An Evening Well Spent...

As I mentioned before, there's not a whole lot of crafting going on around our house this week but there is A LOT of painting! We are bound and determined to get those teenage chickens out of our guest room and into their luxury coop this weekend. Especially since they take great avian pleasure in escaping from their box these days.

So, I took the feathery ones outside with me this evening and I painted, and I painted, and I painted. Thankfully, ALL of the siding is painted yellow now and we are just about ready to get the coop closed up and chicken safe.

While I was outside painting with the chicks they were up to their usual antics:

I tried to gently explain to Buff that she's a ground bird not a tree bird but she was having none of it!

Lela jumped up to explore her new digs and seemed pleased with her discovery...

And, Chicken, as helpful as always, decided that her feet were not yellow enough and that she needed a pedicure in the form of walking right through my paint job :P

Never a dull moment around here.

So after all of the painting I decided that it was time to end the evening in the best way that I can imagine...curled up on the couch in my comfiest jeans with a new book...perfection.


Oh, and just so that you don't think Chris was left out...he stared lovingly at his new toy ALL evening :)


Isn't that thing a monster?!

The pic is a little bit dark because Chris realized that to take a picture of his camera he couldn't use his camera. Yes, Chris, that is a conundrum. But, isn't that why they invented iPhones?!

Make New Friends, But Keep The Old...

I haven't been very crafty this week. But, I'm ok with that...

In fact, the only thing I've sewn this week is a badge on the Girl Scout vest of the most adorable little ten year old across the street. While I was sewing the badge on (which took all of about 14 seconds) I started singing that old Girl Scout song, "Make New Friends, But Keep The Old..." and it brought a smile to my face.

It also occurred to me that the song is a perfect summation of crafty blog land for me. As many folks have done, I started this blog for my mom and my best friends so that they could check out my craftiness at their leisure and so they didn't start hating me because I was filling up their in-boxes with posts about "Katie's Crappy Crafts" as they are lovingly referred to in my circle of "old friends" :)

It became an awesome added bonus to make new blog friends and to become a part, however small, of the blogging community. Heck, I even made a bloggy best friend in Katie over at Paisley and Polka Dots!

So, in a week where my priorities have to be work, school, the fuzzes and seeing my husband for at least ten minutes a day, I can still appreciate the cool opportunities that blog land has brought me and the really amazing people I have befriended.

I know my "old friends" aren't going anywhere, and I can't wait to keep making "new ones", so even though I can't get the song out of my head, it is a cute reminder that we always have room in our hearts for new friends.

Those Girl Scouts really know how to keep it all in perspective, don't they? Oh, and I'm pretty sure without those cookies the world might stop turning :)

Cyber Hugs...

Re-Purposed Jewelry Frame

For a while, my mom has been saying that she wants something to hang her earrings on and I decided it was high time for me to jump to it :)

My mom is amazingly fantastic...seriously, she rocks. So, when she mentions wanting something my Dad and I do our best to deliver. Misadventures generally ensue but we always get a good laugh out of it and sometimes my mom even gets something worth keeping...

In this case, I think we found a keeper!

I just "happen" to have this seemingly unending supply of poultry wire hanging around in my backyard :P and I have a few old gold frames sitting around from my grandparents that needed some serious revamping love.

So, I painted one of the old 5 by 7 frames white, popped in a pretty piece of paper and some cut-to-size poultry wire and that was it! Oh, and I added a pretty fabric flower that I made months ago.

Does it get any more simple than this?!

She wasn't sure if she wanted it to hang on the wall or a door or if she wanted something that sits on the dresser but with this re-vamped jewelry frame she can do either.

Love you mom...

100% Repurposed Veggie/Herb Garden Markers

When I asked my big brother what he wanted for his birthday this year he said, "vegetable and herb markers for the garden!" I was uber excited as I have been wanting to make some for a loooooong time :)

I decided that I was going to challenge myself by using ONLY recycled and re-purposed materials that I found lying around or things that were destined for the land fill.

I ended up using wooden paint stirrers for the signs, old house paint and old markers for decorating the signs, and believe it or not, one-use bamboo chopsticks from a local Sushi restaurant for the stakes!


I started the project by cutting the paint stirrers into various lengths and painting them white with old house paint. I then "antiqued" the little painted rectangles by sanding the edges and corners down with sand paper (my hands are still sore from that project!).

Please excuse the fuzziness of the pic...my iPhone and I were having a "lighting discussion!"

I then painted little dots on the signs using old Silver Sage paint from our bathroom and a little tube of every day, brown crafting paint. Next, I painted or drew on the names of various herbs and veggies and then I used a hot glue gun to glue the signs to the chop sticks!

**If you plan to use chopsticks (which I highly recommend...I mean they are just going to get thrown away after one little use, right?!) then make sure to use some with flat or square tops. I am afraid that round ones will not stay glued to the wooden rectangles very well.**

Last, they each received a coat of waterproof sealant left over from some project or another.

