Nesting In The 21st Century

Time

Time.  I seem to have little of it these days.  I realized last week that my worktable had become overrun with half-finished, almost-finished and just-started projects.  I have to say it really started to stress me out.  Especially since my long awaited nephew will be making his debut any time.   So I put the blog on hold for a little bit and plunged in.  When all was said and done things finished up pretty quickly once I stopped worrying about laundry and housework.  So now the projects and done and the house looks like a tornado hit.  That is the next project.  Some people have the urge to purge and do a big clean up in the spring.  For me it happens in the fall.  It is almost time to come inside for the better part of 5 months and I want it to not only look nice but function.  Right now the closets and drawers are so disorganized it would take me quite a while to find most anything.  Of course it is my Autumn Nesting Instinct kicking in.

I have started the big clean in the basement.  This wonderfully exciting endeavor includes opening every game my kids own to see if all the pieces are in it.  My guess is that only half are able to be played.  Otherwise why am I finding all those game pieces mixed in with the legos?  It is amazing what odd things end up down there.  A piece of candy corn from last Halloween in the Brio Train bin...sure.  Pennies, marbles, blocks, nuts, bolts, key chains, pencils, dried playdoh....all down there.  I imagine I will be done sometime this week.  And then closets...I think doing them will make cleaning the basement look like a party.

I am determined to mix in a bit of fun also.  I have stacked the fabric for a watermelon quilt and will spend this week cutting it out.  I really must remember to take a picture.  In my humble opinion there really aren't many things more inspiring or beautiful than a wonderful stack of fabric...just waiting to be cut.

I have all the projects I worked on lined up ready to take photos of.  I'll share them this week.  Also,  the arrangement in the photo was from last year.  It is dried and silk flowers, freeze dried leaves and a Funkins pumpkin.  (I cut the top off.)  I have another funkins which has a vase tucked inside.  A sunflower bouquet looks fantastic in it.  This year I would like to do Sunflowers (the kind with a bit of orange in them) along with Bittersweet for the kitchen table.   I would also like to do a white one this year.  I don't use candle in them....I use flickering Votives which are battery operated.  What fun.  I didn't purchase them from the link I listed (just so you know) but from Michaels.  Did I mention I love Halloween....

The Hoyts

When I get frustrated as a Mom....feeling overburdened and stressed I think I'll watch this video to remind me what a parent should be.  Don't miss the video at the end. (Get a tissue or two.)

Strongest Dad in the World

From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly
I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans.  Work nights to
pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.
But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.

Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day. Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back

mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S.on a bike.

Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.

This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;''  Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old.  "Put him in an institution.''

But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes
followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to
the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was
anything to help the boy communicate.  "No way,''  Dick says he was
told.  "There's nothing going on in his brain.'' "Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? ``Go Bruins!'' And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the school  organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, ``Dad, I want to do that.'' Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described "porker'' who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried. "Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says.  "I was sore for two weeks.''  That day changed Rick's life. ``Dad,'' he typed,  "when we were
running, it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!'' And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.   "No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially:  In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made
the qualifying time for Boston the following year. Then somebody said, "Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?''

How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried. Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii. It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you think?
Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own?  "No way,'' he says.  Dick does it purely for  "the awesome feeling'' he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together. This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time'? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don't keep track of  these
things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time.  "No question about it,'' Rick types.  "My dad is the Father of the Century.''
And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race.  Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95% clogged.  "If you hadn't been in such great
shape,'' one doctor told him,  "you probably would've died 15 years ago.''

So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life. Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland,
Mass., always find ways to be together. They give speeches around
the country and compete in some backbreaking race every  weekend, including this Father's Day. That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.

"The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types,  "is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.''

Here is the Video...

Punkin' Quilt Time

I pulled out some more Autumn/Halloween this week.  This is my favorite Autumn quilt.  I especially like the way it is quilted...pumpkins and vines all over it.  It is like a huge pumpkin patch draped over the couch. 

I made it a few seasons ago and I really enjoy putting it out each year.  The pumpkins were simple to piece and the other blocks are just four squares.  I used lots of homespuns and plaid flannels and even some cottons for the blocks.  It didn't really matter to me as long as the colors were right.  I didn't want it to be at all Halloween-y so that I could use it all through the Fall rather than just in October which I think was a good idea.  I usually have it out through Thanksgiving. 

Sometimes I make things so holiday specific that I don't get to enjoy them as much as I would like.  I am trying to make things which can be used for a whole season and not just one month.  I have a pattern for a watermelon quilt which I would like to make to use all next summer.  I'll post some photos of the pattern and fabric stack once I get it all together.  Here I am making watermelons in September and I recall that I made the pumpkins in January.  I guess it is best to make things when the inspiration hits....whenever that may be.

Birthday Truck

It was the little guy's birthday this week and we had lots of fun celebrating.  He put some gumballs in this truck and calls it his "Birthday Truck".  He has been rolling it around for days now.  I realized that it would have made a great centerpiece for a boys party.  Trucks all lined up with goodies in them.

