Studio is coming along!

I've been working hard on the studio, it's starting to look great!  The painting is done.  I am going to paint the hallway and stairwell leading up to it as well, I was going to do it yesterday but I got sidetracked by playing outside with the kids and taking a drive with the hubby and the boy.  We had a fun, low-key day.  Ok, now remember the pics of the studio from the last post---here it is now---so far.  I still have a lot to organize and put away but that won't happen until we get the cube shelves done.

New additions to the sewing room, my ironing/cutting table.  Hubby and I went to the Habitat for Humanity ReHab Store and got the cupboards for a nice price.  Hubby made a top for it and we covered it with batting and cotton fabric.  I'll make a removable cover for it as well so I can wash it if needed.  I'll use the tall skinny cupboard for storing cutting mats and the other one for battings and stuffings.

Another new item, my pegboard wall which I absolutely adore!  I can hang so much stuff on it, keep my scissors and sharp items high away from the little one and there are baskets and other cool things I can use on it as well.

The wall that the rocking chair is against will be where my cube shelf will be built.  While looking at hundreds of craft rooms on Flickr, I noticed that a lot of people had the Expedit book shelves from IKEA which I really, really liked.  My problem is that the nearest IKEA is 250 miles away and shipping costs are nearly as much as the product itself!  My frugal self said--no way (hubby said no way, too, LOL!)  So, he took a look at it and said he could make me one in one day---so I'm taking him up on it!  We're getting materials together---I'm trying to find everything we need on Freecycle or Craig's List.  We got a bunch of MDF from a woman right here in town who listed it on Craig's List so that can be used for the inside shelves---now we have to find the wood for the outside.  We'll take a look at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore  Saturday and I am confident that we'll find something without having to go to Home Depot!!!  I love recycling!  The studio is coming together, I still have to paint the hallway and stairwell outside the studio but that'll be a quick and easy job.  Once I have the shelves built and painted, a lot of the boxes and bags that are around the room will find new homes in the cubicles.  I'm excited!!!

Onto Homeschooling news:

I've been struggling with our e-school for quite a while now---it is not the same school as it was 4 years ago when we first joined.  The whole goal for the school is to get all students to score well on the Ohio proficiency tests so the kids are expected to master concepts each week in math---many times concepts that they haven't even done yet or aren't anywhere near learning.  They have to take these Scantron tests each week, if they fail they have to do supplemental lessons with the teacher until they get it--and they are expected to do Study Island as well---and all this is on top of their regular schoolwork.  It's too much.  I loved the school at first because they respected homeschoolers and their desire to let kids learn at their own pace.  The teachers say this is still a goal but I don't see how it can be when the kids are expected to learn concepts that might not even be covered in the lessons they have for this year!  The real issue is that the e-schools are public schools.  They are required by the state to hold up the state laws and expectations and they are expected to have students pass these damn proficiencies or else the state looks bad compared to other states.  It's not about the kids---at all.  These are some of the issues that led me to take the kids out of the brick and mortar schools.  So, we are going to unschool for now and I'll let the boys decide (with me and hubby) what they want to do next school year.  Sean talked about going to high school---he's got a year and a half before that happens.  Jaret will probably be better served homeschooling---but if he wants to go back to school too, I'll put him back in school.  Seamus will be busy with his developmental preschool so I won't have to worry about homeschooling him for a few years, yet.  And who knows, maybe with an IEP he could do well with the school district we are in---our former school district would not have been ideal!  Things are all up in the air right now, but what I do know is that I am feeling better and we are all suffering from extreme cabin fever so it's time to get out and about!  We've got some fun field trips lined up and we're getting Sean signed up for guitar lessons, Jaret will be taking fencing lessons and we're looking at some art classes for the both of them as well.

That's it for tonight, I'll have more to post this week but my eyes are tired and my typos are getting worse and worse so I'd better pack it in for now!

TTFN!

