Proud day

I spent the week in Fort Sill. This time it wasn't because of my husband. This time it was to celebrate the graduation of an amazing boy (now man) from basic training.

It was 7 year ago that I got an amazing job nannying for a very deserving family. Jack was 12 and his sister was 9. Their mother was very ill and passed not two months into my first year. We all became very close and I feel like he is my son leaving. When he left for basic I cried, but there is something very different about AIT. I feel like this is it! He will finish and leave to his duty station. I'm very proud of him, sad he is leaving but proud. No profound words of wisdom I just pray that Jesus keep and guides him through this amazing journey!!
Thanks Jack for serving our country I couldn't be more proud of you!!

Chore chart

For sometime now I've been trying to get a chore chart up for Oleg. I always have such good intentions it just the time to complete them well that's not always there. I bought some round wood circles and I was going to use the citasolv method of transferring but it is not my favorite method. It turns into a hot mess and smears if you don't have steady hand, also I have to take it down to kinkos to get it printed because it needs to be on a laser printer. So, I saw something about printing on wax paper. this is my favorite method now, for the little stuff that is. 

It was so easy I cut out the wax paper to the size of the printer paper (the tricky part is making sure the paper goes through the printer properly it might jam but if you feed it correctly it will work might take a few tries). Also, make sure you have a ink jet printer. 

wet the wood circle and place the wax piece ink down. you do need to be steady for this but not as steady as the citrosolve method the ink transfers quite easily.

I drilled a whole added a ribbon

   

and attached it to an old door I have painted with chalk paint (ok my husband did it as a gesture of good faith) I feel like Oleg does a much better job if it is right there in his face, I do too. plus it's pretty than a paper chart! 

note: you need to print it as a reflection so when you are reading it you are reading it backwards. I know that many of you out there can do that in word but I am an illustrator girl so I did it in illustrator.

here is what I made, please feel free to use it.

chore chart by Tabitha

Good intentions

Oh how I have good intentions!! I had major plans on doing something great! Sewing, decorating, and blogging, but what there's O.J. and champagne really that makes a mimosa, yum. Well it's all downhill from here. Ok let's be honest there was only champagne but it was calling me to buy O.J. And mini marshmallows for oleg's marshmallow gun. So here we are sitting on the couch too many mimosas and getting marshmallows shot at my head. Good Sunday!! How did you spend yours?

Why didn't I know this earlier

I feel like I just found the holy grail of storing fabric. I recently inherited 3 boxes of fabric and my great aunt in-law (I guess that's how I would describe her) all the fabric was rolled up with a scrap pieced tied around it. Duh really why was I trying to fold it every time. I'm sure everyone else knows this but me, sometimes I am slow.

New beginnings

2013 and a new promise to myself, do the best I can!!! I say this often to myself, "I do the best I can" so I guess it is not really a new promise to myself as it is a promise to keep doing!  In doing the best I can I need to remember the things that I have accomplished. I need to remember The courage I had in the past and continue to keep that courage. Hebrews 10: 35-36 lives on my wall it reminds me of the adventure that I live everyday, and what an amazing promise he has had and will have for our family.

When I started this blog I thought this will be easy, yeah right what was I smoking?! in this past year our little girl turned one our sweet boy started kindergarten, and we bought a new house, I'm not even sure I showered that much! I am greatful for the wonderful courage I had behind me but I am ready to keep going forward, I will do the best I can!!!

I so badly want to keep this blog up so here it is my first post of 2013 with the promise that I will do the best I can. I enjoy fallowing blogs and finding encouragement and inspiration so I hope to provide the same, and maybe even let off a little steam.......

Tag Toy Blanket

Not until I had a baby did I understand what on earth all those toys were with the ribbons hanging off of them, now I do. I do not even know why I invest in the toys I do when a simple tag on a shirt makes her happier. Here is a tutorial on how to make one!
I tend to collect fabric as I go so I had the owl and some green hanging around.  I cut the tags out of some clothing (why not make a tag toy from real tags).  you will see that I added more as I went. but I do think the plastic is a must it make that fun sound. all it is is a produce bag. as far as how much fabric, use what you have!


cut two pieces of fabric same size square, rectangle, really anything that suits your fancy (I used the owl fabric here and cut it into a rectangle). from another color cut out a rectangle that you can turn into a pocket. 

 sew a pocket out of the the some fabric I used the green here leave an opening to put the plastic in 

 sew the plastic together so it can easily be inserted into the pocket. 

 turn the pocket inside out and place the plastic inside

I sewed a decorative stich around the end for some extra fun. of course I didn't take a picture here but sew the green pocket on only 3 sides so it is a true pocket for toys or puffs.

Take another color and cut a shape out I chose a heart but anything would work

 stich a zig zag around the heart to keep it from fraying 

I hand stitched this onto the owl fabric just on the point of the heart

this is were I started adding things I was walking around with baby girl in my arms and she was going to town on the tassel on my sweatshirt so I was trying to replicate that (this turned out to be her favorite part of the toy)

cut some fabric out to wrap around the large bead.

to secure it twist it and run it threw the machine a few times

then take some embroidery thread and wrap it around a few times tying it off to secure it.

if you feel like it you can add the little once initials or name, I added baby girls initials and then I used the decorative swirl stitch to sew it on. 

then pin and sew the tags, ribbons and the fabric wrapped bead along the side make sure they face in with the fabric right side up so once you turn it inside out the tags will be on the outside of the blanket. 

sew both right sides together leaving a section opened so it can be turning inside out

finally stitch along the edge

baby girl seemed to enjoy it!! 

What a day!

Today is a snow day so the boy and I did some crafting. We did an oldie but goodie. When I use to teach preschool the kids loved this one!
What you need:
Soap
Food coloring
Water
Bowls
Straw
Combine the the soap, water, and food coloring in a bowl (I just add a little of this and that I don't really measure) place the paper on top of the bowl and blow with the straw and you have art. Towards the end Oleg just started dipping the paper in the water but he was having fun!! When it dries we'll make a collage.