WOOT WOOT, EMMA!!!

I am so thankful for our church's youth programs! Emma is a part of a Young Womens organization and they offer a program called Personal Progress. In this program there are 8 values which are: Faith, Divine Nature, Individual Worth, Knowledge, Choice and Accountability, Good Works, Integrity and Virture. Within each value there are items of scripture study and some type of project to do. These projects are large such as making a quilt...something that would take 10 hours to complete. Emma and I started talking about her attempting a quilt several months ago when I was making a few. I showed her a few patterns she could make with the scraps I had and she decided it was something she wanted to do. At first she was really excited and had a great start. After a few hours of working on it she was tired and we put it away. She got it out several other times and worked on it a few hours at a time. In the end I am certain this took her more than 10 hours...probably more like 20 but she finally did it. I told her at the beginning that if she could piece a twin sized quilt top that I would foot the bill to have it machine quilted. I figured piecing it was hard enough for a very beginner sewer that the machine quilting might be incentive enough to finish it. 192 squares=384 triangles! WOW! I showed her how to make the half square triangles and off she went. I tried to teach her about piecing as she went and she caught on fairly well...that is not to say we didn't have to pick apart several stitches! When she was finished with the triangle squares we picked a fabric for the sashing and I helped her figure that out. I have to say she did 95% of this quilt...there were times of frustration where I stepped in and helped her out. I hope she enjoyed doing it and having me help her. She was so excited when I picked it up from the quilters, she was giddy. I did the binding on it last night and she sat with it for the rest of the night.

She did this for the value of Individual Worth...she has tons of worth!!!

So proud of her hard work!
The whole thing! I am in love with it as much as she is!
Way to go Emma!!! I love you!

Piano-before

This is our new piano...well, new to us. I wish I was better at before and after photos but I always seem too anxious to get started that I don't take the time to shoot pictures. It was a typical 1980's oak piano. It was in good shape but I wanted to paint it so it would flow with the rest of my house. I thought...black, cream, green or blue but since I don't play and Emma and Justin do their vote won out. Black. Here is a pic without the tip piece. I started taking it apart and discovered that all the front pieces either lift off or unscrew and ended up with the whole front bare with just the inside keys and mechanisms showing. I also ended up taking off the harp like piece down by the pedals, I thought it looked better without it.

It was very dusty so I took time to clean it and vacuum out the pianos crevices. I found some interesting things inside...most of the things didn't surprise me like a pencil, paperclip, pennies, whole punches and paper. But there were a few things that I thought were funny...a drill bit, hey, how did that get in there? And dry oatmeal??? As in not cooked, I can just see my in-laws a bit younger: one at the piano practicing and the other stirring a bowl of oats getting ready to cook it and spilling as they are looking over the shoulder of the other at the piano...anyway I thought it was funny.
I took each key out and cleaned it and vacuumed under it. Cleaned the dust off the felts and put it back together. It was so fun! I tried to talk Justin into getting a piano hammer to tune it ourselves but he declined and eventually I will call someone. We do have a sticky key I tried to fix but I think I need a new felt and I don't want to take it apart again and get felt and then have it still stick so when it is tuned then we will get the sticky key fixed.

After pictures...next post!

Piano-after

OK!!! Here it is! I sat for a while in the living room after we put it in the living room and just looked at it. (well, it took me a few days to get it back together but then I sat) I love how it turned out. My in-laws graciously gave the piano to us. Justin grew up playing it. I had been looking for one for a while and never found one I liked enough to buy. When they offered this one to us I said no because they live in Washington but then my father-in-law was coming this way to go hunting and he said he would bring it to us.

I am glad I went with the black because it really fits my house. It wasn't nearly as hard as I thought. With some sanding blocks, tsp cleaner, spray paint (love spray paint) and some polyurethane I was set. As I started to take a few pieces off the piano I realized that most of the front comes off. Once I got everything off and sanded the painting part was easy. We have a lot of construction around us so the hardest thing was keeping it clean between coats. 3 coats of paint and 3 coats of poly and done.

