A Master of None

For my Tiger-Lover

2012-02-07T11:26:00.001-07:00

So, my third son LOVES tigers. He has BEEN a tiger for about 7 months now. He loves everything about tigers. I've never seen a kid THIS consumed with a single thing. He was a tiger for Halloween. We were walking through JoAnn's a couple weeks before Halloween. After walking down an aisle, we turned the corner, but our 2 year old did not come with us. Then, all of a sudden, we hear an excited exclamation: first a gasp of excitement, then "I LOVE this!!!!" I've never had a kid say that about anything, let alone a 2 year old in a fabric and craft store, so naturally we all rushed back into the the aisle to see what he was looking at. He was holding a . . . wait for it . . . a pair of tiger ears. This was one of those times (o.k., probably the only time) that I couldn't resist buying an unnecessary "toy" for my kid when there was no special occasion to do so. Is that sad? I don't know, but I knew that those few dollars would bring endless amounts of fun, and they did. For Halloween, I picked up a tiger tail and pinned it to his pants and painted his face. Who would think that a two-year-old could sit still long enough to have his face painted? But, he was SO excited to look like a tiger that he held perfectly still while I painted his face. When it was time to wash his face that night, he was so reluctant to do so. It was truly remarkable.

So, come Christmas time, he was still Tiger-Enthused, so it was only natural that most of his Christmas gifts this year revolved around tigers. Since I make a toy for each of my boys for Christmas every year, this year I made the traditional "flipper toy" for my number three, since he didn't have one yet. And, of course, it HAD to be a tiger. After making it, I was a little concerned that he may grow out of his tiger-phase before Christmas hit, but, fortunately, he didn't. In fact, he's still a tiger, going into Valentines! Anyway, I forgot to get pictures of it before, and the baby has gotten ahold of it since and left his teeth marks in it's face, but here are some pictures and video of it anyway. Enjoy!

My Little Tiger

About half the time, he added these tiger teeth to his costume.

Marionettes

2012-02-07T09:25:00.000-07:00

This year for Christmas, I made marionettes for Nathan and Ben. I made a T-Rex and a Beetle. First, I drew out patterns until I was satisfied. Then, I transferred the drawings to 1x pine boards with carbon paper. Then, I cut the pieces with my scroll saw and sanded down all the edges. Then I attached the pieces to each other with rope and hung the marionettes with fishing line. If I make more in the future, I will make larger handles on top. I made small handles, because I thought that would be easier for small hands. But, it turns out that, in practice, the smaller the handles the larger the movement required to get the same effect. So, in essence, small handles make it more difficult for small hands to move the marionettes--especially the beetle, as it has 6 legs. Though, I am pleased that the T-Rex moves with the side-to-side sway that i was hoping to give it. The kids can still play with them, but they would have been much easier if the handles were bigger. I learned my lesson. Maybe if I find extra time some day I will replace the handles on these with larger ones. I will definitely make future marionettes with larger handles. Here are some pictures and videos of the marionettes.

I was a Busy Little Elf this Christmas

2012-02-06T10:37:00.002-07:00

Remember last year when I made that wooden nativity for my friend. Well, this year, for Christmas, I decided to make nativities for all my family members. It was a ton of work (I think I spent around 55hours), but everyone seemed to really like them, so it was worth it. I wanted to make a nativity that could be set up in a traditional manner or as a puzzle. But, more importantly, I wanted it to be symbolic. So that everyone could understand the meaning behind my design, I included the following letter with each nativity. The anticipation of giving people this labor of love made this Christmas particularly exciting for me. It was so much fun. I made three oak nativities and the rest are pine. Here is the explanation letter and some pictures of the process and final products. Enjoy!

