Giftings

I love to make and give gifts!  I make what gifts I can, but sometimes I actually have the cash to buy something, and sometimes time does not permit me to get crafty. And sometimes the receiver may not appreciate a hand-made gift (enter big boys).  And truthfully, sometimes I'm afraid my hand-made gift will be sniffed at in a not-so-nice manner.  So a gift made by me versus a fancy store-bought something does not denote any type of favoritism either way, but the crafted things tend to be given to those whom I think might appreciate them.  That's my disclaimer and I'm sticking to it.

Here's to catching up on some children's gifts I've made in the past months. Most of them were given on time, not that I would know anything about belated gifts and/or cards.

A onesie for Connor:

A onesie for Layla Grace:

A pillowcase top for Braleigh (and one nearly identical, not pictured, for Ericka):


A pillowcase top for Kathlyn:


Wouldn't that be cute with jeans and cowboy boots? 

If only I could wear pillowcase tops and onesies, my closet would be set.  My ever-expanding, now 28-1/2-week-pregnant belly is becoming quite the wardrobe challenge.

Owen and the Baler

Owen loves to be with his Daddy, and can easily drop whatever exciting thing he is doing under my supervision to join the work down at the farm shop or jump in Jason's truck for errands in town. Because of his inquisitive nature, he has been to places I never have and knows more about farm equipment than I ever will. I love to watch him identify with Jason and try to fit himself into his Daddy's world. The other day when our family walked into the farm shop to say hello to Jason, I saw that light in Owen's eyes and a very awed grin across his face and knew it was the beginning of the end.

One person Owen met and loved was Mrs. Beth, who worked the parts counter at Smith Tractor. She paid attention to him, and he definitely noticed her. When Mrs. Beth announced she was quitting, and her last week of work came up, Jason took Owen with him into the John Deere dealership. While Jason was conducting his farm business, Owen must have been perusing the toy aisle, because he came away talking about a round hay baler that he wanted to buy. That night, Jason helped him count the change in his bank, which happened to be a very small sum. Since Jason had promised Owen he would ask about the baler, the next morning he brought the toy up to the desk at Smith Tractor to ask Mrs. Beth how much it was.

That kind woman would not name the price until she had heard the contents of Owen's piggy bank. "And that's how much it is," she pronounced definitively. She took the hay baler, placed it under the counter and told Jason to bring in Owen.

Jason called me before I picked up Owen for school and gave me the low-down. He was in the fields and was not able to come into town, so he asked me to take Owen and his money in to Mrs. Beth.

The parts counter was hopping, so we waited our turn to do business. The vending machine guy was refilling his machines at the moment, and it was a little hard to pull Owen away from his place of observation. Mrs. Beth had everything ready, invoice included, and had figured a price that left Owen a little money to rattle in his bank. She and I counted the rolling coins, and the transaction was made official.I saved the invoice, made out in Owen’s name. When he is older, I think he will understand better the gift Mrs. Beth gave him, which was more than a 75% discount and a glimpse of her heart. For now, he is just enjoying the hay baler.

And here's a little glimpse of what the other two kids were doing: holding hands after fighting.

Gifts for My Newest Nephew

I love living in the South, but I sure miss my family back in the Midwest, especially when new babies arrive! Fortunately, I got to greet my brand new little nephew Deacon Liam over Christmas. He sure was a sweetie, and I think he still his, although he probably needs some Aunt Joyce kisses to keep him in line.

This was my welcome gift to him:


And a follow-up gift in the mail, because things got too crazy around Christmas to finish it then:

More Freezer Paper Stencils to the Rescue

This fall I snatched up some long-sleeved shirts for Helen at a discount store in town. They were brand new, only fifty cents, or maybe a dollar. Either way, I was glad to pay the puny sum, and thoroughly delighted that they were plain. I over-bought, thinking either of my gift stash, or the way little girls attract stains on their clothing.

When I asked Helen what she wanted me to paint on her shirt, she landed on a strawberry. I tried to influence her toward something more winterish, but her choice was solid. It got complicated when she wanted a letter H too. I sketched some designs, and she chose her favorite.

