All in a day's work...

I am rocking my list for this weekend.

I wasn't sure last night that it would happen.  I had a peasant dress that was about 75% done, but I got frustrated with it and had thrown it in the corner.  So I pulled it back out to finish.  But Ethel sounded really sick.  I was worried.  I put everything up and made a plan to go get some oil and do some maintenance work on her this morning.

I'm a horrible seamstress and had never done it before.  I've had her since before Isabelle was born.  She's about to turn 6.  Granted, I didn't use her much until the past three years, but three years is a very long time for a machine to go without TLC.

I ran to get some oil and gave her a lube job.  She was much happier afterwards.  So, in between our 8 loads of laundry today, I sewed. 

Let me show you...


Like how she's holding up that cloud?  ;)

I finished the peasant dress.  It is a free pattern on Fabric.com.  Although I've made peasant dresses without patterns before.  They're not that hard.  Olivia has been wearing it since I finished, but Zoe tried it on and I think it looks a little better on her short body.  The band at the bottom hits her at a little better spot, I think.

After that, I got to work on figuring out how to make a romper.  I think rompers are adorable, but I have a few issues with them.  First of all, you have to take them off to go to the bathroom.  There's not much I can do about that.  Secondly, most of the patterns I've seen require some sort of assistance for the kid to get them on... ties or buttons or whatnot.  Call me lazy, but I don't want to help my kids get redressed every time they have to pee.  So I schemed for a few days to come up with a solution.

My kids have a different issue with rompers.  They rarely wear shorts or pants.  The girls were late to school one day this week because all Olivia had clean to wear to school were shorts and she refused to get dressed.  But I was going to try to make the romper girly enough that they might be convinced to wear it without tears.

And how did it go?  Let's see...





It is loose and frilly enough to pass as a dress, but you can do this...



... and not show your underoos to the neighbors. (Obviously not something Olivia is concerned about =/ )

I am going to try to work up a tutorial for it, in case anyone is interested.  It's super simple and, yes, she can get it off and on without any help.  =)

So, that's my day.  I still need to fold two loads of laundry and wash the dishes.  Then I get to spend the rest of the night seriously cleaning the living room to prepare for some new furniture.  Exciting, I know....

Weekend Plans

Let's try something, shall we?  I don't normally plan out my weekends craft-wise, but maybe if I have some sort of plan, I will be able to accomplish things.  Maybe.  ;)

Friday night

• If the kids are cooperative, work on finishing the peasant dress and/or the pillowcase dress that are half finished (It's rare for me to have sewing UFOs, so it's making me a little crazy because I want to move on but have to finish them first.)
• Finish my 1st pillowcase square.
• Try to talk Iz down from a cheeseburger pillow to just a cheeseburger softie.  

Saturday

• Laundry day.  
• I want to see if I can work this out without a pattern:

Source: whimsycouturepatternshop.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

I'm not exactly sure why I'm going to do this... my kids are anti-pants.  But maybe with enough ruffles?

• Keep working on pillowcase squares while catching up on my DVR shows

Sunday

We're most likely going to be headed to  my parents' house to pick up their recliners (I cannot wait to toss our tan couch on the curb... and yes it's getting trashed, it's not fit for donation), so I don't know how much time I'll have for much of anything, so I'll just plan on working on pillow squares or a cheeseburger.  =)

Do you have any big plans for the weekend?

37 Before 37

I've seen a lot of people make lists of so many things they want to do before their next birthday, and I kind of wanted to do that, but never really found it important enough to plan out, I guess.  Then I had a brainstorm yesterday (it was a very brainstormy day) and decided what I was going to do.

My 37 doesn't mean good deeds or goals.  My 37 is pounds.  I am striving to lose 37 pounds by my birthday, which is about 35 or 36 weeks away (I got distracted while counting...).  I think that's a totally reasonable goal since it's about a pound a week.  I'm going to try to make one little change a week to improve my and my family's diet.

I'm going to dust off my old weight loss blog and if you'd like to follow along, I have a link to the side over there ---->.  (There's not much on the blog at the moment, just so you know)  I'll probably update on it here once in a while, but I'll leave the day-to-day stuff over there because I know not everyone is interested.  ;)  But if you are, feel free to keep me accountable.  I'll do the same if you ask.

Birthday preparations

I am in a far, far better mood today.  I figured I would be.  Thanks for putting up with my whininess.

