creative little daisy

Grateful for growth

I began my gratitude Friday post on Friday, really I did, but it wasn't shaping up to be what I wanted, so I ditched it in favor of pizza and a movie with the family. I made it through the pizza and about 30 minutes of the movie before my eyes became too heavy to keep open one more minute. Hopefully after a good night's sleep, and a slice of pizza for breakfast, my Gratitude Friday (Saturday edition) will be coherent at least.

Above is my early Mother's Day present. What is it, you ask? Four inch blocks under my cutting table. Are they made of some special material? Did you have to order them?  Nope and nope. They are just some scrap wood Mitch had lying around he cut into blocks and spray painted black to raise my table up to a better cutting height.

When asked what I wanted for Mother's day, that's what I asked for. Not specifically 4 inch blocks spray painted black. No, I just said my table was too low and I would like a solution so that my back doesn't hurt after a day of cutting. I'm sure you're beginning to wonder where this is going, why this is post worthy. I'm getting there.

20 years. That's how long Mitch and I have been married now. For that I am exceedingly grateful, but today what I am grateful for is more specific. I'm grateful that over the past 20 years I've grown, evolved, changed and gained some hard earned nuggets of wisdom along the way. I've learned about myself and my husband and how we think differently and show our love differently and that evolution, that  willingness to change (although at times reluctantly) has made for a pretty good life.

Lets rewind back to the late 80, early 90's shall we. Picture a young wife and mother (yes, with big hair) and Mother's Day (or any other holiday, really). The holiday is approaching and though I haven't been specific about what I would like for Mother's Day I have expectations that it will be wonderful. Not necessarily expensive, but wonderful. It will be just what I want or need. I don't know exactly what I want or need mind you, but in my naive little young bride mind, I believe that my handsome prince should know these things. If he loves me with all his heart he will surely make it his life's mission to make me happy by surprising me with exactly what I want. That's the way it happens in the movies, right? The happy couple are at a candle lit table and he pulls out the beautifully wrapped box and she bursts into tears because he has gone to so much trouble to find the perfect gift. I probably don't have to tell you that scene didn't play out at my house and the young bride was inevitably disappointed. She felt like the effort that he put into finding the perfect gift should be equivalent to his love for her. Over the years she accepted that there would be no mind blowing surprise, even so she still felt like it was a lack of effort or desire on his part. Then over time something happened. There was a change in her thinking and her perspective. She began to see that her groom may not give gifts like they do in the movies but he gives more important gifts every day. He takes care of her and their home and family. He doesn't buy his own clothes, why did she think he would be able to buy the perfect little dress for her? It wasn't because he didn't want her to have the perfect gift, he's just not a shopper. When that perspective changed and she began to see the true gifts were given to her everyday, holidays began to be much happier. She was much better at knowing exactly what she wanted so why not just tell him.

Sometimes unrealistic expectations and blurred perspective get in the way of seeing the true gifts. The best gifts can't be wrapped in a box and the real surprise is in recognizing the presents that don't need a holiday to be given.

My real Mother's Day gift is my family and the finest store in town doesn't have an item that could ever be more valuable to me than my best friend and husband and our children.

This year I don't want jewelry or clothes that I don't need and will never wear.*  I know that love is not shown by going to the mall. Love is shown by putting blocks under my cutting table so I can be more comfortable doing what I love to do.

**

*The best gifts don't come from the mall, but, Alyssa knows me well enough to find some pretty neat little surprises and she's become her dad's personal shopper.

**If you're observant you noticed the bassinet still hanging around the sewing room. I know I said I only had some tweaking to do and I'd be finished. That wasn't false, but it wasn't entirely true either. The part that needed tweaking was tweaked and worked out fine. I then encountered trouble where I didn't expect it. See the hood? The hood cover that was given to me as a guide looked easy enough to duplicate, but on closer examination, I had no desire to duplicate it. There's no nice way of putting it, it's just plain ugly. It looks like a poorly made, ill fitting bonnet. What I envision is a snug fitting cover for the hood. Tailored not loose and floppy. Something like this. The only problem is I have no idea how to get there. If anyone has done this successfully, I'd love to hear your suggestions.

