2.for.Tuesday

one: winner winner chicken dinner. A few weeks ago I offered a prize to anyone + everyone who knew the answer to a question. Today I finally made good on one of those prizes. I can't decide which I like better [the frame isn't part of it, I just needed to distinguish the borders]...

two: beach hat. for a beach bum. We're heading to Oceanside next month and I've had this cute little hat on the favorites bar for a bit too long now. Time to make it happen [it's rated as easy - we'll see]. I'm wondering how it would be with raffia?  Definitely more beachy + hopefully more flopsy. I'm looking for a bit of flopsy.

I Am the Queen

of the car fixers. Seriously. Tonight, for the second time I can recall, I rescued *B* as he wrestled with a cracked radiator hose or something equally car'ish. He had been out working on the car for a couple of hours and after I got all of the littles into bed I went out to observe. He was near cussing. He had cuts on his hands. He was not happy. See, the new hose would not slide over the valve or whatever. It just wouldn't. I suggested trimming out the inside wall a bit and give the thing a little head start. Not the magic solution that I had hoped. He decided to try from underneath the car. With him out of the way I was able to work my magic. I took hold of that hose and after a couple of trys... yes. I got the hose on. Where was I two hours ago? And my hands cleaned up very nicely. Thank you very much. I'm going to cross no.7 off the list. Do something for someone that they can't do themselves. [the truth is, there is probably a very good possibility that in this case as well as the last, which I don't really remember... but there was an extremely long belt involved. And lots of pulleys. I do remember that I saved the day. Maybe the only reason I am queen of the car fixers is that my hands aren't quite as big as his. And I didn't put on gloves and could get a better grip. With minimal slippage. That's all I've got. But really, I think the truth is that I am the queen.]

Just A Few Reasons Why

I am going to be working on this for the next 10 days. As you can see, we really need it. Really.

Round Three

While in Phoenix this summer I purchased 1/4 yard each of nine different fabrics. I am currently in the middle of project #3 with said fabrics. Oh, it's been fun. What started out as a birthday banner turned into a birthday banner + squashy hearts [for the I Love You jar... more on that later]. After the hearts I had baggies full of odd scraps not really big enough to do anything with but too big to throw away. So imagine that little bit of randomness flying around in my brain + thoughts of a homemade [aka cheap] Christmas in the Miles house and you get collisions = sparks of brilliance [or maybe I should say craziness... it seems like they go hand in hand in my house]. I digress. The point? I've undertaken a huge job of tiny proportions. I can't wait to show you when I'm done. Here's a little sneaky peeky: Enjoy the journey! ps. since I had the machine out I did another quick + super easy + way too cute project. baby legs [tutorial here]! Love them! The Girl liked them too. She just doesn't understand why she can't be in my face when I'm holding the camera. I kept having to put her back on the bench [bench because it kept her at a distance longer + notice that her hair is turning blonde?] Since the project was a success the green/yellow argyle socks are up next. I picked the up at Target 2 pairs/$6'ish.

and again today:

I'm supposed to be cleaning the house and getting ready to head to yet another family reunion in the mountains but I'm fascinated by this whole photo editing stuff. For example, I sometimes love vignettes and sometimes I really hate them. It all depends on how obvious they are. So, I LOVE this edge burn technique from a couple of days ago. It's so subtle but make a definite difference in the look of the photo. I think they just look more vibrant and professional. This is the first one I did. Are you getting tired of the girls birthday shoot yet?

I think the after photo is a tad bit over exposed, but I still like the effect. I don't like a complete wash out. I will get better with practice.

Enjoy the journey!

today:

I'm again taking a couple of online classes. Seems I'm addicted to those also...

Kara's composition art journal class about music I'm enjoying following and have jotted down some great ideas but have yet to make a mess. I am a mess maker and *B* is currently a little frustrated with the state of the house since we returned from camping. I figured I'd better get life back into some semblance of order before making another mess. I can't wait to get my hands dirty with this one!

Jessica Sprague offered that free photo editing class a few weeks ago and even though the description seemed like it would be mostly basics [and feel like I've got a fairly good handle on those + I don't like a ton of editing in my photos] I decided to go ahead and take it anyway because it was free. Besides, why not? I'm so glad I did. I've learned a couple of tricks that open up whole new possibilities for me. For example, in her selective recoloring tutorial today I finally learned how to use the brush tool to mask things. I tried that a couple of years ago and it made no sense and I couldn't make it work. Even after pouring through how-tos on the internet. But, as you may or may not know, JS is the queen of photoshop and even though her tutorials are for PSE 8 or whatever and her screen looks quite a bit different than mine her explainations are such that I can make it work in my measly PSE 4. Plus, she knows all of the hot keys and they are the same. Here's one I learned today... the x key will switch your foreground and background colors. So beyond basic but wow! Such a time saver.

