{i'm still here}

W.I.P. Wednesday

2011-08-10T20:59:00.001-05:00

Today I was cutting and cutting and cutting and sewing and sewing and ironing and ironing and ironing. Thanks to Bobbi for a great afternoon! This one should be quick and its already lovely. :)

I'm not losing a WIP, I'm gaining a living room floor...

2011-07-21T18:20:00.000-05:00

I'm not gonna lie to ya. The reason I finally finished this quilt is because I had THREE self imposed deadlines. One, I really wanted to work on the binding during our loooooooong car trip to Illinois and back, so I had to have it ready for binding by June 17th. Two, it was meant as a birthday gift for Brecken who was 1 year (holy cow, how did THAT happen?) on July 9th. Three, I wanted to show it off at the South Jordan Modern Quilt Guild meeting on July 19th. Done, done, and DONE! Yay! (Although, truth time again, I took the quilt on my trip with every intention of finishing it and then got distracted with family fun and ended up finishing it up the two nights before Brecken's birthday!)

My inspiration for this one came from Jess over at Urban Patchwork. She has an awesome tutorial posted that I referred to MANY times. I just took a few pics as I went. You can get the detailed instructions on her site. :)

Here is the stack that I started with. A lot of the fabrics are from Sanctuary by Patty Young. My fave at the bottom is Dahlia Lama in Seafoam. It was the print I wanted to showcase on the back of the quilt. I didn't end up using that alphabet print. I didn't want it to always be a "baby" quilt. Once I got going I added in some other prints with similar colors and the solids are Kona White, Kona Coal, and I think the turquoise was Kona Lagoon.

It took me forever to cut all the pieces. I basically fussy cut most of the diamonds instead of doing strips because I wanted all the prints with squares to be straight and not on an angle. Then I laid them all out on the living room carpet in the pattern I wanted and left it there on the floor for about a month, no kidding! After all that cutting I was a little afraid to start sewing because I didn't want to screw it up and unpick everything. Also, I'd heard that diamonds are hard to sew without stretching out of shape. And also, maybe I was being a tad lazy. ;)

Piecing, piecing, piecing. Trying so hard not to stretch the fabric!

Sometimes I had a helper. This is where the photos came in handy so I could see how I needed to put the pieces back together!

Hand sewing the binding. I really liked this tutorial and this one.

Finished!

The back is the Dahlia Lama print with a few other faves thrown in. And Paul was actually the one who decided that the purple polka dots needed to be on the back and I love it! This was my first time piecing a backing. It wasn't as bad as I thought! Maybe I can piece the back to my hexagon quilt finally!

Another view of the front. This one was hard to give away, but at least its owner lives in my house so I can visit. ;)

A Whole lot of Rearranging going on...

2011-02-27T18:39:00.001-06:00

My sister Debbie moved out yesterday. She has been living with us since we moved to Utah in August. It was so fun to get to live together! The last time we lived together she was 12! The girls are really sad that Aunt Debbie is leaving us but really excited because that means they get to have their own rooms again. In concept I like the idea of them learning to share and be kind and grow their sisterly bond or whatever. In reality they made each other nuts and in the process drove me nuts as well. Skyler likes to get up early and Alina found that super annoying (and I don't blame her one bit!). :) So after helping Debbie move her stuff over to her new place we got started rearranging the girls. They are both really enjoying their space and Paul and I are enjoying the peace & quiet!

If you come to visit us {please do!} this is where you will stay so I hope you like ponies. :)

Bonus: While we were at Ikea looking for bins & stuff I found the perfect table to use for my sewing machine and it was only $20! So after the girls were in bed I rearranged the whole sewing room too! Ok, my sewing room is really the living room which I sorta took over because we really only use it for the piano.

See?

Man, I have got to get some photos on those walls. I'm kind of scared to put holes in the wall though since we're renting.

My own little corner. Much better than sharing the dining room table.

Did you notice my hexagon quilt in progress up there on the chair to the right of my sewing table? This is some of the fabric for the backing & binding. Yum.

Fabric shelf. On the left are half yard cuts of cotton. The middle is cuts of a yard or more and fabrics like flannel. On the right are fat quarters & charm packs.

