Loong Weekend.

I have been off from work since Thursday. It has been FABULOUS. Hubs and I had four full days of turkey and relaxation. There was lots of napping, crafting and movie watching. Needless to say, I am dreading putting on real people clothes and heading off to work in the morning. I think the couch and my sweats will miss me.
Today, Hubs and I put up the tree. My mother in law thinks I was crazy for putting it up since we'll be away for the holidays, but could pass it up. I love sitting in the dark with only the tree lights during the holidays. Plus, it's a fake tree, so why not right?
Last year I convinced Hubs to buy a fake tree. He was so completely against it, but I wore him down. I hate the maintenance of a real tree. It's impossible to ever get all those needles out of the floor. Also, it's impossible to not get covered in sap when u are putting the tree up and taking it down. Once it's up Guinness considers it his personal water bowl. I hate him drinking that filthy water. Finally, they are expensive, I hate the smell, and when I touch them I get a rash. Fake trees don't need water or cleanup and they don't smell like anything. Perfect.

I love our tree.



What do u think? Are u a real tree person or a fake tree person?

Epic bad Day

I haven't written a blog entry in the longest time. I hope you guys, my very small pool of readers haven't given up on me. I haven't forgotten the blog, I just haven't really known what to write about. The last few weeks my crafting has been pretty nil. Im in the swing of it again trying to fill my Christmas orders. Which I will no worries. Basically, I've just has writers block.

Today, I had an epically BAD day at work. It was the kind of day where I seriously considered walking out (before I realized how unadult and irresponsible that reaction would be). Now, I'm at home shedding the tears I've been waiting to shed all day and wondering how I'm going to muster up the strength to go back there tomorrow. I suppose all I can do is hope for the best.

Hubs is out now trying to buy a dinner to make me feel better. Cute right?

Anyways, that's it for now. Just wanted to let you know I'm still here. I'll update again soon, sooner than three weeks, with completed dollhouse pictures!

Wish me luck with tomorrow :) Maybe with a little help it will be better than today.

Time to get thinking about Christmas!

Today is November 1st.  Can you believe it? Where did the month of October go?

Now that it's officially November, I can no longer put off that I have tons of sewing for Christmas to do.  I have orders for EIGHT (can you believe it!) dollhouses for the big day.  These obviously need to get done first, and significantly before so that they can be sent through the mail (without costing me a fortune).  Each of the dollhouses in the order is different and I'm really excited. I have two regular houses, one farmhouse, one barn, one beach house, one  vet clinic, and one pet shop.....oh..and one garage.  I cut out the beach house last week.  I figured it would be easiest  to plan out all the houses, then cut all the pieces, then sew.  Once everything is all sewn then I can make the tags and ship. Very efficient right?  Henry Ford would be so proud.

Today at work I decided to do a little planning with my stolen minutes here and there.  So far I have ideas for five of the houses.  Please forgive my drawing.......

I'm still trying to decide if I should use fabric for the decorations around the house like I did the last two times, or if I should try felt for these.  Hub told me, very eloquently, when I asked what he thought "They ordered based on fabric, not felt.  If you are going to do it, you better do it right."  He sure is a charmer that Hubs, especially over email. I saw a few houses in this flickr group where they used felt to decorate, and they just look so intricate and cute.  I wonder if I can do a better job using the felt instead of the fabric.  What do you think?  

Aside from the dollhouses, I really wanted to make presents for my niece and nephew.  For Tommy I wanted to make a play mat where he could play with his matchbox cars.  For Brooklyn I loved this tutorial from Prudent Baby for a portable tea set.  Finally, I wanted to make a baby shower gift for my friend Shannon who's due on Christmas Day. 

I hope I have enough time for everything.  If only I hadn't slept through October.  Now if I can only keep my eyes open long enough for the next month to sew, sew, sew!  Wish me luck!

Adorable

My mom sent me a picture of Brooklyn and Tommy in their Halloween costumes today.  I don't know what else to say but......Adorable.

Tommy had a dress up day at Pre-School today.  Brookie, she just wanted to wear her white costume.  I hear that she's been obsessed with it since she met it on Sunday.

Update: I'm still alive.....

I haven't written in a couple of days.  Sorry.  At first, I just didn't have anything to write, then I just got lazy.  September and October haven't been stellar months for me and my crafting.  It will get better (well, it has to, I have EIGHT dollhouse orders to fill before Christmas, possibly nine).

What has happened since I last updated? Let me tell you.....

Anne and I went to another card making class at Paper-Source.  This one was for Holiday Cards and Tags, and was a little more advanced.  It was so much fun.  I have pictures.  At the end of the class the teacher told us that we could take any leftovers that we wanted.  I turned into a vulture and grabbed everything I could without getting noticed.  In my defense, that stuff is really expensive and she was giving it out for free.  A wise man (classmate) in college once told me "If it's free....take two".  I like to live by that motto as much as possible, without looking greedy

My mom, sister and sister - in - law, came down for a crafting shopping trip.  We went to all the different crafty locations in Boston and Dorchester, as well as the Disney Store.  My sister in law was determined to buy a Snow White Doll for Brooklyn for Christmas.  We started the morning off at The Stitch House in Dorchester.  It sells yarn and some sewing stuff.  I had never been but had wanted to.  It made me want to take up knitting again and get good at it this time.  After a few non crafting stops we went in town for lunch.  We had lunch at B Good's new Downtown Crossing location.  I love B Good.  The food is delish.  Conveniently, my mother, who's a celiac, also loves B. Good because they have gluten free bread and will ask her if she has a wheat allergy before cooking her chicken.  It's really really hard to eat out when you have a gluten allergy.  We've found a couple good restaurants in the area, and usually stick to those when my mom comes to visit (B.Good, Legal Seafoods). After lunch we went to Windsor Button, then back into Dorchester to go to Sewfisticated.