Gratitude Friday,these are a few of my favorite things...

• Standing at the edge of my back porch listening to the birds sing in the morning or watching the humming birds fight for a turn at the feeder or marveling at the multitude of stars in the clear night sky. The edge of my back porch is a wonderful place to be
• Putting on my soft cotton bath robe and stumbling into the kitchen to make my morning coffee.
• The feeling of the sun on my skin (in May. In August, not so much)
• Mitch
• Orange juice
• Green grass, especially in the late afternoon when it's soft and cool to my bare feet
• Perennials. There's nothing better than a flower that comes back year after year, like a little gift to yourself every spring
• Toby's corn chip smelling feet
• Back rubs
• Laughter

Happy weekend!!

Gratitude Friday

Do you know what happens when I don't post for several days, or in this case nearly a week? I find it extremely difficult to focus on one topic and compose a coherent post, that combined with a lovely case of the flu my son and husband were so kind to share with me. I think I remember typing something very similar just after Christmas. It seems Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny have it out for our family. One bought with the flu a year is plenty if you ask me. Mitch spent the week in bed completely miserable. Casey joined him about mid week, so when I woke up this morning feeling a little off, I knew what was coming.

I just looked back at my archives and the post I was thinking of wasn't after Christmas it was in October, That make 3 rounds this year, not two.

Anyway, looking back at the October post I see just how long I've been trying to learn to crochet. I guess some things don't come easy for me, but I am persistent. I'm not saying I've been trying every day since October. No, I pick it up, get frustrated and put it away for weeks or months. This week I think it finally clicked. My fingers figured out what they were supposed to do and I actually produced something that sort of resembled what I was shooting for.

Don't try clicking it to make it larger, I don't want you looking that close. It's very wonky and a long, long way from looking like anything seen here, but I am so psyched to have actually followed the pattern. I'm telling you, this may be the easiest thing in the world for some, like second nature, not so for me. Finally though, my fingers found the rhythm and it started to feel right. Just in time, since it seems I may not feel like doing anything else for the next several days.

OK, abrupt change of subject. This is supposed to be a gratitude post, right? I am so honored to have been tagged by two wonderful ladies with the nicest award, the

Monica and Sandy included me in a listing of 5 blogs that inspired them and I in turn am supposed to spread the love and name 5 blogs that make me think and inspire me. Ladies, how can I name just 5? My bloglines has grown to about 99 blogs and they all inspire me in one way or another or I wouldn't read them. Some provide creative inspiration, some spiritual, some make me laugh and some make me cry. My list would surely be much longer than 5 so I'll call this my partial list.

When I think of who makes me think, someone who is inspirational, one of the first to come to mind is AfricanKelli. Even though she's much younger than me, I want to be just like her when I grow up. She's such an all around good person who actively makes a difference in so many lives.

Kristy's blog Vintage Pleasure is just that, a pleasure. A pretty place to visit and you'll always find love there.

Beki, ArtsyCraftyBabe keeps it real. Visiting her blog feels like dropping by an old friends house. She's inspirational with her talent but at the same time she's someone you can relate to. There are lots of blogs I visit for creative inspiration, but few are as approachable and real as Beki's. A winning combination don't you think?

Megan of The Scent of Water is crazy smart with a wicked wit and she also takes beautiful pictures.

And rounding off my 5, my buddy LLA, aka Bad Fortune Cookie. You never know what you'll find at her blog. She's a great cook and sometimes shares recipes, a talented knitter who makes adorable bears and bunnies, she's current with pop culture and frequently has fun observations to share, she's a speed reader and can always recommend a good book. Even before I met her I knew she'd be a blast to hang out with and she is.

Even though the rules say 5, I'm breaking the rules and tagging Monica and Sandy back.

Monica is another person I know I'd love to hang out with. Her bubbly personality shines through in her writing. She was the genius who shared her fabric folding secrets and for that I'll love her forever.