Half yards.

More Fat Quarters.

Vintage Sheets.

The bins have 1.5 inch & 2.5 inch strips, scraps & selvages. That pile on top is the stockings that I almost finished at Christmas. {They are just waiting for the binding but once the deadline was over I kind of forgot them. Oops!}

I think my next post should be a list of Works In Progress so I can keep track and maybe be held accountable for finishing them someday!

Can't wait to sew in my new space. :)

Potholder love...

2011-02-21T19:28:00.001-06:00

Am I not totally lame if I post my pics of potholders while jamming to Justin Timberlake? Still lame? Oh well, I'll embrace the non-sexy. :)

I entered these in a contest over at Prudent Baby in the hopes of winning a sweet new sewing machine that does more than my current 3 1/2 stitches. I did not win. But I impressed myself that 10 years after graduating college I can still meet a deadline if I have to... or if the motivation is ~~big~~ free enough. :)

Pieced & quilted...

Backside...

Terrycloth with stripes is washrags from Walmart. Ruffle on pocket. Hand-made, hand-sewn binding.

Quilted back...

Pocket...

Oh yeah. These are never getting used.

You can go see the other 900+ entries here and the winners here.

The Enlightened Placemat

2011-02-21T17:34:00.001-06:00

{or Pretty Pillows for Pennies}...

So last Tuesday I turned this...

Into this...

and then I went about exclaiming how I was a GENIUS the rest of the day*. {OK, ok, I'm no genius. I got the idea from these amazing ladies: SuperLOVE their website!} But the husband was suitably impressed. Although that could be 99% percent due to the fact that I came home with the makings for a project and then finished that project within the hour. Hmmm... And it only cost me $2.99! Thats two dollars and change people! Less than a Big Mac!**

So here is what I did, which is exactly what I learned here: ;)

Pick up cute Spring-y placemat at Target that will help you feel all warm & cozy even while it is snowing buckets outside. Placemat cost: $2.99.

Use seam ripper to make 4-5 inch hole along whichever side will be the bottom of pillow.

Use Poly-fil to stuff until bursting. I used an entire bag that I already had but the bag said $2.99 so if you're keeping track my total cost is still $2.99. But even if you need to buy the stuffing you are only at $5.98!

I meant to go back after sewing halfway across the hole and make sure those corners were still stuffed. I forgot. I got over it.

And I was too lazy to pin the hole closed before sewing. I just held it but holy cow I do not recommend that! My hand was hurting bad from holding that seam closed against the stuffing. Take the 60 seconds to pin it. You're welcome.

See. Looks fine. But my hand is a different story. I now have one hand and one claw. No lie.

Prop that baby up on its new home and take 57 pictures... :)

...of your pillow that only cost $2.99. :) LOVE that!

*You should not have to look up how to spell the word "genius" if in fact you ARE a genius. See, I ain't no genius. Seriously I just spelled it wrong AGAIN!

**{Yum. Big Mac.}

2010-03-23T20:47:00.000-05:00

Makes me miss film class back in my art school days. :)

2009-05-21T16:27:00.003-05:00

Wow. Just wow.

And just so that this doesn't turn into a music only blog, (although that could be great too) here is a pic for you.

My sweetie girl.

2009-04-21T15:00:00.002-05:00

Right now my soul is very happy. (Pause the music in my sidebar before watching). Of course my oft spoken of desire to learn to play the cello just grew a couple of sizes.

Simply amazing.

2009-04-03T16:54:00.002-05:00

Come to mama!

Acrylic Stamp Storage

2009-03-19T16:08:00.003-05:00

I finally got around to a project that I have had in mind for awhile. In the past I have kept some of these stamps (still in packaging) stashed in a binder and the rest piled in a basket on the shelf. They were never getting used. Now this...

plus this...

equals this

Lovely.

Fun find

2009-03-19T15:16:00.000-05:00

I found this paper line at Michaels the other day. Usually I don't find much in there but I went in for poster paint and found these cuties.

I'm going to use them to make a magnetic canvas/artwork for each of the girls' rooms!

