stardustshoes

Deliberate Self Care: Sleep and Coffee

2012-01-03T23:31:00.000-08:00

I haven't blogged for awhile, but I haven't fallen off the Deliberate Self Care bandwagon. Three weeks ago, I decided to try to get to bed at a decent hour. I'm a night owl. Most nights I stay up to midnight or beyond. I had wonderful plans to listen to my body--to go to bed when I felt tired. I've been reading up on how maintaining a good sleep schedule is so important to the reduction of cortisol, the stress hormone. If you stay up late at night, the body perceives this as stress and produces more cortisol. The more cortisol, the less able one is able to fall asleep. A tough cycle to break.

Anyway, I did good. I got in bed at 10:30, and then...ended up tossing and turning trying to fall asleep because, as it turns out, I wasn't able to listen to my body because my body was listening to my three cup a day coffee habit. I've felt guilty about the coffee for awhile. But, hey, I'm in Seattle. This is what Seattle folk do--they guzzle coffee all through the winter, well, all year long, really.

So, that was it for the coffee. I quit cold turkey...which I've read since then is not the way to go. I should have read about how to do it beforehand. Apparently you're supposed to taper the caffeine a little each day...mix a little decaf in there so as not to shock the system. I had pretty bad flu-like symptoms (minus the fever) and was achy for a full week. My ache started at my neck and shoulders and carried through down to my legs. By the last day of withdrawals, I was sore just in my legs. Thank goodness for the muscle roller. I don't know how I would have survived.

So now I'm feeling pretty good about not being dependent on caffeine. I'm drinking detox tea and have tried Teechino. I drink my hot water with chia in it. I'm drinking water with a squirt of lemon in it.

But here I am at 11:30 at night blogging away and still not really tired. My kids have been having some seriously scary health issues, and my stress is through the roof. I've been researching treatment, homeopathic remedies, and ways to build up the immune system. I feel like I need to just stop because this is just a never ending maze of info, some of it helpful, but most of it not.

I just need to go to bed.

Shop News

2011-12-13T07:55:00.001-08:00

There's a new bag in the shop today.

Deliberate Self Care: Fish Oil

2011-12-07T22:17:00.000-08:00

I used to give my kiddos omega-3 gummy-style vitamins and figured I'd done my motherly duty. Truly, those things are loaded with sugar and don't really have much omega-3 in them. Ever since I was introduced to Barlean's Omega Swirl, taking our fish oil has been a new daily pleasure for us. Does that sound weird? My kids love this stuff. The lemon flavor is our fave. After breakfast the kids open their mouths and I walk around with the bottle and they each get a squirt. I like mine on my yogurt the best. It's so yummy and has xylitol instead of sugar.
Good for us in so many ways--brain, heart, skin, and attitudes.

Deliberate Self Care: Going Gluten Free

2011-11-28T19:46:00.000-08:00

Back in September I brought one of my kiddos to a holistic chiropractor who did the arm-thingy and concluded that my son has gluten sensitivities. The "arm-thingy" refers to applied kinesiology. I don't understand it. The chiropractor put a vial in my son's hand, had him hold his other arm out and resist. The chiropractor pushed it down easily, stated that it "blew weak" and said that that indicated gluten sensitivity. He suggested that we cut back on our gluten intake. Since my husband I tend to be skeptics about stuff like this and were relectant to change anybody's diet based on an arm trick, we went ahead and had a test run by a third party. Sure enough--two weeks later the results came in that my son IS gluten sensitive. The results also stated that gluten sensitivity is usually genetic and that family members should be tested as well.

We decided as a family that if one of us was going to suffer we were all going to suffer (1 Cor. 1:26). So our new diet began.

I won't lie. It's been hard. The beginning was difficult especially. There really is no decent gluten-free substitute for sandwich bread (not store bought anyway). Without the gluten the stretchy springy quality of the bread is gone. Most bread is OK if it's toasted, but one can only take so much toasted bread. For awhile there I was making bread using bread mixes, but a lot of the bread mixes contain bean flour which has a weird aftertaste. A lot of the recipes call for combinations of corn starch, tapioca starch, rice flour, sorghum starch, and so forth. After awhile I was slaving away making these less than stellar loaves thinking to myself, "who really needs this much starch anyway?" and I came to the realization that flour is basically wheat starch. Hmmmmm. That was the turning point for me. Now when I walk through the bread aisle at the store, bread is just not all that appealing to me anymore. I don't crave it like I used to.

What I do crave is the convenience of buying a package of muffins to eat on Saturday morning, or reaching for a box of mac and cheese, or not having to read labels all the time. I miss eating out at restaurants. I miss the ease of the pre-gluten-free life. On the other hand, I do like that I've been forced to stay away from the boxed and processed stuff (fake food). The gluten-free life has been wonderful in terms of making me slow down and take the time to plan ahead make my family home cooked meals and feed them whole foods and foods that don't irritate their (and my, as it turns out) sensitive gut lining. That's the kind of mom/wife I always wanted to be anyway.

By the way, even though I didn't get tested, I now know that gluten doesn't agree with me. After three weeks of being gluten-free we went off the diet for meal at KFC. Aside from how bland and colorless the food looked on my plate (chicken, biscuits, mashed potatoes, gravy, and even the green beans were a varying shade of beige), about half an hour after the meal, it sat in my stomach like a rock and I felt grosser than gross. So, yeah, I'm done with gluten. (cue the music) " No turning back, no turning back...."

