Almost Got Caught!

Funny little story...

The other day I was busily sewing away in the Little Bird studio when time quickly got away and it was time to go get my boy from school!

I started to walk out the door and did one last check in the mirror before walking out....

Hehe...good thing I did! This is what I was about to walk out the door wearing. Can you see what items should probably not join me?

One would be my rosette pincushion ring...and the other my measuring tape! Ha! I cannot tell you how many times I have almost done this.

Funny thing is...I still had felt pieces clinging to my jeans anyway....

Yeah, I am sure the other moms at school think I am a dork. I am OK with that. :)

Little Laptop Gift

I am a little delayed in posting this, but better late than never, right?!

This is a little gift I made for my fabulous Mom-in-law for Christmas.


She received a laptop last year and, of course, needed something to keep it cozy when not in use. So, I whipped up a laptop sleeve for her.

I don't have a pattern, but used the laptop (or my laptop, rather) for measurement and used some fusible fleece between the outer and inner fabric to cushion it a bit. Then I quilted it a bit and finished it off with a pretty button my son chose just for Nana!

Fun stuff. I love being able to have some handmade items mixed into all the gift giving during the year.

How about you....got any fun handmade gifts you are making or planning to make?!

A Glimpse of Her

A couple weeks ago I was going through some boxes my dad had given me that once belonged to his mother. My grandmother.

A grandmother whom I never really knew. She is his mother...his adoptive mom.
(over HERE is a little more about this story...about the distance that once was)

I think I truly would have loved her. I feel we had a lot in common, blood related or not.

With all the sewing things was this box.

I opened the box to find an array of different items like buttons, some dice (not sure what for?!), sewing needles, knitting and crochet needles and hooks and an old wool felt pin cushion.

I stared at these items, getting just a glimpse of this woman who raised my father. A woman I so, so very much wanted to know and know more about.

I know she was from Spain and her name was Zulia. I know she loved sewing and knitting and crotchet work.

I know we would have gotten along well and I would have loved to learn just some of the things she knew about sewing.

I know that, even though we were not related by blood, that we would have had plenty in common to talk about while we sewed.

I also know that, even though she is no longer with us, I have a glimpse of who she was within these items....I know I would have loved her.

We would have gotten along splendidly.

First Project of 2011!

This past holiday season I found THIS fabulous project over on THIS fabulous blog and I knew...KNEW! I had to make one.

But...I didn't want to stop there. I decided to make one to change out for the rest of the year.

You ready?

Tada!

Now when guests come to my door, they will see a happy little doormat greeting them with a little *hello*.

Silly, yes. Love it? I definitely do. My sister has even requested one....Hmm....I do believe I know what she is getting this year for her birthday!

How about you? Do you have your first project of 2011 started?

365 or 52..Hmm...

Most have heard about Project 365 or 52...taking a photo a day or a week.

The last two years I have attempted doing 365 and have pretty much failed at it. Not because I didn't have a camera with me practically 365, but because there were times I literally *forgot* to take a picture and it would be 10pm that night before I would remember my pic for the day.

Ugh.

So, this year I have decided to do things a little differently. I am doing P365 on my iPhone since I have a nifty little app that will help me with that. But, I am taking the pressure off for the rest of it and committing to doing 52 photos in 52 weeks. Now, I am changing it up a bit though....

I will continue to take more than ONE photo, but will choose one or two photos that truly capture the week, our family or whatnot and use that as my photo(s). I know once we get Songbird home, I am going to be taking more than one photo a week. Heck, I take more than one photo a week now! Just sometimes I might miss a day here and there...

So, I figured I can take a little collection of photos for the week and perhaps make a little collage of that week for my 52. Kinda my own little variation of it you could say.

Then, at the end of all this? I am planning to make one of THESE

Now....I will say this....once Songbird is home, I plan to do a project 365 of her first year home. I really like the idea of capturing her first year with us. All the little moments here and there. Simple, fun and just  us.

So, what about you? Do you have a Project 52 or 365 planned? Do you plan to use flickr or tumblr or something else?

This New Year....2011

Last year I started the year off with a post about what my word for 2010 would be.

I first heard about it from this blog over HERE. I loved the idea.

My word for last year was G R O W....

Oh wow. What I never knew would happen throughout 2010. The growth that would happen in my life, in my marriage, in being a mother...I.had.no.idea.

THIS is my post about my word from last year.

What the year 2010 brought...I do not know if I have nearly the words to describe all that happened and all the ways I grew.

My faith was challenged and I was drawn closer to God.

I did grow in my faith...and in my fear...and in my knowing no matter what, HE always had me in His hands and was always there with me through it all. Still is.

Trust...oh how much I am still growing there...

(To learn more about all that and our adoption journey, THIS is a good place to start. Especially if you happen to be new here to my little blog.)


It is a new year...new hopes, dreams, goals...


What will my word be for 2011? This year, another with so much promise, yet also so much unknown.....


e m b r a c e


I want to embrace it. ALL of it.

Every hope, every dream...brought to reality, or not....every goal, every challenge, every up and every down.

The wonderful moments...the heartbreaks...the frustrations....the achievements....both of my children's and of myself.

The moment I see my Songbird again and the moment my son and daughter meet for the first time.

All the fears, the unknowns....this incredible journey that is still just beginning.

I want to E M B R A C E it.
*******************************

What will your word be?