Weekend Project

Actually, it turned out to take me a few weeks to accomplish. And, it wasn't very much fun because there was very little sewing machine involved as well as a lot of repetitive cutting and sewing.

I found this great bird mobile project, and although it's designed for babies, I made it to remind me of the way the Lord cares for His beloved. One of my favorite verses is from Deuteronomy 33:12: "Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in Him, for He shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between His shoulders."

Now, I realize that this verse doesn't technically have much to do with birds, but it seems to fit the project as a reminder of God's goodness, faithfulness, and provision.

Jonathan even got to use his mad problem solving skills in balancing the branches and attaching the screws.


All I did was use scraps to cut out the bird parts, sew them together, and stuff them. Ali helped me find some sticks which I sewed them to, and Jonathan balanced and attached them all to one another. Easy process, but lots of mundane work. It was worth it though!

Down Time

Last week was busy! Altogether, we had 5 people staying the night, and the guests changed every day. I also had someone start the 3:45am shift at work this week, which means I was out the door at 3:15am on Wed and Thursday. On Friday night, Jonathan asked me what I would do if I had free time this weekend and I told him I wanted to spend hours at Starbucks with a grande non-fat chai, my ipod, journal, and Bible. I also said I wanted to sew.

I'll comment later about Starbucks, but here is what I did the very moment I got my free time!

"Say aloha (the goodbye version) to summer" cupcakes (thanks Martha Stewart for the idea):




A little purse with my new favorite fabric. I didn't follow any patterns or tutorials and even added some pleats, so I feel pretty good about it.



A new duvet cover. I know it doesn't really match the walls, but I liked the pattern too much to pass up. I was afraid Jonathan would think it was too girly, but he actually really liked it.

I just bought two bedsheets and sewed them together, leaving a small opening on one end.
I also attached two little ties in the corner so the comforter doesn't fall into the corner. Bonus!!!


Also, when Amanda came to visit, she brought all of her mad decoration skills and we got Kylene's room ready for her. (Did I mention we're getting a roommate in a few days???) Here's the final.


Next on my list is a new apron and perhaps some homemade clothes!

Work, Vacation, and Free Time

Sorry for the lack of posting. Things at work have actually picked up. It's been wonderful having the chance to help people and actually do something, but I'm also missing the free time. Again, the best and worst parts of my job are often the same. I get to make my own schedule and can often be home by 3ish or so to start doing my paperwork. But, I make my schedule around my clients going to work, so, depending on the day, that can be painful too. Last week, I watched someone sort clearance items at Macy's for 10 hours altogether. This past week, I drove 45 minutes to Alpharetta to spend Monday-Thurs from 8-12 watching someone put plastic filters together. Next week, I have someone going to work at TJ Maxx and at a nursing home cafeteria. The kicker is that mid-August, someone will be starting a position loading UPS trucks...from 3:45am-8:30am. I'm going to need to be there for at least 3 full shifts. At least I'll get off really early!

We've also been travelling a lot. Last weekend, we met up with all of Jonathan's family in Jacksonville, FL for the weekend. We had a blast hanging out, laughing, and the parents even made up a "newlywed game" for the 4 couples there. Jonathan and I came in second. We got every question right except I answered that he wanted 3 kids instead of 4. Oops! And this afternoon, we leave to go to IA for a family reunion. We're so excited to meet our 1 1/2 month old niece, Domini! Ali has been staying with some friends of ours who have a big house, a dog run, and Charlie, an energetic lab. They said they'd never met another dog who had as much energy as Charlie until Ali. Ali came home from the weekend with them and slept for 2 days straight, not even getting up to greet us when we came home.

A big highlight of the month of July is a sewing class a friend and I have been taking. It's a general intro to sewing class, so I can do some of the things, but most of it is new to me. I'm learning the difference between making something that looks homemade and something that looks professional. Here are a few of the things I've made so far. (You'll notice they progress in skill as I've had more classes.

These are just some normal napkins. I tried to use my thread to draw a star on them, but didn't finish because I wasn't really digging it.

Here's a bib I made for Domini. I wasn't super skilled with the velcro, but everything turned out well.

My favorite: a reversible tote! I adapted the pattern a bit so I could make the purse bigger, and I added a pocket for my cell phone and keys.

Purses

We had a good friend come and visit a couple of weeks ago. She and I spent the afternoon working on sewing projects, and she taught me how to make a purse out of a placemat. Here's what I've done so far.

Ruffled Apron

Here's the project I worked on last week! Ali posed himself for this cameo.

Homemade Cloth Baby Shoes

A couple of years ago, my mom gave me a sewing machine. I was thrilled at the idea of learning to sew and may have attempted an item or two. But, when I went overseas, the sewing machine went into the closet and out of my mind. When I moved back, I brought it to Atlanta with me, but was hesitant to adventure into new things.

But, the other day, I was re-inspired after browsing a few sewing blogs. My brother and sister in-law are going to have a baby girl next month, so why not have my first project be a gift to my new niece. I found a cute (and easy?) tutorial online for cloth baby shoes, and here's the final product.



I had to make a couple fabric store runs to get the right items and make a practice shoe, but all in all, it didn't take more than 3 or so hours to get them both done.

Hopefully I'll keep sewing more and more. I just keep telling myself it'll only get easier. That's the great part about beginning new things!

New Creations

A few weeks ago, Martha Stewart had "cupcake week," so I couldn't resist adventuring with them. They were plain old vanilla (for Jonathan, who still isn't impassioned by chocolate) that turned out to be yummier than expected. I made half with swiss meringue buttercream frosting, and the best chocolate buttercream frosting I've ever had in my life!


They were a lot of fun, though I had a hard time getting the wings to stand up in the swiss frosting.

Jonathan and I also got an ice cream make for the wedding, and have definitely put it to good use (at least twice a week). I haven't gotten too adventurous yet, but am going to try making blueberry yogurt this week.

And finally, a favorite from all guests (and family) is homemade granola. I never make the exact same recipe, but here's a general template so you can make your own creation. It's super affordable, and probably one of the healthiest breakfasts you can eat. I prefer it with soymilk or yogurt, but of course it's good with milk too. Because it's not processed and doesn't have tons of additives, don't expect to stick together in clumps like the boxed granola.

Preheat oven to 350

Mix together:
6 C. traditional oats
2 C. whole wheat flower
1-1/2 C. nuts (walnuts are the best when they're baked, and it's always nice to throw some peanuts in there as well)
1 C. seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, etc.)
1/2 C. flax seeds or wheat germ (for even more health!)

Mix together in a smaller bowl until well combined:
1 C. honey (some recipes call for melting some brown sugar as well, but I leave this out to to be extra healthy)
1/2 C. oil, ideally extra virgin olive
1/3 C. water
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. salt

Pour liquid mix over the dry mix and stir until everything is covered. Make a thin layer (about 1/2 of the batter) on a cookie sheet and cook for about 20 min, or until somewhat crisp (it will become crispier when it cools), stirring 3-4 times throughout the baking.

Once it's out of the oven, 2 C. dried fruit (raisins, crasins, mangoes, etc.).

Let me know how it goes!