Baseball Fun Bucket

I volunteered to make a quilt to be included in the Classroom Auction item for our schools upcoming fundraising event.

Our class families donated tons of great stuff to make up a Baseball Fun Bucket (for our local minor league team).

I've been wanting to make a Rag Quilt for some time, so I figured this was the perfect reason. 

I am NOT a quilter - I don't like having it be perfect in my sewing...or my cooking (that's why I'm not much of a baker).

This quilt was so easy - and fast to put together.

In one day I had all the squares cut (including the face fabric, batting and denim backing)

The next day I did all the sewing, seam snipping and had it washed and dried.

Super Cute (if I do say so myself). I used this tutorial from Connie at Green Apple Orchard blog.

I also volunteered to put all our donated goodies together - to create the Fun Bucket.

Tee Shirt - Visor - Foam finger - Logo Baseball

A cute little be-ribboned tag telling everything that is included

And a bundle that includes the Tickets and Food/Gift voucher (as well as a bat shaped pen and note pad)

There is a little empty spot left - do you see it there in the corner?

I may have to add a few of these aluminum Coke Bottles too.

Because they are so darn cute - and they Match!

(this is one of my project 365 photo-a-day pics....that's why it has a date)

I will definitely be making more of these quilts - this time for us to keep.

Especially now that my fabric stash will soon be neat and organized 

(a new closet is being built in my craft studio as we speak)

Whoot Whoot!

Project Life: Cover Page

I am embarking on Project Life.

If you are not familiar - you can read more about it here on Becky Higgins' blog.

In a nutshell: it's a simple way to document your everyday life.
An answer for those that have become overwhelmed by all the fancy scrapbook creations out there, but still want a to preserve their family memories.

What I LOVE about this project - is that it can be whatever YOU want it to be.



It is designed to be a photo a day - 365 project (or in the case of this Leap Year....366). The page layouts allow for one photo - and one journaling card for each day.

Who am I kidding - I'm not anticipating that I will accomplish that - so I'm setting a less lofty goal. I'm allowing myself to let this project turn out be whatever I feel like.

It will probably be a combination of:

~ Documenting life around me from a candid point of view (like this project from last year)
~ Posed pictures of my family and friends
~ Finding the beauty in our every day life (like Rebekah's Ten on Ten)
~ A Few Bench Shots
~ A Few Fence & Flare Shots
~ Some Instagram pics
~ Mementos, Notes, Lists, Quotes.......

You get the idea. With this one project - I can do it all.

After initially making our Cover Page - I started blog surfing - and began to feel my basic page was not up to par. It needed a little more bling:



So I went back and added some glitter, buttons and washi tape embellishments.

Then I read this post entitled "Eye's on Your Own Paper!"

Translation: Don't be influenced by what everyone else is doing. There will always be someone doing something (that you think is) better than you.
Be true to yourself - and don't worry about the rest.

Boy - did I need to hear that!



This is the completed Cover Page. It's Done - and I'm Happy with it.

I haven't decided if this is for Little K (so she will have something to remember the moments of her childhood), or for Me (so I don't forget), or for Hubby ( to keep him informed about the little things that fill our days).

I suppose it's all of the above.

Special Thanks to my flickr friend everydayus for introducing this project to me. I'm thrilled to be doing this together with her - sharing ideas and inspiration - across the miles.

Little Lunches

I've been asked recently if I still pack bento lunches for Little K.

The answer is Yes - although they have become less creative (and therefore requiring less time) lately, so I don't often take any pictures.

I find it harder during the winter months - when the fruit and vegetable selection is not as varied - to come up with new ideas. Not to mention that my Bento Stash is much in need or re-organizing.
note to self: put that on the To Do List

Here are a few pics I took over the past few weeks.



My favorite Laptop Lunch container. It's not in the true Bento style - but the little compartments kind of qualify it as a bento.

I was excited to see cherries at the grocery store - yay - something different than the usual carrots and grapes.

The cut outs on the bottom are bologna and cheese with crackers. She's not a bit cheese eater (that's why they are small ovals).

One tiny little begonia blossom that hasn't been frozen out yet - added as a garnish (not to be eaten).





These are my other favorite containers. I got them at the Daiso store when we were in San Francisco last year.
Everything just seems to look better in a round container.

Fruits, veggies and another begonia flower blossom.

The top round has a Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich (cut into a round) with polka dots from cinnamon sugar (left of after making breakfast that day).

I'll get back to making more fancy lunches soon, but in the meantime...You can see more of the lunches I have made over the years - over there ------> in the Bento Lunch Gallery (it's links to my flickr set).

You can even find one of my creations published in the Laptop Lunches (Dec 2011) Newsletter in the "from your kitchen to ours" section.

Happy New Year

Hello Again. I'm Not Lost. Still Here.
Just Spending Time with the Family

December kept us busy, but we managed to have some great times together. I did get quite a few pics of all the Holiday projects we completed, but didn't get around to blogging about any of them.

I know lots of you have already taken down your decorations, so the last thing you want to read about are Christmas Activities and Crafts.

Maybe I'll wait and post about them next year.

As for me - we'll keep the trees up for at least another week. I'm not ready to move on just yet.

We ended up celebrating New Years Eve with an impromptu Neighborhood Progressive Dinner. Usually I plan for months in advance - but this get together was decided on just days before (as in 2 days before).

5 families - 9 adults - 7 kids



I was in charge of the Entree Course:

Boeuf Bourguignon
Pureed Root Vegetables
Mushroom Ragout
Sourdough Crustini
Parsley Buttered Noodles
Chicken Nuggets

An individual Petite bouquet at each place. Mixed white flowers in a mini beaded vase (they are dollar store votive holders, painted, rolled in glue and beads).



Silver napkin rings - wired with glass beads.



Sparkley Clock Name cards.



Marshmallow Snowballs in a cellophane bag tied with silver, pink and purple ribbons.



Dinner (for the adults) was served in the dining room which is decorated for Christmas in pastels, silver & pewter. You can peek at it here. It was a nice change from the traditional Red and Green Holiday decor in the rest of the house, and an easy transition to a sparkley New Years.

In case you are wondering how I pulled this of with just 2 days notice - when I am known to plan and work for months before an event....

I Cheated!

I have used this color scheme in the past, and had the napkin rings and votive/flower holders already made.

There has to be a benefit to moving a lot....you can re-use your decor and No One will ever Know.

Happy New Year!