I thought I would get stuff done!

Well, I didn't get my quilt bound, since I lost the binding fabric.  I did get the binding sewn on to the Halloween coasters, but not stitched down. So, fingers crossed, they will be finished this week. I hope!

I did get several blocks done for D2. Bright sawtooth stars with black backgrounds, all very scrappy.  I am so glad D2 and EJ love those bright colors, or I don't know what I'd do! 

This will be the center block, since it's her favorite so far.

I get why I didn't finish anything, the kids have started winding up the school year.  S1 had his first camping season camp out, as well as finishing his Eagle requirements.  He HAS to be done by Friday, because then my baby turns 18!

D2 and S2 had dance rehearsals and recitals over the last week.  That was lot of driving around, and then D2 started play rehearsals! We also had the LAST FIELD TRIP of the year!!  All the kids say that like some dodos talking about a certain watermelon!  Somewhere in there we squeezed in some yard and house work, as well as helping DH with a couple house projects.   In fact, I'm hoping he can do that last little bit today!  There may be some finishing touches later, but right now he just wants to get the basics done!

I don't want school to start!

But it does.  Tomorrow.  We had an amazing summer, and I don't want it to end!!!!  There was no post last week since we went camping.  In the rain!  I kind of enjoy camping in the rain.  I wouldn't complain if it was beautiful and sunny, either. It was fun, as the kids played in the river and lived off of roasted marshmellows and hotdogs!   And I got a ton of stuff worked on!

First up are some pillow covers I made using scraps.  My goal is "no-new fabric." Which didn't work out too well.  But maybe as long as I use more than I buy, I'm fine.  The blue border fabric I had to buy, but that was it.  I have another set in another color scheme for our own house. 

The basket and coaster were also scrap projects, made with out buying anything except the interfacing.   The stash of blue and yellow fabric had developed overtime as I made things for my best friend's kitchen.  I have another of each in different colors to finish this week.  It's kind of fun to make all these up, and then put each pile together and see where our tastes diverge!

  We have also almost finished painting the house!  All we have left is the trim and a little bit of cutting!!! YAY!!

Besides school starting, I'm not sure what will happen this week.  Everyone's schedule is just a little messed up right now!!

Exciting things going on around here!!

The most important is my patio.  I never really wanted a patio, and if I was picking a spot for a patio, it would be somewhere near the kitchen.  But my husband likes split levels.  So there is absolutely "near the kitchen".  But what we did have were 2 two-car garages and 1 two-car carport.  No one needs that many vehicles.  And DH is *NOT* a car guy.  So they were filled with *stuff*.  You know, the *stuff* that needs to go to the dump or the Goodwill.  So you put it in the garage until you have time to get it all loaded and dropped off.  So the carport is coming down.  And I'll have a patio whether I want one or not!   I don't have a 'before' picture handy, but since Friday, that is what we have been working on!

After stripping the lights and electrical.

 So we learned about turning off and disconnecting electrical.  And had a grand time getting the lights out!  That mostly S1 and me, with the others upset because they couldn't reach the lights to help get them out.

The pile of shingles.

 Stripping the shingles and felt paper went pretty fast.  The kids were very proud of the pile that resulted!  It was somewhat like jumping in leaves.  I was pretty sure jumping in it like leaves would have been a bad idea!

 

 

It'll be a nice, sunny patio!

I am already planning what I want to do with the patio.  It'll be a nice size, with good sun.  And DH hasn't had to do anything in this project!  Which is good since it's his busy time of year!

I also got some projects done! 

 I finished the garland for D2.  She got really good at weaving in ends when we assembled it!  It did come out longer than I had anticipated, which is good, since she ended up wanting long enough to go around the room!

 I made a dishcloth in MY favorite color.  I'm sure it'll get lost as soon as it goes through the wash, LOL!

And I made myself a dress.  DH really likes it, and D2 wants when I grow out of it.  So it's a winner all around!

This week I want to finish taking down the carport.  Aside from that, I don't know!

