Please... don't laugh....

Well, I did it.... kinda.... 

I had this "IDEA" in my head....

I drew it out .... 

and then I just decided "heck, give it a whirl..."  

So... here is my first attempt and pattern making and sewing...

with no instructions.... I think it needs a little tweekin' here and there - but over all - it was VERY simple, and I really hope that my little Minnie Mouse lover will like it!  She's is coming in tomorrow and we are all so SUPER excited to see our little gals! (Grandma get's to tend them for a few days - yeah!!! We're gonna have so much fun!) 

Now, I know... there was only a "few - straight seams" that had to be made... but HEY! A gal's gotta start somewhere right???? :)  

 (front)

 

 (back) 

Well, I'll let you know the verdict.... tomorrow.... 

Once my little PUNKIN get's here... 

Confessions..... (and a NEW BLOG!)

I can't believe that "I".... the QUEEN of "If it ain't hot glued, I don't do it" land, is even about to admit this....

Remember.... I'm the mom of 4 girls and 1 boy!
(should sew.... but don't... didn't....hmmmm)
I'll never forget the first year that my son was on the ALL STAR Little League Baseball team... They handed out patches to be sewn on their uniforms.... and now that I look back I guess my face gave it all away (but at the time I was rather HURT at what took place) .... One of the other moms came over to me and said, "Let me take J's jersey home, I'll sew his patches on for you, because "hot glue" will not hold up in this heat."
AGH! OFFENDED!!!!!
I let her take his shirt.

OR.... maybe it was the time when I "wonder-undered" his TROOP numbers and other badges on his scout shirt, (HEY! we were changing troops faster than I could even wash the dang shirt!... just sayin) and they slowly, one by one, fell off during the awards night.... J was a bit embarrassed... BUT HEY! They were NOT hot glued! (in my defense!) I came home and I learned how to sew them on.... ok, I KNEW how to sew them on, I just didn't have time... I'm a busy full time working mom! SHEESH! PEOPLE!!! I KNOW that needles and thread exist! :)

OK.... back to my confession...or my next confession in this case.....

I'm in LOVE.....
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!!

I have a FABRIC fetish!
I SPEND hours... OK! I COULD spend HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS just wondering through a fabric store .... dreaming... dreaming.... dreaming..... and purchasing too! (SHHHH please don't tell on me!) Well, IF you did - anyone that KNOWS me would NOT believe you anyway - so go ahead - take a chance.... they'll just laugh at you.... and then I'm afraid I might have to laugh with them... because REALLY! REALLY! ME! SEW!?!?!?!

I DREAM! DREAM DREAM DREAM!

BUT.... I have a few places I DREAM at... and I just HOPE and PRAY that someday... SOMEDAY something will CLICK for me and I'll be able to CREATE something that is of little value... and NOT hot glued!

So.... I'm going to share a secret... It's a NEW blog... and OH MY GOODNESS it is AWESOME!!! And.... I THINK ;) that they are having a GIVEAWAY... but don't bother to enter.... I'm sure they already picked me :) (hee hee hee, crossing fingers....DREAMING AGAIN!) .... but go ahead... take a look.... You will be AMAZED!!!!

HURRY!.... The blog title is "SEW" me right now..... :)
(Sew a little happiness.....)
well, maybe not the HAPPINESS to others...
but happiness to MY sew-l .....

And... maybe in the next day or two or more... I'll be brave enough to post a picture of my FETISH.... it's getting OUT OF HAND.... and I LOVE IT!!!! I mean... I'm confused.... :)

Bells are ringing....

I just can't seem to SHAKE the ringing in my head... I wish I could truly say it was from the THOUGHTS of Christmas... but I'm afraid it is a dang head cold and it is just kickin' my behind! (or my head actually).... Then to top it off I have a darn tooth that broke, so the added pressure from the sinuses are not helping the "toothache" issue much at all... oh well... I'm sure that Santa is just not going to CARE at all what my excuses are....So, I must press forward!