My favorite Christmas decoration is the nativity. I love the various nativities and the creativity that goes into each artist’s unique rendition of their own vision of that sacred night. But, for a long time, I have wanted to create a nativity of my own. I was very particular about which characters to include in the scene, as I wanted it to be a depiction of the actual moment of our Savior’s birth and for the pieces to also be symbolic of not only Christ’s physical birth, but of His place in God’s Plan of Salvation as well. I assume that Mary, Joseph, and the stable animals were the only mortals present for the actual birth, but that they were supported and surrounded by heavenly hosts of angels heralding the moment of our Savior’s birth as well. So, these are the characters I chose to include. I left out the shepherds and wisemen, as they arrived after the birth.

· The Star of David not only casts light down upon the nativity as a beacon of light to which the shepherds and wisemen were able to turn in order to find the Christchild, but also represents the fact that Christ is our own constant beacon of light to which we must turn in order to find happiness and ultimately receive salvation as we find our own way to Christ.

· The Lamb not only represents the humble circumstances of our Savior’s birth among the livestock, but also the fact that this was the birth of the “Lamb of God,” of our “Good Shepherd”.

· The manger is formed to hold the feed for the lamb and other livestock, as is the purpose of a manger, or to hold the baby, Jesus, as his humble “cradle”. It represents the humble circumstances of our earthly life relative to the eternal life we will one day enjoy.

· Joseph, Christ’s earthly father, kneels behind Mary, supporting her through the pain and suffering of the birthing process, and rejoicing with her as her hard work is rewarded with the arrival of this precious infant. This is a representation of our Father in Heaven, who supports us through the pain and suffering we face throughout our lives as He awaits our return to Him when He may rejoice with us as our hard work here on earth is rewarded in heaven.

· Mary, a labored mother, sits in the reclined position as she holds her new little infant whom she has just delivered. She represents love—both atoning love and earthly love. Just as she sacrificed her body in its suffering to carry and deliver this baby, giving him life, so did Christ sacrifice His body, suffering as he atoned to give us spiritual life. Mary holds her new little infant before placing him in the manger so that she may rest, representing the love of our earthly parents, who spend their lifetime working tirelessly to love and support us before leaving us to receive their own eternal rest.

· The Christchild is centered in the scene to represent that centering our lives on Christ is the only way to achieve ultimate happiness.

· Although the nativity can be set up in a traditional manner, with the star atop the stable, the angel kneeling near the holy family, and the baby in the manger, it’s Puzzle Form symbolizes God’s beautiful orchestration of both our earthly lives and the overall plan of salvation as He perfectly aligns all the pieces to fit together into one exquisite whole.

Each Christmas season, we hope that this nativity will remind you of the true reason for the season, as both a celebration of Christ’s birth and a representation of His purpose in our lives. We love you all so dearly.

In the Process (I should had taken some pictures of myself while cutting and sanding with sawdust everywhere and sporting face mask, goggles, and ear protection. I was really a sight to behold.)

The Finished Nativities

Oak

Pine

Oak Popped

Pine Popped

Oak Mary Holding Baby

Pine Mary Holding Baby

Oak Baby in Manger

Pine Baby in Manger

Cristmas Creations--Stockings were Hung

2010-12-14T19:23:00.001-07:00

I made a couple more stockings today to replace the original red and green ones I made. It's been slow-going making stockings to match my gold, copper, bronze, brown, and white color scheme, as those colors seem to be hard to come by in velvet. I'm going to have to find some copper-colored velvet before next Christmas so I can make a matching stocking for the new baby. Yikes.