They were so simple to make, cost absolutely nothing, and are beyond adorable peeking out among the herbs and veggies in the garden :)



**Please excuse the fact that the rosemary stake is chilling next to a lavender bush. Since the signs are for my brother they don't exactly match up with what I have blooming in my garden at the moment!**





I think there will be many, many more of these little garden stakes in my future in various shapes and sizes. I just love how they turned out :)

And, just in time for Earth Day...

Happy Birthday, Big Brother!

"A Bowl Full of Cheerful Cherries" Kitchen Towel

I had so much fun with the "Perfect Pear" kitchen towel yesterday that I couldn't wait to try the next one in the set! I decided on "A Bowl Full of Cheerful Cherries" this time and wanted just one little duo in the corner.



These were a bit tougher for me as I struggled with getting the line sewn in a circular fashion around the inside of the cherries but I'm not going for perfection and I even kind of like the wonkyness that ensued! I could probably have fixed that by using red thread but I love it when the thread shows so I stuck with pure white :)



I can't wait for the next one in the set! Chris has vetoed the apples and wants me to try a pineapple...we'll see if that actually happens ;)

Happy Crafting!

The "Perfect Pear" Kitchen Towel

I've been pretty crafty lately...just not so bloggy! With three papers for school and working MOST days at the hospital including Picnic Day, which around here is synonymous for get as hammered as possible as quickly as possible (I'm still recovering from working in the ER that particular night), I haven't had time to sit down in front of the computer and show you any of my creations. But, with two papers turned in and a few hours off from work I thought it was time to play :)

I am absolutely in LOVE with Crate and Barrel's new organic cotton dish towels. They aren't cheap but I don't particularly care. Finding deals is a great thing but I'd rather have quality over quantity any day. So, I stocked up on a couple sets of these and have great plans for their aesthetic future!

First, a "Perfect Pear" applique towel! I saw this idea on the Pleated Poppy blog and it was right up my alley for what I had in mind for the organic towels. They only took me about 30 minutes to make which I thought wasn't too bad as this was my first attempt at applique. I think I will make three more different applique towels so that I end up with a set of four fruit themed towels for spring and summer.



I'm thinking one with cherries, one with apples and one with an orange, a lime, and a lemon!

You have to feel these towels...you really do. They are soft and absorbent AND they are made from sustainable cotton...does it get any better than that?!

Happy Applique-ing :)

And the Chickens "Pecked"..!

We're a day or two late (darn school and work!) but the chickens finally got around to "pecking" winners for our Spring give-a-way!

We've started taking the babies outside with us every day as we work on their coop and they LOVE LOVE LOVE being outside...big surprise there, huh?!

Today during their adventures they helped us pick the winners and, without further ado, here they are..!

For the coffee sleeve Lela "pecked"...

Lauren!

For the cotton baggie Buff "pecked"...

Melissa!

And, for the luggage tag Chicken wanted NOTHING to do with the give-a-way! Silly Chicken :) After we chased her around the yard for a while we finally threw all of the papers up in the air and the one that landed closest to chicken won...

Mary!

Lauren, Melissa and Mary go ahead and send me an email and we'll chat about which colors and fabrics you like for your prizes :)

Congratulations!!!

A Month of Celebrating Earth

I know that Earth Day is coming up this month, and that I'm a little bit early as it isn't officially until the 22nd, but don't you think Earth deserves to be celebrated more than one day a year? I'm thinking it definitely deserves an entire month or at least a couple of weeks!

In honor of my self-declared Earth Month I made this reversible Farmer's Market Tote based on a tutorial by Film in the Fridge found here. It was actually really easy to make. I only got confused at one point but after stepping back and visualizing what needed to happen to get the right shape I was able to figure it out. I think the hardest part was the handles because I didn't have long enough pieces in the fabric I wanted to use so I had to wing it :)





I have several different "green" projects in the works, including one that doubles as a birthday gift for my brother, and I can't wait to share them with you over the next couple of weeks! I would also LOVE to hear about any green projects that you are working on. Every little effort toward protecting the resources around us is a huge step in the right direction.

If you would like to send me pictures or links to your "green projects" I hope to do a post with all of your amazing ideas on the 22nd!

I took a quick wander in our garden this evening during a break in the rain we've been having. Our peas took a beating in all of the wind but with a little TLC they'll be as good as new. Is there anything more peaceful and beautiful than a garden just after a storm?

Conquering the Zipper!

Ever since I was little I've had problems with zippers; I break them, I jam them, I cut myself on them. Really, zippers and I have issues. But, I thought it was probably time to graduate from velcro to zippers if I really want to be able to make some of the bags, clutches and skirts that are on my "must-do" list.

So, on the pretense of heading to Home Depot to buy more foundation stones for the chicken coop, I drug my parents to Joanne's and stared at the zipper selection for about five minutes until my Dad got bored and told me to "buy one already". I didn't know what size I needed though ~ who knew they weren't one size fits all?! ;) I knew a purple one would go well with a bag I wanted to try so I bought a 14" inch zipper for a buck and off we went to actually buy the stones for the chickies.

And look what I made..!