I always get so reflective around my kid's birthdays.  Much more then when I have one.  Somehow their getting older hits me on a much deeper level.  I invariably ask "How did he/she get so big?"  I think it must be that I remember them from the time they were just an idea.  I remember the day they were born and every day since.  What a privilege to watch them grow up.  It hits me on their birthdays.  Every year they have a party and the best gift of all is for me.

Mini Croissants

I am so excited to show you what my daughter has made.  She is madly in love with all the wonderful Club Little House goodies and so this time she signed up as well.

I won't give too much away but these itty bitty croissants and pats of butter will give you a clue.  She is working hard on her dollhouse but has not selected the color for the outside yet.  She takes her time, unlike me.  It will be fun to see how she expresses herself with this project.  She has definite ideas about what she does and does not like.  As a Mom it is wonderful to not only express herself but to reveal her creativity.  I feel like I am getting to know her all over again.  Bonding over croissants.

CLH Three

Here is a sneak peek of my Club Little House Three contribution.  I think the theme is obvious.  I've already discussed my love for Halloween and I thought it would be fun to do some itty bitty Halloween things.  I don't want to give too much away so I won't say much more.

I love that I got to combine two of my favortie things:  Dollhouses and Halloween.  I already have tons of ideas for Christmas...

Club Little House Heaven

I thought it would be a good idea to go through the "Club Little House Experience" step by step.  This is a very picture heavy post without a lot of comment from me.  I think the photos really speak for themselves.  What I do want to say is thank you so very much.  Everything is amazingly lovely and adorable!

This label let's us know something special is in store from Amy.

  It is almost time....

It looks like Christmas!

Almost...

What an amazing selection of little goodies.

The Joggling Board is from Maggie

The Christmas Tree is from Jamie

The Hat Box, Hat and stand are from Vicki

The Toy Chest is from Monica

The Spa Basket is from Debra

The Trunk and Quilt is from Cerri

The Birdcage is from Rosanna

The Braided Rug is from Janet

The Bassinet is from me

The Peg Rack is from Alicia

The Lunch and Pie are from Amy

Thank you to all who  made such amazing Little House things!  If I don't have your blog link next to the item you made do send it tom me so I can include it in this post!

Halloween Fix

It is almost time to decorate for Halloween.  I have to admit it is one of my favorite holidays.  I am not a fan of the scary stuff.  No blood, guts, coffins,  sculls & crossbones for me.  I like the Happier Halloween.  The little pumpkins and candy corn type.

I have made lots of decorations over the years and I am running out of places to put them.  I think this may be the year to weed them out a bit...as difficult as that can be.

I made this table runner a few years ago and I do enjoy putting it out.  I especially like the prairie points around the outside edge.  It was one of those quick projects I like.  One evening and it was done.  The little pumpkins are machine appliqued.

I posted this today to give myself a little Halloween fix.  It has been a bit gray and rainy out...and cool.  Very almost-Autumn weather.  It isn't quite time to pull out the decorations en masse and so this table runner will have to tide me over for a few more weeks.  I may just pull one thing out each day just for fun.  One thing about Halloween, since it is on the 31st there is plenty of time to enjoy the decorations.   Unlike Valentine's Day where they seem to go up and the come right back down.  And so today is the Halloween fix.  I saw black and orange M & M's at the store on Saturday.  I didn't buy them...yet.

Club Little House Mini Swap

I was so delighted to receive this wonderful package from June in the Club Little House mini round swap.  (By the way I just love that it is a mini round...so appropriate.)  Anyway, June sent me this adorable chair with an embroidered pillow  (a W of course.)  The photo album has tiny prints of dollhouse photos from my blog.  How thoughtful is that!  As if that wasn't enough there is a photo envelope filled with mini photos and itty bitty strips of film. I so love this thoughtful gift and I can't wait to place everything inside the little house.

I forgot to mention how it was packaged...in a blue box with the cutest decoration on top.  A mini wire clothes hanger with a dress...and the skirt is a white lace hankie.  Love it!

Thank you June for such  wonderful treats.  And thank you also Amy who continues the Club Little House fun through the Club Little House Swaps and now this wonderful Mini Swap.

Bug A Boo Two

This is the latest addition to the gifts for my new nephew.  For this burp cloth I used the same little applique from the quilt from earlier.  I would like to make a few more perhaps with bees and butterflies.  The other motif on the quilt is a flower which looks good on the quilt but would be too girlie on a burp cloth.  I am thinking that a set of three would be perfect.  I machine appliqued it so I think it will be plenty durable in the wash.

It is all coming together quite well.  I will be sure and take some photos before I give it to him.  They haven't decided on a name yet and so I'll save the monograms for later.  (I love to do a baby's initials or monogram for a gift.)  I really enjoy doing layette projects.  There is something so wonderful about making things for a new little person. 

Only a couple of weeks to go and I can finally meet the little guy.  My sister is not so romantic about the whole thing...but of course she is the one nine months pregnant.  She is excited but not in the ga ga way I seem to be.  But of course I am.  I am the Auntie.