As I was finishing my recipe books for Christmas last year, I discovered that I had a TON of STUFF on my computer.... it was just all over the place... so hard to find what I was looking for.... so, this past weekend as I was trying to clean up my computer.... organize it... you know put stuff that belongs together - TOGETHER.... I had a LIGHT BULB pop on! (I know - surprising) ... I discovered that I had some pretty fun ideas lurking around in there.... some I've had for years and lost them! I decided it was time to ORGANIZE THEM... in a place that I would FIND them .... so as I put the items together in FOLDERS on my computer, THEN....I had another "WILD HAIR" Why not put them into a BOOK!! I know - what a novel idea! That way - I could FINGER through my book! :) I made dividers for my book by holidays, home decor, outdoor decor, Junk to Treasures ideas, Party Ideas, Entertainment, Baking/Candy, Ideas for Neighbor/Teacher/Friend, Christmas short stoires and of course GIFT IDEAS! ... Oh so fun! I was so excited to take my cute little "jump drive" to MR. Kinkos and print it all out... THEN, I made another binder that is titled CHRISTMAS 2011 - I have my handy dandy 2011 Christmas List right in the front and then I will pull the items that I want from by GIFT IDEA section to my GIFT GIVING section... my Baking/Candy section to my Holiday Baking for 2011 etc.... NOW, I know exactly WHAT and WHO I need to make gifts for.... I also made an agenda for each month.... this way I can go to that section of my BIG book and pull what I want out and place in my 2011 book. I also made a section for Christmas past - so that I can remember just what I gave to whom.... sometimes I get the same person a couple times in a row - I'm sure they are getting sick of it - and would LOVE to have someone else have their name (I'm so sorry) .... and because I'm not getting any younger and it seems my family keeps growing - my brain just needs a little extra help - the storage tends to run on overload much like my computer and then I think it just chooses to "delete" files without my permission.... so I felt it best to have a back up... just in case. :)

I know that this was NOT on my "TO DO" list... but it feels OH SO GOOD to have it done! NOW maybe I can concentrate on the REAL BELLS!!!

This month: 

TREE SKIRTS 

and STOCKINGS! 

So excited to get started! 

So excited to get them done! 

It's snowing tonight and it just makes me feel like CHRISTMAS!!! 

Don't you just love.....

Giveaways????

It's always fun to see what people giveaway ... and THIS is another AMAZING item!
Go ahead... take a look... I bet you'll PURCHASE too!!!

Checkin my Christmas list once again!

OH!! it's been a fun day!!!!

HURRY!!! It ends today!!!!!!

SHOPPIN....SHOPPIN....SHOPPIN.....

= DREAMIN!!!!!

That's what I've been doing for the past week.... okay... more....
I've been "SURFIN" around... making my lists.... gathering ideas.... yes DREAMIN!

AND........ getting VERY DEPRESSED! ... because, there are SO MANY TALENTED, CREATIVE, AMAZING, THOUGHTFUL, WONDERFUL, INSPIRING people out there.... EVERYWHERE!!!! I have found myself being VERY envious of them... and WISHING that I had just a LITTLE of the CREATIVITY....just a little.... OKAY! maybe more than a litt.e... It's been a rough few weeks... I HATE feeling like I'm stealing, (is that what it is.... STEALING?.... agh... ) others ideas... (can we call it "copying?"... that's just about as bad... dang!) I just WISH that a LIGHT BULB would CLICK on and I would have just a SMIDGE of creativity.... I hate that the darn little red-horned person sits on my shoulder sometimes... making me question "WHO I AM"... and "REALLY, what do I have to offer anyone"... if I'm "stealing or copying" from some one..... it's been a very frustrating couple of weeks... I've got to get focused.... again.....

BUT.... as I try to shew those whisperings away... and TRY really hard to stay focused.... I started evaluating... reviewing... regrouping... okay! GETTING MY ACT TOGETHER! There! I said it.... I need to GET IT TOGETHER! .... SO.... I hit the HEART of my Christmas planning... that dang "B" word always gets in the way.... B U D G E T!!!!