I made this new book stand which I learned is really called a desk. I am not loving it but for now it is going to stay. The original had some cut outs that looked like a t-shirt and then my husband mentioned that the other cut outs where shaped like duck feet and then I really wasn't sure I could look at the desk the same again, hence the new one. I have another vision that I may try later but for now this one is it.
I have been looking at this fabric for a while now wishing I had a great living room chair to recover...but I don't. I was thinking of using it for my dining chairs as well and I think I still might. I thought it would be perfect on the bench to bring in some more green to my living room and it looks great! It is a great shade of green but you can't tell in the picture.

On the original there was a harp looking piece with gold rods running through it down by the pedals that I took off. I thought it looked too 80's and I wanted to bring the piano into 2011's. Now it is just a flat piece that looks cleaner.

Some new vinyl signs...

Got to

www.sayings4life.blogspot.com

if you want to order just send me an e-mail.

Routine...

So school has started and all is good. The boys are going to a brand new school this year that is just down our street at the bottom it out hill. They ride their bikes so in the morning it is a quick trip but at the end of the day when they are tired the uphill ride is a little harder. As soon as the snow comes I will drive them but for now they don't complain. They seem to be enjoying their teachers and classmates. The only complaint is the assigned seating at lunch. This year they have a before lunch recess instead of an after lunch recess which is great, why didn't anyone think of this before. You see with the after lunch recess all the kids eat three bites of lunch and throw the rest away so they can play. This way they are a little worn out and sit and eat all their lunch. My boys have even asked for an extra sandwich at times. Emma is in her last year in Junior High and she loves it. It is all about the socialization at this age. She isn't the biggest fan if homework but she doesn't it without complaint. She is in a peer-tutor class where she assist Autistic and mentally handicapped children and I think it is her favorite class. She loves interacting with the kids. She is growing up so fast and before I blink I am sure she will be dating and driving and worrying me to death. As for me, I am enjoying the quiet...noise makes me so anxious! I am working Monday afternoons and Thursday and Friday nights. I am hoping to pick up more days or find another part-time something for days. I have done a little sewing but not as much as I have liked. You would think my house would be spotless but it isn't. I am working on some new vinyl lettering signs to advertise for the holidays...one is so awesome I am hoping it will get me some Christmas money with the holiday orders. Other than all these things are lives are pretty normal...for now.

Alexism...

Well, I can't wait for Alex to grow up just to see what he will be like...

Alex: Mom, when are we going to move again?

Mom: Never!

Alex: Well, that's bad news!

Mom: Why?

Alex: Because I always wanted to live in Hollywood!

TOO FUNNY!

Random stuff...

Here is the quilt I made for a friend. It is one of my favorites...I know I always say that but this one really is. I told Justin today that I want to make another one like this and hang it in my upstairs hallway...that you can see from the front door...I have been thinking of something to put there and a quilt seems perfect. We will see. I am out of fabric at the moment but maybe in August I can get some and start another one.

Here is a picture of the blessing dress I made for my niece. It wasn't quite finished in the picture and I didn't take my camera to the blessing to get one of her in it but it turned out so cute. I finished the band with a flower and made a headband with a flower to match. She is a cute little one and has a one of a kind dress to keep forever.

This month Alex went to Scout day camp and Justin got to go with him. He had a great time and got do do some fun things. He is such a handsome boy and he just might sail right past Dylan in the height department this year.


Well the boys played city baseball and made it to the State Tournament. Unfortunately they didn't go very far. Their season this year started out rough. They only had a few returning players and several who had never played. I think we lost the first 4 or 5 games and then made a great comeback that took us to State. We won the first game of the Tournament and then the second game was a big bummer...the pitcher on the other team kept hitting our boys and really shook them. Dylan got hit in the elbow of his pitching arm and still has a pretty good sized bruise. So we lost that game and the one that followed putting us out of the Tournament. We are so proud of the boys anyway. They had so much fun and by the end of the season have made so much improvement that next season should be a great one. Way to go Dylan and Alex!!!

More sewing...it's an illness!