This is what I did and with her simple steps it took me longer to pick photos than it did to edit it [and speaking of photos: as you may or may not have figured out the photos in the square frames are not mine. That's usually how I distinguish. If I know where I snagged it I will type it onto the frame this photo of yarn I'm not really sure where I got it from but the part that got clipped said Veer on it. I'm thinking I got it from a stock photo place]. So, Jessica Sprague deserves a crown for she truely is the queen.

Enjoy the Journey!

2.for.Tuesday

It's just me and the girl right now. The boys are at Camp Grandma with all most of their cousins from *B's* side. I'm sure they're having a blast. While *B* is at work I've been working on being a finisher. I'm ignoring everything else and just concentrating on completion. Specifically in the sewing area. My table is covered in fabric and thread and a few dirty dishes...

one: a pattern marked fast & easy should be just that. fast & easy. This particular pattern was neither of those. They should not judge a pattern based on the professional sewer. They should mark patterns according to ability also. In no way, shape, or form should a pattern using fusible interfacing be marked easy. This little dress was a nightmare and it's way too basic looking to be worth the hassel. From now on I think I'll be sticking to patterns like this one (only I would have to modify it to fit the girl as a smock/dress) ...

two: this headband. It was super easy to make (though I did modify it a little) and it was quick too. That's always a bonus in my book. If it's too involved I run out of steam and it goes into the pile. I just used some of the scraps I had laying around so my fabrics aren't nearly as cute as hers, but it will do just fine. I especially think it would be great to keep the hair out of the eyes while cleaning or crafting or exercising. Since I do those things you know.

** if you make it. It is a really wide headband. I shaved at least a quarter inch off each side of the pattern and it's still nice and wide (as opposed to really wide). I also really tapered the ends where they attach to the elastic. I didn't like the bulkiness around my ears. If you're interested in this I could probably hook you up with a modified pattern and some (IMHO) easier/quicker instructions. I'm not really one for pressing an entire seam in so I can sew things together. I'm more of a turn it out kind of girl. More room for error.

** this just happens to be Mel's prize. It's not so pretty, but it's done and I'm going to see her soon.

Tonight I'm off to lay in a hammock on the mountain. I can't wait.

Two Hundred

and the winner is... Mel! The girl had a hard time picking. I laid all the names out on the floor and would pick them up and drop them and swirl them around. She would swirl them around and look at me. So I'd tell her to get one and I pick one up and drop it and then mix them up again. She would mix them up and look at me... This went on for a while and I was wondering if I needed to get *A* to pick instead, but finally she picked one up. Finally! Yay Mel! I'll get your prize to you as soon as I know what it is [hee hee... any requests?]. I've been playing around with some photos I took of the girl in Phoenix [her one year photos. can you believe it's been a whole year?] I don't have any patience for design right now so I've been blatantly copying pages from other people. Today Mandi is the winner. I loved this page and it was calling to me since JS was sharing that amazingly cute digi paper freebie at the birthday bash today. Again, no journaling. Nothing feels right. I'm starting to wonder if I'm just going to upload all my pages/photos to Blurb like they are and hand write the journaling in as it comes to me. Sharpie does make that cool new pen that isn't supposed to bleed through paper... I'm not even sure if these kinds of pages are going to make it into the book. I'm so undecided on the book right now. Enjoy the journey!

Oh! But It's Been Fun!

The weekend has gotten away from me. I disassembled + sanded + spray painted a chair. I tried out a pretty little something special with my crochet hook and some wool fisherman's yarn. I tried my hand at fulling [basically the same as felting only done with wool yarn that has been knitted/crocheted/woven in some way or another]. I colored my woolen projects with kool-aid. Pink lemonade and black cherry to be exact. I planted more flowers around my lilac tree. I picked and ate what I assume will be the last of our peas. I experimented with omelets and turkey + avocado sandwiches on artisan bread [I will learn to make my own artisan bread one day]. I lifted weights. I ate ice cream and drank pina colada and laughed at a stupid movie. I banished my boys to their room until they cleaned it and tried not to hurt them. I made faces at the girl and enjoyed the faces she made back. I chalk painted on the sidewalk and listened to *I* philosophize about our pictures... "see mom, it's raining and then you take a big jump and get up to the sun and the rainbows." I did this all while *B* put new legs on the table he's refinishing for our dining room. He's wonderful. I did not clean my house.

enjoy the journey!

ps. I also received my first Anthropologie catalog. Bliss. Such great photography and fun graphic ideas. I also enjoyed this [be aware that it scrolls left to right not up and down].

I Am Giving Up

It's been along time since I wanted to enter something in a contest. I look at the topics and think up great ideas and then never do anything about it. This time over at The Art Is Found they wanted green grass. I recently heard this song Giving Up by Ingrid Michaelson and I had a hyperfocused creativity spark. Yay! It's been so long. I've missed it.