Sandy is a beautiful person who shares her love of entertaining through her blog. She shares how entertaining doesn't have to be stressful and how important it is to connect with friends.

So to recap this all over the place gratitude post,

I am grateful that after much encouragement I was finally able to convince my fingers to cooperate and let me learn a new skill.

I am grateful that Monica and Sandy were sweet enough to let me know they find some inspiration here. Thank you ladies!!

Now I'm going to settle in on the couch and be grateful for tylenol, a cozy blanket, some warm tea and plenty of yarn to play with.

Gratitude Friday

It's been a couple of weeks, or more, since I've done a GF post and I'm ashamed to say I'm struggling with it today. It isn't that I'm not full of gratitude, I'm just not having any luck with forming an original thought. Every avenue I start to go down I stop and remember I've been there before. I'm sure if I looked at posts from this time last year, I was grateful for spring and all that it brings. Mitch's birthday was this week, I could try to put into words the gratitude I feel for having him in my life but I'm sure there's a post for that too. Every thought that has come to mind I quickly abandon as already done. I've started to post and stopped, stared at the screen and walked away to do something else. What this tells me is I need to dig deeper. I need to spend more time being quiet, thinking, praying, examining.

Though I live what seems on the surface to be a very slow and simple life, I find lately the stuff of life has left me feeling exhausted. Some days I wonder who is this tired and worn down person living in my skin and I'm trying hard to remember a time I didn't feel this way.

Oh my goodness, this certainly isn't the direction I intended this Gratitude Friday Post to take and I'm wondering how I'm going to work some gratitude into this. Bear with me, I'm trying.

Maybe part of my problem with this gratitude post is that some of the challenges in my life these days leave me feeling not so grateful. In fact, some days I've felt down right sorry for myself and sang that why me song. Parenting seems to get harder everyday and with each new test, more and more I want to run away from home, feeling like I just don't have the mental energy to handle one more crisis. Most of the time I just have to cry it out and know, or at least hope, that tomorrow will be a better day and this too will pass.

I guess there's my answer to my GF post. I am grateful to whoever the wise person was who first said, this too will pass. For now it seems to be my temporary motto. Yes, one day I'll look back on this time that seemed to be one little crisis after another and know that it was during this time I grew the most. Instead of feeling sorry for myself, let me examine some of the wonderful things going on in my life. Even if they have been said before.

• Well, I know I haven't mentioned this, because it just happened this morning. I am grateful that I was able to go to my nephew's school to watch him compete in the 5th grade civic oration contest. He placed second by giving a wonderful speech on a great American leader. He chose Oprah Winfrey.
• I am grateful for spring and all that it brings and I'll be grateful for it again next year too.
• I'm grateful in so, so many ways to be married to the 43 year old man I married nearly 20 years ago. Happy birthday sweetie pie. You are awful close to your mid 40s and I'm still back here in my 30s. Even if it is late 30s, its still my 30s. I only hope I'll look as good at 43 as you do.

I'm glad I forced myself through this, I feel better than when I started. Have a great weekend! It may hit 90 degrees here in NC. Maybe that's why I'm so grateful for spring, it's so short around here.

Gratitude Friday: grateful for the simple life

As more and more stories surface about the complicated and sad lives of celebrities, especially this week, I am so glad to not to have been blessed with fame and fortune. I'm sure at some point in my youth I had dreams of being wealthy and probably wanted to be a movie star. It would be nice to have the net worth of Britney Spears, but has all that money bought her happiness? I  hope for the sake of her little boys that she finds some peace and that rehab will be the help she needs. Too bad Anna Nicole couldn't have found that help before her little girl was left in the center of a three ring circus and to grow up without knowing her mommy.

• I'm grateful that I can go to the grocery store, no makeup, in grungy clothes and not worry about my picture being taken.
• I'm grateful that I don't have to worry if my friends are really my friends.
• I'm grateful I know who my baby daddy is and I'm grateful he's such a wonderful dad.
• I'm grateful the most pressing issue for me at the moment is whether I will cook dinner or throw a frozen pizza in the oven.
• I'm grateful that tonight I will be sleeping on freshly washed sheets that were dried by a crisp cool February breeze.
• I'm grateful that excitement for me involves hanging out on the couch and finding out if Meredith lived and who got voted off.

