Big Boy Room!

I wish I'd thought to take a few before shots. After we sold Chase's bunk beds to my cousin, he wanted a "big kid" room. It took a while, but I finally got around to it this weekend. I painted his walls on Thursday. Saturday I went shopping in my Dad's basement. I grabbed my Mom's old desk (circa 1950) and brought it home. Jamie was horrified (it was sporting a green and black combed faux finish that was older than me), but I saw the potential. I spent Saturday stripping, standing and painting. Chase picked out new hardware, fabric, and accessories at Hobby Lobby Saturday night. I spent Sunday afternoon sewing a new valance & decorative pillows. This morning I crafted a headboard out of foam core and paint.

I'm rather pleased by my efforts and Chase is thrilled!

Cleaning

The question I am most frequently asked by guests is "How do you keep your house so clean?" I'm married to a veritable hoarder (you know, he NEEDS those VHS tapes of his high school sports teams), so it isn't always easy. However, it's necessary. I can't relax in a pigsty. My best advice is to multitask. A few times a week, while I'm in the shower, I hose it down w/cleanser. I finish my shower and then squeegee the walls. Every so often, I use a scouring pad to scrub it down--but you'd be surprised how frequently a little cleanser & steam do the trick. I keep cleaning supplies in every bathroom--if I notice something needs cleaning, I do it when I see it. Cleaning up little messes generally prevents BIG messes.

While I'm not the sort of homemaker who has a strict schedule (Monday is marketing, Tuesday is laundry, etc), I always clean the house on Friday and do a touch up on Monday. Dust, vacuum, mop & wipe down bathrooms. My favorite tools are a dusting wand, vacuum cleaner & bleach/baby wipes. I use baby wipes on everything from painted & upholstered furniture (test in an inconspicuous area) to walls and switchplates. They also work well on vinyl & ceramic tile floors. And they'll remove makeup in a pinch. My daughter is toilet trained, but I'm still buying them by the case!

Photography

Reflecting

Such a happy girl...

Stormy Lake

I like the composition of the first shot better, but Cassie's facial expression is cuter in the second shot. I'm still very much in beginner mode w/the new camera. The storm shot was taken in manual mode b/c the colors were washed out in auto. The others were taken in auto.

The first two shots of the kids were (obviously) candids. I love doing candids, but it is difficult to shoot them b/c the kids start hamming it up when they see the camera. I'm hoping for Photoshop next, then I could clean up the reflection shot of Chase...

Knitted scarves, the gray & black is in simple garter stitch. The black is in stockinette stitch.

The blanket I'm crocheting for a friend's new baby. Three strands of yarn together, single crochet with an S hook.

Nuts for Knitting

I whipped up three scarves in two days last week. 2 were made in (two) shades of grey & black Jiffy yarn, using a simple garter stitch. I finally mastered stockinette stitch and knit myself a super long scarf using black Thick & Quick. I knit it w/two skeins, holding two strands together. I love it! Hancock Fabrics had a HUGE yarn clearance, where I also picked up two sets of jumbo needles. I really enjoy using the super-sized needles--I love the texture of a nice heavy knit!

I'm currently crocheting a baby blanket for a friend--same pattern as the kids' blankies (3 strands together, single crochet w/a super sized hook) in Jiffy chili, camel & coffee. It is coming along nicely, but I'm looking forward to my next knitting project--perhaps a hat for my newest niece or a hoodie for Cassie...

I got my new camera yesterday. I've been playing quite a bit w/portrait shots and landscape shots, but THIS is my very favorite shot so far. Chase is tickling Cassie to make her laugh and capturing stuff like this is why I wanted a grown up camera in the first place. YAY!

Another new hobby

I taught myself how to knit and am working on a fun fur (Lion Brand Cotton Candy) self-striping scarf for Cassie. The beginning of it is pictured.

I'm also crocheting an afghan for Jamie. It is a striped afghan using all my leftover yarns, plus a few sale finds. It is mostly rows of double crochet varying in color and size of stripes, but I've threw in a few other stitches to keep it interesting.

Both projects have taken a backseat to summer reading, gardening, and spending time at the pool with the kids. I work when I have a few moments to spare, and the scarf is far more portable than the afghan! I think I will be whipping out quite a few scarves for Christmas this year. The landscaping consumed quite a bit of time there for a while, but the beds are all finally mulched, plantings are finally all in, and I'm hoping that my "work" now will solely consist of cuttings for inside!

I'm thrilled to adding another hobby to my ever-growing list soon. I finally bought myself a DSLR camera (Jamie is calling it an early anniversary present, happy 13th sweetie!). I'm looking forward to being able to finally capture what I see through the lens when I see it.