She was a satisfied customer, especially delighting in the tiny strawberry seeds carved into the stencil and the paint with sparkles.

I didn't make too many Christmas gifts this year, but when my sister-in-law mentioned what she wanted in a new bag for my 2-year-old niece, I got to work right away the night before our gift exchange. I found a plain denim bag at JoAnn and embellished it with a big bow and a monogram. Is that Southern or what?
I also lined it with some of her leftover quilt fabric.
I loved it almost enough to make one for myself.

Dress for Bella

Here's a little dress I made for a friend whose baby girl is due in February.
In my typical last-minute fashion, I was sewing on the buttons as Jason drove to the party. (The little Swiss Army knife scissors in my truck's console has been a lifesaver on more than one occasion.) I've made this pattern before, but it has a few problems. I was extremely satisfied with myself for figuring out some of the kinks, one being that the collar always stuck up funny, and another that the sleeve hems looked frumpy.

Sometimes I am timid to give handmade gifts because I'm afraid they won't be liked. Hit or miss, I still love to make things, and when I make a gift, I'm thinking of and praying for that person. At any rate, I look forward to meeting little Bella some time next month!

Felt Hair Clips

These clips went to a sweet little friend who has the cutest, most seemingly alive hair. Helen was plastered to my side while I made them, scattering her opinions and questions. It was sweet, until I needed elbow room. (The kids are still learning about personal space.)

Some Bunny Loves You

Remember how my sister-in-law Les is soooooooo good at gift-giving? Heh heh. Heh. I'm talking about her famous white-elephant gifts. The girl has a knack for finding "eye-catching" items at resale shops and the nerve to gift them to friends and family. Off the top of my head, I remember a stuffed owl, some kid's T-ball trophy and a glass vase with red and green tissue paper squares glued to it.
The lovely Ms. Rabbit was her gift to Janice this past Christmas. Dressed in her finest.

When Leslie's birthday came around earlier this month, Jan and I hatched a plan.
It started out with a sweet stack of home-baked goodness--strawberry cake on the bottom and carrot cake on the top, and I began to play Ace of Cakes, right in my own kitchen.

Serated knife, hot glue gun, yellow sock, red bias tape, pillow stuffing, florist wire...just mere tools of the trade. A little buttercream and a few hours later, Ms. Bunny looked like a million bucks.
Ready for a stroll down Cottontail Lane as this year's Carrot Trail Maid, she clutched a single carrot in her delicate paw.
Ms. Bunny wore a smashing frock of yellow, purple and red, festooned with miniature carrot accents. What a feast for the eyes!

What's that? Did Abby say "beautiful"? With ears like that, it's hard to miss any compliment.

Why Bathrooms Should Not be Carpeted

I just stepped in pee with my bare feet. In his rush to do his big business, a little boy neglected the proper positioning of some anatomy. Enough said.

My family had a late Christmas celebration in Indiana. Here's what I made for all my nephews that were present:

Three pairs of matching pajamas. It was a good thing I had until Valentine's Day to finish them! I was pleased with how they turned out. I re-used buttons from old shirts, since I hate most of the buttons on cards.

More Freezer Paper Stencils

While the construction was going on in the basement, we stayed upstairs. I kept my hands busy with a few crafty projects, since I couldn't get to the computer.

Just can't get enough of that freezer paper technique! What's more fun than putting your best doodling on a shirt?

Finding time for creativity

I love being a mom. This is a good thing, because I'm very entrenched in mommyhood right now. Wiping little people, feeding mouths, doing laundry, buying groceries--it all takes more work than I ever dreamed. Of course, there are many pay-off moments--unsolicited kisses from the kids, sweet grins, pushing chairs in without being told... But, all the same, I am so exhausted, I have to "fake awake."

However tired I may be, I still need time for sewing and crafting. Being crafty energizes me in a way that boiling more macaroni can only dream about. (Yeah, I just live for throwing a handful of salt into pasta water...)

