infused with color

This wasn't my idea,

but when I saw Kristin's

I knew this was just what I wanted

to cover up the fuse-box in the LEM.

$7 original artwork?

yes, please!!

beadin'

So.

After Annual Meeting yesterday,

My Sister and her hubby (whom Lex' adores!) came down.

There was a bead show in town

and Ter never misses a bead show if she can help it.

I went along also

because I like to pretend I can make jewelry, too.

Actually,

I like to buy the kids some beads

so Aunt Terri can help them make nice jewelry while she's here.

It was fun shopping with her.

She 'sees' beads like I 'see' fabric.

I love Lexi's face in this one ~ and her hair.....

I could just see those wheels turning in her head

as she held up strand after strand of beads

or laid them gracefully across her arm.

Half the work of creating her jewelry was done

by the time she put the beads in her basket.

Me?

I just wandered around

and asked questions like,

"Do you think these beads would hold up in the washer

if I sewed them on clothes??"

Thanks for a fun day, Sis! I love you!!

trekies

"I guess we aren't very good at just showing up."

That's what Brandon told me

when he was making Phasers yesterday.

hmm.

I guess not.

I'd told them last week,

"We aren't Star Trek fans. 

I'm just going to make the girl's dresses and fix my shirt

and be done with it;

we're just going to show up."

But then it was decided that we really should

watch an episode,

so we wouldn't be totally clueless in the Annual Meeting.

I found Star Trek almost painful to sit through,

but everyone else wanted to watch another episode.

which was just fine,

since I was busy

sewing black fabric over all the guys' collars...

In our defense, though,

we don't do halloween, or even 'fall festivals'

so

Annual Meeting has sorta become their dress-up day.

This year,

I purposed to not buy anything,

and even used white thread instead of yellow

on the hems of my shirt.

Brandon used scraps of wood to make the Phasers

and they scrounged up nuts,  bolts, various lids

and even a lightbulb

to finish them out.

As they were heading to bed

(at almost 11:00 - but not because of the crafting)

Josiah asked if I was making belts and holsters.

Umm. 

Hadn't planned on it....

But I did have some leftover fabric from another project.....

I'm so proud of your creativity and ingenuity.

~

Live long and prosper.

out of the mouths of babes...

Completely out of the blue,

Lily says to me,

"You better be praying for me;

I'm going to be telling my children about Jesus."

he's got me there

Jeremiah has been asking if he could get paid

for taking out the trash.

I always tell him the same thing,

"Taking out the trash is something you do 

because you are part of a family.

We don't get paid for being part of a family."

We do do 'allowances'

but it certainly isn't

payment for services rendered.

If it were - it would be pitiful wages.

And yes, allowances do increase as responsibility increases

but again, it isn't payment;

it's "thank-you".

And it's education.

And it seems to be working;

our kids are all good savers.

and givers.

(except for T - he's a spender, that one,

but he is a giver, too!)

When Jeremiah brought up the issue of payment yesterday,

I gave my standard answer

and then I asked him what he needed money for.

"Well. I need to start saving for my house, mostly."

He's got me there.....

it's that time again

This Sunday is Central's annual meeting.

You know what that means:

it's time for my annual T-shirt Refashion.

Just as a refresher,

This was my first t-shirt refashion in '08

The next year, we didn't get the t-shirts in advance

and went India Jones-ish

This was last year's re-do

Without further ado,

may I present

(with waayy too many pictures)

the T-shirt Refashion of 2011.

the bench

I found this bench

the same day I found the dresser at Abilities.

That was a good thrifting day!!

As soon as I laid eyes on it - I told them it was sold!

 I had planned on building a 4 cube bench kind of like this one,

but this was a much better option.

The fact that'd it'd be less expensive was just a  bonus.

I had originally planned to put a basket of books behind each door

for each of the four little ones,

but we've decided to use if for fabric storage instead :-)

I love everything about this piece!

(except the fact that I don't know what it is....)

  I even like those little metal things on the legs

but when my primer started chipping off,

I knew they had to go.

The bench (formerly credenza? I don't know!)

was a tad too tall for the window anyways

so I just took the circular saw to all the legs

and whacked about an inch and a half off.

 It was in great shape, except the back was sagging a bit

so Brandon and I slapped some glue in that little ditch there

and clamped it for a few hours.

see that middle leg in the back? scroll up. It wasn't there ~ I built it!

 When I first brought it home,

Ton' wanted to know why I'd bought such an ugly thing.

I went on and on about how perfect it was

and he said, "Well, that's the difference between you and me.

I see things as they are

and you see what they could be."

Yes - I suppose I do....

underneath that cushion are 2 awesome marble slabs

Speaking of the cushion...

I couldn't find just the right fabric

so I made my own!

Well, I didn't make the fabric

and it isn't really just right - but it's more right than not....

 I used a drop cloth from Lowe's

and washed it exactly (really!) like Miss Mustard Seed told me to

and after I cut my rectangle the size of the cushion cover

 I ironed freezer paper to the entire back

and stenciled flowers using regular paint mixed with a fabric medium.

I'm sad to say it faded a lot when I washed it

(although I hadn't realized quite how much, 'til I saw this picture.)

but I'm still pleased with it.

This is my view from the kitchen

although,

often there is a person on that bench...

I love it!

for more fabulous furniture, visit Miss Mustard Seed

off to college