Leslie:-)

Snow day

Well the big storm blew in yesterday, and seemed to peter out.  We were supposed to get tons of snow and only got a half a ton, not enough to close things down.  Poor Jeremy, he thought for sure he'd have no school and stayed up later than usual (he has to be up before 6 am, his bus comes at 6:30).  It's weird though, all the districts directly west and north of us are closed and there isn't as much traffic on our busy road as there is usually.  I think the other districts are preparing for the onslaught we're supposed to receive this afternoon---smart.  The winds are supposed to pick up big time and present possible blizzard like conditions.  Glad I don't have to go anywhere, although my daughter is here for her weekly overnight and she wants us to go out to dinner for my birthday.  I already had dinner planned here, I'd rather not spend tons of money on eating out.  Plus, it's getting pretty bad outside, I'd rather not travel the 15 miles to town today.  We can eat out some other time and Jessica can make dinner tonight!  :-)

So, I've been thinking about how I'd like to spend my birthday weekend.  I had said that I'd lock myself up in my studio and craft all weekend, and that'll certainly be a big part of the weekend but I think I'd like to start decorating and organizing my craft space.  I've been looking at pictures online of other craft studios and getting some awesome ideas!  There are whole Flickr sets dedicated to craft rooms and quilting studios! I'd  like to stop at my favorite antique shops and start collecting containers for storage.  Sure, I have tons of plastic---but some of the ideas I've seen using unconventional items (like a 3 tiered cookie rack to store buttons, or a lunch box to store fabric) have given me some great ideas!  I also want to get more shelves and some pegboard to hang tools and stuff.  I definitely need more storage---I have fabric and old jeans lying around that need a place to be--not to mention tons of craft items.  It doesn't help that Seamus dumps his toys all over, too!  I need a cool space for those as well.  All that will come with time, right now I have to decide on paint colors---I'm thinking a nice butter yellow and crisp white trim to start.  Here are the befores---don't mind the mess, Seamus kinda ransacked the place looking for his train!  But I can't blame him for all of the disorderliness!

Current project on the table, Carolina Christmas quilt








There's a lot of work to do and I'm getting tons and tons of ideas--I need to win the lottery, LOL!  But I'll at least get paint and some peg board for this weekend--a birthday present to myself so I can create a crafters sanctuary!  It's the least I can do for me ;-)

The snow is blowing like crazy now! Across the street, 3 cars are stuck in my neighbors drive.  I hope it is safe for the school buses, I hate waiting in weather like this, I always worry!  These country roads can be treacherous!  Keep safe, keep warm and ttfn!

Find the beauty in everyday!

We got clobbered by a storm Friday night dumping a good 18-24 inches on us.  It was beautiful!  I'll have to say though, trudging the 200 feet to the chicken coop and back in snow higher than my knees was an experience!  I need a pair of snowshoes!  When I got up today, the sun hadn't peaked over the trees in the back yet.  I was in the kitchen, getting my ingredients together to make bagels and homemade sausage when I happened to look out and the trees in the distance were all aglow!  It was so beautiful---I got some pictures but they don't do the view justice at all.

 

As usual, click on the pics for the full size.  What a way to start out a day!  beautiful!

So, we're probably not going to go to Amish country this week---I think it would be better to wait until it's a bit warmer out.  In little towns like Kidron and Berlin, there are so many places to check out that you need to be out of your car and walking around.  I'd rather not be encumbered by coats and gloves and boots and so forth.  Especially with the kids coming along---if it were just me and hubby that wouldn't be a problem.  So I decided that for my birthday I'd like to go to some of the local quilt shops and I told the guys that I'd like to be able to lock myself up in my studio so I can just sew and create all weekend long!  They didn't seem to mind that compromise so that is what I'll be doing this weekend!  YAY!

We've been slowly working on remodeling my kitchen, I'd like to do in a retro-40's-50's country style.  I've always wanted a stove from that time period, they were just so cool.  Imagine my surprise when I found one locally on Ebay!  It's just like Rachael Ray's stove on her 30 Minute meals set, except this one is white.  It needs some restoration work, but nothing major.  I am so excited!  They wanted $300 for it but I noticed that they had listed it over 6 months earlier.  I put a bid in of $50 dollars and they accepted it!