Deliberate Self Care: Going Organic

2011-11-16T10:43:00.000-08:00

You'd think I'd have jumped on the organic bandwagon a long time ago. I did. Sort of. I bought mostly (70%) organic fruits and veggies. I joined a CSA for two years in a row. I didn't used to do the bananas, because I figured you could pull off the peel and there you go--organic inside. However, after getting the Berkey water filter, I'm sort of seeing things in a new light: i.e. if I'm removing trace amounts of heavy metals and other contaminants from my family's drinking water, why would I accept trace amounts of pesticides on my family's food? It doesn't make sense. I'd do my duty and wash the non-organic fruits and veggies in that special soap "proven to remove pesticides," but I wasn't ever sure the soap was completely removed after washing either.

My grocery shopping has been drastically different these days. I only go to stores that have a decent selection of organic produce--apologies to the nearby Target that recently opened a grocery section! I was there today and needed to buy grapes, but I couldn't!

We are now completely organic, and yes, it hurts the pocketbook, but at least I have a clear conscience when I watch my kids reach for the celery.

Deliberate Self Care: Water

2011-11-14T19:49:00.000-08:00

I can't imagine adding any wisdom to what's already out there on the interwebs re. the importance of drinking clean water. About three months ago we got ourselves a Berkey. I love it. The water tastes good and I feel good knowing we're not imbimbing heavy metals, chlorine, flouride and other yuckers. We should have done this years ago.

Deliberate Self Care: Flu Prevention

2011-11-09T09:50:00.000-08:00

No flu shots for us this year. We've had two scary-bad reactions two years in a row. The first time I thought it was a fluke. But the second time I realized it was a pattern. Fool me once, fool me twice....

Our pediatrician recommended we go with homeopathic reinforcements this year. When it comes to medicine, I tend to be old school traditional, but old school traditional has let us down in this department. So muco coccinum here we come.

The statistics on it look pretty promising: 88% effective in preventing the flu. Fingers crossed--'cuz nothin' makes you feel crappier than feeling crappy when the weather's crappy.

Deliberate Self Care: Chia

2011-11-06T09:51:00.000-08:00

I've been eating (actually drinking) chia seeds for a few months now and am in love. A nutritionist friend of mine recommended this to our family when I was worried that one of my sons (a picky eater) might not be getting enough protein. I ordered some and was immediately hooked. In addition to protein, chia provides omega-3s, fiber, antioxidants, calcium, magnesium, blah, blah, blah...look it up. My hubby (the runner) was also hooked when he found out that this is the superfood of the amazing barefoot Aztec runners.

Chia seeds come in white or black, whole or ground up. Some people add a spoonful or two to their smoothies. Other folks add a couple tablespoons to a glass of water, stir it, wait until in turns into a gel, which they keep in their fridge, and then add chia gel as they wish to juice or recipes. I used to do that, but now I just keep a bag of it on my countertop and stir it in to whatever I'm drinking.

This is how I started drinking it--a small spoonful in my juice (watered down, always):

Over a couple of weeks, I graduated to drinking it straight up in a mug of hot water. I let it sit for a couple of minutes so it soaks up some liquid.

I also like it in coconut milk. I'm not going name my favorite brand, but I will tell you that it is "so delicious." ;)

Chia doesn't have much taste, but if you have a hard time with different textures, it takes a little getting used to. When I first started drinking it in juice I'd pretend they were kiwi seeds, and when I'd drink it in coconut milk I'd pretend they were tapioca balls like you get in boba tea. A week or two later, I found I was accepting them for the wonderful little tooth-sticking youth-keeping anti-inflammatory seeds that they are.

**I'm opening comments for the next few posts. Please feel free to chime in with any ammunition you use to fend off the mid-winter jickers. ;) **

Deliberate Self Care: Happy Light

2011-11-01T22:11:00.001-07:00

I bought this a little late last doldrum season. It was one of those things that I kept talking myself out of, because unlike a cute pair of shoes or a new outfit, this is just not one of those fun, exciting purchases. I think I bought it in February, and by March we were getting enough sunshine that I didn't really feel I needed to use it anymore. Ah well. This year I'm giving myself a jump start. Half an hour of happy light next to me while I'm reading in my favorite chair. Whenever I sit down the dogs snuggle me, so between the light, the reading and the snuggle-pups, how can I go wrong?

**I'm opening comments for the next few posts. Please feel free to chime in with any ammunition you use to fend off the mid-winter jickers. ;) **

Deliberate Self Care

2011-10-31T11:39:00.000-07:00

Last week I spent a beautiful long weekend visiting my sister in TX, doffing the sweaters and jeans and wearing summer clothes again. When I got home--don't get me wrong, Seattle is a pretty place--I found myself groaning at the prospect of Winter. We get the occasional sunny day, but the rain and constant dreary indoorsiness of Fall (although it's not bad yet) and Winter really do a number on my disposition. I wouldn't say I get depressed, because I still have the drive to do what needs to get done. However, I find myself doing lots of eye rolling and my general goodwill toward men (and women) shrinks away--not to return until the sun comes back.

SO, in the interest of self preservation, I have decided that THIS winter, unlike the last 10 winters since we've lived here, is going to be a season of deliberate self care. What that means is that I'm going to really make an effort to take care of myself. Not on the outside (i.e. mani-pedis), but in terms of health and wellness. I take care of lots of little people, and my little people need me to be at my best. They need me to be a patient, healthy, non-eye-rolling mom. This season I will do what I need to do to feel my best. This means giving myself permission to do the things "they" say to do that I've thought about doing, but haven't tried. This means instead talking myself out of things, i.e. "that costs a lot of money for something that may or may not work," I'm going to give myself permission to try new things...to listen to my gut and do what speaks to me. This means setting aside time for myself each day to do what I need to do in order to be a fully (and better) functioning me.

