Kid Update...

As I have mentioned, A02 has been trying to learn crochet. She has stalled at the Single Crochet.
Her kit (includes: Book, Yarn, Scissors, Hooks) looks like:

Her practice piece:

Thinking of switching her to new hooks:

Eventually she will be working on a NEW project:

At least she still hams it up for the camera:

Have a great day & try to get some crafting in there!

Mommy Update...

I was FINALLY able to load some pictures of the stuff we are working on, onto my laptop. Flicker has been updated with the crafty things.

Cleaned part of my sewing room. Yesterday, we brought in (from garage) the wardrobe that hubby's oldest brother gave us when we moved. Today, I assembled almost all of it BY MYSELF. This is no small feat, as the thing is nice SOLID German construction, and measures over 6 feet long and over 5 feet tall. Hubby will have to help with the back, because one person can not hold it square and apply fasteners. Seems we are short a few shelves and the hanging rod. I'll have hubby do another garage search for them.

The scarf I am working on (see post from 10.July) with the crazy stitch pattern, is still at about 22 rows. Seems I accidentally switched hooks after about 15 rows. I noticed & have since switched back, but a small part looks kinda skinny right now. I'm hoping that once it is done, a little deviation near the end will not be very noticeable.


Scarf:

Detail of stitching:

The Almost LUCY Bag is still needing lining in it. The lining is sewn though.

Bag:

From the spare yarn:

All I can show you of "Struck by Love" is:

There will be more pictures... but since they are not MY projects... I have to post separately.

I'll leave you with our shot of the Fourth of July FUN:

More Progress Updating...

Today (well this week) has been very productive - but not in a picture sense...
We are actually working on the Bumpy Quilt!! A02 & I flipped my bed quilt & started laying squares out on my bed. This was last weekend while Daddy & A07 had a nap time cuddle in Daddy's big recliner.

After playing with a few rows of the 4" squares kid decided how she wanted it to look. Then I took over & made a diagram so that we did not have to lay out EVERY piece on the bed.
With the layout she picked & the fabric she chose (while on a shop hop in 2010) & the fact that she decided upon picking the first fabric that it was for her Bumpy, because she loves her -- I am calling this "Struck by Love."
Once we can get some photos & give it to the Bumpy... I will even do a tutorial on it.
Approximately 5 rows are pieced... out of 18. I have two weeks to get the top & back pieced. Then I have to decide if we will have her quilt her own item... since she has that great new "mid arm" machine... and I have a little singer from W-M.

Yes, in case it is not 100% clear... I have a habit of craft hopping. There are always multiple projects going, across multiple media. Some yarn stuff, some fabric stuff, maybe a pinata in progress, rock candy on the counter, and a cake I need to make.
For the cake, I am gonna try something off the pinboard today. Replace ALL the extra ingredients called for in the boxed cake mix with just one thing... a can of pumpkin, like you'd make a pie with. This will be going on Sunday... since I have STILL not gotten my birthday cake & A07 turned 9 1/2 on Saturday.

Grocery Planning...

I'm sitting down to do our monthly menu planning - yes we do MONTHLY planning - this week. Since
I keep seeing menu planning ideas at the blogs I read, and across the internet. I decided to share ours too.

Within the past couple of months, we have revised our menu style. I was tired of trying to decide what to cook (from our list of 30 - 40 dishes that we have fixings for) or calling hubby to see what he wanted me to make. I implemented a weekly plan. I sorted the meals that we make into 8 categories. Then I chose a category to correspond with a day of the week (plus one extra for more variety.)
Mondays are Pasta Meals - Spaghetti, Lasagna.
Tuesday is Chili Based - Chili Dogs, Frito Pie.
Wednesdays are Baked Dishes - Bisquick Impossible Pie, Meatloaf, Spaghetti Casserole.
Thursday is Soup Based - White Chili, King Ranch Chicken Soup, Salad (with Soup & BreadSticks.)
Friday we do Pork or Poultry - Chicken baked in BBQ Sauce, Pork Chops, Chicken & Rice.
Saturdays are Sandwich Night - Hamburgers, Grilled Cheese, Meatballs in Marinara sauce.
Sunday is Hash - Potatoes with Gound Beef, or Hot Dogs, or Smoked Sausage.
I have an assortment of "Extras" that do not really fit the above categories which I can sub in on any night. - Tacos, Pigs in Blankets, Kraft Salsa Mac & Cheese.

