crafting....

Last week I made this for New Beginnings. I'm kind of proud of it. Because in the wee hours of the morn, I feared that it wouldn't turn out.

Idea stolen from here. Takes some time, but eaaaaasssssy. You could do this for a family reunion, or someone's birthday, or anniversary, or just for kicks and giggles.

Snowflakes. Today we made snowflakes. Paper snowflakes have this mistique about them. Beautiful, playful, light fun. Everyone can make a snowflake.

What we discovered today is that paper does not differ much from the real thing. Fun to look at from inside, but the the second you have to interact with the stuff it becomes cold, wet, and you're ready to run back in.

It all started when Millie ran away from the advent gift to the bathroom. No problem, we can open it after toilet time. 40 minutes later, it's time to start dinner, and we aren't any closer to starting our snowflake project.

Our Intermission:

• Millie screamed
• Ellis screamed
• Hide panties and toilet paper - this is a new technique. If there are no panties to poop in then she wipes the poop out with toilet paper instead of pushing. And if she can't find either?
• More screaming
• Intermittent attempts at finding out how to make paper snowflakes in between. (Yeah, I had to look it up. So what. I haven't really needed to use my snowflake making skills in the past, oh, ever.)
• I relented and gave Millie two squares of toilet paper to blow her nose. She didn't use the squares on her nose. There was poop every.where.

By the time we got to the snowflakes I was not in the mood for crafting. Okay, I'm not ever in the mood for crafting. Whatever. And then I forgot how to fold the paper and had to look it up, again, on the internet. My scissors weren't sharp enough to make things pretty. Ellis was feeding on markers, paper, and glitter was everywhere.

Let's just say that paper snowflakes? Not making the advent list for 09.

threading my machine.

I did it! I totally threaded my sewing machine. By myself. Alright, I had a bit of help. I went to WikiHow and found directions. Go there and read. You will see that it makes absolutely no sense. I thought I would have to relent, drop my pride, and turn to someone else for instruction. And then I scrolled down and found video instruction. Thank you Mrs. Abdul.

I realized that my machine did not have a needle. Or a foot. (Is that even what it's called?) And I searched through an old box and found them. I have no clue if I'm using the correct ones, as there were multiple options. So let's pray they don't break.

Thank goodness the bobbin was already threaded, because there was no video for this, and the written instruction has nothing, NOTHING, in common with the machine that sits in front of me.

So I measured elastic. And I threw it in the machine.

Attempt 1 - great on top and a tangled mess underneath.

Attempt 2 - again, tangled mess of an underbelly.

WikiHow related tip How to Adjust the Tension on a Sewing Machine equals enlightenment.

Attempt 3 - perfection!

And I did it on my own. Before the bobbin ran out.

making a tutu. or, how my mom procrastinates: a photo essay by Millie.

I have had the materials for making 2 tutus for one entire year now. I got the great idea while we were at a mall, waiting for Clin to buy some soap or something. The babes and I looked over the edge of the second floor down to a kiosk that had pretty things for sale. Like tutus. The woman sitting at the booth was making a tutu - and it was sooooo easy. Tie a little tulle around some elastic and viola.

Within the month a sale at JoAnns had me purchasing tulle for cheap. That is when the word "easy" left me for my own. I purchased what looked like enough pink and purple tulle, but the lady cutting the tulle informed me that if I was making a tutu, I would need at least 2 more yards. Okay! I don't know you, but I trust you. I trust anyone who knows how to measure out a yard of tulle.

Brought the materials home, set them in the laundry basket on top of my other projects. You know, dusty photos and baby books waiting to be organized and scrapbooked. And there they were laid to rest for one year. Soon to be covered with cheap binders, pencils, school supplies, and unfolded sheets.

So the following is a photo essay, created by Millie, to document my search for the lost materials of the tutu.

Here I am contemplating opening the sewing machine. I decide against it, because I still have not searched for directions on threading a sewing machine. It's safer to start by gathering the materials.

The notorious laundry basket of procrastination. Notice the ShopKo and Offfice Depot bags of school supplies. A glimmer of pink tulle beckons.



Here it is! The tulle. And the purple totally looks blue here. But I promise, it's purple. $%$%!#% - me swearing at our lowsy camera.

I also purchased thread. Pink, white, and black. It was on sale and I didn't want to return to JoAnns. Ever. So I grabbed it. Although I think the only sewing this project requires involves connecting one end of elastic to the other. Maybe I'll do it by hand?

Elastic. Elastic? I know I purchased elastic. I stared at it in the store for hours, trying to decide what width and how long. There were way too many elastic choices. This is the moment of panic. The one where I realize I may have to return to the kingdom of JoAnn for more elastic.

Millie's finger.

Ahh, and my memory does not lie. The elastic is found. How happy am I?

counting votes.

Thank you to all who voted. And a big thank you to those who took it easy on me.

The results are as follows:

1. Make 2 tu-tu's - 33.3%
2. Can a box of peaches - 28.6%
3. Run - 23.8%
4. Sale something on Ebay - 9.5%
5. Make a Halloween Costume - 4.8%

So hold on and get ready for a bit 'o' excitement. In the next week or so we will create some tu-tu's.