My son, the unborn-rock-star-in-training

I fell in love with these guitar softies today. And I had just the right fabric for it... leftover music themed fabric that I bought years ago when I first started teaching. I have a window in my office that looks out to the practice room next door, and I wanted curtains for that window.

It really wasn't hard to make this guitar. I looked at some pictures, then freehanded one onto a few pieces of junk mail taped together to make my pattern. I then did all the obvious stuff, like pinned it onto the fabric, cut it out, put the fabric right sides together and repinned, and then sewed around the perimeter. I left two holes for stuffing, one at the bottom and one in the neck of the guitar. I turned it right side out, ironed it, and then realized I forgot to sew on the felt pieces. I ended up just using hem tape and my trusty iron to attach the felt pieces. Hem tape is my best friend.

I then stuffed the little guitar with thrifted still-in-the-package polyfill, and then topstitched the openings closed. That part sucked, but I don't think Joel will notice. He'll be too busy rockin' out to Def Lepard and Guns and Roses. Ah, those were the days.




Here's a closeup of the fabric choice

Magnets from Dollar Store Glass Gems

I've seen these all over the internet: these adorable little magnets! I decided I wanted to make some of my own. I scoured magazines and cut out little pictures that made me think of someone. Pictures I've cut out range from vintage cowboys to music notes to cats to toilets. Yes, my friends, you heard me right.


I have a sick sense of humor. This little guy is going to my brother, John, for Christmas. You see, when I was little I used to tease him because his name means "toilet."


The first one I found was the plunger. I thought it was funny but didn't know if I'd end up using it or not. I cut it out and sat it in the pile. A little while later, I ran across the picture of the toilet, and I couldn't believe my good fortune! And then a little later, I found the word, "toilets." At that moment, I knew my brother was going to be a lucky man at Christmas.

After I found enough pictures, I traced each gem onto the picture, and then cut it out, just inside of the traced line. I used a little Uhu glue on the front of the picture, then pushed the gem onto the picture. I pressed hard to get as many air bubbles out as I could. I have not actually attached the magnets yet, however I have about ten freebie magnets that came with pizza places, doctors offices, etc. that I plan on cutting up and using hot glue to attach it to the back. Hopefully that works out.

The gems were not perfect to begin with, and I suck at photography, so please keep that in mind as you look at these photos. I just can't seem to do them justice.


These are for my parents who love Hilton Head, SC.

Cute little people at a party

I love this cat.

A treble clef for yours truly, the music teacher.

More music teacher-y stuff

I "Heart" Pop Art

I ran across a very cool website today called the Warholizer. It lets you take a photo from your computer and turn it into a piece of pop art. I think I am going to frame this one of my husband's cousin's baby and give it to her for her first birthday in a couple weeks.



And here's one of me from our wedding:

Sunday Stash and Yesterday's Thrifty Finds

While hubby was at work yesterday, I went over to the Eastland mall area and visited the VOA and Salvation Army. They're right next door to each other; it's so convenient. The walking path between them was a muddy, snow-melty, puddle-y mess, but I braved it and continued anyway. Puddles mean that it is warming up- horrah! It actually hit 50 yesterday! I tried to tell Joel that the weather is perfect and that he should come on out now, but so far he has not listened. I'm told to get used to it because children in general don't listen to their parents. (What have I gotten myself into?)

Yesterday I mostly perused the baby and toddler clothes sections and got some good finds. I actually found several shirts that were still new with the tags! Most of what I got was either 50% or 75% off, however I did "splurge" and pay full price (99 cents) for some of the shirts that were too cute to pass up (like a couple hockey shirts... like father like son!). What the heck; it's for a good cause, right? I focused on 12 month clothing. Joel should fit into 12 month clothing this fall, seeing as what a fattie he is. Hopefully 18 month clothing would finish out next winter and early spring, when he would be about 12 months. I figure that once he's born and I'm back to work (hopefully...), I won't have that much time to go shopping so I might as well get at least some of it done while I do have the time.


A little Old Navy sweater with the plastic tag thing still attached



Planes, trains, and automobiles.

Maybe Joel will like football.

Or perhaps hockey will be more his thing.