The Green Kangaroo (aka Isabelle... or Velveeta, depending on the day) is turning 6 next month and I asked her if she wanted me to make her a pillow for her birthday.  She's always had an attachment to her pillow, much like some kids have with their blankets.  She carries that stupid pillow everywhere.  It's not special, just a standard pillow (that's been replaced a few times when she wasn't home).  I thought maybe she'd like a special pillow.  I was thinking a flower pillow... which she's totally down for. 

But that's not all.  Somehow, she got in her head that she wanted a cheeseburger pillow.  Cheeseburger?  Yes, cheeseburger.  I don't know why... I really don't question her too much any more. 

Oh, but wait.... there's more.  She wants a granny square pillow, too.  The child loves granny squares.  Is this hooker proud?  Yes.

But with less than a month to go, I don't see me making three pillows.  Sorry, Iz.

I had a brainstorm today and decided that we'd combine the granny and flower pillow.  I went in search of flower-like grannies and this is what I came up with...

Source: ravelry.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

The Odyssey

Source: ravelry.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Anticipation Mystery

Source: ravelry.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

More V's Please

All three are 12" squares and after some figuring, I believe 12 of them will make a pillow case.  That way I can wash it when it needs after she drags it around.  It may be a tad roomy, but I crochet tight, so it may be just right. And I didn't want anything overtly flower-y or too 3-D since she'll probably sleep with it. 

The Dodo and I went to pick out yarn for it.



I'm going to work on it at night so it's a surprise, but I'll probably do the cheeseburger with her around.  I am improvising the cheeseburger.  I looked, but couldn't find a cheeseburger pillow pattern.  Imagine that....  ;)  I did find one that was about 6", so obviously there are people out there who need burgers to cuddle with other than my odd child.

My project list kind of exploded on me today.... I realized my mom's birthday is coming up, and Mother's Day.  Oh, and Teacher Appreciation is in May, I think.  Gracious.

I wish my brain would stop it.

I've been somewhat quiet the past week, haven't I?  You know how sometimes you have so much to do that you just don't even know where to start?  That's how I've been feeling, only it's not so much things I have  to do.  It's all things I want to do and I just don't even know where to begin. 



My crochet to do is kind of sad... my crafting seems to be seasonal and it's sewing season.  I've put aside the baby blanket for right now and I made a sweet little strawberry hat to send to my friend.  They love to go strawberry picking, so I thought it was perfect.  Only I'm afraid it's too small.  Like I've had a baby head around here recently to compare it to...  I'd show you a picture if I could remember to take one before it's dark out.

My sewing list is really even longer than that.  I have a few patterns I want to try... shrink that vintage pattern..  all kinds of things.

And the sticky notes are things I think of at work that need to be done at home.  I'm not doing a very good job checking much off tonight.

I just want to get in there and make.  Create.  But I have other things I have to do.  Then I get cranky because I don't want to go mate socks.  I want to sew.  So I don't do anything.

I'm also experiencing some spring fever.... I want to purge and organize this house so badly.  But when? 

If I could, I would quit my job tomorrow.  Not because I think stay-at-home moms have it easier.  But because I really want to focus on what's important to me.  Doing more things with the kids.  Having a house that's not embarrassing.  Possibly working on building a business related to my sewing and crocheting.   Not dragging myself to work every morning to do something that does not stimulate me in any way anymore.

But I have to work.  I know plenty of people make it on one income, but I've never been able to make the numbers work for us.  And I'm not the greatest at budgeting, so having a really tight budget would most likely be a disaster in the making.  Plus, we're spoiled.  I was so miserable going to work Monday, and then Bill and I started talking about making a trip to Memphis in a few months and I realized that I'd be unhappy if we didn't get to take little trips like that.  There are just things we don't want to give up that we'd have to if our income was cut in half.

I know I sound really whiny.  I just have to get it out somehow because it's like no one listens to me.  No one believes that I would really be satisfied staying at home, so they just blow me off.  Once upon a time, that totally would have been the case.  But the past few times that I've taken off work just to be home, people have been like "oh, you'll be glad to get back to work after a week home with the kids!"  And I haven't.  I enjoyed it far too much.

Maybe one of these days my brain will click and I'll figure out how to budget my time and resources better and learn to balance work and home and hobby.  In the meantime, I just need to weather these moments of discontent.  My life isn't bad at all and I don't want to seem ungrateful for all the wonderful blessings I do have by wishing for more.  I am very grateful.  I think we all have to be a whiny brat once in a while, though.  Right?