Pocket Slings

2010-12-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

So, my sister-in-law put together a boutique in order to raise money to adopt a little boy from Ethiopia. So, I donated some baby slings to her boutique to sell. I first received one as a gift from a very talented friend in Las Vegas, when I was pregnant with my first baby. Since that time, I have slowly adapted her design to create basically the same sling, only on a much smaller scale and with fabric that breaths well (to keep me and my baby cool in the summer). I first added a pocket to the original design so I could fold up the sling into it's own pocket for easier transportation of the sling when not in use and to hold things while I use the sling (like my keys and wallet and pacifiers, diapers, wipes, etc.). I have since experimented with different fabrics and rings until I have come up with this "pocket sling". I call it a pocket sling because (1) it has that pocket it folds into that can also be used to carry pacifiers, diapers, etc. while the sling is in use and (2) because it folds up small enough to fit in a loose pocket, or (more realistically) in your purse or diaper bag. It's still the original 2 yards of fabric, but fold up very small and uses small 2" bone rings to secure it. I use my own pocket sling all the time and keep in in the car, as I don't personally carry a purse. But, when I have a newborn again, I will keep another in my diaper bag. They are so convenient for not only carrying your baby, without having to lug around a bluky baby backpack, frontpack, or stroller, but also seem to work well as a quick blanket alternative when you have a sleepy baby away from home (as they are easily as big as a blankie when unfolded (and if you make yours out of the same fabric as your baby's favorite blankie, they fill that roll even better). Anyway, here's s few pictures of some of the slings I've made so you can see how to make one for yourself. Tricot and nylon lining fabric both seem to work great as they are soft to the touch, fold up small, keep the baby cool in the summer, and fit nicely through the 2" bone rings. The sling can be used with newborns, infants, or toddlers--just adjust the tension to fit. They also can be worn like a front pack, back pack, or on your hip, whichever is most comfortable. They really are so versatile--make yourself one if you have little ones at home!

Pocketed Sling with quarter for size reference:

Unfolded Sling with quarter for size reference:

Sling secured in rings and ready to wear with quarter for size reference:

Close up of how the rings secure the sling:

My lovely sister-in-law modeling one of the slings with my 2 year old Jesse in tow (Jesse loves the sling and rides in one daily on our morning family walls):

Christmas Creations--Bakugan Boards

2010-12-13T19:20:00.000-07:00

For the older boys' Christmas presents this year, I wanted to make them metal boards to display their Bakugans on since they always want Bajugan stuff and we just can't afford any this year. So, this is what I came up with in the end. To make the boards, I took a piece of sheet metal and folded the edges over using vice grips and a hammer (it would have been WAY easier and smoother too if I had metal seamers to use, but sadly I don't). Before hammering down the final edge, I folded the ribbon into it so it could hang from the ribbon. Then, I found the Bakugan logo online and used photoshop to change "Bakugan" to say "Natugan" for Nathan's board and "Bakuben" for Ben's board. Then, I cut out the logos and modge-podged them onto the boards. Overall, I think they will do, though I'm glad the boys won't be as critical as I am. If they use them alot, then I may buy a couple magnetic wire mesh baskets for their birthdays to add to the boards to hold Bakugan cards.

Christmas Creations--Christmas Tree Ornaments

2010-12-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

When we got our first Christmas tree, we were so poor that after buying a rather ugly fresh tree, we couldn't afford any ornaments. So, the tradition began to make our own ornaments. After 9 years of marriage, we still get together as a family every year to make ornaments for our tree. It's a great tradition that reminds us of where we have come from and how blessed we have been. We make a new type of ornament each year along with ornaments of our favorite pictures from throughout the year.

The first few years, our tree looked rather bare, but after all this time, it has finally been filled enough that we figure we could use a bigger tree. All our ornaments are homemade, with the exception of the pretty globe ornaments that my mom and sister got us to really carry our color theme. Anyway, I thought I would share some of the ornaments we have made throughout the years, in case any of you like to make ornaments with your family. Of course, they are much prettier and more brilliant in real life, but I can't capture the way they catch the light in photos. Oh well, these will have to do.

Beaded Stars:

Wired Stars:

Glittered Globes:

Beaded Trees:

Picture Ornaments (we do a block for each kid that allows us to use 6 of our favorite photos of that child from the year):

Christmas Creations--Ducklings Pull Toy

2010-12-10T15:43:00.002-07:00

This year, for Jesse's Christmas present, I made a pull toy. If you want to make one of your own, it's basically the same steps as you will find in the Puzzle Nativity Post. I ordered the wheels and axles online, as I don't have the tools to make them, but you could make your own. If I do another one, I think I'll use suede cord instead of ribbon, as the ribbon seems to get twisted up too easily when you pick the whole thing up. But, I think it should still work fine, even if the ribbon is twisted. I guess I'll have to wait and see until Jesse has a go at it to make sure it withstands the abuse of children, but Ben tried it out and it seemed to work out great for him. I'm excited: I think Jesse is going to LOVE it!