No, August isn't almost here!

I really do not care what the calender says!!!  I can say that I really don't remember last week.  Every time I THOUGHT I had a day at home, I didn't.  And somethings you have to leave the house, like grocery shopping.  I did get one project done.  Last year's Christmas present for my bestest friend ever.  I lost it after cutting out all the pieces, and for some reason kids thought it would be helpful to "put away."  Under D2's bed.  Not sure of the logic there, but we found it!  In July.  So after the chaos of camps, and getting S1 home from West Virginia, I got time with my sewing machine.  She hasn't seen it yet, and she may check today so she can.   But anyways, here it is.

I made it fully reversible, so the inside is yellow with a blue ruffle.  Her favorite color since we were 16 is cobalt blue, a rather difficult color to find in fabric.  The apron is all wrapped up and ready to give, we just need to work out a day for a visit.  She's only a 3 hours away, but catching the ferry in tourist season is, well, there are no polite words for it. (And that's just the ferry, it's worse when they start driving!!!GRRR!) (Can we tell I have an issue?)

I also started a new crochet project for D2's room.  A flower garland.  Right now I am still making the flowers.

It's one of those great little time fillers.  Waiting to leave? Make up a flower.  Waiting for someone to get home?  Make up a flower.  We have 11 out of 20 done, and then I'll crochet the ribbon they will hang from.

We also got a huge portion on our carport cleaned out, so I could finally get to the demolition work that needed to get done.  DH wasn't impressed.  He isn't ready for the thing to come down, and I've been waiting for YEARS!!! So the kids and I started with all the bits and pieces that had no purpose,  like the wood nailed to the frame, 6 inches thick,  to do what?  Be there?  5 HOURS later, we called it quits for the day.  The next day, I primed all the parts of the attached wall (for a different building!) I could get to.  Then came the cloudy weather.  But that's okay because I have tons of inside work to do as well. 

After yet another discussion about the carport, I think he has agreed I can take it down, however he wants nothing to do with it. Which I am really ok with, because the man has a tone of his own house projects to work on.  Which is what I've been telling him, but he thought I wanted *him* to take the stupid thing down.  Now, to learn about disconnecting electrical.

Who knows what this week will bring.  I am hoping dome more good weather, as well as a really short errand list!! 

And another thing almost accomplished!

Last week, we did some some more canning, plum conserves. My goal was 25 jars, and we got it done.  We always give a jar to the neighbors that let the kids pick the plums, plus 2 jars a month til next year. 

We also got started on a house project that I have been wanting to do for years.  But it always seemed too big for our DIY skills.  Now that we are working on it, it is disgustingly simple.  Here is a photo of the space that we had.  We have no idea what it was for.  To small for coats or linens, but in the wrong part of the house to be a broom closet.  It was just a space where it was. 

 

This is what the bottom half looks like now.   We used cedar tongue in groove planks to line the back, although my hubby has to go get more because I am lousy at math!  The sides will be lined in cedar as well, and we will be spacing the shelves every other plank.  The perfect height for our DVDs to be in!  There should be plenty of room for all the movies we have, but I have already told the children and husband that if they don't all fit, something has to go.  My goal this week is to finish lining it while I look for what shelving I want. 

This is the one sewing project I finished.  It is the trial and error version of our teacher appreciation gift for Halloween.  I'll be making each teacher a set of two, as well as baking some treats to go into the staff lounge on the day of Halloween.  I figure even our single male staff need kitchen towels!  I hate getting stupid useless gifts. I can appreciate the though without appreciating the gift.  LOL, I've had a few of those in my life.  I tend to lean towards things are useful as well as attractive.  Although everyone has a different view of attractive. I haven't had any complaints yet, so I think I'm on the right track!

 
This week should see some progress on the closet, hopefully all of the lining in, and a few of these towels done.  I'm starting early, just in case life gets in the way!  With school starting up, so is everything else!!

School starts!!!!

