My Baby is Clean

We have had a busy summer with over 25 days of traveling through 7 states while camping in JayJay.  At the end of our journeys, the final day of Higher Ground, Zuri got baptized.  She's been asking for a little while to do it, and the time was right!  Praise God, for he is worthy of all praise!

Elna Grasshopper, my little green machine

Elna Grasshopper, a photo by mom2rays on Flickr.

Rocky found an Elna #1 at Value Village for me. We were lucky that he found it the day before the 1/2 price sale and that the case looks innocuous. The kids and I got up early and were there when the doors opened. Little greenie was clearly being overlooked by everyone else, but I wasn't taking any chances. The herd has thinned quite a bit since I started collecting, but when he found this one, I couldn't pass it by!

Happy 9th Birthday Captain C!

Captain C, a photo by mom2rays on Flickr.

For Charmie's Birthday we spent the weekend at Lake Hartwell, SC. We all had a blast with our new family toy, more deets on our recreational blog! I think this is a birthday he will remember!

Studio and Schoolroom redo

I showed you how it looked while we were in the process of the redo of our studio and school room so here's how it looks now that it's cleaned up. On the right side of the room we've placed all of the desks, the kids have some shelves to keep their desks isolated for ease of concentration and focus. As before, when we need to work together the center table is available.  My studio is on the left.  It now extends further down the room and is more functional.  

At the far end of the room we have our whiteboards and under the window the clickclack. It's great for reading time, there is storage underneath for board games and it folds into a double bed for guests.

The center table how holds the kids sewing machine (on loan from my mom) and our globe.



As I mentioned above there are bookcases/shelves between the desks to aid in the kids focusing.  On the shelves between Zuri and Mardie's desks we keep the daily use supplies like pencils, markers and colored pencils on top. Below are many of our classroom non math manipulatives and puzzles. Between Charmie and Mardie's desks I keep our greatly reduced workboxes. For this space, and where we are in our work, this simplifies things. I also keep the boys text books here. It's much simpler than keeping them with the other classroom materials. There's a lot less hunting and frustration this way.



To the right of Charmie's desk is a shelving unit that is an extension of my studio. My spinning wheels, some fiber, some yarn, some works in progress and related fiber tools are housed here in baskets.



The left side of the room (right side in this photo as viewed from Zuri's desk) has my studio. My sewing table setup hasn't changed. This was the best placement and allows for me to be able to work and keep an eye out on the kids simultaneously. Rocky and I share the desk.  As before, we work facing each other.  When I'm good and don't collect things on my desk it's plenty of space for both of us.



I cleaned out  the credenza that came with the desk and now store some of my office supplies and teacher's materials in it.  We were able to find IKEA office chairs in the "as is" room for well under 1/2 price!  Nothing is wrong with them, they were just no longer in the box.  They are very comfortable and well built.  They do not match.  We weren't trying to match them.  Rocky and I are built differently so it makes sense that we would be most comfortable in differently shaped chairs.  My chair is a wool version of the leather one we bought for the living room desk.  IKEA doesn't make it anymore sadly, but it's the most comfortable office chair I've ever used. Rocky's is green and black.



In the middle of the studio wall is my cutting/pinning/ironing table.  I've had to have one side folded down since we moved it up here.  This new configuration of the room allows me to have it all of the way open.  I have had ironing/pinning mats for a long time for this table, but the size didn't fit and they overlapped.  I finally cut and sewed them together to make one large fitted mat, vs. two ill fitting ones. Under it I have storage drawers that hold our math manipulatives, our school craft supplies, my mailing supplies and scale, as well as my cutting instruments. I'm going to be adding one more set of drawers in a few weeks and our science materials should then fit here as well.



Beyond the cutting table is a short bookcase of school resource books and a second with unused school supplies. I try to get supplies when they are affordable which isn't exactly when I need them.  I have to store them somewhere. Having them in one place allows me to keep an inventory of what we have and also itemize what we need for future sales.



