Happy New Year...Only A Few Weeks Late!

Happy 2012! No good excuses for not blogging, especially since we just had nearly a week off because of snow. Usually I would quickly become stir crazy and ready to leave the house, but this break was welcomed. It was so cozy and happy-- the kids and I snuggled and watched movies and sewed! Harper and I made pajamas for her American Girl, Rebecca-- I did it without a pattern, though-- just cut and sewed. So they are far from perfect! Harper doesn't seem to notice, though. :)

A few weeks back, I embroidered this for the girls' room...

 I love little, simple embroidery patterns that I can leave in the hoop to hang and display. This is now hanging above the light switch in their room.

I wanted to make something for Mason, too, but its hard to find patterns that aren't "girly." So I decided to stitch one of our favorite sayings for him... everytime I tell him that I love him, he says that he loves me more. Then I say that it's not possible, and he says he's the first kid ever who has loved his mom more than she loves her child. He's so sweet. When I stitched this for him, I told him that since it's forever embroidered, it's final-- I really do love him more. :) Now this will go in his room above his light switch.

Red, White, and Cute All Over

Wow, can the 4th of July holiday really be less than 2 weeks away? Crazy! Between Easter happening so late this year and my kids only getting out of school a week ago, my second favorite holiday (only after Christmas) has snuck up on me. Mason has his Old Navy flag shirt ready to go, but I just had to do something "cutesy" for the girls.   ~Just to clarify, I'd love to do something cutesy for Mason too, but his 8-year-old little self would much rather wear the t-shirt.~  Anyway, these tops were super-easy to whip up on Sunday from some fabric I found in the remant bin at Joann's. I did a more mature style for Harper-- one shouldered, with a crocheted star applique. The applique started out as a flower, and was in a pre-purchased pack from Ikea (see yesterday's post for how I used the rest).  Because I wanted a patriotic theme, though, I cut it into a star shape and used fray check around the sides after cutting.

My Georgia will only be 4 for so long, so why not take advantage of it? She loves the ric rac, the ruffle down the front, the eyelit trim as shoulder straps... all of the things that little girls outgrow too quickly.

They make quite the pair... my little patriotic princesses!

Gifts From My Grandmothers

My grandmothers were both born in the month of April. And they both died in the month of April. They both lived to be 79 years old. So naturally, April is a month in which I remember my grandmas-- how much I miss them, how much I love them (notice the present tense-- people die, but our love for them doesn't), and how much they've given me.

My mom's mom was named Ernestine. She was an only child, and full of spunk. I called her Grandma Basting.

My dad's mom was named Melanie. She was full of spunk too. She is on the left, and her sister, Leonore, is on the right. Their mom, Sophie, is in the middle. I called her Grandma Becker.

They were both such strong women. Both opinionated, both determined, both confident. They were my friends and my cheerleaders as well as my grandmas. I know now, because of who I attempt to be, that I want to be like them.

I want to sew like Grandma Basting. I want my kids to feel the love from what I sew for them like I still feel the love from my Grandma in the quilts she made for me. I want my house to smell like big breakfasts on Saturday mornings, and like apple pie on Saturday evenings. I want to take care of my parents one day as well as she took care of hers. I want to be a hard worker and have a beautiful garden and laugh as often and as heartily as she laughed.

I want to hug like Grandma Becker. Oh, to feel one of her long, strong hugs again! I want to wear fuschia lipstick and her big fur coat (sorry, PETA) and tell funny stories as well as she told stories about her city life and her farm life. I want to represent my German heritage as well as she did, through her words and her cooking. I want to watch beauty pageants and have the guts to say what I really think and to laugh as often and as heartily as she laughed.

I want Gareth to know that I love him as much as my grandmas loved their husbands.

Grandma and Grandpa Becker, 1941

I want my kids to know that I love them as much as my grandmas loved their kids.

And I hope to one day experience the blessing of grandchildren, and to love them and teach them, and to give them as much as my grandmas gave me.

Mad for Mermaids!

Georgia, my 4-year old, has gone mad for mermaids! She loves Ariel and "The Little Mermaid", of course, but she loves stories and songs and poems and pictures of all kinds of mermaids.

And she spends lots of time trying to convince her 6 and 8 year old siblings that mermaids are real.

When I found the "Sea Beauties" fabric by Michael Miller, I knew it was a must have for Georgia. I bought it months ago, but because it looks summery, I thought it would be best to save it for a sundress. However, I just couldn't wait any longer-- as Seattleites know, we are sometimes wearing puffy coats and pom pom hats in June, for goodness sake--so I came up with an alternate plan.

I had some sweaters I found at Value Village for about $1 each and they happened to match the colors in the fabric perfectly. I especially liked how the orange one looked with the fabric. And while I was matching the fabric and sweaters, Harper went to her closet and found an old aqua t-shirt with anchors on it that matched as well:

I messed around with the scissors and fabric and here is what I came up with:

And after an hour and a half of gathering and sewing and hemming, here is what we have-- a bright, cheerful, perfect-for-the-chilly-springs-in-Seattle dress!

And hooray-- Georgia felt like modeling and having her picture taken today!