If you're living in TX or somewhere warm where you haven't even turned on your heat yet, feel free to tune me out for the next little while. But if you can relate and are making healthy adjustments to your life this season, YAY YOU, YAY ME, YAY US!!!

Blue Bed

2011-10-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

Before:

After:

Brothers

2011-09-19T23:07:00.000-07:00

You may be halfway through a bag of cheetos, or lounging around the house in your bare feet trying to figure out what xbox game you want to play, but when your little brother decides it's time to lose the training wheels, you stop what you're doing and you run.

Railing

2011-09-19T23:00:00.000-07:00

We spent a rainy weekend at the yurt.

The loft now has a railing.

Red Cabinets

2011-09-15T17:26:00.000-07:00

This week I've been working on cabinets that will be going in the yurt kitchen. They're standard unfinished oak from the big box store that I primed, painted, distressed, and waxed. If there's one thing I love about decorating the yurt, it's that I don't have to concern myself with resale. Unlike when I decorate and choose finishes for my house--sometimes I get paralyzed thinking about whether future buyers of my house are going to like my choices. No such nonsense with the yurt. Hip hip for doing what I jolly want to!

Yurt--the loft

2011-09-10T15:37:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've posted about progress on the yurt. Since I last left off, there have been a few more improvements.

For starters, the awning was installed. Yay for keeping dry while finding the right key!

A few weekends ago, we camped out in the yurt and figured out where we wanted the bedrooms/kitchen/loft to be positioned. We placed painter's tape on the floor and the next weekend when we went out, it was magical to see it go from this:

to this:

The loft is freestanding, so it's not attached to the yurt walls. The rooms are tiny-- just enough space for a bed and room to change clothes. We wanted to maximize the living areas and keep the bedrooms cozy (like a nest).

We brought a couple of pieces of furniture with us and our little helpers assembled away.

As we speak, I have primer and paint all over my hands and in my hair. I'm working on the yurt kitchen in my garage. I can't wait to see how THAT turns out!

Yurt Raising -- Day 4

2011-08-16T11:22:00.000-07:00

Done, mostly...the outside, anyway. Hubby's back to his real job now, so our contribution to its progress is going to be slowing down a bit.

Checking Things Out

2011-08-15T23:37:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had the chance to take a peek ourselves and see in person what's been going on. The kids didn't want to see pictures beforehand because they wanted to be surprised. They closed their eyes as we made the approach, and they walked along the gravel drive holding our hands keeping their eyes shut while shuffling along. When we lifted them up and put them inside, they oooohed and aaaahed for the big reveal (just like folks do on TV). They crack me up.

Daddy needs a break from all that building.

Yurt Raising -- Day 3

2011-08-15T13:37:00.000-07:00

Raising the roof. From what I hear, this was the hardest day of all. Lots of work involving arms above heads and a cable that tightened more and more as each increasingly-difficult-to-fit beam was set in place. And drilling. Lots and lots of drilling and wrench turning. Looks like it's going to be sturdy.

Yurt Raising -- Day 2

2011-08-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

Yurt building continues...

Hubby's been taking time off work to work on it--he's the one who took all these pictures. I'm feeling a little left out of the process b/c the DIYer in me wants to be there soooo badly. Ah well, that is neither here nor there.

End of day two. Goodbye island, see ya tomorrow....

Yurt Raising--Day 1

2011-08-11T09:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a big deal for us. We ordered our yurt about 8 weeks ago (which left us time to build the deck/platform), and yesterday was pick up day. Dave and our builder went to get it, since it was a two-truck load. It consisted of three sturdily built crates, and although we were a little concerned about how big a 30-foot yurt would be to transport, it turns out that everything was pretty compact. They got it on the ferry, drove it to the land and unloaded it all. Day one.

I love that we get to keep the empty crates. Future playhouse anyone? :)

The Armoire

2011-07-22T13:29:00.001-07:00

I finished my project last night and couldn't be happier. This little armoire was built using two wall cabinets that we had to remove from our laundry room when the stackable washer and dryer were installed. These cabinets sat in the garage for the longest time before I figured out what to do with them.

The carpentry part of it wasn't really that extensive. I had to put feet on the bottom cabinet to lift it off the ground so the doors would open. Then between the upper and lower cabinets, I used square dowels to make a spacer (so the top doors would be able to open). Then it looked funny because the armoire ended at the top of the doors, so I added another spacer, a wood top and some cove molding to make it look a little more substantial. I painted it all red and applied some antiquing glaze and voila, I've got a little red partaaay happening in my craft room.

Getting There

2011-07-21T11:00:00.001-07:00

Embarking

2011-07-20T13:57:00.000-07:00

on a new project....

Going to the Yurt

2011-07-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit delinquent around these parts. Ah well. The summer is zooming by, and we are busy people. I promised pictures of our yurt progress so far. There's not a lot to show yet, but here are pictures of the trip we took there last weekend...

First you drive through this super cute little town where there are lots of charming houses that look like this:

and this:

Then you drive onto this little ferry that looks like this:

and you stay on it for about twenty minutes while you take in views like this:

Then you get off the ferry and drive a little ways until you get to a platform that looks like this:

That's me, planking.

The Toilet Monster

2011-07-03T16:37:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading my blog for a while now, you know that we are planning to build a yurt as a weekend getaway. Construction has already started (YAY!!!--I'll post pictures when I get the chance), and hopefully we'll be able to use it later on this summer.

But anyway, the most lovely humanure toilet that we plan to use there, since we will have no running water at the yurt, has been done for a few days now. We haven't tested it for its intended purpose yet, but it works great as a toilet-monster hideout.