The closet also got a redo.  It was full of videos/ DVD and VHS (yes we still have a VHS player), Wii games, board games (now under the clickclack), and over flow toys that we had temporarily taken out of rotation.  There was little useful organization, though Rocky had made multiple attempts.  It was a clusterscrew because it wasn't kid friendly and when opened almost always vomited its contents all over the walkway into the room.  I hated it because it was never tidy.  The solution; after we removed the items to more kid friendly storage areas was to move the remaining plastic drawers with fabric and yarn into it.  These drawers were previously on the landing at the top of the stairs and an eyesore.



I know it's A LOT to have it all in one room, optimally this would be in two separate and large rooms.  This is the modest space we do have and it all works. I feel so blessed to have this space to be used for a studio and school.  The space is very conducive to us working together. Everybody has their own space if needed yet we can come together for games or projects that require our combined efforts.  After some time, the room is becoming what I envisioned it being when we bought this home.

the storm before the calm

the storm before the calm, a photo by mom2rays on Flickr.

This past weekend Rocky and I needed to redo the school. We had to put the click clack (the black sleeper couch) back into this room. The chairs we had up here needed to be integrated elsewhere into our home. They ended up in the living room. Many things were taken out and shipped off to charity. And the space got a lot worse before it got better. You see we had gotten our school room where we thought it needed to be here.  But as I learn, I realize that no thing that I design or use is constant.  It's always changing, always in need of improvement. Always needing to be modified because I change and my needs change.  That's what has happened in this room.

Coaching Upward Cheerleading

Gift bracelet made for my girls, a photo by mom2rays on Flickr.

Well our Upward season is over, and I have had a blessed time coaching my 9 girls through it. I have seen them all, and myself grow. I have made some special friends with my Assistant coach and Team Mom. And to top it all off, I got through it! It was't easy. At times I was certain I would fail. I kept getting encouragement from Rocky and the parents.

At the end of the season, I made them each a bracelet, with their name, and a cheer, cross, and "made with love" charm to encourage them to remember our year, our devotions and whose they are!

Balle's scarf

Balle's scarf, a photo by mom2rays on Flickr.

Zuri's first knitting project. I cast on 5 st in RYC Cashsoft leftover from a beanie I made in her first year. I let her hold her hands on the needles under mine and verbally repeat the steps as we worked the stitches together. It's about 10" long and now Balle's neck is nice and warm!

Balle gets a new bag (and outfit)

Balle gets a new bag (and outfit), a photo by mom2rays on Flickr.

Zuri got a few fiber art lessons today. Zuri received a Corolle Les Cheries Doll named Chloe Ballerina that she affectionately named Balle for her birthday. She sat with me and knit about 4 rows on a scarf for Balle. I will have to upload the scarf pics later, they are on my phone vs. camera.
Here's the bag and outfit that we made for Balle. Zuri helped with the design of the purse, she centered the design and pushed start (my sewing machine will allow hands free/presser foot free sewing) to sew out the design "Balle ♥♥♥". She did an excellent job!
She got disinterested though when I had to press and sew the tiny binding. It wasn't the type of work suitable for tiny princess fingers. :(
The outfit is made from 2 socks. I bought a TON of socks and made Z legwarmers before she was born. I planned to also sell some, never got around to it and have a ton unsewn and decided to copy an idea I saw on flickr to make them into doll clothes. They work perfectly. Sewing is reduced because they are already tubes so unless you want to, there is no need for side seams. They are stretchy so they are easy on and off for small fingers. No frustration that the clothes are stuck on or off. No complicated closures to manipulate.
For the leggins, I measured and cut the tube leaving the cuff of the sock as the waist band. Then edge stitched with a stretch stitch the entire bottom. Then I straight stitched up and around and down to form the legs. I sewed 1/4" on either side of center and marked which stripe to stop at based on laying Balle on the tube before sewing. Once sewn, I cut between the stitches leaving a 1/4" seam allowance. Voila, leggins!
For the tunic top, I cut out the focal bunny in a tube and sewed the bottom, stretching slightly to allow it to lettuce edge. I set aside the bunny tube.
Then I cut the 2nd sock below the bottom stripe, leaving the cuff in tact to form the neck edging. I edged the bottom with stretch stitch then cut the tube in two. leaving two rectangles (because these were stripes, I aligned the "jog" of the beginning of the stripes up to be where I cut so that it would be in the seam allowance.
Then I carefully pinned the sleeves to the bunny tube and first sewed the front, centering the cuffs on either side of the center of the tube. Then flipped and repeated the back, ensuring that the stripes matched. Then I turned it inside out and sewed the bottom of the sleeve seams, and turned it right side out.
These were WAY faster than any other doll clothes I've attempted in the past. I believe I will go back through some of the leg warmers that Z doesn't wear that much (she actually still wears quite a few of them) and harvest some for doll clothes for Balle.
I can also see a use for older tights that have gotten a hole, both mine and hers, making doll leggins!