Here are a few projects I've managed to get done since Jack has been born:
As you can see, my hot mitt of 8 years had seen better days. My fingers were poking through the end.

So I copied it and made a new one from an old shirt. Unfortunately, even with three layers of quilt batting, it's not as insulating as Old Faithful.
I had to include this picture just for fun. I made this dragon mitt several years ago. He's not so insulating either.

Helen got another new dress. Here she was watching and waiting for waffles. Bless her little heart, she is usually the first one to the table and quite often the last to leave.

This was a special gift for a cute little man born last week.


And a little something for his big sister.

Quirks

Here are some objects in my house that I love. You might scratch your head over a few. That's OK. I did too. And then they grew on me.

My Central American napkins (matching tablecloth stowed away) rescued from my mother-in-law's garage sale pile. Mom has brown ones like these, and I have always hated them. Then I saw them in green....Another napkin. And a crystal bread box holding currently-being-read books, an unused bookmark I made for Jay, remotes, pens and Jason's outdated glasses that I can't take him seriously in (poor guy). And the little African animals that I've had to glue over and over, due to my klutzy hand at dusting.
Pink roses from the yard, in a pretty (antique?) pitcher Leslie gave me for my birthday. She's generally a good gift-picker! I say generally......
My flecky bowl! Bought off Lynette at the church yard sale. It's cradling a cinnamon-sugar mixture for monkey bread.
My African violet, purchased at the same yard sale, perched in a cute little antique enamelware bowl from my friend Carrie. It was a birthday present too.
And the dragon. Behold. I bought him off the yard sale as a gag gift for Leslie. But by the time I had hurtled home, he became a keeper. It's a planter, but wouldn't it be great for holding dip or hot salsa? heh heh.

Happy Spring!

True to family tradition, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to bless my sister-in-law with a birthday present. Especially as I thought of the last treasure she crafted for me, a pair of bobby-pin earrings.



Hope you enjoy your fashionable bag, dear Leslie! I expect to see you carrying it soon. You truly are getting better all the time.

Owen's Big Day

Happy Birthday, Aunt Les! Owen made his first stinky in the potty today. I would consider that a fine birthday present.

I feel like we've had a week and a half's worth of living in 2 1/2 days. Monday was monumental for Owen, as he saw a new pediatric ENT in Birmingham (a 3-hour drive one-way). Owen's speech has not been progressing, and we think there may be an issue that would require surgery, worst-case scenario. It was a comfort to us that Dr. Wiatrak has seen cases similar to Owen's and knew what to do next, because we have seen two ENTs in Mobile who couldn't help us. He is sending us to a speech pathologist that he works with all the time, and he will see us again that same day. We'll be able to tell from their imaging techniques what is really going on inside Owen's mouth, and whether he will need intense therapy, surgery or both. Unfortunately for Owen, it will involve a scope. He usually does very well on doctor visits, but he might protest that maneuver.
Along Jack Springs Road in Atmore. It was a beautiful day. Owen engaged his tractor's turn signal when we made turns, and hollered, "Blinker! Blinker! Blinker!"
We stopped along the way, and tried to make it a fun day. Here's Owen checking out the Auburn merchandise at Priester's Pecans along I-65. This little bear played the fight song, and then said, "War Eagle!"Sampling chocolate is what we do best.

Waiting for Mommy at Priester's.
The slide at McDonald's. We're going there for supper tonight again, thanks to Owen dropping a #2 in the can.
Dr. Wiatrak's waiting room had one of the best toys I've ever seen--the cars were operated by a magnet from underneath.
He finally fell asleep at 5:00 on the way home.


Jason tried to get a picture of this famous sign on North I-65. The final phrase, obscured by the guardrail, reads, "or the devil will get you." Makes you wonder how many people have gotten saved as a result?
A present for our baby, found at Priester's. Gotta start 'em young!
And a present for myself. I found it on clearance for $5.00. I had seen similar bowls at Wrapables when I ordered a shower curtain last year. It just makes me smile.
Since we started yesterday with Owen's potty training, I suppose I should be eating every meal out of this bowl.