Sorry for the weirdness

2011-06-23T20:21:00.000-07:00

I'll explain more later, but for now, this is a humanure toilet in progress. Hubby cut the pieces. I'm assembling it, and will do my best to paint it up pretty and make it a pleasure to sit on.

What are we doing? I'm a city girl.

Ninjago Dojo

2011-06-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

On Memorial day we told the kids to get a ziploc bag and pack up their Lego Ninjagos--we'd be taking them to the Ninjago spinjitzu dojo. They were skeptical, but went along with it. (Afterall, two days before they'd seen Kung Fu Panda 2, and in their fantasy world everything is possible, right? Awwww, I love that about kids.)

We drove them to the Bellevue Botanical Garden where there's a Japanese tea house (well, they call it a pavilion, but I call it a tea house), and look at the first thing Middle did:

Pardon the blurry photos, but that kid was ON FIRE! He's a fierce one, he is.

After he got that out of his system, they started to work on their project...painstakingly placing their dudes in position after position to tell a story.

We walked over to the waterfall and then to the Yao Garden for some more photo-ops. I have so many photos from that day.

This summer we'll go over the photos and put them in order. We'll caption the pictures and turn this into a book. Of course, we won't forget the most important part: the blurb about the authors.

Mwah, mwah, and mwah!

Prolonging

2011-05-21T09:43:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of getting away from it all--I took a trip (just me!!!) to visit my sister and her family for a long weekend. Now that I'm home, I'm trying to keep that vacation-y feeling by continuing some of the simple pleasures that I got reacquainted with.

Sadly, the feeling is fading, but I'm going to fight to keep it, because I need it. Badly.

Listed

2011-05-08T16:28:00.000-07:00

Just listed here.

I thought I'd forgotten how....

2011-05-06T11:33:00.001-07:00

I sat down at the sewing machine last night for the first time in about four months--my longest hiatus in the last five years. I can hardly believe it myself. Sigh, it felt good. (Um, and the hiatus felt good too.)

Laundry Room

2011-05-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

I'm sprucing up my laundry room on a shoestring budget. Someday this room will get a real makeover. I'm thinking built-in shelves, slate flooring, a new sink and a real countertop. But for now the poor thing is at the mercy of my decorating whims.

First up, I gave the wood cabinet a few coats of paint and some new knobs.

Then I went online and found lots of tutorials on how to paint linoleum.

It's still a shock to me to look down and see a black floor, but I'll get used to it--and I'm pretty happy with how old-school it looks.

Tomorrow

2011-04-29T22:03:00.000-07:00

Well, I went to see a nutritionist. I'm tired of feeling guilty about the food I eat and what I feed my family. I try to be healthy, but I don't even know what's considered good or bad any more. Milk. Is it good or bad? Is it worth pushing on the kids? How about soy? How about all those fish oil pills I take? Are they mercury free or not? How would I know? So anyway, I came away with some good info, and my order of good stuff came in the mail.

And that is diet I will start tomorrow.

Because today the kids found a recipe they wanted to make, and how cruel would it be to deny them a chance to cook, hmmmm?

Dare to be

2011-04-17T21:42:00.000-07:00

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

There's a reason my cutie pie dog comes with a quote like that. She's been the unwanted underdog since she was about 5 weeks old when the breeder realized she was going to be short haired havanese (aka shavanese) instead of a long curly haired one. You really don't see many of these pups. When people are out there looking to buy a havanese, they want the quintessential one, not the near-miss. I surfed around on some havanese forums when we first got our pups and it seemed like all the breed purists were complaining about the short haired and how they should not be sold because they aren't breed standard; they shed, they smell, their short hair is a genetic mutation and therefore who knows what else might be genetically wrong them. Seriously? I've been raising two of these dogs side by side, one the breed standard and the other not. Those snobs need to be set straight, and who better than I to do that for them? If they were to ask me (and they wouldn't think of it because their snobbiness has blinded them into thinking that they know better than anyone else, ahem!) I would tell them that the long shaggy breed standard actually smells more because--guess what!!!--poopy bits tend to stick to long fur. When it's been raining outside and they both coming running in from the outside, the short hair is slick and easy to wipe down with a towel, while the long haired one is a little more work and her fur is a magnet for dirt, burrs, twigs, you name it. Long hair needs daily brushing or it will mat. Short hair doesn't really need brushing and is a breeze to take care of in comparison. I'm still waiting for her to shed, but I haven't seen it yet. When/if it happens, I doubt it will be a big issue, after all, how much fur is a 9 pound dog going to shed anyway? Personality-wise, they are both intelligent, fun-loving dogs that love a good snuggle. Need I go on?

As I write this I'm drawing all kinds of parallels in my mind between snobby folks in the dog world and snobby folks in the people world. Why are some people so exclusive? Why so judgemental? Why so insistent on forcing others to fit into some predetermined mold? This little underdog is my reminder that we are born who we are and need to be the best we can be. That is all.

Plate Joiner

2011-03-27T17:51:00.000-07:00

I tried out the plate joiner this week. 'Twas fun. I didn't know what I was going to make.

It turned out to be a box for dog toys.

In other random news, I've been influenced by Tommy Smythe and now all the hangers in my coat closet are the wooden kind. It's the little things....

Primitive Bench

2011-03-19T11:10:00.001-07:00

I've had a few bench ideas running through my head, but couldn't decide which one to go with. I finally decided that primitive was the style for me. Not because I decorate in that style, but more because I figured with my basic woodworking skills, I'd be more likely to pull it off. Much in the same way that a beginning quilter should probably start with the primitive/folk art style of quilting (because no one expects it to be perfect), a beginning woodworker should probably choose a style where function over perfection is valued.