This is what it looks like now, although the burners are covered.  It is a 1941 Model B Chambers stove.   Here is what it should look like when it is restored:

Mine is actually in very good condition as you can see above.  It does need some parts but we found some sources online and it won't be a problem to find them.  One thing, I will have to get a wall oven, that oven just isn't big enough for the cooking I do so we're looking on Craig's List and CheapCycle and Ebay for a vintage double wall oven.  Maybe we'll have the same good luck and find something just a good as the stove!  I've been perusing the local antique stores for dishes and cookware from that period as well.  We got a Hoosier cabinet from a local store, it needs to be restored as well but hubby and I can both work on that together.  I had a dream that a bunch of people came over and helped us drywall the laundry room so we can tear down the wall between it and the kitchen and get my renovation started!  Maybe this summer????!!!  I have to come up with a good kitchen wall hanging!  If you know of any cute retro kitcheny patterns, feel free to leave me a link to them in the comments section, please!

My old stove will be used in my outdoor kitchen that we are going to create under the deck we put on the back of the house.  It is a Frigidaire stainless "Professional Series".  First off, it's not real stainless and when I've cleaned it the supposed stainless coating came off!  The touchpad is cracked and I can't set the clock or the oven cleaner---I'm not even certain how it cracked!  The stovetop is impossible to clean properly.  It has broken down 4 times, we've had to replace parts.  Now the oven isn't working properly.  This stove is only 5 years old!  Needless to say, I will not be purchasing any more Frigidaire products, we paid over $2000 for this stove and I have to say it was not worth the money at all, the convection oven doesn't even worked properly and it never has---I don't think it is true convection.  I've worked with convection ovens in the restaurants I've worked in and this oven is nothing like them---that's why it cost so much, because I wanted the convection oven.  Oh well, live and learn---just don't by Frigidaire products, they don't live up to their name!  Don't even get me on a rant about my Maytag stainless refrigerator!  PIECE OF JUNK!!!  From now on, I will purchase either old (they were built to last!) or commercial.

We've got another winter storm heading in tonight!  YAY!  I don't have to go anywhere so it's no skin off my nose and maybe if we are lucky, Jeremy will have a snow day and we can go sledding in the back!  Cross your fingers for us!  Although, I'd better add, I hope that either way, the roads aren't bad because hubby has to drive on them for many miles for work and I don't want him to be in dangerous conditions!  Here's more winter scenes.  TTFN!

life is good!

I'm better!  I got the green light to go back to my life.  I can't tell you how happy and relieved I am! I am truly putting 2009 behind me now and can look forward to health and happiness today and tomorrow and so on!

I've been reading like crazy the past year.  Being so sick and not having any energy, I started going to the library and taking tons and tons of books out, especially murder mystery series.  I don't know why, I had never been interested in murder mysteries before but here are some that I have read and what I felt about them:

The Lucy Stone Mysteries by Leslie Meier  These murder mysteries are all centered around a holiday or important event.

I love these books.  They are an easy read and the characters are pleasant.  I love Lucy, she reminds me of me in a lot of ways, being a mom of a lot of kids, moving to the country after having been a city girl her whole life.  She has an old farmhouse that needs tons of work, she heats with wood, has chickens and is crafty!  Of course, as she gets older and their financial situation betters, they improve their home--they have a furnace, no more chickens, she doesn't have time to be crafty or cook or bake like she used to---I wish that hadn't changed, I could relate to her before better than now.  I still love the books though, and I am looking forward to a new one!

The Hannah Swensen Mysteries by Joanne Fluke

These are the first mysteries I started reading---or actually, listening to on CD.  When I was first starting to go to the library, I started checking out the books on CD section, I do a lot of baking and cooking and I thought it would be fun to listen to a book while in the kitchen.

I really like Hannah, she's smart, she's a regular woman--not too thin--normal sized, not overly pretty, not fake.  She runs a bakery and all the mysteries are named after baked goods.  She has two boyfriends (I'm rooting for Norman!) and she nearly always finds the dead bodies in her little town of Lake Eden, Minnesota, much to the chagrin of her mother!  The cast includes her cat crazy Moishe who is always causing come kind of trouble, her sisters Andrea and Michelle, her partner Lisa, her boyfriend Norman who has proved handy in helping to solve some of these mysteries and her other boyfriend, Mike---whom she should just dump because he's not good enough for her!  The books are all starting to become predictable and the fact that Hannah leaves Norman hanging all the time when it is SO obvious that they are perfect for each other is irritating, but it is a fun read, or a fun listen---whichever you are inclined to do!