Don't fear the zipper

Zippers seem to be the boogyman of sewing. The monster under the bed that puts fear in the hearts of sew-ers. And like the boogyman zippers need not scare you, the fear is only imagined.

For a long time I avoided anything that required putting a zipper in. I'd check the back of the pattern to see if a zipper was required, if so, that pattern went back in the drawer. One day I decided to give it a try, just to see if it was as bad as I had been led to believe. It wasn't. Oh, I'm sure it wouldn't have won any awards but attempting that first one proved that I could do it.

Putting a zippered pocket into a purse is a good way to wet your feet, so to speak where zippers are concerned. Zippered pouches is another.

This is the method I use for putting a zippered pocket in a purse. The pocket is put in one side of your purse lining before assembling it.

Materials:

Zipper: I'm using a 7" zipper

Fabric for pocket: A rectangle that is about 9" wide. The length is determined by how deep you want your pocket. This one is about 12" long and my finished pocket will be about 5 1/2" deep.

Ruler and Pen

Zipper foot: I think this is key to putting zippers in. If you don't have one, I recommend getting one.

Step 1:

Fold the rectangle in half the long way to determine the center line.

Step 2:

About 1/2" below the center line draw a rectangular box that is 1/2" x  7 1/2"

Step 3:

Pin the pocket onto your purse lining piece.

Position it so that the rectangle is where you want the pocket to be. Mine is about 2 1/2" from the top edge and centered on the lining piece.

Step 4:

Stitch along the marked lines

Step 5:

Cut a slit in the center of the rectangle through the pocket and the lining stopping about 1/4" from the ends and cut at an angle to the corners.

Step 6:

Push the pocket fabric through the slit you just cut to the back of the lining and press flat

Step 7:

Center the zipper right side up in the opening and pin securely in place. (you could also use fusible tape to secure the zipper before stitching)  Be sure the pocket fabric remains open flat and away from the opening.

Step 8:

Stitch along the edge of fabric, close to the zipper tape all the way around the zipper.

Step 9:

Bring the sides of the pocket together and stitch along the sides and bottom

There you have it, a zippered pocket in your lining.

This weeks gratitude list is about the senses,

Sight: The orange streaks in the early morning sky, the quiet gracefulness of bare leafless trees against a gray sky, these beautiful prints (more art for the living room)

Sound: The words "I love you", Casey playing guitar, Alyssa singing, Maggie purring

Smell: My morning coffee, Mitch's fresh from the shower skin, clean laundry

Touch: Toby's soft fur, hugs, soft warm flannel PJs

Taste: Chocolate chip cookies dipped in milk, chips and salsa, breakfast for dinner

Gratitude Friday, postponed not forgotten

Toby* and I spent the day in the sewing room and forgot to take a break to post. We'll be back tomorrow with a proper gratitude list.

I put a few items in my etsy shop if you want to take a peek.

*He always sits in this chair like this, upright like a person. Sweet little Toby man. 

Gratitude Friday and more work than progress

I've been busy this week, so very busy. It feels like walking on a treadmill busy though, lots of moving but not really going anywhere. Oh, I guess I have got quite a bit accomplished if I take inventory, but not enough yet that I see the end in sight. I did finally finish up a couple of orders for some very patient customers. That takes a bit of a load off my shoulders. I hate it when folks have to wait longer than promised. My spacious sewing room and generous work table seem to shrink when I've got several projects going. While in the midst of my flurrying about I surveyed the mess and my steadily shrinking  work space and I wondered if other this happens to other people. You know the ones, the organized and tidy people. Do they paint themselves into a corner with fabric and scissors?  Later that day I read this post and had to laugh. Yes, it seems others do run out of room to work. At least it is evidence of productivity, or a crime scene depending on how you look at it.