This paint was meant to be my base coat, but when I sanded it and it started looking more and more like aged barn wood, I decided to stop while I was ahead.

Raw Piney

2011-03-17T20:38:00.000-07:00

If you came here to find sewing, keep moving along. I seem to have entered my woodworking phase. The bad thing about that is that I have to do it on weekends when someone can keep an eye on the little people. I live in a city with sound ordinances. I doubt my neighbors would put up with me using an air compressor between the hours of 9pm and 12am (my normal craft time). Hopefully soon I can share my latest project with you....

Until then:

wax on wax off

2011-03-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

It was looking a little hit or miss there for a bit. The paste wax I used was for light wood (doh!--should have noticed that when I put in the cart). So it dried very light and was a bear to get off. After a while, my arms just gave out, so I opted to experiment using something easier. I ended up using Howard Feed-N-Wax, and couldn't be happier. The armoire has a nice sheen to it, but isn't too glossy. It really looks like an antique now, and I think it's going to end up staying.

The big eyesore

2011-03-10T21:20:00.001-08:00

We've had this huge armoire in our living room for the past 6.5 years. We got it because our second son was going to start crawling, and up until that point we had our big fat TV on a wobbly table and all the cords were going to be accessible. So we quick found something cheap on craigslist. Beware when you buy something big that you don't love, because if you're like us, 6.5 years later, it's probably going to still be in your house and you'll be looking at it every day & kicking yourself for not splurging on something nicer.

When it first came it was knotty pine, which matched nothing in our house. I painted it with leftover paint to match our kitchen cabinets. I didn't bother putting knobs on it b/c I liked that it was hard for the kids to open. Childproof.

Now we have a flat screen TV that doesn't even fit in this armoire. We were talking the other day about building shelves around the fireplace and getting rid of the armoire once and for all. I figured, since it's probably on its way out anyway, there's no harm in using a little leftover chalkboard paint to see what it looks like painted black. I don't intend to the let the kiddos write all over it, though.

I've sanded away some of the black paint to reveal the undercoat and plan on getting some paste wax to try the Martha Stewart antiquing method on it. We shall see!!!

The Closet: Done (for now)

2011-03-06T16:56:00.000-08:00

The shelves have been primed and painted. I'm so pleased with how they turned out and how bright and happy that little closet has become. It actually looks like somebody cares about it.

All that's left is to load up the games.

Here's the before:

And the after:

BTW, I spackled the wallpaper to tone it down a bit.

The Closet: Almost There

2011-03-03T23:05:00.000-08:00

I looked all over the place for shelving for this room, but couldn't find anything with the right dimensions. There are only 8 inches between the edge of the door and the adjacent wall, and the wire shelving units I was looking at were at the very least 13 inches deep. There is also a bare light bulb on that wall to consider. It's relatively low on the wall, so most shelving would either hit it, or be so low all the way across that it wouldn't take advantage of the wall space. A custom job was my only choice. No worries: I have a nail gun and although I have no experience making built-in shelving, I watch lots of HGTV and therefore I know what I'm doing. LOL! Stay tuned...this closet is almost done. Yipppeeeee!

The Closet: Cover up

2011-03-02T23:50:00.001-08:00

When I first posted the picture of all the electrical stuff in the closet wall, my sister called me to ask me what it all was. Living with a computer dude, I guess I'm just used to always having a place that looks like that: it's all the wireless network ethernet router cable paraphernalia. Duh. It used to be on the floor and in danger of being stepped on or tripped over. When it went into the wall, it was a huge improvement.

Now not only is it in the wall, but I framed it out and it is covered with a door that looks like your grandpa made it out of scrap pieces of wood and slathered paint on it that he happened to have on hand. I even painted the hinges to make it look more authentic. Nice touch, right? I thought so. I used leftover flooring to make this little door. Don't laugh at me. I'm actually quite proud of myself. :)

The Closet: More Floor

2011-03-01T23:58:00.000-08:00

The floor is down and primed. I started installing trim with a hammer and realized I wasn't going to be able to maintain a sunny attitude without some serious intervention. It came in the form of a birthday present from my lovah. I've seriously always wanted a compressor and nail gun. I just never had a good enough reason to ask for one.

Between my novice cuts and my uneven walls, all I can say is thank goodness I picked up a decent supply of wood filler.

Thanks SeattleMet!

2011-02-28T13:30:00.000-08:00

Thanks Seattle Met for interviewing me and featuring my shop on your blog! :)

I really do plan to update my shop in the next couple of weeks...as soon as I finish work on the closet. Plodding along...

The Closet: The Floor

2011-02-24T16:05:00.000-08:00

You may have noticed the boxes of cedar tongue & groove closet liner in my last post. I wanted to install wood floors and paint them. I had only three requirements: 1) they had to be tongue & groove and 2) they had to be inexpensive 3) they had to be unfinished. I didn't care if they were thin or had knots or cracks. All of that adds to the rustic look I am going for, and a closet isn't going to get a ton of foot traffic anyway. I had considered the unfinished utility flooring at Lumber Liquidators, but didn't want to drive across the bridge for 24 square feet of wood, so I decided to go for the closet liner.

So far so good. I'm really loving the power tools. Piecing a wood floor and piecing a quilt are really not that different. Measure twice, cut once, count to make sure all your fingers are still attached. :)

I'm taking a little break from the closet to celebrate my birthday. YAY for me! I should applique my age on a T-shirt and wear it around.