The Jaine Austen Mysteries by Laura Levine

Jaine is a Hollywood girl with a very non-Hollywood job.  She is a writer but her biggest claim to fame is writing a slogan for a plumbing company.  She also has a crazy cat, hers is named Prozac although her forgetful or just plain ditzy mother calls the cat every other antidepressant out there but prozac!   Jaine is another who keeps finding dead bodies, usually having to do with a job she needs to take to pay the rent.  The books are breezy and fun with a delightful cast of regular characters that keep Jaine hopping.

The Benni Harper Mysteries by Earlene Fowler

I think these are my favorites of all.  First of all, the titles are all names of quilts and Benni herself is a quilter along with many of the woman in the books.  These stories seem more real than the others---more serious with real issues that aren't glossed over with humor or unrealistic situations.  Benni lives in San Celina, CA, a small town with a lot of big town murders!  She is a curator for an artist co-op and she is married to the chief of police, Gabe, who is a strong, silent type---a Latino man who is either very passionate or very cold.  Benni usually gets pulled into solving murders against her wishes, but she always seems to find information that the cops, including her own husband, can't find.  All of the main characters are wonderfully fleshed out and realistic---which makes this a series that has more staying power to me.  I just read finished reading the 13 books and I have to say, they are getting better as the series goes along, not losing steam like some of the others.  Benni doesn't have a crazy cat, she has a well trained lab mix dog who is any dog lovers dream!  She also has horses and cattle and ranches---lots of stuff going on in the background.  It's a wonderful series, I hope Earlene keeps it going and I also hope that she gives Benni and Gabe a baby---they needs something that'll pull them together even more!

I recently joined Facebook----I had been holding out for years but my brother called me and told me that an old friend that I've known my entire life had found him on Facebook and was looking for me.  I got in touch with her and it was great, we've got a lot of catching up to do but I look forward to doing so.  After that I decided that I would take the plunge and join Facebook and see who else I could find.  OMG, I have found so many people from high school, from early childhood and from after high school, it's been great!  I've been reminded of great memories from my school years.  And, I'll get the chance to meet some of hubbys' family who live far away whom I haven't met yet.

One of my old friends is having an anniversary, she met her fiance on Facebook and they are celebrating 1 year since they met----how romantic!  Congratulations to you both and may you have the rest of your life together!

My special day is next week, yes another birthday!  Hubby is planning on taking me to Amish country, I've been wanting to go for some time now---we've gone but I haven't been able to get to any quilt shops---which is the main reason I want to go to Amish country.  I might postpone the trip, however.  Money is tight and lots of stuff is needed to be done around the house.  When I go---I want to be able to shop!  I'm not a big shopper, I don't go and spend hundreds of dollars on anything.  I'm not a clothes horse, I'm actually pretty simple with clothes---jeans, t-shirts and sweats and I'm a happy camper.  I have better occasion clothes for when I need them---which isn't often.  My life pretty much revolves around the homestead.  I live in my workboots and my tennis shoes.  My weaknesses are books, magazines and fabric.  Since I discovered the resellers at Amazon.com, my library has grown by leaps and bounds!  I've gotten fabulous deals on books, many for under $1, I just have to pay $3.99 shipping.  I have too many subscriptions to magazines, I LOVE magazines!  Quilting, home and garden, pop culture, green living, cooking, country living---I get tons!  I haven't purchased any fabric in months---I really try to restrain myself because I LOVE fabric. 
That is what my trip to Amish country is supposed to be all about---fabric.  Well, we'll see how things are next week!

I'm hoping to get a lot of sewing done this weekend, it just depends on what hubby wants to do.  Jeremy is helping Grandma this weekend so he'll be gone and Sean and Jaret don't want to be saddled with helping Seamus all weekend, so if hubby is up for spending a lot of time with Seamus, then I'll be able to sew.  I used to sew at night, way into the night but I just can't do that anymore.  My all nighters are few and far between anymore.  I have tons of fabric left over from my SCA garb making days, I want to use a bunch of it to make shopping bags for me and for other family members.  I also want to make up some cute purses for my daughter and my niece and some plushies for my little nieces.  I have an apron pattern I'd really like to make--but I'll need to get more fabric for that.  Heck, if I were able to make all the things I'd like to make this weekend, I'd NEED a trip to Amish country for more fabric!!!

