{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
Friday, March 14, 2014
This Moment
Playing along with Amanda today... in her words:
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Yesterday
Then I went inside right around the time I should have been making dinner, grabbed a cold beer, and took a late-afternoon shower.
Yesterday was a good day, and yesterday illustrates the pattern I've been repeating every day the weather shapes up. But March is a fickle thing, and overnight that warm sunshine can be blown right away... kinda like it was last night... so today I'm repeating a secondary pattern not so glamorous or fun but oh-so-necessary, and oh-so-glaring when neglected.
Yesterday I didn't see the sticky-sandy floors, the not-so-sparkling potties, or the piles of laundry. Today they can't be avoided, so off I go... though I must say as fickle as March is, I know I can look forward to tomorrow and the changes it will probably bring!
Tuesday, March 11, 2014
The Impossible Bucket
For our old garden, we composted kitchen waste. I kept scraps in a plastic bowl with a lid tucked under the kitchen sink until it was full, then I'd carry it out to my plastic spinning-barrel-style compost bin and drop it in.
I learned something important during this process: plastic no bueno.
The compost bin, though it served its purpose for more than a year, basically broke down under the intense Texas sun. In the end it was barely being held together by black Duck Tape... then the handle on the spinning mechanism broke while I was bearing down on it mid-cycle, gouging my arm. So long plastic compost barrel.
The bowl under my sink never failed per se, but its porous nature lead to a moldy onion smell that sunk in to the very molecules of the bowl and remained with it until it was given to Goodwill with the rest of our junk during our moving purge.
I learned my lesson.
My new compost spot is the most simple and basic setup you can get- sans anything plastic- in a nook tucked away where creatures it may draw will not interfere with human goings-on. It is just a ring of chicken wire held up by stakes, sitting on the bare ground. That's it. Done.
My kitchen waste collection vessel, however, has been impossibly hard to find. Holy cow. When I started my search I was thinking, 'How hard can it be to find something with around a one-gallon capacity that has a lid and is not made out of plastic?' Ha. (I was also looking for something with a handle, which apparently complicated things tenfold)
My biggest hurdle was my budget. I didn't want to spend an arm and a leg. Honestly, I didn't want to spend more than twenty bucks. I started local: big box home improvement stores, farm supply stores, the plant nursery... nothing. What I found was always too big, had no handle, or was plastic.
Then I looked online. I found a ton of possibilities, including bona fide compost pails, but holy cow were they expensive! Shipping alone on some of the stuff I found added up to the cost of the item itself or more. Geeze.
Then I went out with my parents yesterday to a little antique shop, and boom: the impossible bucket, for twenty bucks, waiting for me on a high, high shelf.
I'm not one to brag, but honestly this thing is perfect. I love its character, its colors, the fact that I didn't have to break the bank or have it shipped from Europe... it's perfect. It also checks all the boxes...
This makes me want to have fried potatoes and a huge omelette just to have potato peels and egg shells for my bucket, so I can carry it by the little wooden handle out to our compost pile... but I know that's a little extreme... right?
Right?
I learned something important during this process: plastic no bueno.
The compost bin, though it served its purpose for more than a year, basically broke down under the intense Texas sun. In the end it was barely being held together by black Duck Tape... then the handle on the spinning mechanism broke while I was bearing down on it mid-cycle, gouging my arm. So long plastic compost barrel.
The bowl under my sink never failed per se, but its porous nature lead to a moldy onion smell that sunk in to the very molecules of the bowl and remained with it until it was given to Goodwill with the rest of our junk during our moving purge.
I learned my lesson.
My new compost spot is the most simple and basic setup you can get- sans anything plastic- in a nook tucked away where creatures it may draw will not interfere with human goings-on. It is just a ring of chicken wire held up by stakes, sitting on the bare ground. That's it. Done.
My kitchen waste collection vessel, however, has been impossibly hard to find. Holy cow. When I started my search I was thinking, 'How hard can it be to find something with around a one-gallon capacity that has a lid and is not made out of plastic?' Ha. (I was also looking for something with a handle, which apparently complicated things tenfold)
My biggest hurdle was my budget. I didn't want to spend an arm and a leg. Honestly, I didn't want to spend more than twenty bucks. I started local: big box home improvement stores, farm supply stores, the plant nursery... nothing. What I found was always too big, had no handle, or was plastic.
Then I looked online. I found a ton of possibilities, including bona fide compost pails, but holy cow were they expensive! Shipping alone on some of the stuff I found added up to the cost of the item itself or more. Geeze.