Part o planning the budget for Christmas is KEEPING to the budget ~ and sometimes that is VERY hard to do when your DREAMS our price the budget... SO, with that in mind, I decided I needed to "SHOP" around a little, gather some ideas, then decide just what "I" could make and do... what needed to be "PURCHASED" so I could make sure that I stay within my "budget" .... and really SEE if it is BUDGET friendly.... I've learned over the past few... okay... many years that when my WILD HAIR IDEAS come to surface, I've usually spent more MONEY MAKING my gifts then I would have if I just "purchased" them from all the TALENTED and CREATIVE people out there! (mostly, because I end up with a bazillion "TRIED" projects before I get to the "FINAL" product... if I even do!) BUT I LOVE trying to make them myself.... FrRrRrRrRustrating......

I have determined somethings will be better "purchased"... then my attempts to make them... Like THESE.... OH MY GOSH!!! I fell in LOVE with them! And I found that there were SO MANY on my list that would LOVE them too! It is still HOMEMADE... (just not by me)... AND they hold "heart value"... I totally fell in love with one particular.... this one.... (for myself... :)) THIS is the song I would sing to my baby girl... (yes, she is 8 - but still my baby :)) SHE was and IS my SUNSHINE! She brought SUNSHINE back into our lives... MY LIFE... after loosing several babies in a row.... yes she was a SURPRISE BONUS baby... (we were done... oh, we are done now!) and I didn't even realize that the sunshine was missing from my life until she joined us! OH! It just tugs at my heart.... and then there is this one... oh I have a friend that would LOVE it! And THIS one... a certain someone that I KNOW would LOVE it! I just KNOW who this belongs too! And this one .... this one.... this one.... this one.... this one.... OH my! and THIS ONE! I could SO almost be done with my shopping.... BUT the "B" word comes in...so, this is what I've been doing... decinding...thinking... pondering... and in some cases.... even praying.... is it wrong to "pray" about gifts?.... I surely hope not, because I've been praying for quidance... I need to know just WHAT will touch the heart of my receiveres.... that is what CHRISTMAS is all about to me... TOUCHING the heart... WARMING the heart... CREATING a memory.... GIVING with thought, as the Savior did for us.... making CHRISTMAS count... That's what it is about to me.

I have some "metal stamping kits" (alpha ones).... but I just can't seem to "PERECT" them... I waste SOOOOO much... Guess I need some lessongs... that is the other thing I pray for... TALENTED people who are willing to share their talents and teach a hard learner (in the sense of "I'm not very "QUICK" at catching on"... obviously)... maybe I should pray for "talented and patient" people to come my way.... :) .... but ... pay a visit to this talented lady! I'm sold! I love her talent!

And then... in my surfing... I found THIS creative lady.... this CRAFTY lady.... this THOUGHTFUL lady.... this INSPIRING lady.... this TALENTED lady.... this AMAZING lady.... and I JUST LOVE this idea..... and ........oh I better stop.... This post would NEVER EVER END..... there is just sooooo much out there..... my mind is SWIMMING!!!!! I've got to get forused... back on track....

Well, I better go... I'm feeling exhausted about now... this shoppin' is just exhaustin!
And ... I haven't even left my seat...

Anyone have any other "shops" I need to visit?
PLEASE... It's not a problem is it?

This is for CRICKET.....

These are the little KNOBS I purchased from ROD WORKS.... I LOVE them! I've used them for hanging pictures and now... curtain rods.... so much to choose from!
GOOD LUCK!

This is the FLOWER knob... Don't know if you can see it really well ....

Then my family room, this is where I began the "BRANCH hunting"....
And I have "LEAF" knobs for holding the branch.
These are larger than the ones in my front room... LOTS to choose from!
Have fun!

If you are interested....

There is a great giveaway going on.... over here.

Plus... there are a few things I can check off my Christmas list as well.... They make GREAT gifts...

I just ENVY talented people!

IF YOU ever see anyone giving away CREATIVITY - will you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let me know! I must get in line! I always seem to miss the good stuff... DANG!  But until then... I'll just have to FOLLOW those creative people around... HEY! Maybe - just MAYBE they will get tired of me following and decide to GIVE some to me... what do you think!?!?!?