EEEK!

it may have been awhile since my last post... but there is a reason... a GREAT reason! THIS is what i've been 'up to.' 

a craft weekend getaway... ahhhh......

go check it out!

'CRAFT LIBERATION!'

 

catching up some

i'm a wee bit scared. this has become so foreign to me... blogging. i don't even recognize how to post, as everything has changed so much. it's been just a tad bit of time since i last blogged. i would hope that it was because when you have a baby, the world stops for a while as you marvel in God's amazing handiwork. life has changed a lot since my last post... the baby will be two in september. joel told me today that if it weren't for him seeing the birth with his own two eyes, he would think she was adopted. i laughed. it's somewhat true. she is so completely different than any of my children. she is our sweet and sour, our spit-fire.... the one who never sits and will someday make a heck of a wife and mommy. the other children were thrown into being homeschooled this year and did well, considering the drastic change. the moment the last test was scored, i broke down in tears. i did it. all these years i knew i wanted all my children home with me, and it had come to pass. how in the world did we make it through? how did we get anything accomplished with amara in the house, and joel working morning shift at starbucks. well, we didn't do it. He did. the ONE who called us to do it, was all we needed. if it weren't for the guidance and grace of God, i don't think i could do it again. it was TOUGH.... the most challenging thing i've ever done, but the most rewarding as well. He better show up in the fall when we start again, or i'm in trouble. hee.

a quick blurry pic during the first day of school

there have been a lot of smaller life changes this year. joel's business, Track7 DJ, has grown so much that he had to hire a partner to take more gigs. it's been so fun to watch his hard work pay off and i couldn't be more blessed that he is home with us during the week. i get to sit outside and have coffee with my man every morning. who get's to do that? so spoiled. i try so hard not to take that for granted. i can't imagine how quickly i'd fall apart if he worked a normal day job. ugh.

i met an amazing family this year, that has changed me. truly. i have so much to say about them, that i will have to post again soon just to touch on them and the affect they have all had on me and my family just know that you have brought me JOY, Young family.

i started teaching sewing classes once and awhile at this amazing shop. i'm grateful for the friends and my man who encouraged me to step out and do something i love. it's been so fun... but i'm not sure it's for me yet. i guess it's easy to get down on myself, thinking i'm never prepared enough, i forget things my students remind me of, and i'm not sure i can compete on a emotional level with the caliber of woman from up on the 'north side'... nor do i think i want to. there are a few that are passionate like me, then there are some that i believe are learning to sew, to add another 'notch' in their thin designers womans' belt. anyways....

speaking of that fabulous love of mine, here are a three of my all time FAVE projects i have worked on since my last post...

commissioned KING sized quilt that i HATED to part with. my husband and i were standing on chairs with our arms above our heads to hold this thing. it was massive! i pieced it all and my amazing friend Anne, from texas, free-motioned quilted it. she blew me away when i opened the box. from indiana to texas, back to indy and onto florida... she's been around, this beauty. wish she were mine.

 

a birthday gift i made for my sister... wrapping is fabric and mod-podge on cute little box

this is a small piece of birch bark. the holes were made by a rascaly woodpecker. i found it in a special place i love in wisconsin. i found two, so my sister and i have matching necklaces. one of the most meaningful pieces i've made.

my all time favorite 'kellie' bag.... 'cause it's actually mine.

so all the really important things i needed to get out tonight will have to wait. i will say that God has been stirring my heart for change. a shallow life in Him is not one at all.... so it's time to get even deeper. i'm finding my 'part' in the body may be something different than i expected.... but it's a good thing. i need more. more of Him, less of this human effort to please God for others' sake. tiring of the masks, the show, the way we 'schedule' God into church. if it's supposed to be ALL about Him, then why isn't it? time to grow... change is coming. i'm telling God, "bring it!" i'm SO ready for more.

Life is like Coffee - a little movie for you

Life is like Coffee Movie:

this little movie describes my life intentions so well... enjoy... it's just a few quick minutes long :)

before. after. then. now.

before.

after.

then.

now.

It's Finished!

made from a vintage sheet and napkins, with some 'new vintage' prints added in, I LOVE THIS BABY QUILT! now if i would just have this baby girl...... (11 days overdue)

Did I Really Do This?

Just wondering if I really pieced and pressed this quilt top in one day? I mean, I did it on my due date, August 28th....so I'm thinking I was hormonal or something- it just isn't like me to actually get a project done in one day. I think it took longer to lay out the pattern than sew the thing together. However, I LOVE IT, and I can't wait to give it to our baby girl, who, by prediction from her Grandpa, will arrive tomorrow, September 1st.

We'll see!!!

quick-n-cute baby gift

A few weeks ago, a friend contacted me about making a baby shower gift. She wanted some burp diapers and a nursing cover. These make for super cute gifts and are very easy to make too! The hardest part was picking out gender neutral fabric; I think it all turned out super cute! 

I use this great tutorial anytime I'm asked to make a nursing cover.

For Baby Evan

 
Here is just a quick glimpse of the baby gifts I made for my dear friend Traci who is welcoming baby Evan into this world in a few weeks. I used the pattern for the booties out of this amazing book that my friend Teresa gave me (I will be forever grateful). Traci and Kenny aren't your typical Baby Blue parents.... I would have to say they are more of Rocker Red! So I tried to find fabric that reminded me of their style and I think it works well.

 

Congrats girl-I can't wait to meet him!

The Great Goodwill Find and a matching clutch and shoe re-do!