Christmas Creations--Wooden Puzzle Nativity

2010-12-10T15:36:00.003-07:00

So, I've been wanting to come up with something like this for a while, so here's my first attempt. I was really mad when I accidentally stained two of the pieces opposite to what I had intended (I had meant for the background below the star to be brighter/lighter than that above the star). But, overall, I think it turned out pretty good for my first project. I made this one as a gift for a good friend, but I will definitely want to make one for our family next year, as Cam, Nathan, and Ben have all asked me too.

It can be set up flat . . . .

Popped . . . .

Or as a traditional nativity with Mary holding the baby, or the baby in the manger . . . .

Overall, I'm pleased with the results. If you want to make one yourself, design something to your liking on paper and then transfer your drawing to wood (I used 1" oak and white washed the lighter pieces to look more like pine) . . . .

Then, using a scroll saw cut the pieces out (I found it easiest to use a spiral blade). . . .

Then sand the pieces so they are smooth and the edges are soft (I used a palm sander and fine tooth paper) . . . .

Then stain and polyurethane each piece the color that you want (be careful not to accidentally stain the wrong piece the wrong color like I did). And wala! You have yourself a nativity . . . .

The Remodel

2010-02-03T11:15:00.005-07:00

When we purchased our house in Flagstaff, I did an extensive remodel. I have received a few requests to show what I did on this blog. So, I guess I'll include some before and after photos here. I designed and drew the plans to submit to the county for permits and did all the framing, trim, and finish work. I did, however, hire the electrician, the plumber to do the rough plumbing, and the drywallers, because I HATE hanging drywall. Anyway, here is it. Enjoy!

Plans of Preexisting House

Plans for Remodel

Former Master Bedroom and Former Family Room Before

Master Suite after Remodel

Main Bath Before

Main Bath After Remodel

I also installed wood flooring in the kitchen, dining room, and front entry. Here are the before and after pictures:

Entry, Kitchen, and Dining Room Before

Entry, Kitchen, and Dining Room After

A Breakthrough!

2010-02-01T16:09:00.006-07:00

With this seemingly endless state of limbo (we have not been able to sell our house yet--it's been almost a year--and we've have been living in my in-law's home until we can sell and purchase a home of our own), I have not been very productive, at least not in a creative sense. I have, of course, been doing the everyday necessities required to raise a family, but don't have my "stuff" to use to do creative things. But . . . last night . . . a breakthrough. I creating something wonderful!

Well, for Christmas, my brother-in-law and his family got us an awesome soft-serve ice cream maker that doesn't need ice or rock salt, thus cutting down on the mess and frustration with at-home ice cream making. So, being the ice cream lover that I am, I've been taking advantage of this new toy and experimenting with ice cream recipes. But, I've been disappointed with most of the recipes I've found either because they just don't taste that great, they are too difficult or time-consuming to make, or they freeze too hard after being stored in the freezer. So, I set out on a mission--to discover or develop an awesome ice-cream recipe that is easy to make, doesn't require any eggs, and has a good ice cream texture, even after being stored in the freezer. Pretty much all of the really good ice cream recipes seem to require eggs, which means either eating raw eggs, or cooking them first (which is pretty labor intensive as you have to be careful to avoid scrambling the eggs--kind of like making a custard).