I didn't really get to much, but my mom made a killing.  She's a big crocheter and bought a bunch of new books at Windsor Button.  I got some fabric at Sewfisticated, but that was about it.  I had wanted to get some buttons for the dollhouses but didn't see anything that whet my fancy.  Does anyone have a great store that they buy buttons from online?  That isn't too expensive? 

Sadly, that's about it.  I cut out the pieces for one of the dollhouses last night.  I'm hoping to do another tonight, and then sew them all up this weekend. 

Halloween is just around the corner :)

Halloween Movie : Hocus Pocus

 

Last night, after catching up on the dozen or more Modern Family episodes we are behind on (we just needed to laugh), Hubs and I stumbled across one of my favorite Halloween movies EVER.  Hocus Pocus.

 

Hubs loves horror movies.  He likes them bloody and scary.  Me on the other hand, I'm not really into all the gore and blood.  Its not that I'm scared, I'm just really grossed out.  I love a good psychologically scary movie, like most of the old ones, or just a good old fashioned fun "scary" movie (like Hocus Pocus).

 

Hocus Pocus is about three witches from back in the day, who are summoned back to Salem on Halloween night by a bit of magic.  Max lights a candle in a museum that is said to bring back the witches under certain conditions (if it's halloween night, if it's lit by a virgin....).  He thinks it's just "Hocus Pocus".  Sidenote: Did I ever tell you how much I love it when they put the title of a movie in the actual movie?  Then there is no guessing...you know exactly why they named it that.  The three witches are Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker.  This is pre-Carrie for Sarah Jessica I believe. 

 

Hubs and I were surprised to learn that the movie was from 1993.  Thora Birch, who plays the little girl that the witches are trying to eat, tells them that the year is 1993 at one point.  Both Hubs and I remember when this movie was NEW.  It's a little shocking when you realize that a movie was made in the same year that your 17 year old sister was born.   We had a rough moment of feeling really old together. 

 

We didn't finish the movie, we were way too tired, and Hubs was distracted with his law firm.  But, just seeing it for a few minutes reminded me how much I love Disney movies, and why I'm so happy that they still show them on fox family :)

Trick or Treat .....bags!

Remember how I made the Snow White Costume for my niece Brooklyn?  Well, I had wanted to make one for her brother, my nephew Tommy, but he already had a Spider-man costume.  Apparently, my brother and sister in law bought it for him last year, and since their children eat like monsters but don't gain weight (EVER), he decided to wear it again this year.  Tommy is PUMPED to be Spider-man.  I don't even think he remembers wearing the same costume last year.  Memory is such a fragile thing when you are 3 1/2.  Every time we ask Tommy what he's going to be for Halloween he flexes his muscles and says "I'm going to be STRONG!".  He's too cute.

 

Brooklyn and Tommy are very close in age.  They like to get equal amounts of attention from their Auntie.  They actually demand it.  I knew that I wouldn't be able to send up a fabulous (if I may say so myself) costume for Brookie, and nothing for Tommy.  I decided to make them treat bags to take trick or treating with them. 

 

I saw a treat bag at Michaels that served as the inspiration.  They were small, made out of felt and only 99 cents.  Sure, I could have bought it for them, but that's no fun at all.

 

I liked how small they were.  These children do not need candy for energy let me tell you, so any large amount of candy would just frustrate my brother and sister - in - law (and my parents for that matter).  Also, Tommy is allergic to corn, which is in basically everything.  I didn't want him to come back from Trick or Treating, empty his bag and see a huge load of candy, only to find out later he could eat basically two pieces.   I am so glad I don't have a corn allergy by the way.  It's BRUTAL!

 

I sewed the bags together with my machine.  To make them I used two pieces of felt of one color for the front, back and sides.  For the straps I used a contrasting color.  I used black thread on both because, well, it's Halloween.   Here they are:

 

Tommy's I made very boyish, with a bat, and skull, and boo! on the back:

 

The stitching on one side of Tommy's bag is a little off.  I just realized this last night.  I don't know if this was my fault or Guinness'.  It was hanging on the hall doorknob for quite a few days.  I feel like there may have been some tug of war going on. But, I could also just be a messy seamstress.  Um.......sorry Guin, I'm going to blame you on this one.

 

For Brooklyn I made a little princess bag.  I even hot glued some rhinestones on the crown.  For all you mommies out there that are worried she'll swallow the rhinestones, don't fear.  I was worried about this too.  I used LARGE amounts of glue to secure them to the bag.  Those puppies aren't going anywhere.

 

I love them.  I think they are adorable.  I realized how much I like working with felt while I was making these.  It's really easy to make what you want, and it doesn't fray.  Is anything better than that?