The Closet: The Far Wall (pretty much done)

2011-02-23T10:43:00.000-08:00

I put up the brick wallpaper. I tend to think brick wallpaper that you see in restaurants is usually so fake looking and cheesy, but that didn't stop me. HA HA! I researched installing brick tiles, but couldn't source any nearby. Ordering on the internet would have cost a fortune in shipping and I just didn't feel it was worth it. Soooo, wallpaper it is. I got the idea of pairing wallpaper with chalkboard from this lovely kitchen. And now that I go back and look at that picture I'm thinking I should paint the brick wallpaper to make it lighter. Does anyone do that?

Next up, the flooring.

The Closet: The back wall

2011-02-22T12:30:00.000-08:00

Moving along at a snail's pace, but that's OK. One thing a day is a big deal for me.

That piece of plywood has now received one coat of chalk board paint and will get another coat soon. It's actually a "door" that leads to a farther-back area under the stairs. It has a little insulation attached to the back of it, so it's useful, although a tad bit homely. Hopefully it will look a little better when it's surrounded by a brick wall.

The Closet: Sorry, still part one

2011-02-21T21:20:00.000-08:00

This is the jumbly mess going on in the bowels of the other wall. It's lurvely. Thumbtacking a quilt to cover it up is probably a bad idea. I may need to enlist some help to deal with this one.

The Closet: Part 1

2011-02-20T14:03:00.000-08:00

When we were young and childless we lived in a old house that needed lots of work. We had big projects going on all the time and every weekend we put our hearts and souls into that place. I remember the good old days when we could redo a room over two weekends. By redo I mean remove paneling, scrape off the glue that held up said paneling, skim coat all four walls, sand them smooth, prime and paint. Then the next weekend it would be ripping up carpet and installing wood floors, sanding, painting, trim. . . the works. Fun times. I can hardly remember what it feels like to have all that energy and momentum.

My current project both underwhelms me (it's dinky) and overwhelms me (in how long it is taking to get done). It's been languishing for weeks, so I figured it would do me good to blog about it, because that would give me a little motivation to just get it done already.

Hello. I am the neglected closet under the stairs.

The plan is to transform this teeny space into the game closet. Right now we keep the games upstairs, but it just makes more sense to keep them downstairs, because that is where we do most of our hanging out anyway.

The walls were a bit of a mess, so I decided that anything would be an improvement. We'd recently been at an open house where these people had decorated their wine cellar to look like Tuscany, so I decided to try that here. I don't know if it's a fail or not, but figured a closet would be a good place to experiment. So what I'm saying is that these walls are NOT the before picture. Try not to feel sorry for me, 'K?

This is the one lonely bulb that lights the room. Something will have to be done about that.

Tomorrow I'll show you the other wall. . .brace yourself!

In the shop:

2011-02-01T21:21:00.000-08:00

A hobo zip tote made from waxed canvas and leather.

Zip Tote

2011-02-01T21:00:00.000-08:00

I've just listed a zip tote in chocolate brown leather.

And another

2011-01-25T21:28:00.001-08:00

There used to be a time when I would watch the other moms sitting around knitting during their kids' lessons. That was a luxury I couldn't understand b/c I was still chasing my littlest around. Now I'm the one knitting while I wait. I kinda miss the old days. On the other hand, I kinda like having new hats.

Gargantuan

2011-01-18T07:52:00.000-08:00

Behold, the gargantuan melon. Not my head--the hat, OK? :)

Open

2011-01-11T13:51:00.000-08:00

My self-decreed vacation has come to end. I've been told it is time to start sewing again (by my dear husband who knows how off-balance I get when I don't take the time to be creative). The shop is now officially open.

Stuff I Made in 2010

2011-01-05T17:27:00.001-08:00

Looks like 2010 was a productive year for sewing. I have lots of new sewing ideas for the coming year and can't wait to get back to it. Having said that, we threw a couple of big parties in the last few weeks, and all the flotsam that had been cluttering the countertops got tossed into my studio, so I'll have to spend some time sorting first. :(

oliebollen

2010-12-31T19:21:00.001-08:00

Nothing rings in the new year like a belly full of oliebollen. They were sooo sooo good.

long time no see (not really)

2010-12-30T23:14:00.000-08:00

It's been too long since I've posted pics of my pups. They're getting humongous (7 whole pounds).

The winter break is close to over, but we're squeezing every last bit of fun out of it. Thanks to my fantastic neighbor, who watched my boys for 3 entire hours this afternoon, my house is spotless and we are ready to host a party tomorrow for some 50 people. (ACK!--but in a good way).

I've gotta tell ya', the best party we've ever hosted was one last week when we invited the neighbor boys over to dance to Christmas music on our front porch. All I had to do was sweep the porch and get out the hot cocoa. My hubby manned the DJ station. It was cold and windy, but SOOO MUCH FUN!

Snow pants...nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh, warm and snuggly snow pants... nuh nuh nuh nuh nuh

I have lots of resolutions for the new year. Most of them involve having more fun and laughing more and giving the "say what" arms to housework. Happy 2011!

Gingerbread House 2010

2010-12-23T14:11:00.000-08:00

Special thanks go out to Joe the Trader for providing this year's house with slots in the foundation...making this our most stable house to date.

Teacher Presents

2010-12-16T21:33:00.001-08:00

One quick picture as the sun fades away (at the most ridiculous time of 4:30 pm). I made pencil pouches for the teachers. Hope they like 'em.

The Troll Under the Bridge

2010-12-11T20:51:00.000-08:00

Read more about this dusty creature here.

The Tree Farm

2010-12-08T21:57:00.000-08:00

2010-12-04T10:07:00.000-08:00

I've listed a snap tote in the shop made from gorgeous chocolate leather.

The sunshine this morning has been much wished-for. We have big plans for this Saturday...a visit to the tree farm, warming up at Starbucks, a little Sufjan and decorating. Aaaah, December.

waxed

2010-11-27T11:33:00.000-08:00

[::waxed linen thread::]

[::waxed linen thread against the bleak Seattle sky::]

It's snowing! It's snowing!