Meet Lucy

Meet Lucy.  My new (to me) serger.  Hi, Lucy!

It took me an hour to thread that beast.  I felt like I had to name it because of all the ugly things I had called it during that hour.  

I have to tell you a secret.  I'm an idiot.  Really.  I was so excited about this serger, but I didn't really do any research into it.  So I took my sewing machine and put it up.  Plunked ol' Lucy down and went to work trying to get it set up.  I had no clue what I was doing, really.  Just following along with the booklet to get it threaded and then I did a test run.



Yeah, baby!  It works!  And for an older machine, one that's been sitting in storage for years, it runs so smooth.  She's a fiesty one.

Then I started really looking at it.  I ran another test with a larger seam allowance, and yep... it slices the extra right off.  But wait... that is great for seams, but what about everything else?  It can't lop stuff off like that all the time.

I ran to the computer to do some Googling.  Ahhhhh.  I see....

I need my sewing machine, too!  Dummy me thought I could just replace it.  Nope, it still very much has a job still.

I never named my sewing machine.  So I decided it was time.  She's Ethel.  Ethel and Lucy.  Ethel is still up on the shelf in the laundry room because I have another problem right now.

I don't have room for two machines.  The horror!

My sewing table is just crammed into a corner of my bedroom.  I have my cutting mat on one side, the machine on the other.  My tub of fabric has to be moved (along with other bags o'crafts that seem to be multiplying faster than rabbits) anytime I want to sew.  The whole reason that I set up my corner was so that I could sew when I wanted to, but I've accumulated so much junk that it's just not working that way anymore.  And to add another machine? 

So I have an idea.  I don't know if it's a good idea yet, but it's an idea.  We have a 3 bedroom house, which is currently divided up into Master Bedroom, Girls' bedroom, playroom.  The girls hardly ever play in their playroom because it's always a disaster.  So why not split the playroom with them?  I take half as a sewing area, they get the other half as a playroom.  I can get more sewing done, not having to be sequestered in my room.  I'll have better lighting.  Isabelle even said I could tape off my area so they could keep the toys out of it (as if).  I need to run it by the Mister to see what he thinks. 

I have two major misgivings about it.  First, and most importantly, I worry that my stuff won't be safe.  They don't mess with it in my room very often, but they aren't really supposed to be in there anyway.  I can lock up alot of things, but I'd have to figure out how to keep the machines safe.

Secondly, the girls aren't going to share a bedroom forever.  Eventually, Olivia is going to demand some privacy.  Probably sooner rather than later.  We didn't think the separate playroom would be a permanent arrangement, and since she's 7 now I'm sure the time is coming to an end quickly.  That would be the end of my sewing space.  I know we won't live in this house forever... maybe I can hold her off until we decide to move. 

I need to figure out what to do soon... I have things I want to sew!

The Vintage Dress... planning stages

I mentioned in my last post that there was a particular vintage pattern for a little girl's dress that I fell in love with.



There is no date on the pattern, so I'm not sure how old it is.  Based on similar patterns in the batch, I'm guessing from the 40s or early 50s.  I am sure it's a mail order pattern, but there was no envelope.  I have searched high and low online to find out who might have made the pattern... I checked a few vintage pattern sights and no luck.

I decided to look to see what shape the pattern was in and this is what I discovered:



It's a pre-cut pattern!  And looks unused.  If you notice in the top left of the first picture, it reads "10 YEARS".  That's the size and the pattern was sent just in that size, precut.  Pretty nifty.  Also pretty inconvenient since my kids are nowhere near being the size of a 10 year old.  Isabelle has the largest chest measurement at 25".  There aren't any measurements with the pattern, so I thought, "let's measure the pattern."



From the middle of the front to the side edge is around 9".  Doubled is 18".  Allowing for 5/8" seams, we're still looking at over 16", making a 32" chest, which seams big even for a 10 year old, but then again, I've never measured a 10 year old.  Maybe my math is screwy - it is late and I am tired.  Regardless... it's too big.  I may hold it up to the girls to get an idea of how big it is, but I'm pretty sure we're looking at more than just roomy.

But I think I can work with this.  The skirt is just a simple circle skirt.  I verified that when I laid out the skirt pattern.  I can work up the top with proper dimensions... I think.  I've never done darts before, so that might be a little tricky.