I use a FireFox Add-On called "Grocery List Generator" for our monthly list.
Each item that we might need at the store is sorted into a self defined category. Among them are, Canned Vegetables, Dairy, Produce, and Paper Goods. I have organized the categories to appear in the order that we would arrive at them in the store. Drugstore is first, whereas Produce and frozen are last.
I have entered each of the meals we make (these are called "dishes" in the program) telling it how many of each "item" needs to be bought for that "dish." I also listed the restocking of things we need around the house such as Shampoo, TP, DishSoap, etc. in the dishes as well. Since I can several things, those are also listed as dishes.

I sit down & pick from the dishes which ones we would like and how many times. It compiles the list, and using the prices I have entered, even gives me an estimate.

If you have FireFox - this is a easy add-on to use & has helped us lower our costs considerably. When you go to the store with less planning, you tend to spend more. We are now feeding a family of four (and still increasing our food storage each month) for under $500 a month. If we were NOT able to make our monthly trip down to the Wal-Mart (an hour one way) due to weather, we would NOT have to go to the local much higher priced store, except for the milk & produce that we usually get there. It is comforting to know that we have food in the house for over a month's worth of food at any time.

lots of progress...

A02 has been making LOTS of chain stitches - so far that is all she can do. I make her slip knot & away she goes. Hopefully this week we can work on the SC.

I have 22 rows made on my crazy stitch scarf. I changed colors at about row 16. It is coming out fun. I accidentally did a few rows with a hook a couple sizes too small, so one part is a little skinny.

I am also working on a "Lucy Bag" - from Lucy @ Attic24. I worked up to 10SC between increases on the bottom & then started up the sides. It is going to be for A07. I worked on it Friday night during our pre HP marathon of HP movies... watched 5 & 6 on Friday.
A02 said she did not remember going to bed at 12:00 before. A07 fell asleep about 8, since she had not napped in a couple of days. We watched HP7.1 Saturday morning, I got a bit MORE done on the bag.
Also, on our trip "into town" in the car, I hooked. During the movie previews, I finished a dishcloth.
I am on the last set of the pattern (stripes) for the bag, I hope to finish it tomorrow. A07 seems happy with it, so that is what I am going on... her attitude towards it.

I had a GREAT day today. A02 & I got to see the last HP movie - we both enjoyed it.
A07 & Daddy got to see Winnie the Pooh. Daddy was happy, because that theater was almost empty, and he hates crowds.
We found a couple of books (on sale at Hastings) that we had been looking for. All in all, it was a nice PRODUCTIVE day.

Hope to get the camera hooked to the laptop soon, so I can throw a couple of pictures at y'all. The dolly house is stalled, due to the hand sewing. Maybe I can get a bit of sewing on it & other things worked in this week. The scarf & the Lucy Bag both need showing.

WOO HOO! (again)

WE HAVE CHAIN STITCHES!!!

Teaching A02 to crochet. This time, it is WORKING!!!
This weekend, I re-found an old book... We bought it at Goodwill in WA for 99 cents, back in 2009.
"Learn to Crochet in Just One Day. (right handed version)"

She tried for a bit after we got it, but it did not work. I ended up making the dress for her stuffed animal that she wanted to learn for.
Now she read the book better, before touching the yarn. She has successfully made at least 10 chains.
We will work on it again tomorrow.


Meanwhile, I have made 6 rows on the "crazy stitch" scarf. Using sock yarn that I made my gloves out of, so it will coordinate.
They were both "re-buys" of yarn I had made socks for other people with. It is the Deborah Norville Serenity Sock Yarn. (In Thyme & Chili if you know the colors.)


I love getting to report progress!

had to share...

We are having "dessert" with lunch. Iced Animal Cookies (we get them at Dollar Tree) are today's choice.

I thought I should let you all know - the thing with a hump on it's back is a CANIMAL!

Maybe one day we will teach her how to say it right... but for now it is as fun as the Mosquitoes being Skittles.