My list was pretty short.  Get everyone ready for school to start.  Now, for some reason, my hubby seems to think it's like getting ready for grocery shopping. You get in and go.  But it takes a lot more than that!  Between school shopping, pep talks, getting back on schedule, all the paper work that must be done, it feels as if I need to get ready for the getting ready.  But off they went today, and came home happy! 

I didn't get any sewing done last week. Instead I spent my time in the kitchen and canned!  I love canning, but only when I have adequate help!  otherwise Things burn, break, and generally go sour fast.  We received zucchini from a friend and made several jars of zuke relish.  I think 18?  And I have more to do.  And we have 13 jars of plum conserve from the neighbors' plum tree. And I have more of that do do.  We didn't get quite enough strawberries this year, but I may make a batch of mixed berry jam.  YUM!  The kids aren't quite sure how they feel about the dried plums. No, they aren't prunes.  Those are a different kind of plum!  There are no pictures, since my hands were full, but maybe after I get everything moved to the pantry.  Hubby did get me a journal to keep track of what and how much I can after I over- and under-estimated how much we use.  So this year will be the first time I know how much is going into the pantry.  Then next year I can see how much we have left and adjust how much I need to make (or keep!).  I thought it was a great idea and very thoughtful of him!!

This week has more canning as well as a small home improvement project. I've been putting it off for a couple of years, but NOW is the time!! I am hoping to have it done by next weekend.  This weekend would be awesome, but unlikely!

I am done painting!!!

For this summer anyways!  Both the girls' room and S1's room are done!  Now I just need to get more trim!  I am thinking that I can get one length a week between now and the end of summer, and that should do it.  Here is S1's "new" room.

This was taken the night the paint had finished curing. Which is also the night before he came home from his 50-miler hike!  I cut it a little close there!  It looked so clean before he moved his stuff back in!

I also made some cordials this past week.  I really enjoyed the simplicity of chop, dump, mix!  And I LOVE how they look all lined up on the counter to do their thing for the next few weeks!

The raspberries are from a friend's garden, and I had to breakdown and buy cherries and blackberries.  My garden just isn't doing so well this year.  We did get peas in, and I did a second planting of those to see if we could get more.  But that is "extra" in my mind. 

The only sewing I got done was some mending.  But it got stuff put away and I got to play with my machine.  So it was something, and that is better than nothing.  This week, I'd like to get all of S1's stuff out of the living room, and maybe get a quilt basted. That may depend on the weather though. 

Almost back to normal!

With the oldest away at camp, I have realized how many hands are necessary to run this house at a preferred level, LOL!  On top of that, I emptied his room yesterday so I could paint while he was gone, since then I don't have to worry about where he'd sleep each night.  They think it's fun one night to camp out in other rooms, but after that they start to get crabby about it.  And I don't blame them!  It took all day to get everything out, and then pull nails, fill the holes, and scrape & scrub the tape off the walls.  NO MORE TAPE ON MY WALLS!  Put whatever you want on the door, but leave the walls alone!  That child had stuff taped EVERYWHERE! The walls, the sides of bookcases, drawer fronts. I have no idea why I painted his furniture last year or why he wants his walls painted now!  It'll look great, and maybe having a color HE likes as opposed to what we had on hand when we moved in will make a difference.  We did get the outside trim around the rec room windows painted, and D2 is mastering the masking tape skills.  Although she didn't particularly love the masking, either. I don't if she'll be willing to help in S1's room.  We'll see.

I didn't get anything finished over the weekend, and I have little hope for this week.  The list is getting longer and longer, and time is running shorter and shorter. I can't believe summer is almost over!!!! So off I go to see what I can get done today!

Just a little bit behind

All of the camps are over except for 2, neither of which do I need to be there for.  S1 is going on a 50-miler for Scouts, and D2 will be doing a dance camp.  Easy-peasy for me.  I finished one project last week, a kitty print bone pillow.  I took a photo, and promptly lost my camera, so no pictures! 