So, after lots of batches of ice cream, and still being left wanting, it occurred to me that I recently tweeked a Tres Leches cake recipe to one that I absolutely love. I also found a tres leches hot chocolate recipe that is to die for in a Better Homes and Gardens magazine this year (I will include the recipe below). So, I thought, maybe there's a tres leches ice-cream recipe out there. But, after much research, I couldn't find any online. So, I decided to devlope my own. This was a daunting undertaking, as I knew that proprtions would effect the texture of the ice cream and, although I like to consider myself an expert ice-cream taster, I am by no means an expert ice-cream maker. So, after studying several ice-cream recipes and their proportions, and a few failed attempts, the break through happened! I think I've done it! I've made an awesome, easy ice-cream, without using eggs, which holds it sumptuous, creamy texture, even after spending the night in the freezer. I am calling it "Tres Leches Ice Cream" when I include the vanilla and serve it after a Mexican dish and "Creamy Coconut Ice Cream" when I leave out the vanilla and serve it after an Asian meal. I've been enjoying it with diced mangoes on top, but I'm sure it would be delicious with strawberries on top as well. Here's my recipe (followed by the tres leches hot chocolate recipe I referred to earlier) so you all can enjoy it too. Try it out and let me know what you think:

Recipe: Tres Leches Ice Cream

Recipe developed by: Jennifer Norton

Yield: 1 to 1.5 quarts

Ingredients:

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 can coconut milk

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 tsp. vanilla (optional--I've made it both ways and both are delicious)

Topping/Mix-in: 2 to 3 cups diced mango, or other fruit of your choice (if fruit is not sweet enough, cover with a spoonful of fructose and let sit)

Directions:

Do NOT shake the can of coconut milk. Carefully open the can of coconut milk and skim the cream off the top (should come out to a little more than 1 cup (about 1 1/3 cup). Save the remaining coconut milk/water for any other recipe you may have that you could use it in, or just enjoy a nice swig of coconut milk. Mix the skimmed coconut cream with 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, and 1 tsp vanilla extract (optional). Freeze in an ice cream maker for soft serve texture (if you prepare it ahead of time, you can chill it in the refrigerator to facilitate faster freezing when the time comes to freeze it). For a more standard ice cream texture, place in your freezer after making in the ice cream maker. Top with or mix in mango or other fruit of your choice. Serve. Enjoy!

Note: This ice cream holds a nice ice cream consistency, even after being stored in freezer.

Recipe: Tres Leches Hot Chocolate

From or derived from the Recipe of: Aubrey Shaner, Better Homes & Gardens Contest Winner

Yield: 5 cups

Start: 5-10min. ahead Time in the Kitchen: 5-10min.

Ingredients:

3 cups fat-free milk

1 – 14oz. can coconut milk

½ - 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (2/3 c.)

2 tblsp. Unsweetened cocoa powder

½ tsp. vanilla

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, combine fat-free milk, coconut milk, and sweetened condensed milk. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Wisk in cocoa powder until well combined. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla. Serve and enjoy!

A Retirement Gift

2009-08-05T09:52:00.002-06:00

So, my father-in-law retired last year so I had to decide what to give him for retirement. He had mentioned at one point in time that he would like one of the flipping toys I make. So, I made this special one for him. He worked in Church Education, so one side of the man looks like the working, CES guy with "CES: Church Education System" written on it while the other side looks like a retired man having fun with "CES: Completely Emancipated Slacker" written on it. It's hard to see in the picture, but the retired guy has a gold chain that says "CTR" and is wearing a wifebeater tank, luau shirt, board shorts, and flip-flops--I just couldn't resist. This is my favorite toy I've made. I would love to make more that look like one person from one side and another from the other. Here are pictures and a video of it working. (This is the one I described, but didn't have pictures for, when I posted the other two I made last year.) SORRY THAT THE VIDEO IS SIDEWAYS.