Then I went out with my parents yesterday to a little antique shop, and boom: the impossible bucket, for twenty bucks, waiting for me on a high, high shelf.
 |
| Lid: check. |
 |
| Handle: check. |
 |
| Not plastic: check. |
Right?
 |
| By the way, recognize this dress? How time flies! |
Monday, March 10, 2014
Right Now
Right now, I'm...
...rubbing my eyes in disbelief- do we really get to start this week with two days so warm? 75 today and 80(!) tomorrow before our next cold front. This weather is crazy!
...wondering if Henry will have a better morning than he did yesterday and finally get that last star at the end of his chart.
...realizing I now have less than a month to plan a certain soon-to-be-3-year-old's tractor birthday party (slow down, time, please, you're turning my last baby into a big boy right before my eyes!). I better get on it.
...thinking about the 101 ways I'd like to spend the next two warm, sunny days and trying to narrow it down a little! Garden? Of course. Park? Maybe. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the picnic table? Yes please! What else? That may be good enough for us!
...feeling accomplished from the projects crossed off the list after another productive weekend- second fireplace finished with those peel-and-stick metal tiles, leak in shower (hopefully) fixed, budget (mostly) balanced. Slowly but surely it goes!
...looking forward to a little trip out around town today with my parents. On the agenda is a little local shopping, hopefully some lunch on the square, and maybe quality time on the back porch to wrap it all up.
Right now the house is back to being dark in the wee hours, the house is not yet stirring, and the day ahead looks bright and promising. The weekend played out to feel longer than it was (in a good way), and our company has lingered to share the day with us. I couldn't think of a better week opener. Happy Monday!
Friday, March 7, 2014
This Moment
Playing along with Amanda today... in her words:
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
A Three-Quilt Week
I figured out a formula this week: crazy-cold weather + sewing machine left out from Granddaddy's project = 2 more quilts for the house.
Apparently, once I answered the call of the house and got the basics out of the way, I just couldn't help myself. Granted, I was truly hoping Sister would want one after we finished the birthday quilt, and so she did. I should have anticipated Little Brother wanting one, too... and so he did.
So you see, it wasn't all me, my hand was practically forced!
If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably seen a couple of these already. Audrey was very involved in choosing the fabric for her quilt. I let her make 95% of the decisions, working in just one or two squares of my choosing here and there to try and keep it all making sense. She designed a bunch of them, too, using those fabric markers we love so well.
I was able to finish her throw-sized quilt by late afternoon the same day we started it, and she claimed it immediately after it came off my machine and took it to her room to "try it on."
I have to say I was a little weary of the incredibly intense colors she was choosing, especially with her declaration that she didn't want anything to match, but she knew what she was doing, didn't she? I really like how it turned out, and even though it doesn't 'match' anything per se, it goes with what she's got going on in her little space.
For Henry's quilt, I used the back side of the duvet I took apart from Ikea for his curtains, an old fleece throw for the middle, and blues and greens mixed with quilt squares he designed. I was surprised by how opinionated he was about the fabric he wanted, too. His colors were more muted, and because I started with an adult-sized throw, his quilt turned out larger than his sister's.
My sewing machine quit with 5 minutes left in finishing the edging- no kidding- so I didn't put the finishing touches on Hen's quilt until practically bed time, after Daddy was able to take apart and fix the defunct machine. He was super happy to stay up a little late, though, to support me as I finished, saying, "OK Mama, I hold you. You sew." Then he'd put his arm around my back and lean on my shoulder while I zipped down the unfinished edges. Adorable.
It's kinda nice knowing he has one blanket that can cover him up without his feet poking out the bottom now.
Both kiddos slept under their 'new' blankets last night, infused with lots of Mama hugs while they weren't looking so they'd feel how much they were loved while they were sleeping. Audrey was right- that is an important step.
Today our local weather is supposed to eek past 50, and that's good enough for me. We'll eat breakfast, put away the last of the laundry, and head out to the garden......... and honestly it's good to have that back on the to-do list, because I'm not sure if there's a place for a 4th quilt around here anyway!
Apparently, once I answered the call of the house and got the basics out of the way, I just couldn't help myself. Granted, I was truly hoping Sister would want one after we finished the birthday quilt, and so she did. I should have anticipated Little Brother wanting one, too... and so he did.
So you see, it wasn't all me, my hand was practically forced!
I have to say I was a little weary of the incredibly intense colors she was choosing, especially with her declaration that she didn't want anything to match, but she knew what she was doing, didn't she? I really like how it turned out, and even though it doesn't 'match' anything per se, it goes with what she's got going on in her little space.
For Henry's quilt, I used the back side of the duvet I took apart from Ikea for his curtains, an old fleece throw for the middle, and blues and greens mixed with quilt squares he designed. I was surprised by how opinionated he was about the fabric he wanted, too. His colors were more muted, and because I started with an adult-sized throw, his quilt turned out larger than his sister's.