Scrapbook Kit Storage

2009-03-19T15:13:00.002-05:00

Itso fabric storage bins from Target

+2 gallon Ziploc bags

= An organized & happy Rachel.

Oooh, this is inspiring! Maybe later I'll post pictures of my new stamp organization. But first I have to go paint the bathroom. ;)

Its about that time...

2009-03-17T17:15:00.002-05:00

My picks for this season of American Idol. These contestants would make up the best top five show in my opinion. They are all amazing singers. And no matter what some people think, that is what really matters.

(And if you look back to this post, I DID pick 3 out of 5 for last year. Just sayin'.)

2009-02-24T09:26:00.004-06:00

I hope to get back on later and finally post some of my 365 day project photos, but for now check out another awesome idea from Photojojo.

Glass Jar Frames

for my little buddy

2009-02-05T09:00:00.000-06:00

If I had owned a digital camera back when this kiddo was born, or even a scanner @ present, I would have posted some pics of how cute and tiny this little man used to be, for comparison's sake. But I will have to make do with just the recent faves. OK, recent as in last summer. He did move across country so I feel I deserve a break on the "recentness" front.

And he is still very cute, just not so tiny.

Happy Birthday Christopher! We miss you!

2009-02-03T15:02:00.002-06:00

Well, hello! It has been forever & two days since I have posted. O where, O where did all my good intentions go? =) But I am back and with a post that is truly worthy of myself slinking out of blog retirement. Tell me if this is not the most stinkin' brilliant thing you have ever seen! Thats BRILLIANT, with a Simon Cowell no nonsense British accent, thank you very much.

Turn a Scrabble Board into a picture frame. Courtesy of Photojojo.

I mean really people. C'mon, you know you wanna. Um, please excuse me, I have to go work on a project. Paul will be able to beat my socks off playing Scrabble no longer. Double bonus!

And oh my heck, how cute is this?

2008-07-30T16:23:00.002-05:00

Photos from our trip to New Orleans. It was the first real trip Paul and I have taken without the kids. Our last vacation alone was our honeymoon! It was about time. It was a long, fun, exhausting trip. The best kind!

So I Think I Love...

2008-07-30T13:43:00.001-05:00

Katee & Joshua are no longer partners but they have been amazing together this season. This is one of my favorite pieces and of course it is choreographed by Mia Michaels. She is brilliant. Love her brain. Then of course I had to go search out and purchase the Adele CD and now I am working on the piano to Hometown Glory.

And in honor of Will who was the most amazing dancer but was shockingly voted off last week.

Can't wait til tonight's show. Who do YOU love?

2008-07-25T17:36:00.003-05:00

Someone at Studio Calico posted the question, "What do you do with pics you want to include but don't want to go all out on?" I'm including my post below because I think people worry about this alot. They worry about being behind in their scrapbooking and feel guilty for doing too little or too much, not knowing enough, spending too much money, or losing the desire to do it in the first place. I totally get it. I have felt each and every one of those feelings. I had to just LET IT GO. Yeah, 90% of my photos are unscrapped but at the time of this posting I have made about 50% of those photos accessible to my family which is a HUGE step. Yeah, I lose my mojo. Yeah, I still crave and stockpile the supplies like they were food and water. Yeah, I still take hundreds of pictures at a time with no intention of slowing. As Ali says, it is OK. Here is what I have tried so far.

(previously posted in Studio Calico Forum )

Last year I finally got all my pics (from my film camera, up to that point) into albums. I found some cheap ones at Target that were decent looking and put most of them in there. The ones that I really didn't care for but they weren't bad enough to throw out I gave to my 6 yo daughter and she scraps them while I scrap the good ones. She loves having her own pile of pics to choose from and she doesn't have to mooch them off me anymore! When I get around to it I might go back and scrapbook my favorites, but I won't feel guilty if I don't because at least they are out where my family can see them now!