Brand new with tags still attached! And all that for under $12.50

At one of the two stores, all toys were half off but they were pretty picked over so I didn't get any. Usually you can find toys still new in the packaging, but no such luck yesterday. I did get a few other things though: a piece of fabric with a fishing motif on it to add to my previously-non-existent "little boys" fabric stash (59c); a western themed bandana for Joel's room someday (50c); a baby bottle warmer for the car that plugs into the cigarette lighter, new in the box, for under $3; and an el-cheapo plastic "X" and "O" cookie cutter set, new in the package for 90c (although later at the Dollar Tree I saw an 8 pack of plastic Valentines Day cookie cutters for a buck...*grumble*).





I told hubby that I wanted to do a free Valentines Day, and that we should make each other gifts. He's not too keen on that idea. He says that he doesn't know how to make anything. I've told him numerous times that he makes stuff on his computer all the time, but he just isn't getting it. I just don't want to be spending a lot of money when I very well may be losing my job for next school year due to budget cuts. We need to save, save, save! I'm planning on cooking a nice dinner for us, complete with V-day cookies. I've also started making those little flat marble magnets that I've been seeing online everywhere, and I've made ten for him in a Valentines Day theme (as well as dozens for other people for gifts). They are so A. D. D. I. C. T. I. N. G. They are tons of fun to make! I went through some of my magazine stash, cutting out little pictures and have it all spread out on the dining room table. I'm planning on writing a separate post for those though so I will move on to my next topic now.

Last week I joined a group of gals who take photos of their fabric stash and post it on Sundays. Here's mine for the week!

These are all shots of one large drapery panel that I thrifted last week to use in Joel's toddler bedroom once he gets to that point.

Colored Pencil Roll for Joel

I made it to another weekend, phew! More crafting and sewing while the hubby is at work. I woke up at 4 am and read some crafty blogs until about daybreak, then I started sewing. I got done at about 10 am with this colored pencil roll. It should not have taken me several hours to complete; I am not sure where the time went. I must have been stuck in some kind of sewing time warp or something.

Here are the fabric strips I cut out, ready to be ironed.

Here is the colored pencil roll after it's been all sewed together. I am not really one for topstitching, so I used hem tape to fuse the opening shut (from where you have to turn it right side out). I am a bit of a half-ass sewer I guess. Call me lazy.

Some close-ups.



All finished!

Dreaming about thrifting

Good morning! I've been up since 3:30 AM with some killer knee pain. This has happened every night this week! I wake up in the middle of the night, and then I'm up for a couple hours before finally being able to get back to sleep. But then I have to wake up at 6:45 to go to work. Argh. At least the doctor gave me some good news on Tuesday... I am dilated 3 cm, and she will induce me six days early, which falls on Feb 20. She's working at the hospital all that day, so I will have her there to deliver the baby as long as Joel doesn't come sooner on his own. I've been losing my mucus plug over the past two days, so it could be anywhere from hours to days to still a couple weeks yet!

The ultrasound revealed that Joel is in the 95th percentile for size, weighing in at a lofty 7lb 14 oz. Although the doc said that the ultrasound machine tends to estimate a little high, and he's probably more like 7 1/2 pounds right now. His head was measuring a week bigger than dates, however his abdomen was measuring at 42 freaking weeks already! Um, does Joel realize that at the time, he was 36w, 5d? That's about 5 weeks bigger than he should be. The doctor called him a "buddha baby." The other doctor said he was going to come out asking for car keys! Go ahead and laugh now; it's all funny until that has to come out of me. And keep in mind that by then, this child will be two weeks bigger, so we're talking a 44 week abdomen rather than 42 week abdomen! Good times.

I feel like a fat hog. People keep asking me if I'm sure it's not twins. I'm know they all mean well, but damn, why don't you just call me a huge fattie and get it over with! Although yesterday, for the first time, I did hear several nice comments. 1) A teacher exclaimed that I look so cute! (Um, if you're into beached whales, I guess). 2) A student told me that from behind I don't even look pregnant. I could have kissed her. 3) And then later that night, a coworker who I very, very rarely see told me that I'm all baby, and the only place I've really gained weight is in the stomach so I'll be wearing my old pants in no time. I seriously doubt that, but it was nice to hear! The best one though was from the student because students don't say things to be nice. They don't understand that yet- they just speak their mind. Like when I got my hair cut, and several told me how they liked it better longggggggggg, and whyyyyyyyyyyyyy did I have to cut it?!?! Because it's my hair, and it's on my body, so I get to make the decisions. That's why.

