Evelyn and I have been in Missouri now for almost three weeks and it certainly has been a busy time! Right from the get go we were busy with projects…first we had to clean and paint our new place, get all the furniture situated, unpack everything, organize some more, and we’re still not done J Mainly cuz I’m working on the cutesy decorating aspect now, I can’t have bare walls! Not for 9 months anyway :) So far it’s still a mess so I’m not posting any pics but it’s coming along pretty good, perfect for our needs anyway. I also still need to get my internet set up but every time I think about it I’m doing something else and then when I’m free I don’t remember. Luckily I have my trusty new iphone and internet access at my parents so I’m not completely cut off.
Over the past few months I’ve been perusing crafty blogs and making a nice big list of stuff I want to work on and do these next months while Mark’s gone. I’ve done a couple already, some I’m going to redo or do my way and some have turned out good the first time. I found a trusty new Singer sewing machine at an antique/flea market place (for $25 too!). I just need to replace the needleplate and it’ll be working perfect. I’ve been using my Granny’s old Singer Featherweight in the meantime, perfect little machine right there…still truckin’ along after years and years of use! Gotta love those old machines.
Anyway, the first non-house thing I worked on was an etsy order for five pairs of baby shoes…which are always quick, easy and adorable! This lady just wanted a bunch of plain shoes to go with multiple outfits for her baby and I was happy to oblige her…nice little profit to cover my new sewing machine and more! They turned out cute, as always, and she loved them.
Next I did a purse I’ve had in my files for a while…I found this fabric in Mississippi and LOVE it so I thought it would be perfect for this project, unfortunately it is one of the ones I want to redo…mainly to make it bigger (the tutorial pic looked a lot bigger than it is!) and to reinforce some areas to make it sturdier. For now though it’s a cute little purse that I can use on the few occasions I don’t have Evelyn with me. Aren’t the colors so yummy? (I’ve been using that word to describe a lot of my fabrics lately, which might be an odd word but it really is true! I was at a store in Nauvoo last week and the fabric there was SO YUMMY…I coulda spent forever there and TONS of money and gotten in a lot of trouble but it woulda been worth it… :) )
Next I worked on a little craft/work area in my new place. Annie and I have been drooling over these scrapbook/craft rooms we’ve seen online so I decided I wanted to do a smidgen of my dream work area. I wanted it mainly cuz I’ve been in a scrapbook funk for months now, mainly cuz I have SO much stuff and hate having to take it all out every time I want to work on a page or do something. It sucks cuz you don’t know what you’ll use or need til you’re working on it and having to go back and dig around every time I have an idea just makes it frustrating and not as fun. I’m so jealous of these craft rooms which have a space for everything and everything is easily accessible and oh so cute too! I made this little area to put out the most common supplies I use as well as having space to work on pages and having easy access to the other supplies not seen. This little counter space was perfect for it and I’m pretty pleased with myself. I found these adorable containers at Target (LOVE LOVE LOVE Target!!!!). They were only .50 and I wish I had gotten more!
After I got those I decided to make a hanging strip where I could hang these cute little baggies filled with ribbons, ink, etc. I used the same pattern as I did for Evelyn’s little baggies, I thought they were perfect for a craft area, and so cute! I used the turquoise/brown/red colors from the Target containers and put little flowers on them and then put Velcro on the fabric strip I hung up and voila! I can easily take them off to get what I need and then hang them right back up and out of the way! I also found this office organizer at Wal Mart that was on clearance for some of my bigger/bulkier and things I don’t want Evelyn to have easy access to (aka. Scissors, Cricut Cartridges, etc.). That’s all I’ve done so far in that area but I love it! I think next week I’ll actually start scrapbooking. I’m waaaaaayyyyyy behind and need to catch up before I get even further behind!
A lot of the projects I have revolve around Evelyn. There are just SO many great ideas out there for little girls and the blogs I’ve been reading are particularly awesome and so thrifty! These women do a lot with reusing old shirts or shirts and things from thrift stores. I have a tutorial I’ve set aside that takes a man’s button up shirt and you use it to make a little girls dress. So cute! I haven’t finished mine yet cuz I was getting settled but I did manage some time to work on these cute little shirts.
I got this free tutorial from (well and decided I wanted to make one for Evelyn! She didn’t particularly like it the first time I tried it on her but Tani did (she and Evie are best friends btw…they are so cute and Evelyn just LOVES her! They are SO funny together too). So I made Tani her own shirt…pink and purple at her request cuz they’re two of her favorite colors. She looks so cute in it! They look more like nurses shirts though to me rather than kimonos but oh well! Still cute!
Well I think that’s all the projects I have finished so far. I have one drying on my floor that I need to hang up but they aren’t ready yet so you’ll have to wait for that one. These next few weeks look a little calmer so I’ll have plenty of project/craft time.
Other than moving and crafting I took a little trip up to Nauvoo with my mom and sisters, which actually got cut short due to family stuff which I won’t go into cuz it’s kinda crazy and chaotic, as most family stuff is, but most of you know anyway and everything’s good now so no need…anyway, we went to go to a Nauvoo Women’s retreat but only some of us ended up going. We went to one talk and then Emily and I were able to go to a temple session, which was what I wanted to do the most anyway and it was wonderful and perfect and just what I needed. The temple is always wonderful but I particularly LOVE going to the Nauvoo Temple, it’s just so utterly beautiful (they all are) and so much history and family ties and we got married there and it’s just wonderful to go back.
We got to spend some time with Monie while we were there, which is always nice, and lil’ Kady, who’s adorable and getting ready to be a big sister this summer! If I haven’t already mentioned or you haven’t heard, Monie is due in July with a baby boy. We’re all excited for that, me especially cuz I’m doing a photo shoot for the little tyke when he comes. I’ve been looking at lots of photography blogs and have lots of fun ideas to do. I can’t wait! Anywho, we got to go to a couple stores in Nauvoo, my favorite of course being the fabric one. :) Fabric is my new obsession, with scrapbook paper quickly following. I just LOVE the patterns and colors and everything yummy about them. J Moda fabric is my fav. They’re patterns and colors are the yummiest of all!!!
Off that tangent again…..that’s pretty much the bulk of what I’ve been doing so far! We’ve been able to email and skype with Mark a lot, which is wonderful, and he is doing well so far. The time difference sucks (14 hours ahead he is!) and he had a bit of a hard time adjusting but he’s good now. He got there and jumped right into working and settling in but said things are slowly down to a normal pace and he’s doing well. We miss him lots of course but are doing fine despite his absence. It’s wonderful to be home with family and to be with my mom and sisters and nieces and nephews again. Evelyn loves all the kids and getting to play regularly with them. She was a bit lonely the last part of Mississippi.
Speaking of family, yesterday (well Wednesday now...) Michael and Jessica Erwin had the wonderful happiness of adding a new member to their fam, little baby girl Erwin arrived yesterday prevning, is utterly adorable and cute and doesn’t yet have a name but we’re all excited she came and is healthy and mom is doing great and yay for babies! Congrats again you guys! Can’t wait to meet her!!!! (They have a name now too, Charlotte Anne, so cute!)