My sewing machine quit with 5 minutes left in finishing the edging- no kidding- so I didn't put the finishing touches on Hen's quilt until practically bed time, after Daddy was able to take apart and fix the defunct machine. He was super happy to stay up a little late, though, to support me as I finished, saying, "OK Mama, I hold you. You sew." Then he'd put his arm around my back and lean on my shoulder while I zipped down the unfinished edges. Adorable.
It's kinda nice knowing he has one blanket that can cover him up without his feet poking out the bottom now.
Both kiddos slept under their 'new' blankets last night, infused with lots of Mama hugs while they weren't looking so they'd feel how much they were loved while they were sleeping. Audrey was right- that is an important step.
Today our local weather is supposed to eek past 50, and that's good enough for me. We'll eat breakfast, put away the last of the laundry, and head out to the garden......... and honestly it's good to have that back on the to-do list, because I'm not sure if there's a place for a 4th quilt around here anyway!
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
A Quilt for Granddaddy
Granddaddy had a birthday party this past weekend, marking his 87th trip around the sun.
To make sure he felt warm and loved, we decided to make him what we were calling a 'lap quilt,' in that it's just about as wide as Granddaddy's chair, and just about as long as the bottom half of Granddaddy sitting in said chair, with a little slack to tuck around his feet.
Disclaimer: I am by no means a quilter, and some may even say this doesn't really qualify as a quilt, but since it started out as a bunch of fabric scraps and a piece of repurposed blanket, and it had to be pieced together, 'quilt' is all I know to call it!
Since this project required no fancy sewing, incorporated no curvy shapes, and consisted of big ol' rectangles, it was right on my sewing level and came together in the better half of a day. The best part of it all was giving the kiddos some white cotton fabric and fabric markers and letting them design some of the quilt squares. They had a great time, and it was amazing to see what they came up with.
After the quilt was assembled, I was informed that it was missing one thing...
...apparently it wasn't good enough for Granddaddy until it was "infused with hugs, so every time he wears this quilt he feels hugs, too." That's right, she used the word 'infused.'
Awwwwwww. What a cheese ball.
This project has made Audrey excited about making art on fabric, and I'm hoping we can ride this wave and create a slipcover or something that will repurpose her favorite quilt which, by the way, is truly ugly. But we'll get to that soon enough.
Henry was so excited about his part in this quilt that he couldn't help but yell the minute he saw Granddaddy, "WE MADE YOU A QUILT!" Lucky for us, Granddaddy didn't hear him, and when he finally got to open our gift, I believe he was happy to have it. No doubt about it, though- both kiddos were happy to design it, happy to help make it, and happy to give it!
To make sure he felt warm and loved, we decided to make him what we were calling a 'lap quilt,' in that it's just about as wide as Granddaddy's chair, and just about as long as the bottom half of Granddaddy sitting in said chair, with a little slack to tuck around his feet.
Disclaimer: I am by no means a quilter, and some may even say this doesn't really qualify as a quilt, but since it started out as a bunch of fabric scraps and a piece of repurposed blanket, and it had to be pieced together, 'quilt' is all I know to call it!
Since this project required no fancy sewing, incorporated no curvy shapes, and consisted of big ol' rectangles, it was right on my sewing level and came together in the better half of a day. The best part of it all was giving the kiddos some white cotton fabric and fabric markers and letting them design some of the quilt squares. They had a great time, and it was amazing to see what they came up with.
 |
| Top to bottom: "Stop Granddaddy" with 3 blue stop signs, Granddaddy in orange socks, and a happy bird, by Audrey. "A Car and Letters" by Henry. "More Letters and an H" by Henry with Audrey's signature and heart. |
 |
| Top to bottom: "A Kind and Friendly Monster" by Audrey. "Letters and Roads and Sissy's Monster" by Henry. |
After the quilt was assembled, I was informed that it was missing one thing...
...apparently it wasn't good enough for Granddaddy until it was "infused with hugs, so every time he wears this quilt he feels hugs, too." That's right, she used the word 'infused.'
Awwwwwww. What a cheese ball.
This project has made Audrey excited about making art on fabric, and I'm hoping we can ride this wave and create a slipcover or something that will repurpose her favorite quilt which, by the way, is truly ugly. But we'll get to that soon enough.
Henry was so excited about his part in this quilt that he couldn't help but yell the minute he saw Granddaddy, "WE MADE YOU A QUILT!" Lucky for us, Granddaddy didn't hear him, and when he finally got to open our gift, I believe he was happy to have it. No doubt about it, though- both kiddos were happy to design it, happy to help make it, and happy to give it!
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