Anyway.... So this morning I awoke after having a dream about going to the thrift store near T-3's place. It's not a very big one in real life, but in my dream they had expanded it into the shop next door, and it was huge! It had aisles and aisles of stuff, and even a live plant section! I guess I have the itch. I haven't gone in almost a week, so perhaps I will go Saturday while the hubby works. Not that I need to spend the money, however I could use some pants to wear for the next two weeks. I only really fit into my black pair of maternity pants; my stomach hangs out of all the others because they're not full panel. I really don't want to spend a couple bucks on something I am going to wear for two weeks at the most, however I can't go to work naked! Oh well, I'll probably just keep plugging away with the couple pairs of pants I do have; the kids will just have to deal with my stomach hanging out.

Speaking of thrift stores, you know what else I've been thinking about? Why do Australians call them "op shops?" I think that's a handy dandy name, but what is "op" short for, if anything? Opportunity? Operation? Opposum? Opera? Oprah? Opalescent? Opaque? Openhearted? Opinion? Hmmm.... see why I just can't sleep at night, when I have such burning questions?!

Drats!

Every time I think I have a "new" idea, I google it just to see if anyone's ever done it before, and alas, there's always someone who's already blogged about it. Drats. For example, a few weeks ago I was figuring out which Advent Calendar I wanted to make. I found this tutorial on how to make mini stocking Christmas tree ornaments, and I had the "aha!" moment. I could just see 24 little stockings hanging on the tree with the numbers hand embroidered on them. I kept reading the blog and come to find out that she said that these stockings would make a great Advent Calendar.

And then today... I saw these adorable little puppets which looked to me just like stuffed animals. I then had another lightbulb-going-off-above-my-head kind of moment. Aha! I have a plethora of stuffed animals (and when I say plethora, I mean I could line them up end to end, and they would likely stretch to the moon and back.) I could just open up the seam at the bottom, remove some stuffing, and make hand puppets out of them. So I googled it just to see if anyone's ever done that before, and yes, sure enough, I found this and this within five seconds of looking. Oh well. I guess I am not all that original, however I still want to make some puppets for Joel! I had been making those paper mache puppets, however mine aren't turning out too well. I think I might abandon that project. Drats! Don't you hate it when you envision something, and it just doesn't turn out right?!

I had another one of those moments this evening when trying to make an ironing board cover. It came out about two inches too short so it didn't fit. Drats. I didn't have the strength to try again, so I put the old one back on. At least the padding I made for it was okay. I can deal with the dingy blue cover I guess

You know what else made me say "drats" today? Let me tell you a quick story: I decided to paint a few things the same light green as several items in the nursery. I already painted the dresser, the toy box, a mirror, a mini bookshelf, and a picture frame for the "Guess How Much I Love You" poster I bought the other day. I still have a little paint left, so I figured I'd paint a little wooden ball to fit onto the "Cowboy" wall hooks that was missing a piece, as well as a little wooden shelf thingie that my husband's Grandma got me for Christmas. Actually, I'm sure what she was going for was the toiletries that came inside said wooden shelf thingie, but after I took out the toiletries, I couldn't throw the packaging away! It's made of real wood so I decided I could use it in the nursery to hold Desitin and whatnot.

I do my painting in the dining room because that's the only flat surface I have on which to paint. I had some newspapers sprawled out to protect the table, and during lunch today, I began reading that newspaper (dated December 21). Who has time to read the newspaper just days before Christmas? Not this gal! I don't even get the newspaper because I don't like the waste, but my parents were in town and my dad bought the paper. Anyway, I was reading this section on all the different ways one could donate their time, and I said to myself, "Drats!" because I had missed it. Um, by over a month. They were calling on people to bake cookies and deliver them to the hospital, wrap gifts for needy families, etc., but then I saw one that really stuck out to me. They needed volunteers to wrap and send out books-on-tape that incarcerated parents read and recorded for their children. I thought that was a really neat idea, and made me say, "Double Drats!" I would like to start a tradition that every year we do some kind of volunteering over the holidays, and that would have been a good one!

On a more positive note, here are some pics of the freshly painted green stuff for the nursery:

This little bookshelf was my hubby's when he was little. It originally had been decorated with Noah's Ark characters, however all but one was ripped off; it was in an overall sorry state. I spruced it up with paint and these little wooden squares I got at Joanns on clearance for fifty cents. I'm not sure I like it because I think it looks a little busy, but oh well.






This is just a first coat, so it's not done yet. But you can see why I couldn't throw it out!