I found this amazing little yellow silky dress at Goodwill a couple months ago. It being a size 14, I knew it would eventually fit my big baby belly, hopefully in time to attend a friends' wedding. I spent a lot of time thinking about what shoes would look good with yellow, and even looked a few places only to find nothing. Also, I really can't imagine spending more than $10 on shoes for a one time event, so I started to brainstorm on how I could transform something I already had....then it hit me! MOD PODGE! I love that stuff! I have never used it on shoes before but I knew my faithful crafty friend would come through for me once again. My sweets surprised me one day with some of Heather Bailey's Nicey Jane fat quarters and they just happened to match the yellow perfectly! I started by making a ruffle clutch first and loved the fabric so much I knew I had to attempt the shoes. It took me a few days to finish; I wasn't sure if I could do it.....but I finally finished! And I couldn't be more happy with the outcome! Check it out!

The $4.99 Goodwill dress of inspiration:

 

BEFORE:

AFTER!!!

The Whole Ensemble:

Friday is our 11th anniversary....I never got to go to the wedding mentioned above, so I think I'll have to wear this out with Joel. I LOVE IT!

(oh- here we are on our date!) 

 (no- that's not a yellow umbrella- it's my baby belly!)
:)

A Day in the Life of Me

Today was quite a day. I can't seem to slow down these days! Being almost 7 months pregnant I understand the nesting thing...but do people really nest for say, 3 months straight? I just keep going and going and I hope the energy never ends. This morning, while Ellie was at a friends, I took the boys out for a couple of hours. Our first stop was at Starbucks for some white hot chocolates, then onto a few garage sales. We scored big time at the first one we went to and the rest were bombs. I let the boys each pick out a toy and they were thrilled at what they finally decided on. Ezra quickly spotted a little Buzz Lightyear, as if he doesn't have enough of those, while Avery picked a remote control airplane that we weren't sure worked even if we put new batteries in it. It was a price he was willing to pay as he promised not to be disappointed, so I agreed. Kole of course picked out this little set of rockets you could put together and launch; it helped that it had never been opened so all the parts looked extra cool through the plastic. I found Avery a pair of run-around shoes, and myself a cute hat I'm going to embellish with a ruffly flower, and a pair of New Balance tennis shoes for 50 cents! All together we spent a whopping $3 and the boys and I even got a yummy cookie from the church ladies upon checkout! I was thrilled and Avery was nervous the whole way home as to whether or not his plane would work upon our return. We ended up finding another yard sale on our street and got a bunch of teenie socks for the baby as well as some like-new bibs and burp cloths each for a dime.

When we got home, we checked the plane with new batteries, and sure enough, much to Avery's dismay, the thing was a no-go. So I ripped the antennae off the thing and took it outside to hurl it into flight and it worked! The boys took turns tossing it back and forth and getting it stuck in trees, but it was definitely worth the 50 cents we spent on it.

Ez hasn't put his Buzz down yet, and Kole spent the day experimenting with all the little rocket parts and ways to launch them...it was so cool to see how happy those boys were over nothing. I love that we have raised them to be content in the small things and they don't need expensive things or the latest craze to keep them interested and happy. It's how it should be.

The rest of the day consisted of helping Joel get ready for his gig, then back out to pick up Ellie and get some groceries. Joanns was on the list as well, as I needed to pick up the pleating tape I need to make the living room curtains I've so desperately been wanting to do since we moved in 2 years ago. We also made a stop at DQ so I could introduce the kiddos to crunch cones! Oh my, did licking those crunchies bring back memories! I finally got to plant my lettuces this afternoon; the rain didn't stop all week until today! I also cut and screwed together some 2x4's as a frame to put around the 5 bags of topsoil that will become my little garden tomorrow. Thanks, Mom, for sending me the Mother Earth mag with that idea in it! A peaceful part of my day was when I spent a few moments with this little guy, John Duquesne. He cuddled up to my leg and tried to eat my pants. He's such a weird thing, but I'm starting to love the little turd. (He became a turd after he got out of a gap in our fence and our family had to chase him around the neighborhood while everyone watched!)

He's our new 4 week old Shetland Sheep that I am seriously considering bringing back to his previous owner...he stresses me out- kind of like having another child to take care of and worry about all night.....sigh. Last night I dreamed a fox got him and for two hours this morning I layed in bed listening for his little baaaaa...and nothin! Guess he felt like sleeping in for the first time in the 3 days since we got him. Wondering what in the world are we going to do with him when he's full grown- even as a Shetland, they still get pretty big. The only thing I can think of that he would be good for is his wool, and I did love spinning, dying, carding and felting wool in college....so we'll see what happens. Maybe I can make these to go with these that I made last year:

I'd have to say the low-light of my day was shoveling the gobs of chicken bedding and poop from their pen. It had gotten so high in such a little space. I had some serious flashbacks to shoveling manure in Grandpa's barn.... then I hauled several wheelbarrows back to the corner of the fence. Maybe that will become my new compost pile. I need one of those too. Joel gave me the welcomed news that a friend of his is coming on Saturday to help him build the chicken coop. I breathed a HUGE sigh of relief when he told me. I really didn't feel like doing it-well, I did and I didn't. I'd rather have a professional builder in on the thing. The night ended with showers for the five of us, tomatoes on toast, corn on the cob, and baked beans, dishes....oh, and 5 of the new pretzel M&M's for each of us before brushing our teeth and a game of Mancala to end the night- that put us at a 10:00 bedtime, and some seriously tired and pooped out children- not to mention me.

So here I sit, relaxing with a tall glass of lemon and lime water, waiting for Joel to get home from the wedding he DJ'd tonight. I feel wiped out, but blessed to have so much to do to keep me busy. I love my family, my home and life. My cup runneth over.....again.