My First Website/Our House

2009-03-09T14:52:00.001-06:00

We are trying to sell our house without a realtor so I put together my first website to showcase our house. I'm pretty proud of myself for doing so with as technically illiterate I am. If you want to see it, it's:
www.7797saturn.webs.com

Santa Gift

2008-12-24T15:08:00.002-07:00

So, for the boys this year, Santa got them a set of bunk beds and decorated their room for them. It's not as great as their old room in Iowa, which had more architectural interest, more white trim, and black carpet to pull it all together (refer to earlier post about our Iowa house to see pictures of their old room), but they do each have their own closet in this one. I think they will still like it. Here is the before pictures of the room and pictures of the finished product. FYI, Santa found these awesome bunk beds at Target.com, even though he vowed never to shop there again, after much aggravation with orders last Christmas. But, they were such an awesome deal, he couldn't pass them up. In fact, we think he got the last ones available because they went out of stock right after he ordered them. They convert into two matching twin beds. So, they should give us plenty of good years.

More Christmas Gifts

2008-12-20T17:32:00.001-07:00

So here is the main gift I've been working on for the boys. I made one for each of them This is the finished product. I'm a little dissapointed that they turned out so "cutsie"-looking. You can't really see in the picture, but there is a cut in the wood that extends the line of the jaw as well as one that continues the line of the mouth. So, they look a little better in person. I was also mad because I couldn't find leather strapping anywhere in town so I had to make the bridle and reins out of ribbon instead. Arghh. Anyway, here it is. I hope they like them.

More Christmas Stuff

2008-12-09T13:53:00.001-07:00

O.k., so we finished the block puzzle for Ben. Here it is. Ben is really excited about the baby on the way and is equally excited about all baby animals, so I made sure to include pictures that had baby horses as well. I think he's really going to like it. As soon as I can make it over to Home depot, I will make a base/frame for each of the puzzles to hold the blocks together.

Christmas Presents

2008-12-06T16:18:00.001-07:00

So, we have been extremely blessed this year to be able to purchase a minivan to accommodate our growing family. However, it has left us with a very limited Christmas budget. Therefore, we are making alot of our gifts this year. Here is the first one we have made. This is for Nathan from Ben. Nathanael is really into superheroes this year. It is a block puzzle. Since the blocks all have 6 side, there are 6 puzzles that can be made from the same set of blocks. We picked out pictures from the internet, printed them out, cut them to fit the blocks and modge podged them on. It turned out really great. I think Nathan is really going to love it. Nathan is currently helping me make one for Ben (he doens't know he's getting one too). Ben is really into horses this year so Nathanael suggested we do one out of horse pictures for Ben. I will post pictures of it and the other gifts Cam and I make for the kids this year when they are done.

Halloween

2008-10-22T18:36:00.002-06:00

So, since I have been too anemic to accomplish anything the last few months, and since I still have not regained my strength, we will be recycling some old Halloween costumes this year instead of making new ones. These are the costumes I made for the boys and the dog two years ago. I was pretty proud of myself. Anyway, Ben will be the cowboy this year and Bella will still be the horse, of course. Nathan is just going to be Spider-man since he got a Spider-man costume for his birthday. Since the baby is not here yet, we won't have the roped calf this year. Too bad, because I really loved my calf face pacifier and little black cleft hooves. Oh well.