One of the orders I've been working on included diaper bag. I wanted to make a bag that included some patchwork and also had pockets on the sides to hold sippy cups or bottles. Using this bag as my inspiration this is what I came up with. I like it, but as it turns out it  wasn't what the lady who ordered it had in mind so if anyone would like a quilted diaper bag with a patchwork pocket it's available in my Etsy shop.

The red and blue printed fabrics are really cute, they are reproduction feed sack prints from Hancock Fabrics. I really like the tape measure fabric but Alyssa and Kelli both say they don't. My one vote beats their two because I'm the one driving the sewing machine.

Enough chit-chat, let's show some gratitude already.

As this week comes to an end I am glad to have marked some items off my list that have been hanging around much too long.

I am also grateful for a home that is heated. Baby it's cold outside!

I'm grateful for Mitch's work ethic. That's one hard working man.

I'm grateful for Casey's blue eyes and Alyssa's beautiful smile.

Thank you so much for the birthday wishes for Casey. I feel like a bit of a fraud reading all your kind words about what a good mother I am. The truth is, I fall way short when it comes to being Casey's mom. I have so much to learn about communicating with teenagers and I'm running out of time. Casey is 17 now and Alyssa's 19.  I can only hope I don't mess them up too much before they are on there own. Oh well, that's what therapy's for.  Right?

Bloggers are a bunch of weirdos...

so it would seem. The current meme making rounds is six weird things about me. Bonnie tagged me with this one a while back. I didn't forget Bonnie, I just didn't think there could possibly be six weird things about me and I'm still not so sure. I mean, others may find lots of weird things but since it's about me, it feels normal to me. I'll give it a go.

1. Well this one is easy. Even I admit it's weird. My toes. My second and third toe on each foot are partially webbed. They grow together about 3/4 the way up. I bet you're getting a nice image huh? No I'm not posting a picture.

2. I lift my feet when driving/ riding over railroad tracks. I don't really have a reason, I just do it.

3. I absolutely cannot stand mouth noises (food smacking, gum popping etc...). It's worse than fingernails on a chalk board. I have to leave the room if Mitch is flossing.

4. I sometimes will get a spoonful of peanut butter, dip it in a cup of tea (hot tea) and eat it. On the topic of peanut butter, I put both peanut butter and mayonnaise on banana sandwiches.

5. I have some odd substitutions for curse words I guess. I'm not sure where they come from and I'd probably think it was ridiculous if someone else said "doodie head." (someone over 7 years old that is). That's not saying I never curse, I have teenagers.

6. I talk for my animals. I know what they are thinking and would say if they could so I help them out.

There you have it, just a few of my little quirks. This has been a fun meme to see making the rounds.

For this gratitude Friday, I'd like to hear what you are grateful for. My friend Karen emails me every week to share her list, share a few of yours too. Me, this week I'm grateful to be feeling good.

Gratitude Friday

Can it really be Friday already? I finished the freezer paper stenciled, walmart napkin pillow. What do you think? I'm pleased with it. I don't remember what the napkin cost. It came in a pack of two and was less than $5.00. I reused a throw pillow for the insert and had the ribbon and fabric paint in my stash. Easy and inexpensive, my favorite kind of project.

Several people asked for tips on freezer paper stenciling. Apparently I'm not the last to try it after all. There are several good tutorials out there. Craftster has one, the pictures aren't there anymore but the instructions are thorough. My friend LLA stenciled a cool shirt and shared what worked for her and what didn't. I also found a great site with lots of stencil designs. Fun, fun, fun!! (I'm so easily entertained) 

What am I grateful for this week? So many things but today I'll focus on things that made me feel better while I was sick.

• Antibiotics. Very high doses of antibiotics.
• Soup
• Long hot baths
• A little helper named Alyssa
• Cable TV and DVR (Remember the days of 3 channels and a roof top antenna?)
• Snuggling on the couch with a warm blanket and a warm pup

Here's to a weekend filled with lots of cutting and sewing and catching up. Have a good one!