The girls' room is still waiting for the last little bit of trim, and then I will be painting S1's room while he is gone.  I am very happy that no primer is required!  Just get the paint on!  He chose a soft grey, named "sharkskin".  Appropriate for a teenage boy, I think.  When we first bought the house, there were glow in the dark castles on the wall, but I got some primer and paint on the first weekend we were in the house.  It wasn't pretty, but it wasn't glow in the dark either.  I am hoping this paint job won't take an entire week.   I also have a quilt to finish for the D2 and a bunch of other little projects to get wound up and finished. 

We have spent the little free time we had last week de-cluttering the house.  In two days we took 10 boxes to the goodwill.  And the girls are still saying they have nothing to wear. HA! They are learning the error of that by doing laundry this week!  I'd like to get through more drawers and closets this week, but I am not going to hold my breath.  It is amazing how much stuff we think we need, and how much we never really use.  DH says we "need" the  two or three 8x8 casserole dishes we never use because it takes all three cook enough for us.  I say get one the right size, and get rid of all the rest.  Maybe he needs to dishes more often! LOL...

On the yard work list, I am hoping to build a real compost bin this month.  We have a semi-contained pile, but with 6 people, it get bigger than average.  We get great dirt out of it, and it isn't spread out all over, but I am sure the neighbors would like something a little bit more screened off.  So now I am off to see what I can get done sooner instead of later!!

No sewing...

or anything relaxing last week. However I did get one big, long put off, house project (mostly) done.  The girls' room is PAINTED!  And most of the trim is in, but we ran out.  So I think I'll just buy 10 feet a week until it is done. We are putting in through out the house, so I'm not worried about getting too much. So here is the "before" picture from last week.

Oh that glow in the dark paint was bad!  And notice how the ceiling LOOKS white?  Well, it wasn't, and we never noticed until we painted!  It is GREEN!  Pale enough to look white with the old blue walls, but rather obvious with the new yellow!

So now we have added painting the ceiling to the list of things that need to get done, but I think that will be NEXT summer. I have 2 more rooms to paint before September!  Here is the trim. Much better than the old stuff, which went around the room and over the closet and door.  It was glow in the dark too.

Since the trim is going all through the house, it is the only thing the kids get no say in, much to their displeasure.  But the girls are happy with the end result, aside from realizing the ceiling is green.

This week is all about getting everything in order for 2 weeks of day camp.  Cubbie camp followed by VBS.  I will definitely need some down time over the weekends, so maybe then I will get some sewing in!  Or at least hiding in the workshop staining some more trim!

It's July!

Almost to the summer halfway point. And  I am so not ready.  We had a quiet week with 2 kids away at camp, which meant...I got stuff done!  Only three crafty things, but lots of home stuff! 

The first item I finished was the girls dresser scarf.  The last one for the house! YAY!  I also finished a non-seasonal pillow cover for the living room.  I love changing them out for the season and holidays, but you can only get away with St. Patrick's for so long, LOL!  I also knit myself a cowel, I think it will be easier in the winter than wearing a scarf around the house!

 The applique on the pillow is from one of my cricut cartridges.  I used fusible webbing and the stitched it down once it was in place.  I do NOT like round parts!  D2 liked the left over sashing fabric, so that is what we used for her runner.  I have one little scrap left, so I think it was well done!

Below is the "before" picture of the girls bedroom walls.  Ugh! They hated them.  Those flowers glow in the dark!  So does the trim!   They designated the "over the closet" part of wall for posting photos.
 

The girls picked out a soft yellow and wood trim, so two walls are painted, trim in being stained, then I get to move the furniture over and paint the other two walls.  Fun. And time consuming.  But it was the only way to do it while they were at camp.  They got their share of work in, though.  All clothes had to be gone though before I would start!

I don't have a lot of plans for this week. Mostly finishing the room, and getting ready for more camps.  But I have high hopes of getting a couple other rooms painted this summer, as well as some stitchery projects I've been wanting to do.