So with the scraps I had from the first quilt I made I made this one...so I has to pick up a little more fabric in the end but it was worth it! I couldn't decide what to do with this one so I washed it a few times and it now has a home on my couch. I love the bright cheerful colors! It makes me feel good just looking at it.

Here is the whole thing. It is so much better in person!

This one I made for a nephew that is getting married in a few weeks. I loved the fabric and just had to have it. I was going to keep this one for my bed but soon realized I didn't have time to find something new to make so...this one goes to Remington and Megan who will be married in August. I hope they love it as much as I do. The lady who machine quilts for me was loving it too and even asked me to explain how I pieced it. She said I did a good job which was a compliment seeing as she quilts 20-30 quilts a week. I have learned a few things from her as well. I even told her if she ever needed another hired hand to give me a call.

I made this one extra big...I wasn't really thinking about how big it would become, I only wanted to have an odd number of stripes so I had to add an extra one to make it the same design on both ends. It isn't quite a king but it would fit one. Next time I will cut the pendants down just a bit. I really love this one so much I really am thinking of making one for my bed. this fabric also comes in a orange, brown, blue combo that is beautiful.
With the left overs from this one I made another one that is being quilted. When I get it back and bind it I will post the pics. I made it for a friend I have been thinking about lately...what better comfort than a quilt, good book and maybe some chocolate!

More sewing and Bargains...

I was at the thrift store last week and I ran across this serger...there was no price on it so I carried it around the store for a while debating on whether or not I should ask about the price. Now, I already have a serger but it has been the biggest pain ever since I got it about 10 years ago. It was a floor model and was a good price but it has never worked all that well and when I think of getting it out to use it sometimes I don't bother and use an inside hem instead. It skips stitches and the tension is always off and the thread breaks a lot. I have seen sewing machines at the thrift store and they are always around $30-$40. Sergers are generally more expensive new so I wasn't sure about it. It is a Juki and that is a great industrial sewing machine brand. While waiting in the line to ask the manager the price a women came up and said that she had lost her purse (bad for her, good for me) and the manager seemed so flustered trying to help her that when I asked the price he said $5. Thats right $5!!! I almost jumped for joy. I was thinking I would offer him$10 knowing that he wouldn't take it but I waited on him while he thought about it. $5 is a great deal, unless it didn't work. So finally today I got around to cleaning it up and threading it. It was perfect! I had to mess around with the tension a bit but other than that it was great, even the blade was sharp! I am keeping this baby and the other one it going on ebay! So excited and I even have a blessing dress to make soon that I am going to use it for.

This is a baby quilt I made a few weeks ago for a girl at work. I really love this fabric and had been wanting to use it and thought this was the perfect project for it. It turned out really cute and I whipped it out in about 3 days with piecing and hand quilting. I have another similar one in the works along with a queen sized one for my nephew and his bride who are getting married in August. I will post pics of it when it is done. I love it so much I am going to make myself one just like it.

Drawing to a close...

As school is nearing an end for the year...only 22 days left...I am glad. I love school and the fact that my kids have some place to go every day to learn and play. I also see them getting tired. I have one that would totally sleep in if he could. I end of having to wake him every morning and it is an effort for him to get out of bed. I also want them to have the break that they deserve after being in school for 9 months and doing so well. Even though we don't have any solid plans for the summer besides chillin' I am glad for the break. We will bowl, swim and just hang out. No where to be at a certain time and just going with the flow. I also know that come August we will all being dying of boredom but that comes with summer. I hope that as my kids are getting older that they don't demand more out of summer. I am so proud of them...

Hobbies and Passion

Well, when we moved I told Justin all I wanted to do was to quilt. I really haven't had much opportunity since being here but recently I have been able to sit down and work on a few things. I made a queen size quilt for my niece who got married last week and then from the scraps I made another one with a different pattern. Now I must say I am obsessed with looking at quilting fabric and patterns. I love them all I only wish they weren't so expensive. I have plans for 3 more that I hope I can start working on soon. I have been sewing for about 24 years and I love it. Sometimes I make things even though I have no one to give them to. I have even run into people from the past and they tell me that I made their baby a quilt or outfit...I can never remember them but it makes me feel good. Here is a picture of the one I just finished...