...an honest to goodness make-up bag, or clutch, whichever my imagination wants it to be in that moment! I don't have a pattern for you to follow exactly as I took bits and pieces from different tutorials around the web but I'm hoping to replicate it soon. I think that the available pattern that it resembles most is this tutorial by Liesl Made.

My first foray into zippers was not without its mishaps. Did you expect anything less from me at this point? :) The zipper was too long, of course, since, in my exuberance, I bought it before even knowing what size my pattern would be. So, I cut off a few inches from the top (of the side closest to the actual mechanism when it is zipped shut). This would have been fine, but in another moment of exuberance, I zipped the little zipper head right off of the end! Oh boy, that was a problem. With a little BFI and a few choice words I was able to force it back on with some pliers and save the project!



I was also intimidated by the zipper foot dealio on the sewing machine so I just used a normal straight stitch about a 1/4" from the zipper and it actually ended up working just fine. Yes, I know that I need to figure it out eventually but I thought one battle at a time would result in something I could actually use later :)

Anyway...I like it!

I like it a lot, in fact, and must now make more in fabulous colors to match luggage tags and make-up rolls.

This set is just toooo cute together :) I'm thinking teals and browns next...





Ok, I must stop procrastinating and write my four page paper on market analysis and some other such business-y thing that is due tomorrow!

Happy Crafting!

A "Spring Into Adventure" Giveaway

It's Spring! Oh wait, that happened in March, didn't it? So, I'm a little late ;)

Anyway...in celebration of Spring and all of the adventures that it brings, I thought I would do a "Spring Into Adventure" giveaway!

In addition to celebrating the adventures and misadventures that Spring inspires, I wanted to acknowledge and celebrate the fact that each person embarks on their own kind of adventures which may run the gamut from hiking and backpacking to car trips and five star resorts. So, I thought I'd mix it up a bit and offer three different giveaway items! To further personalize it, I'll let the winners pick their own fabric colors so that their gift fits their adventure style perfectly.

Here are examples of the prizes:

A fun fabric coffee sleeve...

A 5" by 7 " cotton baggie...

OR...a luggage tag!

**On a green note...if people buy coffee just twice a week for a year, that is over 100 one-use, cardboard coffee sleeves that end up in land fills...can you image the difference we call all make by using these reusable sleeves? And, don't even get me started on Ziploc and other plastic bags...using these cotton baggies could save, literally, TONS of garbage from ever entering our land fills! Each of us has the power to make an enormous difference :) Isn't that an awesome feeling!?**

Back to the giveaway. To enter to win, just write a comment on this post or send me an email stating which of these three items you would love to win! It's as easy as that. You don't have to be a follower of the blog or do cartwheels or anything...just let me know which item you'd love to have on your spring travels...even if those travels happen to be in your own backyard :)

Next Saturday, April 16th, I'll let the chickens, yes, THE CHICKENS, chose the three winners...one winner for each item. So that Shasta and the boy cat don't feel left out, I promise to give them treats around the same time...we don't want any hurt animal feelings around our house :)

Happy Travels and Good Luck!

Have Chickens, Will Travel!

We took a four day trip up to the High Sierras last weekend and Chris and I thought nothing about packing up the German Shepherd and the three baby chicks. I mean, isn't that what everyone would have done? Um, turns out that, indeed, NOT everyone would have traveled 600 miles with their baby chickens...who knew?! Though, to be honest, they had a brilliant time alternating between traveling in their box, hanging out on the lap of whoever wasn't driving and perching on the driver's hand on the shifter during the trip.

When our neighbor found out about our "chicken travels" she said, "I always knew you guys were quirky but this takes the cake!" Quirky?! Oh, dear. Then when my brother, who, mind you, has had 28 years to get used to me, was speechless when he found out about our chickens traveling with us I thought, ok, maybe it's not quite as normal as I had assumed **insert sheepish grin here**.

But come on, I didn't want to leave the babies alone for four whole days! And, it's a good thing we didn't. Lela learned the art of escaping the box while we were at the cabin and we walked into the bathroom to find a runaway chicken! Good thing we found her and that Shasta is too old to make it up the stairs on her own. See the many perils that can befall a baby chicken when it is unsupervised?!

Anyway...our toddler chickens traveled brilliantly...way better than the cat did on his last cabin trip. (Oh wait, is it strange to take our cat to the mountains, too?! In our defense...he was also a baby at the time.) They were a teensy bit wobbly on their feet on the windy mountain road but they didn't get car sick and they didn't get altitude sickness which was my big fear.

They just chirped away when we stopped so Chris could take some water pictures...

Stay tuned for those soon!

...and while I snuck in a quick wilderness nap.



They jumped into their new home at the cabin and were happy as clams as we shoveled...



...and ice picked through ten feet of ice and snow.



And, they played happily as I lost a VERY one-sided snow ball fight.



It didn't take Chicken long to assert her dominance over the cabin and all who dwell there...



...to fall asleep after a looooong, adventurous day...



...or for her sisters to figure out who the softie of the group was...



I'd say they are no worse for the wear :)

Wishing you all the happiness and joy that misadventures bring!