More Ick- Chapter 2

Well at least I had one day of non-ickiness.... the stomach bug has now claimed Klint and Gabby. Unfortunately when it hit Gabby we were sitting at the Nature Center watching a star show.... thank goodness I was with my friend Jess (my very understanding and tolerant friend!!). I rush with Gabby to the bathroom and beat feet out of there.
So now Klint and Gabby are on the couch, Gatorade in hand, watching Inspector Gadget. =(

Please pray for me that I do not get this awful bug.... please please please! (Somehow I think that it is inevitable though... even one of the kids I watch is out with it today....ugh!)

Is it Spring yet?

Finally the sun has decided to peek out. Even though it is 34 out it still feels nicer when it is bright and sunny. I think the worst of AJ's stomach bug is out, although there is some ickiness remaining. 5 loads of laundry later.... =(
Today is a pretty good day though, all in all. I made my first plush pear from my own pattern. Super duper easy. Here is how I did it:


find some scrap fabric
draw a skinny pear shape
cut out 4 skinny pears
sew all of the sides together, carefully matching up the curves, leave a bit of room to turn it right and stuff it
finish sewing the side after it is stuffed, leave the top part open to stuff the stem in
cut out a leaf shape
roll a little bit of brown fabric for the stem
attach stem and leaf.... and voila! You are done!!

Here are some pics of my recently finished projects- my book pillow, a cool sock monkey- complete with strawberry on the bum, the pear, and my bamboo handled summer tote!

Now what to do??

Tummy Troubles

Quick post: AJ has a REALLY nasty stomach bug, I have changed clothes about 6 times today, Klint as well. Poor thing! Hopefully no one else gets this... =(

Ugh!

So remember the post about us finding a great new place to live- well nix that!

Short version- nice guy turns out to be slumlord, yours truly goes with gut feeling that this was not the best choice after asking some questions about property upkeep, and thanks her lucky stars that it has only been 4 days since we gave money and DID NOT sign papers yet. Called up said slumlord to decline property and after TWO frustrating conversations involving arguing about "non-refundable safety deposits?!" and such....UGH! (Note: there is no such thing as a "non-refundable safety deposit" if it is not disclosed before signing lease!)

Luckily good legal advice was given and we should have everything settled shortly thanks to our Realtor and his attorney. Still, the thought that this guy thinks that he can keep A LOT of money when no papers were signed , we didn't move in, and certainly didn't do any damage to the premises burns my britches!

Lesson of the Day: If a landlord is not taking good care of the property when it is vacant, he is not going to take good care of it when you are there!

Enjoying the City

This week has been Field Trip Week- Krebs Style! Since we got our Boonshoft pass we have gone to the zoo three times, the Science Museum twice, and the Natural History Museum once- all in the last week and a half!!! =)
I absolutely adore a new friend that I made at the Lakewood Library, we have been hanging out a lot and I feel like I am back at college with my sorority sisters. She is down to earth, has great kids, and I feel like we have soooo much in common!
Here are some pics from our latest escapades:

Winner!!!!!

Thank you to everyone who entered my February giveaway!!! What nice comments and crafty tips! The winner is:

Pfeiffer Photos said...

I'd like a tote for school stuff! My project book fave right now is anything in the Pottery Barn library of home decor ideas/how-tos.

My name is Tina Pfeiffer
email: pfeiffer_photos@yahoo.com

Thanks!

Congratulations on winning a custom made tote (I love Pottery Barn as well!) I will email you and we will get going with making you a fabulous new tote! To everyone else, be sure to check back at the end of March for another great giveaway. =) Happy Crafting!!

DIY Japanese Style Book

Love love love this!!! Everyone knows that handmade gifts are the best and this tutorial for a handmade Japanese bound book is for sure a crowd pleaser!!! Little Bird Secrets has a wealth of tutorials, recipes, and just cool stuff. If anyone has a go at making a book please share, I can't wait to try it myself.

New Home Found!!

Well after weeks of searching and tons of houses and apartments inspected I am proud to announce that we found our new home!!

Even though our house has been on the market for only about 2.5 weeks, we have had three showings and are having more this week. Anyone who has kids knows that trying to keep the house spotless and such is really really hard. And speaking from house hunting experience, I would much rather see an empty house than a house that is filled with someone else's stuff. So we decided that it would be best to move before the house sells.

Our new home is a lovely townhouse in a historic part of town. All the houses are huge, have tons of original woodwork, inlaid cabinet work, and best of all, a third floor that has a large play space and a separate office space. There isn't a dishwasher, but I am sure that I will be ok, most of the homes that try to keep with the historic nature don't upgrade to dishwashers.


So now we have some painting to do... lots of painting.... and I am stumped this time around. I bought Gabby some special green and blue apple fabric for curtains so a green or blue for her room. AJ will be a purple or pink, but I have no clue for the bathroom or our bedroom. (shown below) Any color schemes you love??? We are going to leave the kitchen the avocado since it will go with all my strawberry stuff, but I am all set to paint everywhere else!

*GIVEAWAY* in honor of my new friend!

I quickly discovered that a week without a sewing machine is not a fun thing... boring..... I read reviews of different of machines, in good sewing books, blogs, anything to point me in the right direction when getting a new sewing machine. Being a novice of course I looked at what the big box stores had, but nothing really impressed me. So I went to the locally owned sewing shop around the corner from my house....and fell in love!

The saleslady was uber nice and showed me a couple different models, but the one that caught my eye was the Janome Magnolia 7330. What a beautiful machine indeed!! It is high quality without being flashy, has lots of features without being overpowering, and most important- it has flowers on it! =) I call her Daisy!

So in honor of my new sewing machine I will be giving away something by yours truly! The winner will have his or her choice of one out of three different items- all custom created, everything from size to color!

*Tote bag:Fully lined, pockets inside and out, heavy cotton for durability, ring for keys to be hooked to. (Project Design by Lotta Jansdotter)

*Yoga Mat Tote: Wide strap for comfortable carrying, pocket for keys and cell phone, ribbon closure. (Project Design by Lotta Jansdotter)

*Decorative bed or Couch Pillow: Custom applique with pocket perfect for a book and reading glasses! (This is my own design, sorry no pics of the ones I have made yet!!) Just know it is very cool if you are an avid reader with books all over the place. Stuffed with Eco-fil it is uber soft and cozy.

*************************************************************************

So here is what you have to do to win:

1. Tell me what you would like to win and why, do you have a favorite project book?

2. Leave your name and email

3. Giveaway runs from today until Weds night at midnight

4. Only comment once

Interesting...

Looking through past posts I had a startling revelation. I have written so little about one of my biggest loves, one of my most enduring loves- dance.

Of course I share thoughts about my kids, and I can't really write too much about the hubby because of what he does. I talk about my crafting, love of Etsy, and all manners of things. But for some reason I keep dance to myself. All I know is that if it wasn't for dance, I wouldn't be here. It may sound dramatic but it is true.

Dance has been my safety net when life went wrong over and over again, a place where I could go inside myself where I forgot how hungry I was, how tired, how sad or confused. Just me, music, movement. Nothing else exists when I dance. Now that I am a dance teacher I am trying to show my students how much fun moving can be. I don't care about pointed toes, pretty arms, or even rhythm. Just listen to the music, move your body, and have fun I tell all the little ones that come to me every Sat. morning. Who know? Maybe dance will save one of them?

“When you perform you are out of yourself-larger and more potent, more
beautiful. You are for minutes heroic. This is power. This is glory on earth.
And it is yours nightly.” ~Agnes De Mille