Click on the pictures to be taken to the sites where the patterns are---some are free patterns!  Make sure to check out the awesome websites, too!

I have no energy today.  I just feel like laying around and reading a good book, or some good blogs.  I was going to go make a few batches of bagels and a couple loaves of bread but I just don't feel like it.  You'd think after the good news I got yesterday, I'd be all energetic and ready to go.  Nope, I just wanna sleep!  LOL!  I suppose to compromise, I could go take a little cat nap and then tackle the baking.  Especially since the longer I sit at the computer, the more tired I will feel.  It's starting to snow, we're suppose to get a winter storm tonight, possible 3-5 inches.  The fire is going, the boys are quiet, playing the Wii, I could just cozy up in the rocking chair in front of the fire with a cup of hot chocolate and a nice magazine or book.  Now that sounds like a plan, one I intend on playing out!  TTFN!

Hiya all!

I'm here in Border's taking a mom break while the boys are at tutoring!  So that actually gives me time to post on my blog, oh joy!
I'm doing much better than I was in the last post, nearly healed and I have more energy--yay!  I've been busy with the boys, working on their lessons, making cookies and bagels and just resting and enjoying the family.
A week ago we got some roosters--5 silkies.  They are fun but I think it'll be better for our ladies if we only have 1 so I'm going to be asking around for some good homes for the others.  If I can't find one, I'll use the other shed we have on our property and put them in there.  As usual, click on the pictures to get a larger view!

 

I took the littlest boy to get assessed for his autism and the developmental preschool program.  They feel he'll qualify, but it's going to take 3 weeks to find out!  I wish they could push it through quicker, I'd really like to get him going, the doctor told us the sooner he gets treatment, it is possible that he could come out of the autism.  We're hoping and praying! 

I've been getting seed catalogs in the mail like crazy, this weekend I'm finally going to pick all the seeds for this year.  I have tons of veggie seeds left over from last year, so I just need herbs and perennials for my English garden I am planning for the front of the house.  I'm sick of mowing the grass there, we have 6 acres to mow and it's an all day project (until we get a tractor so we can plow the fields and put in some grasses for livestock) so I am eliminating the front yard and making it an English garden.  I got a bunch of garden planning books out of the library so DH and I can sit down and plan things out---we'll have to start breaking ground in early April, late March if possible!  Last year we got the veggie garden put in and DH made me a beautiful herb spiral.  Here are some pics that my son got last fall:

Isn't my herb spiral awesome??!!  I have the most wonderful, talented husband!  I was going to make it myself but being sick prevented me from being able to do it so hubby took the job on and I am so proud and pleased with what he made!  I am a lucky woman!

I didn't get pictures of the garden in the summer, I don't know why---it was my pride and joy---and then the blight hit everything!  No cucumbers, few pumpkins, lots of zucchini, but nothing compared to what we would have had if the blight hadn't gotten the plants!  Not one potato, lots of tomatoes, but not nearly as many as we should have had---same for melons and squashes.  What started out so promising was literally destroyed.  If I hadn't been so sick I probably would have been able to save at least some of it.  This year we will be ready.  We will do preventative medicine to hopefully stop it in its tracks!  Here are some of the flowers from my front garden, these were taken in late fall so many were dead already:

 

Some of fall's bounty!

So, I haven't done much sewing since Christmas.  I did make these adorable Molly Monkey dolls for my nieces:

Aren't they the cutest??!!  If you like the pattern I got it from Larissa at mmmcrafts

I am still working on my Carolina Christmas quilt---got about 2 hours of piecing done yesterday which was a miracle considering it was in the middle of the afternoon and the boy was running all over the place!  I can't wait to see it finished!

That's it for me.  My Borders break is drawing to a close, I want to go peruse the craft section before I have to pick up the boys.  More pictures coming soon---I have remodling projects talk about, more crafty stuff and more kids stuff!