Inspiration for the Unwieldy

Here's what we've been up to.

(Note: It's really hard to see how photos are going to be displayed in blogger so you'll have to assign the appropriate caption to the appropriate picture)

First: There's James' completed tool box (I love that he attached a baseball picture of himself to the keychain. Cool handy key-chain-nail Granny!)

Second: Peter hammin it up on the back porch.

Third: (this was tonight) "No hitting, kicking and punching your brother Peter."

Fourth: James and his CubScout Den enjoying the Frankenkrispy treats that James helped make.

Fifth: What I've been working on today.

You might think I have too much time on my hands. I wouldn't say that. I still feel like Tweedle Dee trying to get around (anyone remember the clown pants with the hula hoop waistline?), and I still have to take it easy more than is good for my house or my toddler - but there is not NEARLY enough time before the baby to get all the christmas and baby sewing done! Argghh.

I can't believe Pip will be here in 19 days. I'm scheduled to c-sect at 12:30 on November 18th.

I loved the 1940's lipstick application tutorial that I found here. She has lots of inspiring looks. It's crazy - I had just been thinking today, "I wish I knew how to do vintage looking pin curls and styles." So then I find this blog! She mentions a new book that came out "Style Me Vintage." I think I'm gonna have to get myself that one for my birthday!

Christmas Making

I love pictures of little children hands.
This is P. Note the fading baby wrinkle at the wrist. Fortunately I'm getting a new one in November. New fat wrists and ankles, and no ability to stave off kisses!

I've been Christmas sewing today. My house looks horrible, floors are visibly dirty and everything else is worse. The problem is not motivation.


In an occasion which should be historic, scientists actually named a chemical after the most notable result. The chemical "relaxin" is what causes your joints to stretch more than usual while you're pregnant. And since my body always seems to have trouble with dosage amounts (do you think she'll need some serotonin to go to sleep tonight? Nah. besides we made more than enough adrenalin today let's hit the sack ourselves), I think my body has made too much relaxin. It's as though I have communist bloc hormone glands. They always make too much of the wrong things.


So my house is dirty because it hurts to move. Each step is painful, just standing up is painful, bending over hurts in 5 different places that haven't hurt since I started taking horseback riding lessons!


So instead of cleaning the house I sat still. And laid still.


All day long.


I still really wanted to be productive though, so P and I played with construction paper and a single hole punch and glue, we "ate" cupcakes (they're made of felt), and I sewed little hand-sewing things. I can't say too much about it because the recipients all read my blog. But for a teaser, they were inspired by a cheap IKEA score + a favorite illustrator + this baby book interpretation (made by my favorite blogger), which was originally in this book. And that's all I'm gonna give ya!


I will take pictures and post them after Christmas, which is no help to the rest of you - but let's face it - I know that most of the people who read my blog are my friends and they HAVE my email address. If you need hand-sewy ideas for christmas, email me.


Love to everyone!


Lissa

Toolbox!

Granny came to visit us this weekend!
I had asked her to help James complete one of the requirements for his Bear Cub Scout Badge, so she came prepared to help him build....





THE
TOOLBOX!





(I've just realized there's not a good "all finished pic" - but I have a headache and you can see it in the last picture - sort of)




He was super-proud to take it to his Den Meeting tonight. I was worried that the event would not meet up to the expectation. But all the boys were really impressed, and looked and looked at our pictures and the tools and asked questions. James got to do a little talk on what each tool was, and impressed them even more when he told them, they were all HIS!


Thank you so much Granny.
You are amazing.
You are super-cool.

Love you,
Lissa

Art and Ocean

While we were at IKEA getting dining room chairs, I found little unstained picture frames for really cheap! I bought three bundles. For the longest time I couldn't decide what to put in them...
pretty scrapbook paper?

photos of my kids?

(my favorite and I WILL do it eventually)

pictures from old children's books

finally I settled on the DIY option:

tiny painted still-lifes.

(Are they still-life if there is just one

object in the picture?)
Peter helped me paint the frames in blue, pink, and very bright yellow (in other words, what I had in the bin below my bed).

Here is Peter with his favorite painting.

I was inspired by the art in Richard Scarry books - that is - the art that is hanging on the walls of the animals houses. It's nearly always vegetables or fruit. My favorite is a still life of five or six apples that hangs on the wall in Dr. Lion's clinic (Postman Pig and his Busy Neighbors).

When the husband gets them hung I will show you how they all look together!

I'm also working on refashioning some of my clothes to be nursing-friendly. I'm really in love with the t-shirt refashions from Tea Rose Home. One dress that was already nursing-friendly needs a little spiffing up so I've been working on that.

Today was Columbus Day and J had the day off from school (unfortunately the Husband didn't). P, J, and I all drove to Galveston this morning to play at the beach. It was really perfect weather. Warm but not sultry, with a light breeze. Best of all the tide had created a tide-pool and sand-bar which you don't usually get in Galveston. It was perfect for P who is still afraid of the waves. We had an exceptionally good time!