Mothering--The greatest project of them all

2008-08-05T18:00:00.001-06:00

So, I guess you could call raising children a project. You set a goal and work to accomplish it. I guess what sets it apart from other projects is what a long-term goal it is and how difficult it is to gauge your progress while doing it. For these reasons, I don't generally think of parenting as a "project", but I do think it is the greatest project of our lives. Hopefully, we will accomplish our goal and see our children grow to be happy successful adults. Anyway, during this process of child-rearing, I think parenting involves many small goals. For example, I have always had a goal to raise healthy eaters. For the most part, I have succeeded so far. One way I have accomplished this is that I don't force my kids to eat their meals, but if they don't eat them, then they don't get any more food until the next meal. Sheer hunger drives them to eat what I give them. Of course, I can't rule out the possibility that simple genetics is to be credited for my kids being pretty good eaters. Both of their parents love food and love healthy food, so, it's in their blood, but I do like to make my self feel good by believing it is due to my parenting, well, "skills" :). Anyway, lately, my oldest has been going through a stage where he tries to get out of a certain meal, or a certain type of food, by saying he is not hungry yet. Being that I am currently pregnant, I've been too tired, and too hungry myself, to fight him over it or postpone dinner. However, I have noticed that not eating together has had a negative effect on our family. Also, it has allowed my son to be able to weasle his way out of eating what the family eats. So, I have discovered a great solution that I hope will help other mothers out there. I still tell him that if he doesn't want to eat what we are having, then he doesn't have to, but it is what is being served for that meal and if he doesn't eat it, he can't have anything else until the next meal (which might be breakfast the next day). But, I have added a new stipulation. He doesn't have to eat the food, but he does have to sit at the table while the rest of us eat, and he must "smell" the food. This works particularly good if there is a prepared plate right under his nose to smell. Without fail, every time I have done this, he has eventually decided he wanted to eat the food. Some times he will only eat part of the meal and skip parts he thinks he doesn't like. But, the point is he is eating what I am preparing for the family and we are eating together as a family. I think the sumptuous smells of a good meal combined with a hungry tummy and the inability to distract with another activity simply lead to eating what is in front of you. Anyway, I just thought I would share in case there are other mothers out there who fell like they can't get their children to eat what they prepared. Try out the smelling technique and let me know how it works for you.

Kids Playset

2008-08-04T17:34:00.002-06:00

O.k., my first project when moving into this house was to build the kids a playset. I knew that if I was to get any other projects done, I needed the kids to have something to entertain themselves with. Since they so enjoyed the playset and swingset at our last house, I decided to build them one. However, all the pre-made ones that you buy and assemble were SO expensive, not to mention that they weren't exactly what I would want anyway. So, I spent some time designing a simple set, making up a product list and deciding if I could afford to build it. I was able to build it for less than half the price of an even smaller and simpler store-bought set, and I felt that my design was more appropriate for the ages of my children. I wanted a set that would be fun and safe for even crawling babies, as they like to try to do whatever their older siblings do. Since both of my boys started climbing before they started walking, I had to always watch them so close on our set in Iowa, where the baby could climb the ladder, but then was stuck at the top where there were three spots they cold simply fall off from. So, instead of a ladder, I built 5 platforms of consecutive heights so that babies can get both up and down safely on their. The set includes a small slide for smaller children (one we found in a dumpster and recycled in our own playset) and a larger slide for older children. I also included monkey bars for the older children that span from a platform that is only 2 feet high and, therefore, not a threat to a young child that may fall from it. The swing set kits are awfully expensive so I just bought generic brackets and built my own. The set is now one year old and, so far, it has held up quite well. The monkey bars are the only thing that I've run into trouble with. I made them out of PVC pipes so the kids wouldn't get splinters from wood or burns from metal. However, I attached them simply by countersinking them into the wood supports. As the wood supports have weathered and bowed over time, they have slightly separated, therefore causing some of the monkey bars to fall out. I will need to come up with a solution at some point, but haven't gotten around to it yet. Anyway, here are some pictures of the playset.

Wooden Toys

2008-08-01T11:25:00.002-06:00

So, for Christmas, I thought it would be fun to make the boys some wooden toys. I love wooden toys. Two of my favorite toys I remember from childhood are ones that my dad's grandpa made for him. One was a man that does flips when you squeeze two sticks together. The other is a toy called Jacob's Ladder that is really difficult to explain in words. So, those were my picks for the boys this last year. I made my oldest boy a flipping gymnast since he loves gymnastics and my younger boy a flipping bear. I really like the way the gymnast works because sometimes it's leg catches on the string and it looks like it is doing special tricks on the bar. I also made each of them a Jacob's ladder. Here are some photos and videos of the toys in action. The boys took their flipper toys to Grandma and Grandpa's house when we visited after Christmas and Grandpa liked them so well I made him one for his retirement. However, I was too dumb to remember to take pictures of it before giving it to him. He worked for the church in the Church Education System. So, if you hold the toy in one direction, it is a middle-aged man dressed in a suit and the stick says "CES--Church Education System". If you look at the toy from the other side, the man is an older man, dressed in a luau shirt, complete with wife beater tank top underneath, swim trunks, sun glasses, and a gold chain necklace that has a big gold bling pendant that says "CTR". The stick on this side says "CES--completely emancipated slacker". He really liked it. I wish I had a picture to show you because it's my favorite of all three of the flipper toys I have made. Oh well. I guess you'll just have to imagine it. I hope to carry on the tradition and make at least one wooden toy for each of my children every Christmas. If I had had more time, I would have liked to make some nice little wooden storage boxes for the toys so they last longer and can be a keepsake, but I've never gotten around to that. SORRY THE VIDEOS ARE SIDEWAYS.