As soon as I went digital I definitely got more choosey with what I print. I used to scrap 12x12 two-pagers just so I could fit lots of photos on a layout. I still like 12x12 but now I only scrap my favorites or the photos that "speak" to me. This means I can finally do a layout with only 1 or 2 photos and not feel guilty! But I also love to print my favorites at 4x6 and then resize all the supporting pics that I just couldn't delete down into a sort of index print (sometimes 2x3s, sometimes 1x1.5s). Then I upload it to Shutterfly with all my other photos and print at the 4x6 price. That helps me fit alot of photos on a page but still keep the focus on my favorite shots.

Also, I use those 12x12 divided protectors like Ali. I'll scrapbook my faves and then stick the rest of them straight into the protectors. Done!
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Another thing I should add. I try really hard to stay up to date with editing. I am one of those people who edits every single photo before printing. Some alot, some only a little, but every single one. So I try to get everything edited as soon as I can and then upload them to Shutterfly. As I go through to edit them I also weed out alot that I don't care to save. (As a photographer I take a ton of photos to make sure I get the one I want, but the key is remembering that once you get the perfect photo you don't have to save all those "trial runs". I am forever having to remind myself of this!) So I edit and upload the best. I don't always print them right away but at least they are ready to go. Then later I will go back and print like 200 at a time. I also save everything to an external disc drive that Paul bought me for my birthday. Hopefully I am covered in case something happens!

I am always looking for better ways to organize and streamline the process. Maybe my system will help someone else get started or feel less overwhelmed. If you have any questions about how I do things just ask!

2008-03-12T10:33:00.002-05:00

Found these awesome felt chandeliers at Michaels yesterday in their dollar bins. At the top of the photo are notecards and a spiral notebook. I haven't stopped by Michaels in ages and just happened to be close by. So glad I went in. Super cute!

My favorites for American Idol

2008-03-08T13:33:00.003-06:00

OK, I'm just puttin' it out there, goin' on the record as sayin' that cutie David Archuleta should hands down take the whole thing. But here are my top five, in no particular order, after David of course.

David Archuleta

Jason CastroCarly SmithsonBrooke WhiteRamiele Malubay And I think that Paula is right. This is a great season. Although I was not convinced when I saw the top 24 (um, Garrett?), I do believe that this is the most well rounded and interesting top 12.

Bring it.

So sad to see you go...

2008-03-08T13:04:00.004-06:00

Alexandréa Lushington left us last week. She was very good.

Danny Noriega was voted off this week. So sad! He was so funny and had a GREAT voice.

2008-02-20T16:39:00.005-06:00

We finally have workers started on our bathroom remodel. Yes, that is the bathroom that we practically gutted the day we moved in, six months ago. Luckily we have a 3/4 bath downstairs that we have been using but I am so ready to have a bathtub again! So, while these guys have been working on this...

I have been working on this...

My cute ~~cousins~~ (edit - Heather just pointed out that these are not my cousins! These are my super cute nephews. I guess I am so used to talking to my girls about their cousins that I didn't even think about it!) that I shot in October. Wow, there is alot of catch up work going on around here this week! Hopefully I can keep it up! I'll be back with pics of the new bath soon.

2007-12-30T18:30:00.000-06:00

Whoa, it has been awhile since I have visited blog world. Don't get me wrong, I still read alot of other peoples' blogs but have not managed to find the time to update mine. Well, you will be sorry that you wished for more. (Oh, did you not?) I have vowed to be more consistent posting this year. Yes, I mean 2008. So, lets get going!

Oh, WHY have I been too busy to write two measley sentences or post a couple of photos you ask??? Well, we sold our house, packed up all our belongings including two kids, moved, redid most of the new (to us) house, and unpacked all in the last 4 months, mostly in that order. The house is still not done so I will refrain from before & afters until we are really finished. But here are a few random shots from the last few months to tide you over.

Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

2007-11-29T21:28:00.001-06:00

http://www.elfyourself.com/?id=1113310856

2007-08-17T17:51:00.000-05:00

Favorites from a recent shoot with some good friends.

2007-08-17T16:28:00.000-05:00

Some favorite shots from the past year.

2007-08-09T22:40:00.000-05:00

The capitol building in Springfield.
Yup, we are going where things happen.

Uh... just not the budget!

A shot I really liked of a backyard while house hunting. So "Secret Garden"! Too bad the house was so "I need a makeover"!