Alexism

So Alex and I have been fighting with allergies this week...Scotchbroom!!! He has been coughing a little and has a stuffy nose. I asked him if he wanted any medicine for his stuffy nose and he said no, he could still breathe out of one NOZZLE! He is so funny!

Working...

So I am a working mom again! It was so nice to have a year off with the move and getting established here in Utah. I started looking for a job in September and really didn't find anything much that would fit my schedule with the kids. I did apply for quite a few jobs in hopes that something would turn out and even had an interview or two but no offers. So by February I was discouraged and wasn't looking very much. One day out of the blue I sat down at the computer and looked on the LDS website for jobs...I looked there a lot...and saw an opening for housekeeping at the LDS Draper Temple. I applied and the next day got a phone call for an interview. Two days after the interview I was called back for another interview and two days later I was employed. When we moved here I had told Justin that I thought that that would be great job and even saw an opening about 6 months earlier but my recommend had expired and you have to have one to apply and I didn't feel right about applying and then running out and getting it. Anyhow, I started mid February and I love it. The hours are a little rough (9:30pm-1:30am) but I am getting used to it. I was hired to work two days a week but have been working 5 for the last 6 weeks and this is my first week at only 2 days and I have to say that I have missed it this week. It is a calm place to work and strange at the same time. I have been in every single room in the Temple and I am starting to feel at home when I am there. In fact it is like being at home, when I see something out of place I fix it, even if it is just a chair that has been moved or a tissue box that is in the wrong spot. I am loving the people I work with and it has been an easy transition back into the workplace. There are five employees and the rest of the work is done by volunteers. So every night we have between 10-30 people come to clean. I supervise their work and together we get the Temple ready for the next day. I am amazed at what can be accomplished in just 3 hours. We vacuum the whole temple, all the restrooms are cleaned and there are 18 of them, every surface is dusted or cleaned, door handles, scriptures cleaned, floors mopped, things are stocked, fingerprints are wiped away...then when all the volunteers leave we walked around and do a final check to make sure things are done. A lot of the time I am alone and things are quiet...this is a great time to think and just be peaceful. I am always telling Justin that I just want to have a peaceful home which isn't always the case with kids, so when I am in the Temple and all is quiet I find that peace. I have even sat down a time or two for a few minutes just to take it in. Glad to be going tomorrow!

Add-on from the last post...

I talked to my sister who talked to my dad who talked to my Grandma...she read my blog and said I got all the details right but I left out the fact that she was in her PJ's and house shoes...

Thanks Grandma for the laugh!

My Grandma...

So my Dad called me today to tell me what my 86 year old Grandma was up to. Let me preface this by saying not long after Thanksgiving she slipped and fell outside on the ice. The doctors told her if she ever fell she would break her hip so when she fell she thought...I must have broken my hip...so she went to the hospital...nothing broken just bruised. Ok, on to the story. My Grandma lives in Massachusetts and they have had a lot of snow so she asked the newspaper people to deliver her paper to the neighbors and the other day she saw it sitting on the icy driveway. She told herself she was not going to walk out and get it so instead decided she would get in the car and drive down the driveway and get it. So off she went but the newspaper was on the wrong side of her car so she turned the car around and backed up the driveway...overshot the newspaper and tried again. This time the newspaper was in reach or so she thought. As she leaned out the car to get it she reached a little to far and fell right out of the car and then watched as the car drove away, across the street and into a snow bank. She laughed and decided she had better crawled to the car instead of trying to walk to it. She did and got in and backed back up the driveway and into the garage. Sucess!!! I can just imagine her laying on the driveway laughing, she has such a positive attitude. She always tells me that if you think positive then good things will happen. If only I could be as positive!

Alexism

Alex has been bugging me for the last few weeks to get him into see the dentist...I had an appointment and then had to reschedule twice and his patience was waning. I took him on Tuesday and this morning (Thursday) he asked when was his next dentist appointment. I said in about 6 months and he replied...maybe I could go on my birthday, that would be so fun! OK...whatever floats your boat? He is such a funny kid!