2010-11-21T14:01:00.000-08:00

Another

2010-11-19T23:55:00.000-08:00

bag for the shoppe (pronounced shaw-pee...i'm sorry i can't seem to help myself).

Business as Usual

2010-11-15T21:00:00.000-08:00

The shop is back open again. I listed two bags tonight.

A Break

2010-11-02T23:12:00.001-07:00

Some things are just too close to the heart to blog about. I need to take a break from this space for a while and just be with my family and not think about the shop or sewing or picture taking. Life can change in an instant. Mine has. I'll be back when I feel up to it. Hugs to the true. You know who you are.

****Edited 11/15/2010

Thank you to friends who have emailed/called to check up on us. I've tried to respond to everyone, and hopefully you've heard from me by now. Bottom line: we are doing better now. We thank God everyday for his protection and provision.

Sorry, I'm not trying to be cryptic here... I just don't feel it's appropriate to spill my guts in public. :p

ego boost

2010-10-27T22:27:00.000-07:00

Thanks, Etsy. I needed this front page ego boost today. :)

The End of the Marathon

2010-10-24T20:35:00.000-07:00

My husband ran his first marathon this weekend. Of course I took lots and lots of pictures, but this one is by far my favorite. The kids spotted him heading toward the finish and ran across the field to him. I thought they were going to give him high fives and cheer him on, but they ran with him all the way to the end.

and another and another

2010-10-21T21:32:00.000-07:00

I listed two more bags in the shop tonight.

Leather Pouch

2010-10-21T08:55:00.000-07:00

I have lots of running around to do today (and everyday). I have a couple of totes that I plan to list tonight, but for now, a pouch.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-10-13T11:19:00.001-07:00

Apple Squeeze 2010

2010-10-09T21:42:00.000-07:00

Fall just wouldn't be complete without a visit to the historic Johnson Farm on Anderson Island for the annual apple squeeze. Rain or shine, we go every year. This year it was....RAIN!!!

Afterwards, we took a jaunt to the land to check out how our grass seed was coming along from our work day 2 weeks ago.

Woo hoo! (Stop with the dirty thoughts--that's I LOVE YOU in sign language, as in, "I love you grass seed, thank you for sprouting!")

Harness

2010-10-05T12:24:00.000-07:00

My dog fell asleep with her harness on last week. I put her in her crate, and when she woke up, instead of letting me know she was awake, she entertained herself by gnawing through her harness. Argh. Dog stuff is not cheap, and when you have to buy two of everything, it's hard not to feel a little bit ripped off sometimes. Anyway, in the lifespan of a dog, I have no idea how many harnesses we're expected to go through, but I think it makes sense to try to figure out how to make these things, since I'm not totally useless when it comes to a needle and thread.

My first (and only) try so far:

It helps to have little doggies that I can control on a leash with literally ONE finger. I don't recommend braiding fabric and expecting that to contain a dog much bigger than this.

verdict: Not sure if this is really my style, but it fits her and she hasn't complained yet, AND it was dirt cheap--so YAY!!!!

Trying

2010-09-30T21:08:00.000-07:00

Interesting how some big picture realizations can cause one to slow down and take notice of the simplest of things. A coffee-for-me/cocoa-for-him date with my littlest boy. Unexpected take-out from my favorite restaurant. A finished project. Window shopping online for shoes over the phone with my sister. My oldest hopping around with joy in the bookstore b/c he found the book to complete his series.

I came across a brilliant quote this week:

Forever is composed of nows. - Emily Dickenson

Enjoy the nows.

This Blog is My Blog

2010-09-25T22:33:00.000-07:00

There are times when I post things that are of no interest to anyone but myself. This is one of those posts. As I'm writing, I get this niggling feeling that I should just not do it, that I should find something more blogworthy,and then...this amazingly catchy tune pops into my head: "This blog is my blog, it is not your blog, blah blah blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah blah, blah blah blah blah blah.... this blog was made for me me me!" Everyone all together now!

OK. Enough of that. This was my day:

at the beach

2010-09-21T13:07:00.000-07:00

digging: yes
wading: yes
sniffing goose poopies: yes
swimming: no thanks

The Emma Tote

2010-09-16T13:54:00.000-07:00

Life has been very busy with the start of school. This is my first time to have all three kiddos in school. My youngest is gone for 3 mornings a week. I thought I'd have all kinds of time to work on shop updates, etc. However, that has not turned out to be the case. Time has been frittered away by pups that pretend they need to go out, and then just head out to play. Yanking my chain, I believe...and tracking mud in all over the floor. Ah well.

I listed a new design in my shop today. This is my first leather bag with a zipper closure. I'm still in love with the cactus green leather...too bad there's not much left of it. :(

The Life Cycle of a Berry

2010-09-11T22:02:00.000-07:00

New Listing

2010-09-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

I'm the happy recipient of some gorgeous European grain sack fabric. I paired it with chocolate distressed leather and made a bag for my shop.

Next up on this rain soaked Wednesday...some homemade bread to go with the homemade jam from this weekend.

Right NOW

2010-09-06T14:37:00.000-07:00

Sewing Table

2010-09-02T22:34:00.001-07:00

The antique sewing table that came with the house. Other stuff that came with this house I didn't much care for, but this I like.

Bittersweet

2010-08-29T23:24:00.000-07:00

We had a bittersweet weekend. The last weekend before the start of school. It was sweatshirts and jeans around here. Summer is absolutely over. :(

Saturday night we had friends over for a make-your-own-pizza buffet. An amazing idea, really. "What? You don't like our food? Sorry to say, but you're the one who made it!" Bwa ha ha!