Then I need to decide how to handle the scallops on the neck and arm holes.  The pattern calls for them to be hemmed and then you work a buttonhole embroidery stitch around them.  I'm thinking some facing instead.  I just don't see me embroidering all that.  Yeah... not happening.

I'm up for the challenge.  I'm making this dress.

Astro Boy and those old pictures I promised.

It's Spring Break here, so the girls aren't in school.  We've had very light days at work and I was able to go in late this morning, and they were awake before I left.  My husband was not.  I gave the girls some toast and put Astro Boy on to keep them occupied for a little while so Bill could wake up.  I went in to wake him and tell him I was leaving and let him know what the girls were up to.

When I got home, he asked me what I had said to him when I woke him up.  I said "I told you the girls have toast and they're watching Astro Boy."  He started laughing and said that in his sleepy mind he heard "The girls are doing crafts with Astroglide."

Crafts with lubricant?  He said "You come up with some weird crafts online, so I didn't really think anything about it at the time."

That's my husband.

So, let's move on, shall we?

Let me show you some really neat vintage patterns I dug up last night


1951 book of crochet edging patterns


Adorable girls' dress... I didn't record the date, but probably 40s or 50s.  I also didn't check the state of the actual pattern yet.  I'd love to make one so I hope they're OK.


Classy retro.  =)


Another little girls' dress.  I think this is my favorite of the bunch.


I don't know why I'm so drawn to that shirt... it would probably look like a muumuu on me, but I do love it.

There were so many other things... unfinished embroidery, needlepoint, doilies.  Just a few more pictures, OK?


Rusty steel crochet hooks and a wooden E hook.


A huge bag of sequins and beads.


The inside of the gun case... crochet thread galore!

There are about 150 pictures if you'd like to go look at them.  I already shared this link after the first 30 pictures, so if you went to look you might want to skip through to the newer ones.  Some really neat stuff.

Now I just need to figure out how to set this serger up so I can try it out.  It was what I was most excited about, and it's sat neglected in the corner while I went nuts over this other stuff.  =)

I think I'm going to break Flickr.

I thought I had a lot of pictures the first night I went through the stuff Bill's aunt gave me. 

Pshaw!

I'm uploading 120 pictures to Flickr.  From just tonight.  Thank goodness I'm finished.

I found just some crazy cool stuff in there.  And needles.  Holy cow, it seemed like everything I opened had at least one package of needles tucked in there.

Clothing patterns from the 50s.  Crochet patterns from the 40s.  More crochet thread than I could probably ever use.  I mean, I feel kind of obligated to make some doilies and tablecloths now.  An antimacassar or two.  I just like that word.  Antimacassar.

Source: google.co.za via Jennifer on Pinterest

(that's an antimacassar, if you didn't know)

Did you ever watch The Big Comfy Couch?

Source: google.com via Bailey on Pinterest

Lunette had an Aunty Macassar.  That always cracked me up.  And Major Bed Head.  And Snicklefritz.

I'm a little loopy from antique dust, I think.  Since uploading these photos will obviously take all night, I'll have to share them with you tomorrow.

By the way, today was Mr. Rogers' birthday. 

Source: funnyjunk.com via Jamie on Pinterest

Oh, how I miss Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood....

I have to have this necklace:

Source: trenddelacreme.com via Makay on Pinterest

Alright... I'm finished being obnoxious for now.  ;)

Family Fun Day - Purple Glasses edition

We made plans to drive to Hot Springs (about an hour away) to the botanical gardens to see the tulips.  But considering the length of the drive and the chances of rain, we decided to scrap that plan and do something a little closer to home.  We packed a picnic dinner and were headed to one of our many walking bridges when Bill decided we should to go Pinnacle Mountain.

So we did.  We let the girls play on the playground and walked a few trails.  Ate our picnic lunch and walked some more. 

I grew up near Pinnacle and didn't know about half the trails around the mountain.  We're definitely doing some exploring around there this summer.

Here are some pictures... and you'll notice a recurring item in some of them:  a pair of purple glasses I bought the girls from the $1 store. 

Gorgeous day, gorgeous child

Glasses make Isabelle ponder deep thoughts

I noticed that Olivia's clothing matched the graffiti.

 Yeah, the glasses again.

A Dodo tree! (I have to say it makes me really sad that people are such jerks that they'd carve up such a beautiful tree)

Man, I love Arkansas.

We didn't have any quarters to make it work, but she still loved playing with it.

