My Thoughts Exactly

Not much to write today. Bo's expression conveys how I'm feeling right now: wishing I could hide (and sleep). I've got a mountain of schoolwork and work work that I'm slowly trudging my way through this week. Saturday can't come soon enough.

Bed Bugs

When my sister Kathy was expecting her first child she enlisted my help to decorate the nursery. She didn't want anything too cutesy but she wanted something original. It also had to have ladybugs. So one afternoon, I packed up my paint box (my sisters often tell me to "bring the paints" when I come to visit) and brushes and set out to work.



To make sure we didn't go overboard with the bugs, we cut out paper shapes about the size that we wanted to final bugs to be. We then taped these to the wall in various layouts before choosing what we liked best. I learned this trick from a magazine a few years ago and have been utilizing it ever since. The whole process really only took a few hours. I used basic craft acrylic paints (gotta love 'em!).


The best part about this day was the delight my sister had when she discovered that she can paint afterall! For the longest time she would insist that she can't paint and that I got all the creative genes in the family. But after I showed her how to paint a ladybug and bee, she was painting her own like a pro.


It is no surprise that my niece loves anything having to do with ladybugs now.

To Be Square

I'm afraid I've lost a little steam on my granny square project. Really it's just a matter of my eyeballs being bigger than my ability to actually do everything I want to do. Is this an adult form of ADD? Fortunately, I know myself pretty well and predicted this. So I chose a small project to start off with. I have thirteen of the eighteen squares I need for my granny square bag complete. Only five more to go!


I love the color combination I chose. Every time I finish a square I think it is my favorite until I finish the next one. I am having a bit of a problem trying to keep my squares all the same size though. Is this is a rookie mistake I will soon grow out of? I hope so. Oh, and weaving in the ends is a terrible bore! But the end result is just so pretty.

City bag

I have a confession to make. I've made a lot of stylish bags over the last two years, but for the past few months I have been guilty of carrying an ugly, pen stained backpack to and from work. It just didn't seem right. So, I made myself something I could be proud to be spotted carrying.


I can fit a lot of stuff in this bag, which is good because I carry a lot of stuff. The contents of my bag vary daily but usually contain some combination of the following: gym shoes/clothes, lunch food, homework/school notes, craft magazine or novel.


I finally learned how to sew an inside zipper pocket. The zipper and the bag are not perfect (sewing with vinyl is hard!), but overall I'm pleased with the end result. For the sake of my sewing machine, I don't think I'll be sewing with vinyl again anytime soon.

In her hands

Caught up in the granny square fever, I spent last Saturday with my Mom learning to crochet a square.

I grew up watching these hands make amazing things. Now they are teaching me to make my own.

Thank you, Mom.