Sunday afternoon we went to Maltby. How can it be that after 8 years of living here, this was the first I'd ever heard of Flowerworld ? Hello? A nursery that sits on 15 acres--they even hand out maps so you don't get lost. Brilliant.

We loaded up on salal, myrtle, coral bells and euphorbia. This was our biggest gardening expedition all summer, and it's not even summer anymore.

Front Page

2010-08-27T21:40:00.000-07:00

My zipper pouch made the front page of etsy on Friday night. So exciting! Thank you Cocoa Beans for featuring me on your treasury! Thank you statsy for letting me know. :)

Going to Australia

2010-08-25T09:57:00.000-07:00

Freda

2010-08-19T22:35:00.000-07:00

I did it. I designed a new tote bag for the shop and named it after my mom.

Love you mumsie! :)

Oh no!

2010-08-17T10:09:00.001-07:00

Did you know that when you decide on getting two dogs, you're not supposed to adopt littermates? Neither did we. Who knew? There are lots of people out there with two dogs, right? We thought it would be good to get two--they could snuggle each other, keep each other company, play with each other, they'd never be lonely.... And that has turned out to be true. However, apparently with littermates, the downside is that they have the inclination/potential to bond so closely to each other that they ignore their humans or become so dependent on one another that each dog becomes a half-dog, incapable of functioning confidently on their own. Wish we had done our research before making the decision to get two. Sigh.

Well, life has become considerably more busy. We are keeping them crated separately so they can sleep on their own. We're feeding them at different times, walking them separately, and will be taking them to training and to puppy playtime separately so that they can develop their own identities. They seem to be coming around. The joy outweighs the work (so far). I've been taking supplements too, so I have more energy and a better attitude to deal with this all, and coffee helps too. As does having friends over. And the pups sleep a lot. Life isn't perfect, but it's still good.

Vintage Grain Sack Tote

2010-08-12T04:36:00.000-07:00

I'm Honored

2010-08-08T21:34:00.000-07:00

to have four of my tutorials included in the 2011 sewing calendar.

Get your calendar here.

nutmeg + marley = awwwwwww!!!!!

2010-08-07T15:50:00.000-07:00

Custom Bag Finished

2010-08-04T11:44:00.001-07:00

I stayed up late last night making this. Sigh....it was a pleasure.

Custom Bag

2010-08-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

I'm working on a custom bag right now and am enjoying every spare moment I have to sneak away and work with this delicious grain sack my customer sent over. Bliss.

Nutmeg and Marley

2010-07-31T17:06:00.000-07:00

Our 9 week old pups came home yesterday. What can I say? They are inexplicably cute. We are in love.

to celebrate my posse

2010-07-29T08:56:00.000-07:00

I bought a little something to celebrate my posse. We do everything together and now that it's summer, we really really do everything together. In fact, at the end of the day--and the days are long (and loud)--my posse falls asleep, and shortly thereafter, so do I. My housework is suffering, by sewing is suffering, but my soul is rejoicing.

Today is sort of the last day of freedom for me. Tomorrow the puppies come. Quoting the puppy book here: "Plan to spend 100 percent of your time initially establishing patterns and habits you want your Havanese to use for elimination." So with 2 puppies, I'll be spending 200% of my time, I'm supposing. That really doesn't really leave much time for other things, now does it? I'll see you when I see you....

Ragnar by Car

2010-07-26T12:56:00.000-07:00

My husband spent Friday and Saturday running the Ragnar. I was a runner in a former life, but running longer distances up steep inclines w/no sleep and sometimes in the dark has never been my thing. He's my hero. It didn't work out for the kids and me to go and watch, although we cheered him on from home. He got back Saturday night and then on Sunday we decided to go and drive his running route. The Ragnar by car is more my speed.

Beautiful Fairhaven (Bellingham) where we stopped for lunch and were charmed by fruit faces.

This one I'll probably get dragged back to later:

The gorgeous La Conner. I've been here before, but never on a sunny day. I was sad to have to drive right through....

One of the handoffs. He ran here at 2 am, so it looked different in the daylight.

The lovely Anacortes.

Enchanting Deception Pass:

A farm that goes right up to the coastline. I'd like to live there.

And then three hours of looking at the hiney of a boat while we waited for the Whidbey Island ferry. Oh my word. I was not feeling "smiley" after this.

Life w/Boys

2010-07-22T19:16:00.000-07:00

he spent a good thirty minutes fashioning this motocross, excuse me, MX helmet. i love this kid.

Another specimen

2010-07-18T21:02:00.000-07:00

in the shop.

That was fun

2010-07-17T16:56:00.001-07:00

We spent the morning "playing" racquetball. Who knew it could be so fun? I don't know the first thing about how to play, and it was my first time ever in a racquetball court. The kids had a fantastic time.

I did not know the acoustics in a room like that could be so amazing. My kids kept pleading for me to stop singing, but I couldn't help myself. I was channeling my inner Sarah Brightman via the olympic opening ceremony song. What can I say? I am an *awesome* songstress. Now I just need some hair extensions, colored contacts, a face transplant... so I can look the part....sigh.....I don't know how they put up with me.

I just listed

2010-07-14T23:10:00.000-07:00

another old timey bag.

life is full

2010-07-12T13:34:00.000-07:00

and in two weeks' time, it will be even more so.
We are smitten.

The Garden Society Bag

2010-07-09T10:47:00.000-07:00

Just listed on etsy: The Garden Society Bag
I'd make another today, but it's too hot. I don't want to be anywhere near my ironing board.