Now I am going back to Bob Ross... we love watching the paintings flow onto his canvas.

and a fun stitch learned too...

From that same blog. I have figured out a new pattern that I would like to make a scarf out of.
http://stitchwhisper.blogspot.com/2009/07/crazy-stitch-two-ways.html

I have a BUNCH of sock yarn... nice SOFT sock yarn. This should come out nice. Wonder if I can manage to make it in time for winter?

random blog reading...

Found a post (while reading a randomly linked blog) that made a lot of great points about WHY we craft.
Sure it is from a couple years ago... but still relevant.

http://stitchwhisper.blogspot.com/2009/08/value-of-hand-made.html

Go give it a read. Then GO MAKE SOMETHING!

a little learning...

I was reading some of my RSS feed... followed a link to a cool site.
This was some good reading - it is worth the time to read it all.

Here are 10 things you might not know about our America's Independence Day.
1.) Independence Was Not Declared on July Fourth: The second Continental Congress actually voted for independence on July 2. In fact, John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail, predicting that future generations would celebrate July 2 as Independence Day, saying, "The second day of July, 1776, will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illumination, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forevermore." July 4, 1776 is significant because that is the day that Congress officially adopted the Declaration of Independence document, but contrary to what many people believe it was not signed on the July 4. The official signing ceremony occurred on August 2, which is when most of the signers affixed their names to the document, but other representatives signed the document throughout the summer of 1776. Finally, there is no historical record of John Hancock saying that his signature is that big so that King George could read it. It has been suggested that Hancock's is by far the largest signature simply because he was the president of Congress.

Now I have a reason to say we should extend the nations birthday party for a WHOLE MONTH!
It is always nice to re-learn things about history.

Happy Independence Day!!!

We have gone very mild on the fireworks this year. Found a couple of deals, and wanted the kids to get to see some, since there is no public display we could find nearby. The fountains out of the "kids" package we purchased were set of last evening.

Just heard the crack of one from down the street... it is 10am. A07 pipes up.... "NOW, can we go do some more fireworks?" We have to wait till this evening to do the aerial things, as you can see the glow better without the sun in your eyes.

Hope everyone has a safe holiday.

Saturday update:

We did our monthly grocery shopping trek to Wal-Mart yesterday. With the move to our small town, the nearest WM is an hour south, so it REALLY is a trek.
Spent around $400. For our family of four, that seems pretty good to me. We will need to get bread & milk during the month, but that we can do here in town.
Parts of what we bought will last more than the month too. I can my own spaghetti sauce (as well as chicken & ground beef) and it is a canning month. Next month will be paper products.

Now I have to get back to the hand sewing parts on the doll house (pictures WILL be coming sometime soon) before A07 gets mad that it is not done yet. And A02 & I need to work on a layout for the quilt she is "making" - she told me this week that I am going to sew it, after she helps me decide how it goes.

Will be doing brats (bought on sale last week) on the grill for tomorrow... and s'mores after since the grill stays hot for so long. We even found some of the fruit flavored "funmallows" in fruit shapes & they will be fun for the kids to do s'mores with.

Hope everyone else has a great holiday too!!

Our summer (so far) has been...

A fellow blogger (an old friend actually) asked what other moms have been doing this summer. She mentioned that she knows she should be working on "enriching" activities for herself (career-wise) or her child, but mostly they are just having FUN.
I have to say, the VACATION looked like BOTH! Visiting museums IS enriching.

Well, here is what we have been up to:
Library about once a week. Mostly to get movies. With a ONE WEEK checkout on the movies & a dollar a day if they are late, we DO go back.
Walks to EVERYWHERE! I know this will not work for everyone, but we try to get out at least a couple days a week. (Yes, we walk when we go to the library too.)
Playing. Kids have been playing with their toys a bunch.
Sprinkler time. I've let them run loose in the back yard a few times.
Hanging out with Daddy on the weekends. (A new thing, since we moved & Daddy has weekends off for the first time in many years.) - We even went to the local parade a couple weeks back. Small towns = fun traditions that include parades for random things.

Plans we have:
Painting rocks.
Making fridge magnets with glass pebbles.
Rock Candy.
Perler bead things.
Cookie making. (If we can get Daddy to stop baking.)
I have some other things we might do... but I have to finish getting the plans together.