2012 slippers

2012 slippers, a photo by mom2rays on Flickr.

Each year I end up knitting a new pair of slippers. The previous year's pair wears out and I crave a new style. For 2012 I chose to knit Malabrigo Loafers bu Coco Knits. I was able to knit them in an evening of Netflix shows. They required exactly one skein of Malabrigo Chunky for the size small.
I need to locate or make some soles to add tread, and keep them from wearing out so quickly. I also need to weave in the ends.
It's hard to tell from the picture, but they are a medium bluish purple.
I haven't decided whether or not I am going to add any further embellishment. There's something about their simplicity that I like at the moment.

iBuds

iBuds, a photo by mom2rays on Flickr.

I have historically had the hardest time with in the ear and over the ear headphones. They don't like my anatomy. They fall out or off in a very short time. Even bluetooth devices. It's been much to my consternation because I would love to listen to books or music sometimes just by myself, but I haven't been able to find a solution.
Jenny, my knitting buddy, mentioned how the iPhone standard ear buds worked sufficiently for her so I decided to go home and resurrect mine, sealed in my iPhone box and give them a try. Would you know, they stayed in!
I just had to deal with the 2nd reason why I don't get along with most of these types of gadgets. Tangles.
I had seen icorded headphones on Ravelry, as a solution so I decided that if I was going to be carrying mine around, they needed sleeves.
A few Netflix selections and scrap sock yarn knitting later and voila! iBuds!
The final solution needed was how to transport them in my bag without damage, and how to easily locate them. There's nothing like deciding you need something and not being able to find it!
Here's where the Tom Bihn Mini Cordura Organizer Pouch in Wasabi comes in. Looking at it, it's not anything super special, but these little pouches, and their friends are now the mainstay of the organization and upkeep of my Every Day Carry bag!
When I purchased my first TB bag, these Organizer Pouches came highly recommended. I didn't get it though. It took ordering a few and playing around with them to find out their secret.
They come in 6 fabrics, Cork, Ballistic, Cordura, Clear front Cordura, Dyneema ripstop and Padded. They come in 7 sizes, mini, small, pencil, medium, super drive, large and now Kindle. The color choices are dependent on what TB has on hand, but usually range the gamut of colors available in their bags.
I currently use in my EDC mini sizes in Cork, Iberian Dyneema, Azalea and now the Wasabi Cordura. In small size, Ultraviolet Dyneema and a special gift to forum members a Friend of Tom pouch. The pouches are flat construction and the fabrics light weight so they don't take up significant room or weight, but they add an immeasurable amount of organization to my bag. They are like pockets, but each one a different size/fabric combination so it's SO EASY to find anything in my bag. It's also easy to find out if I've put something in that doesn't belong. It's NOT in an Organizer Pouch.
Lastly the clip keeps them secure, and easy to find whether clipped to an internal o-ring in my bag, or a keystrap, they don't fall out or get accidentally left out and lost, and they don't settle into the bottom of the black hole in my bag.
They also are useful in travel or in children's bags for corralling those little things that seem to go missing into corners or under the bottom of the bulky stuff. They are useful by themselves as a grab and go pouch for anything from medicine pouch to a place to keep books from getting dogeared in your bag. And that's one more thing that I love about them. Since I've started using them, my contents are protected and remain looking nicer because they aren't being beat up floating in my bag.
So if you couldn't tell, I love TB organizer Pouches. They are fun little accessories, that make a huge impact in the organization of my life, and more specifically my bags. :)

