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Bamboo!

As I was walking through my yard with a friend, we discovered bamboo.  That was about a month or two ago.  Since then, it has emerged from it's dormant winter state to grow grow grow.  And boy does it grow!  

This can be either a wonderful treasure or an enormous annoyance, depending on how we take care of it.  I plan to think of it as a treasure.  I have great plans for crafting and using the bamboo around the house and in the garden.  I cut one down a few weeks ago and used it as a curtain rod (camera battery now dead, pictures soon).  I cut a few more down to create a border around my heirloom tomato plants.  I may plant some pole beans and let the beans climb up the bamboo shoots as well.  

I plan to purchase THIS book from amazon today so that I can learn more about containing it with a plastic underground barrier and more crafty projects I can do with bamboo.  What fun!  What a treasure.

All natural cleaners

This has been a long time coming for me.  I've been wanting to try the all-natural cleaner route for a while but I've also had quite a stock from the generous pounding from our church of cleaners to use up.  Well, this week I ran out of laundry soap, all purpose cleaner, sanitizing spray, baby wipes and dishwasher soap.  I started looking all over this town for a bar of laundry soap and a box of Super Washing soda and I finally found it (at Harris Teeter for you local folks).  So I got out my empty spray bottles and restocked. 

Here's the recipes I used:

Laundry Soap:

• 1 bar Fels Naptha laundry soap OR Ivory Soap
• 1 cup. Borax
• 1 cup. Super Washing Soda

-cut the soap in cubes and then grind everything in the food processor till the soap is fine.  Use 1 T. per load and more if you have heavy soiled clothes.  I'm not sure if this is alright to use on cloth diapers.  I'll have to find out.

update- it seems it is NOT good for the fuzzi bunz which is what I use.

Dishwasher Soap- I posted this before, but this time I used super washing soda.

• Mix Equal parts Borax, Washing Soda and Dishwasher soap.  Use 2 T. per load.

All Purpose Spray #1- Use in Bathrooms, sinks, oven (if you actually clean your oven, that is) etc.

• 1/4 cup. Washing Soda
• 1 quart water
• 1/4 t. Tea Tree Oil (totally optional)

When you wipe this stuff off, use a wet cloth.  It can leave a powdery film otherwise.

Sanitizing Spray

• Bleach and water.  I know some people stay clear of bleach, but I use it sparingly and have no qualms with the stuff.  I used about 1/4 bleach and the rest water.

Window Cleaner AND All Purpose Cleaner #2- Countertops etc.

• 1/4 c. vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid hand soap
• 2 cups water

Note- the vinegar smell disappears once it dries.  But I kindof like the smell of pickles!

If you're cleaning windows, you can use newspaper instead of papertowels to prevent streaking.  That's what we always used growing up.  It will make your hands black though so be careful.

I'm adding some Lavender Essential Oil, just because I have it and love the way it smells.

Homemade Baby Wipes and Spray

Ok, this may seem weird, but it actually isn't.  I still use disposable wipes when I'm out.  I'm not that hardcore.  I have some wipes I made out of flannel although many people just use cheapo washcloths.  For the spray- fill the spray bottle with water and a few squirts of baby soap.  Spray your washcloths or baby wipes and wipe away!

I made these wipes as a gift for a friend's baby shower a couple of years ago.  My wipes are much less cute and much less pink. 

The good thing is that the wipes double as hankies.  After you wash them of course.

Now I guess I should clean something.  I guess I'll start with putting all these cleaners away.

This place has been busy

Yes, this weekend was jam packed and emotional.  I sang, I played, I volunteered, I learned, I cleaned, I gardened, and I prayed and I mourned.  My aunt passed away on Friday night and my thoughts and prayers have been with my father's family all week.  I will join them this weekend as the family gathers with her dear husband, Uncle Bob to mourn with him and to celebrate her life .  

Andy and I will go to bed quite tired this evening as we recover from a busy weekend.  He cared for the children by himself a bit more than he's used to so this weekend wasn't much of a break for him.  The poor guy is tired and hot and I won't let him turn on the air conditioning. 

We are blessed with glorious spring weather and I have been tending the garden all week with two dirty children underfoot.  We have planted four o'clocks, moonflowers, basil, parsley and chive seeds.  We've uprooted many weeds and watered our planters as we anxiously wait for the little shoots to pop up.

I'd like you to notice two things from this last photo- 1) Deacon's shoes, 2) the patch behind them.  What was overgrown weeds last week is now a bed for two baby gardenia plants.  They are said to be very fragrant and attractive to birds.

a purse and beautiful flowers

Here are the photos of a purse I made a couple of weeks ago from a FREE pattern.   Switching out the winter purse for the fun spring one is always a delight.  This was my first bag that I made following a pattern.  Again, for someone who doesn't know a ton about sewing, following a pattern is so much easier because you don't have to try to wrap your brain around how to get it to work--- especially a lined bag.  However, I'm sure that after I follow a few more patterns I could easily make one without a pattern.