I will let you know if we figure out we want to do anything actually "enriching" ourselves. Seems like we are mostly about the FUN too.

We also have two surprise visits planned that the kids do not know about.
Hubby's dad arrives on Friday (he has a long weekend & no prior plans)
MY MOM arrives at midnight one Friday in August & the kids will wake up to here HERE!

FINALLY...

I found the cable for my camera (no SD card slot on my laptop) so NOW, the pictures off the camera are on MY computer. Need to get some more off Matt's camera, that I took... but that will wait til I get this thing plugged back in. Only have 20% remaining right now.
We are gonna eat lunch, then take a walk to the store. It is really nice having EVERYTHING so close.

Then I get to do more fun HOUSEWORK. Let me try and contain my excitement... woo hoo.

a little more progress...

I am now hand sewing the embellishments on the doll house. I meant to sew a couple of these BEFORE I added the carpet area, oh, well.

I ALSO started & FINISHED another project today. I had located some blue ruffled, layered fabric with elastic on one edge... bought it in TEXAS. It has now been sewn into a circle & A02 is WEARING IT!! If she puts it at waist, it comes to ankles. Like a really long skirt should. However, we have some old "mattress hugger straps" for loose fitted sheets, that make cute removable straps. It is a skirt & dress in one... with only ONE SEAM!!!

Hubby & I are relaxing on couch... reading!

WOO HOO!

SPOONFLOWER confirmation arrived - it has SHIPPED!!!

Also, last night, I got thru 3/4 of the dolly house!

Well fancy that...

I just received a link thru FB... to walkscore.com
Type in your address. Receive a score out of 100 on the "walkability" of your area.

We got an 86! On the overview, nothing was more than .44 miles away, including the school, and the hospital.

Anybody better than that?

Pending Project...

Posted for CRAFT ACCOUNTABILITY!


Going thru pinterest, I found a cute "doll house" picture. It was this AWESOME tutorial that I discovered by really looking at the pin.
A07 had asked recently for a bigger house for the dolly that hubby's mom [me'ma] made her for christmas. It is a book/purse (plus doll, with a couple of outfits) that has a bed pocket & a wardrobe  that velcros closed. So, I showed her the flickr pool that the blog owner set up. She asked for EVERY house that was pictured.
I had to explain that she would get to help me pick fabric (from my STABLE*) for all the parts of the house. She finally got the concept and seemed very excited to have a little house for her doll.

TODAY... we bought the plastic canvas needed to stabilize the pieces. I need to sit down with her & pick some fabrics now.
She ALSO wanted more dolls & clothes, so me'ma is going to be sending the patterns for the set.
Now I get to figure out how to add a little wardrobe pocket area to one end of the house & possibly make a couple of the bed pockets, like in the little book me'ma made, to be "bunk beds" that remove from the house.

I know that A07 will NOT let me forget about this little project, but I wanted a little OUTSIDE accountability too. So now that I have SAID I am doing it... I have to finish it.


* STABLE is a personally modified acronym.
People in quilting circles regularly discuss a SABLE, but I like it better MY way...
Stash That's Accumulated Beyond Life Expectancy.
It needs that extra word "that's" in there... besides, a stable is a house for other things, usually referring to horses, but a closet or wardrobe of fabric can be called a stable nicely too.

What else I did this week...

I ordered fabric from Spoonflower. I designed a "logo" for all my hand crafted items. The yellow rose that i used it on my profile picture. Then it reads "Hagee's Handcrafts" next to it. Once it arrives, I'll be slicing it into small pieces & folding in the edges to create a sew-in label. If I add some type of iron on adhesive, I can have it stick-on instead. This will be fun.
BTW: One yard on free shipping day was less than $20.00 and will give me around 12 rows with about 20-30 in a row... around 250 to 350 individual labels, from what I remember. I'll count when it arrives.

I've done it now....

I started a blog. It is really here to give me an outlet to post some pictures of things I do for the kids, pics OF the kids, crafts I make, or anything else I think of. Random notes from the crazy recesses of my mind, whatever. I have a new little corner of cyberspace. (Oh, and a little room on Pinterest.)