Boy's room redo

Our 2011 Christmas plans needed to coincide with the house goals of continuing to reduce clutter.  That kind of sounds contradictory.  Christmas presents in most cases equal clutter, but I was against that on multiple fronts.  So I had some discussions with Rocky and we decided that part of the boy's present would be something to help their room be more usable.  Rocky's parents asked what to do for the boys and I told them our plans, they asked if they could participate in them and it could be a combined gift.  We conceded,  it made sense.
So the day before Christmas Rocky and his father undertook a project to turn the boy's bunk beds that have been stacked down into loft beds.  The beds aren't anything fancy, I actually found them years ago at a Habitat For Humanity Restore for $25. We purchased new pillow top mattresses for them (they are super comfy to sleep in). and the boys had what they needed.  The dilemma was that a few months ago our bonus room became a dedicated home school and was no longer available as a playroom.  We also needed to un-stack the bunks for some other issues we had.  The result was that they had their beds and toys all in their room with little room to play or move around.  The loft beds gave them back their floor for playing and the beds for sleeping are up and out of the way.
Rocky and his dad built the loft structure and stabilizing supports under the beds.  Then in the following weeks Rocky has been constructing the additional shelves and finishing touches to make the space usable.


The train table for building, setting up vignettes, etc. fits nicely under Mardie's bed.  Rocky has put in two upper shelves, there will be one more that goes the length of the bed, under the "LEGO" display shelf for Mardie's special things.  There is an open backed shelf in front of the window and under it a very sturdy shelf that is also a window seat.  Under that shelf the LEGO's are in individual bins by color with two larger tubs for builds-in-progress. LEGO manuals are in page protectors in binders.  Now the boys can build to easier because finding the parts is facilitated by them being separated out.  They have been careful to maintain the separation, and they do not dump out the bins (that's a big no no in our household due to my AR tendencies).
In the under Train Table bins the boys keep their action figures/vehicles on one side and "weapons" on the other.  Weapons are in the Nerf variety for the most part, but there are a few pop gun pistols etc. in the mix.  These items used to be in under the bed storage bins.  You can imagine how messy the under the bed spaces would become with time.  It was a cleaning nightmare.  Now it is very easy to see where everything goes and to put it away.  It's also easy to see when things are out of place.  
The boys had an IKEA Kusk cabinet in their room before that had come from Zuri's room, but it is no longer needed in their room due to the shelves that Rocky built in under the lofts.  I will show where we put it when I blog about Zuri's room again. 

Under Charmie's bed Rocky built a bookcase.  In it the boys house most of their books.  There is some overflow into our living room bookcases.  The bookcases mirror the structure of the beds so they aren't super deep, but as the boys grow, their books get smaller and the smaller sized books fit just fine.  We moved these floor chairs in so they have a sitting area as well.  They use them to sit in when they read, they also pull them up to the train table when they are playing and use them when they are playing board games too.  

In the first photo you can see a yaffa block stacker in between the beds.  This was also reused from Zuri's room, and I have had it since college.  Yes, I know it's not the prettiest or nicest, but it's functional for their needs.  Their lamp, alarm clock, and bins of dress up costumes are housed here.  A common bin for hats and accessories and each has their own personal bin for their costumes.

The boys report that they love their new room.  I love their new room!  With time we have to decide how to finish the beds.  The wood is stained on the uppers and unfinished on the lower parts.  It works for now, though with time a uniform finish would be nice.
Also the design can be undone.  The beds can be unstacked and turned into individual twin beds or bunks whenever we choose!

This was the perfect solution for a large part of their Christmas, and also keeping in line with our new house goals of cutting the clutter!