And this was when Zoe used her psychic powers to knock Daddy down the mountain ;)

After our second little trail walk, we eventually headed home, when the girls started whining they were hungry.  Dinner was pretty light and the girls were too occupied to eat much, so we decided to stop at get something to eat.  Our waitress's chest (not her boobs, higher - like a few inches below her collarbones) looked bedazzled.  It was like she had 6 tiny little blue gems set into her chest.  I was so curious.  The skin looked slightly red, like a recent piercing, but I was like "how on earth do you pierce your chest?"  Well, I ended up googling it while we waited on our food and you really can pierce your chest.  They're called dermal piercings.  (The link is safe - no pics of "private" piercings LOL)  I'm so uncool... why have I never even heard of this before?  It was actually really neat looking.  My husband usually thinks piercings are really gross, but he admitted that it was kind of cool.     

I learn something new every day....

My New Favorite Shirt

Last week I told you about something I saw on Project Runway that I wanted to copy:  a Rorschach design on clothing.  In my case, a tshirt.

Yesterday, after Bill's aunt and grandmother went back to their hotel to rest and the girls were occupied, I dug the white tshirt out of my closet.  It was just a plain white men's tshirt.  Not the thin undershirt kind.  I decided it needed a little different shape to it, so I trimmed off the hems and cut a new neckline.  I left the edges raw because I thought it went with the overall feel.

I needed something to put inside the shirt to prevent any bleed-through to the back, so I took the box from a case of soda and with some cutting and folding, got it inside making sure one of the creases went down the middle of the shirt to make folding the shirt easier.  I had some black fabric paint and, making sure to keep it on one side (although it really wouldn't matter), I just squirted and squiggled a random design.  I carefully folded the shirt in half (you have to make sure it doesn't have any wrinkles) and pressed it for a few seconds.  I added a little more paint and repeated until I was satisfied with my design.



I let it dry overnight, then ironed it to set the ink (I've never actually done this when I've used fabric paint, so we'll see if it makes a difference), and it's in the wash now. The design is a little stiff... probably went a little overboard on the paint... but hopefully it will soften up with a few washes.

Before I threw it in the wash, I took a fabulous bathroom mirror cell phone shot for you. 



I love it.  Absolutely love it.  I need to make one for the girls.  They'd never wear it, but whatever...

I wasn't expecting all this...

We had a wonderful day today with my husband's aunt and grandmother.  We had lunch at Applebee's and then we took them to The Old Mill.  The girls had fun (for the most part - Olivia got in trouble and sulked half the time) and it was such a beautiful day.  Bill's aunt is so hands-on with the kids.  She climbed rocks, she wandered around everywhere with them.  And she's far less spastic than I am about the girls getting too close to the edge of stuff, so it was nice to let her do all that stuff while I sat back and took pictures.

I have a ton of pictures of other stuff to show you, so I'll show you two of my favorites from our visit:

 Bill's Gram looking out of the window at him.

4 Generations.  

I guess technically it should be Bill's dad instead of aunt, but she's at least the same generation...

(and I told you Olivia sulked half the time)

So, when the trip was planned, Bill's aunt told me that she was going to bring me her serger (!) and some fabric she had bought to make skating costumes with.  I was expecting a box and the machine.

Not this:

I just inherited every crafty bit from his side of the family almost.  Holy cow!  We are talking vintage notions, patterns, fabric, yarn, crochet thread... I've barely scratched been able to go through it and have been blown away by the things I've found. 

Here are some of my finds so far.... 

Embroidered apron

Latch Hook kit... reminds me of my aunt

Beautiful needlepoint wall-hanging

The "treasure chest"!

Do you see the Googly Eye buttons?  Do you see them?

Vintage thread, some on wooden spools

Beautiful old pins

Odds and ends...

Those were just the highlights.  If you want to see more of the treasure in the box, you can check it out here.

I've not even touched the big bins and there's a gun case (yes, gun case) full of crochet thread.  I have no clue where to put this or what to do with most of it, but I'm so proud to have it.   I'm sure there will be more posts of the neat stuff I'll uncover.

Feverish

Do you watch Project Runway?  It's one of my list of things I have to watch that people make fun of me for.  No one in my family is really into any sort of reality television, so the fact that 75% of "my shows" are reality shows makes me silly to them.  But Project Runway just gets me.  I've mentioned before that I wanted to be a fashion designer once upon a time, so it's totally my thing.

