, do I want my kids to remember me mad on Christmas day? Do I really want to be selfish and steal away the magic of the day? I did a complete 180 with my attitude, put my family's feelings first, and we had such a great day after that. Turns out empathy feels pretty good.

Make good choices

This year Jeff and I practiced "A Week of [...]" This meant choosing one healthy activity to focus on every day for a week - i.e. monitoring our device usage, eating more servings of fresh and local produce, drinking 8-10 glasses of water a day, drinking tea instead of coffee, exercising daily, going to bed early, etc. By choosing one activity to focus on each week, we were able to create healthier lifestyles for ourselves without the drama.

It's amazing how doing something every day for as short as a week can make the activity essential to your overall health and well-being.

Be creative

Whether you keep a sketchbook, take pictures, write a poem, paint with your kiddos, or sing a song, art and creativity should be a daily part of life. Checking out an art book from the library and trying to replicate a favorite piece of art is a great way to start. Even if it does not look like the original, the process is important.

I try to practice creativity in my job as well. I ask myself, "What can I do today that is new and exciting? How can I make this process faster or easier in the future?" Take the tools you have and go! Maybe watching a YouTube video about Excel spreadsheets is all you need to streamline a mundane task! You never know until you empower yourself with knowledge and creativity, and you will never be creative and knowledgeable without trying.

Focus on the right things

When I look at my full calendar and limited number of nap time hours, I have to say "No" to many things. And guess what...it feels good. This year I did not bake Christmas cookies. I did not plan a huge birthday bash for Everett. I did not go to Costco as often as I should have. I did not clean the shower for 2 months (calm down I did it the other day). I didn't blog...

I chose to put my limited time and energy elsewhere, and I think my kids benefited from having a balanced mother. I had the energy to get up at 5:00 in the morning to exercise, and guess what, I didn't even shower afterwards. Gasp! No one noticed. The shower was dirty anyway.

Never look back

Don't hold grudges. It's just too much weight for a human heart to bear. We are all human, we all have our own viewpoints, and things/people that are different can be scary. Just do what makes you happy and gives you the least amount of anxiety, and stop judging others for their choices if those choices are different from your own. We are more alike than we realize, and we each just have a different way of experiencing the world. Stop hating on my Flow, because I already stopped hating on yours.

***

So my New Year's Resolution? To keep doing all these things, but to do them exponentially better. 

Happy Halloween!

We did it! We made it to Halloween!

Everybody, now is the time to buy stock in Joann's because I was there DAILY for 2 weeks straight. AND...I finally bought myself a pair of Gingher designer scissors to reward myself for my efforts. Just in time to cut out the eyes for Alice's costume. Worth the money! Use those Joann coupons!

Alice's unicorn was sewn from Simplicity pattern 1032. I admit I did not add the tail or wings for three reasons:

1. Over it.
2. She will be in a carrier while we are out getting candy, so what's the point?
3. Over it.

The wings and the tail are all cut out and ready to be added...but I'm not doing that right now. Maybe next year since the costume will obviously still fit her.

My thoughts on the pattern: it is very basic, simple, and straightforward. I got most of it done in just a few hours. There are a lot of hand sewn elements, but that never bothered me - I actually welcomed the change of pace. For the eyes, I hand sewed them in place, rather than using the zigzag machine stitch suggested in the pattern.

Everett's costume was sewn from Simplicity 1765. For a while he was saying he wanted to be a lion again (Jehovah be praised!), then he changed his mind and asked if I would make him a stegosaurus (womp womp).

The pattern: super straightforward! The feet were the most challenging part. It took me a hot second to figure out how to attach them to the legs, but I managed. The instructions for the bias tape (which houses the ankle elastic) were confusing to me, but I think I was reading them at about 11pm and I'd never used bias tape before. My only #questioningface happened when the pattern instructed me to attach the little front plates with fabric glue. So far they are sticking, but if your kiddo will be wearing this more than one night I suggest stitching around the outside to secure them in place (I did this with one and was over it, but I will do this with all of them once I feel like winding another green bobbin). Also...I didn't line the hood, which is why it looks a little wonky. I know my kid, and don't see him wearing the hood for longer than a couple obligatory pictures (see first picture), so I didn't care to add more steps to the process.

You guys, as long as my kiddo asks me to make him a costume, I will make him one. I think these days are numbered, and I hope the little a-holes his age do not crush his sweet spirit when it comes to Halloween costumes. Today I watched his classmates talk about how they were dressed as bad guys, and they were talking about killing things. Right now my sweet son just wants to be a dinosaur who eats spinach. I'm just over here wondering why 3-year-olds are watching violent movies, but that's just me being judgmental.

Another good Simplicity pattern find from one of my many trips to Joann's: NEMO! Can you even imagine how cute it would be to see a Nemo at your front door? I die! (Maybe Alice will not be a unicorn again next year after all.)

Enjoy your night! Stay safe! Don't slash anyone's tires!