Mistakes were made and fortunately a big one was able to be covered up by a button.  But it was fun and is very usable although not terribly large (it should have been bigger than it turned out but like I said....mistakes).  

Do you see the beautiful roses?  They are part of a collection of flowers I got to take home from the Women's conference at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte.  I was the music leader this weekend and it was SO much fun.  I hope I am invited to lead music for many more conferences.  It's always so great to be under the teaching of wonderful teachers and in the company of such great Christian women.  

I wish they could stay like this forever.  They smell so wonderful.

Cheers.

not for sale

I found this oil painting at the Habitat ReStore Thrift shop this morning.  I thought it needed someone to love it as I believe it was once quite loved.

Check out the back of the painting.  

airplane appliques

Now that I realized how simple it is to take an ordinary shirt and make it adorable, I'm wanting to do this  all the time.  Remember the FIRST time I appliqued the boys shirts?  (Wow, they've grown up so much!)  Here is my second attempt.  Now that I've discovered fusible interfacing, I think I could do this again.  It really didn't take long at all.

I used a women's shirt made of seersucker fabric to make Owen's shorts and the appliques.  I used this tutorial to guide me.  They were supposed to be for Deacon but they were hip huggers on him and now need to be altered to fit Owen better.  The red polo shirts had to be altered to fit them properly.  The one Owen is wearing is a very misshapen size 3T and the one Deacon is wearing is a misshapen 5T, both hand-me-downs.

Deacon gets really excited about matching Owen.  I was thinking I would make a dinosaur but Deacon insisted on having an airplane.  So that's what we have.  It's cute isn't it?

My husband who dresses much better than I do and is quite clean cut these days says, "So I guess these aren't meant to be tucked in".  No, they aren't.  How in the world do you keep a kid's shirt tucked in anyway?

boys being boys and a very large dog

I thought I would share these photos from the past week.  On Saturday, we went to a craft fair exhibit.  The vendors were actually spread out all over a baseball field.  I couldn't resist these handmade wooden cars for the boys.  Deacon and Owen immediately placed them on the ground to roll them around.  They've been playing with them quite often all week.  Deacon is actually napping with his as I type this.

And here we are at the Winthrop Baseball game.

And here's a freebie for you.  I had a gig with a friend, Hannah Miller on Saturday night.  It was a venue in downtown Charlotte and people could actually bring their dogs into the place.  Here we are with the largest dog I've ever seen.

For a new bride

I made this apron for a bridal shower gift this weekend.  I thought it turned out great, I was so happy to give it away but part of me really wanted to keep it for myself!  It was my first time really following a real pattern.  I thought it turned out pretty nice.  

I like the internet patterns better because of all the great color pictures, but I think I did alright doing it the old fashioned way.  I had both the fabric which I found in a remnant bin at Schoolhouse Fabrics in Virginia and the pattern stashed away in a drawer so I didn't have to buy anything new to get it made for the bridal shower.  

As I folded it up, I thought it was so lovely by itself that I opted to not wrap it.  

The future bride held it up to her body and with her black high heeled pumps and classic shoulder length hairdo she looked like someone straight out of the 50's.  I hope she enjoys it.

So, I'm really getting into sewing these days

I'm realizing that downtime is more fun if you have a needle and thread nearby.  Right now I have a little purse that I just made that needs a couple little stitches sitting right next to me.  I'm so thankful for websites like PurlBee, MadeByRae, and Threadbanger that offer fool proof tutorials and patterns (mostly for free) for dummies like me.  Sewing is a newish hobby for me so I need all the instruction, and color photos I can get!  There's a couple of books that have been catching my eye that seem like they may be great **ahem ahem*** mother's day presents or birthday presents (May 10 and May 9 respectively).

Weekend Sewing is another book that has made its way up on the list.  Lots of projects you can make in a weekend.  That's right up my alley.  I like being able to finish something shortly after I started.  That's why I couldn't really get into crocheting and knitting.

Bend the Rules with Fabric isn't exactly out yet... but it looks SO cool!  Her other book, Bend The Rules Sewing is a great book for beginning sewers.  Her blog is great too, she shares yummy recipies, her crafty projects and even pictures of her handmade underwear!!!

So, that's all I have to say about that.  Off to work on my PURSE.  I'll share photos when I'm done and when Andy brings the cord from the camera home from work.*ahem, ahem**

Cheers.

A Flower Pin

I made this little flower pin using Heather Bailey's yo-yo instructions.  There are so many things you can make with yo-yo's.  My original intention was to make yo-yo's to sew onto some accent pillows that I have that are rather plain.  This fabric was a bit too thick for that though so I just sewed this button in and pinned it to my shirt.  Isn't it cute?  I found the button in a drawer of a house we are living in.  It has all sorts of sewing supplies, rulers, thread, sissors, buttons, bindings, lace etc.  What a wonderful treasure to find!