I never watch shows when they air, so I finally got around to watching this week's episode tonight.  One of the designers decided to do a "therapy" theme for his collection and he made these crazy cool Rorschach designs on the fabric.

I have to do this.  I have a white tshirt in the closet that I never wear... because it's white and I have kids and it wouldn't be white long... and black fabric paint and I would totally be doing that instead of typing this, but I'm too lazy tired to drag stuff out and put it back up.

Even aside from that, I have so many things in my head wanting to come out right now that I feel slightly insane.  Sometimes I just feel so creative and it's so frustrating that I don't have a lot of time to get it out.  And when I have free time after the kids are in bed, I'm so exhausted or have, you know, responsible things to do.

Ugh, responsibility.  ;)

You know, like cleaning house all last weekend for our company that arrived yesterday but isn't allowed in my house because Isabelle has the plague or something.



Really.  My life is a shining example of Murphy's Law.

Luckily, they weren't planning on sleeping here, but I'm sure they expected more company than we've been able to provide. 

I got called to pick Iz up from school Thursday morning... she had a high fever and had thrown up.  Then I found out that 20+ kids just from Kindergarten went home with the same symptoms.  Insanity.  We were afraid it was the flu - some of the kids were actually diagnosed with the flu - but here we are the next day and by bedtime she was definitely better.  I've never heard of a 24 hour flu, but who knows, really?  I couldn't get her a doctor's appointment, they were booked solid.  Not surprising, but frustrating.  How bizarre that nearly half of the Kindergarteners just all fell ill like that?  I don't know how much the older kids were effected, but Olivia didn't mention that there were a lot of kids out in her class.  But the Kindergartners are in a separate building... 

I don't know.. it's just weird.  Weird enough that the principal called the CDC to come out, but when they heard some kids were diagnosed with the flu, they decided to just write it off to the flu and be done with it.  I personally don't think it was the flu, like I said, but whatever.  She's better now, that's what matters.

So, tomorrow we'll all get to go have lunch with Aunt Lynne and Gram.  Yay!  Hopefully take them to see The Old Mill if it's not raining.  Spend a little time before they continue on their little road trip.  I think I might need to put everyone in a bubble before my Mother-in-law comes next month...

More Ziggy Zaggy Zany

Zig Zagging in just a minute... before we get to that, a brief progress report.

I took a little break from my Buttercup blanket...  I got a little bored with it.  I'm more motivated now that little Bridget has arrived.  I told you she'd get here before I could finish.  My friend lives in another state, so I've only seen pictures, and she's a cutie.

Here's my progress so far...


5 out of 11 rows (plus the border)

So, in the meantime, I've been working on my zig zag projects.  I had this idea of making a little Spring sweater.  It is already super warm here, so I don't know why I thought about a sweater, but I did.  I've never actually crocheted anything like this, so it was pretty crazy to just decide to wing it like I did, but I did.   It's all one piece... it looked like a big plus sign with a hole in the middle before I seamed up the sides.  I finished it up this weekend and I'm just now getting around to taking pictures of it.  My floor looks terrible, but I swear I did sweep it.  I need to pressure wash the whole freaking house.  Kids, I tell you.



It's just a funky little cropped sweater.  The neck, which I wanted to be big, was bigger than practical so I added the buttons on there to close it up a little.  Little kids don't need the sexy off-shoulder look going on, in my opinion.

Want to see it modeled?  Alrighty...



Aw, Zoe, you're so cute.  Let's get a little sassy now...



That's without her modelling coach.  We're improving. 



Yeah, yeah, yeah, I have swept again since then.  Look, I'm just happy you can see the floor at all.  It's a real challenge for us.  You're lucky we're expecting company any day now and I've been putting forth extra effort.  I'm beyond caring anymore, though.  My house is a nonstop wreck.  There... I admitted it.  =)  My name is Jennifer and I'm a slob, or at least everyone around me is and I chose to spend my time doing anything but picking up after them most of the time.

I want to just make a cute little skirt to go with it out of the zig zag fabric.  Probably a paper bag waist.  Sadly, I'm getting a little bored with this now.  Hopefully I can recover so I can make a third outfit before Easter.  I'm pretty sure I will... Bill's aunt sent me a message that they should be here tomorrow.  She said she's ready to be able to see out of her back window of her car and hopes I have room for some boxes.  You know what's in those boxes?

Oh, just wait.  ;)