Good night!

2007-07-02T21:51:00.000-05:00

Super cool.

Scribbler

Check it out.

2007-06-26T10:31:00.000-05:00

Two layouts featuring Debbie. She flew to Munich yesterday to start her mission. She will do great!

We love you!

2007-06-11T21:52:00.000-05:00

Favorite photos from a recent shoot with some good friends. They had lots of good ideas. I love it when families contribute! It really adds a personal feel to the photos and everyone is alot more relaxed. And we had so much fun!

2007-06-11T20:53:00.000-05:00

Loving the June kit from My Favorite Memories. Lots & lots of Elsie. I did this layout for a weekly challenge at MFM. So much fun!

Other photos I am loving right now.

Esther's senior pix at the Meijer carnival on Memorial Day. Lucked out to find it. It was the perfect setting for some fun shots!

Had to snap at least one of Paul. =)

My girls enjoying the pool.

That's it for now!

Layouts

2007-05-31T11:03:00.000-05:00

I have finally begun the process of photographing my layouts. I am posting them in the online gallery at My Favorite Memories. Check it out!

So Cool

love is...

Portage Carnival

Lashes

One Little Word

2007-01-09T15:46:00.001-06:00

"A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can be sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow. Today I want to introduce you to the idea that a single word can be a catalyst for enriching your life as well as your scrapbook layouts.

Last year I began a tradition of choosing one word for myself each January - a word that I can focus on, meditate on, and reflect upon as I go about my daily life. Last year my word was something I wanted to bring into my life in a more tangible way. My word was play.I thought a lot about play and what it means to me. I tried to incorporate it more into my everyday and on my adventures out in the crazy world. For me, it was a lot about living without fear - about being more open to experiences with an attitude of playfulness. The word play found its way onto many scrapbook pages and into many stories I told throughout the year.

Can you identify a single word that sums up what you want for yourself in 2007?

It can be something tangible or intangible. It could be a thought or a feeling or an emotion. It can be singular or plural. The key is to find something that has personal meaning for you. This is not your mother's word or your spouse's word or your child's word - this is YOUR word.One little word can have big meaning in your life if you allow yourself to be open to the possibilities. And here's one thing that is totally interesting: sometimes a word will pop into your brain and it will not make any sense to you right now. Give it some time. Let it percolate a bit. I have often found that our hearts speak to us in very unique ways. Maybe this is a word you need to hear but just aren't ready for it yet. Again, be open to the possibilities.

Take some time this week to think about your own word for 2007 and read on for a related weekly challenge. And in case you were wondering, my word for 2007 is peace.

Weekly Challenge

This week your challenge is to create something, anything, that celebrates your chosen word for 2007. Maybe a layout. Maybe a blog posting or a journal entry or a simple post-it note that you put somewhere you can see it each day. Make sure to journal about why you chose your word and what it means for you - the more you let yourself explore the more benefit you will receive in the end."

- Ali Edwards

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I love this idea & I love words so I am very excited about seeing where it takes me this year. Or rather, where I can take it. The word I have chosen for 2007 is "Build". As in:
Build patience level with my girls.
Build on relationships.
Build self-esteem.
Build my photography business.
Build self-control.
Build my ability to communicate effectively.
Build my faith and trust in Jesus Christ & Heavenly Father.

I am sure this list will grow to include many other things throughout the course of the year. These are the things that came to me right away as I thought about this word. And I will build on that.

2006-10-13T14:16:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally did it! After blog watching all my favorite scrapbook friends for several months now I have finally jumped into the blog cult. I have been interested in publishing one of my own but do I ever have time management issues! I have all the best intentions of keeping this blog up to date and informative. Not only to invite all of you into our everyday, but also hopefully this will be that nudge I need to push past the block, {artist's, writer's, mama's...}, and get myself and my creative work back out into the real world. Of course it will mostly center around my family because that IS my everyday but I hope to share some part of me as well. Revisit my creative prime. It is not lost, it has been there all along, waiting patiently for me to allow it some room. Some thought. Some time.

Here I go, I'm still here.