When I was in counseling a couple of years ago Jean taught me to confront my "what if?" i.e. what if I trip and fall on my face? You make it a question (instead of an excuse not to do something) and you answer the question. If I trip and fall on my face I could break something. Then you what if the answer to the question.... what if I break something? and you keep going until you realize that there isn't anything that would be the end of the world. Not really. We're all able to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off and keep on keeping on. This song makes me remember that. I love it! Nothing ever goes exactly like we plan. Sometimes we have to get over our fears or give up things we like for something we love. It's no secret that I didn't want to have a girl and it was all about "what if?" Well... I now have a girl and "I am giving up on half empty glasses and I am giving up on greener grasses" and I'm trying to just embrace having a girl. Here you go. The first page I've actually finished in a LONG time. Go me!

It's a background lifted from a book cover that I love The True and the Questions by Sabrina Ward Harrison and a bunch of other altered stuff. Plus a photo of my girl. I'm really happy with the way it turned out. Hopefully I won't hate it later. That's been known to happen. But, I guess if I do then I do. Enjoy the Journey!

I have a problem...

I am addicted to e-bay. Really. I've started watching for fun old cameras and when you're watching they send you e-mails: Such and such is ending soon. Don't let it get away! If the current bid is super low I'll think, "wow! I wonder if I could win it for $9.00?" and I will. *B* is ready to cut me off the computer. Today I received a package in the mail with this in it:

It was a little bit of a wake up call for me as all sorts of bad scenarios played out in my mind. This is a fun shade of pink, but it is not the item I bought and paid for. Not to worry though. It has all been straightened out, but I think I need to stop with the e-bay watching. I'm getting quite a collection...

enjoy the journey!

What I Did Today.

The other night I was feeling like I never get a solitary thing done. The house was bugging me. The kids were bugging me. I was bugging me... *B* made a list of the things I had done that day. I snorted and said it's really pathetic when he's trying to cheer me up with a list and the best he can come up with is "the bed is made." But, he made his point. I do things. I made a list yesterday and another today. I'm working on feeling good about what I do everyday and trying not to focus on what I don't do... This is what I did: *I* brings in the girl because she's crying. I nurse her then get up/dressed + fix her breakfast. "encourage" *I* to do his a.m. pegs + get him off to school. put whites in wash. vacuum the girls floor and gather her toys so she can play. pick up in bathroom + empty garbage + scrub the floor + swish brush around in toilet + gather supplies to mop floor. the girl is crying. rock the girl. phonecall from PTA pres. re: yearbook checks. phone call from *B* + chat. strip *A's* wet bedding off for washing. decide toilet needs more than swish. really scrub toilet. rock + nurse the girl + put her down for nap. clear breakfast dishes + load/start dishwasher + pull labels/glue off babyfood jars. phonecall from Melissa re: soccer cleats for *I* + *A* goes to play. check soccer schedule for jersey color + remember after game snacks. eat cookie + drink water + work on list. clear + wipe table + sweep kitchen/dining room. the girl wakes up. feed her. lunch call w/ *B* I eat noodles. clean + play with the girl..."where's your ears?" she grabs them and smiles then claps when I cheer for her + she falls asleep. freshen up levis in drier. work on Erin's box... eat two cookies. sucked into summer hairstyles on the www. >>> check e-mail >>>listology 1001 books to read before you die >>>shelfari shelf browsing >>>schedule AmX payment >>>pay utilities >>>set up mortgage auto payment plan phonecall. fold levis + whites in to dry + *A* wet bedding in to wash. girl awake again. feather headband how-to on MJ Trim >>>checking out favorite blogs >>>random crown search >>>awesome knitting pattern >>>tell myself "GET OFF THE COMPUTER!" phonecall from Melissa re: *A* make it home? he did. then he left again. hmm... should I be worried about him? *I* home. work on homework. try to motivate him to do jobs. he disappears. *A* bedding in to dry. rock the girl. start dinner + *B* home + eat + guys go to soccer game. give the girl a bath in the kitchen sink + put on jammies + rock + cuddle + nurse + she falls asleep. work on Erin's birthday. guys home + March Madness + boys wake up the girl + boys to bed in trouble. e-mail >>>answer Erin's question "who was your first kiss + how old were you" + get *B's* answer >>>start blog post. put girl in crib to cry + cut *B's* hair + rock the girl to sleep. watch end of Villanova vs. Duke + Missouri vs. Memphis games + have few bites of icecream... It has been really good for me to have this awareness. I did get some things finished and I got a lot of things started. While it's true that the table needs to be cleaned off again + the floor has crumbs on it again + the sink is full again, I can see now and appreciate that it was done. Three days ago I would look at the house and feel frustrated because I knew I had been going all day but nothing seemed done. Today I know I had a full day and can see the humor in the crazy randomness of my life. I am enjoying the journey. finish post + go to bed.