Wedding Dress

2008-07-23T12:59:00.001-06:00

So, when I got married, it only took one trip to a bridal shop to realize that I wouldn't be happy with any dress I would find. So, I decided to design my own and found an excellent seamstress to make my vision a reality. The goal was to design something simple, elegant, unique, and modest enough to wear in the temple without having to use any extra coverings. It was my first attempt at textile design. I have designed a few other things but don't have the sewing skills to bring them to fruition. I plan to learn pattern design so that I can start making the things I design. These are the design drawings I made to give to the seamstress and some wedding photos of the actual dress. It is made of white velvet.

Holy cow! Listen to this kid!

2008-07-15T21:25:00.001-06:00

Holy Cow! I found a video of a 7 year old playing Fantasy Improptu. You can see it too HERE.

Piano

2008-07-15T14:16:00.001-06:00

So, for the last little while I've been learning two songs on piano that I really enjoy. The first is Fantansy Impromptu by Chopin. We have it on one of our classical CDs and I immediately fell in love with it. So, I hunted down the music and learned it. It is now one of my favorite pieces to sit down and play. You can hear it HERE.
where it is played by Yundi Li. He is a wonderful technician. I don't think I will ever develop good technique on the piano. I have too many bad habits. But, I'm just happy to sit down and play through songs in order to relax. This has become one of my all time favorites.

The second song that I have really been enjoying is Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin. It is an incredible song. I first heard it when I watched Fantasia 2000 several years ago. It too was a song that I instantly fell in love with. And, let me tell you, it is equally fun to play. It has become a family favorite and my boys and husband will request it and dance around to it which makes for a great night of family fun. Being that it is 30+ pages long, I still have a few parts to hammer out, but for the most part, I can now play through the whole thing (though many parts not as fast as or as beautifully as Richard Glazier plays them on this video). Here is a link to hear it if you are interested:
See Part one HERE.
See Part two HERE.
Again, I will never be able to play it with such impeccable technique, but I love it nonetheless. The story behind the song is pretty amazing too after you hear the song and realize how amazing it is in and of itself. Gershwin was asked to compose a piece for a symphonic Jazz Concert. but, being that he was still putting the final touches on the score of "Sweet Little Devil", Gershwin forgot all about composing a song for the Jazz Concert until he noticed a write-up in the New York Herald-Tribune that he, Gershwin, was busy on a symphony for the concert. So, he quickly got work and composed Rhapsody in Blue in 3 weeks! Anyone who has composed music recognizes that as a simply incredible accomplishment. So, as you listen, enjoy the genius of George Gershwin.

I hope you guys enjoy these two pieces as much as I do.

That's it for today

2008-07-11T16:37:00.001-06:00

That's it for today. Hope you enjoyed my old house as much as I did. Sianara for now. (Did I spell that right?)

Nursery After

2008-07-11T16:27:00.001-06:00

Note my crib bedding and roller blinds I made, the wall hanging I made that retrofits as a window covering for the octagonal window, the great kolaskis 3D wall hanging my sister found for us, and the awesome mobile my mom got for us! Also, don't you love my 1878 glider I found for a steal bargain at a local antique shop!?

Nusery Before

2008-07-11T16:26:00.001-06:00

Master bedroom after

2008-07-11T16:18:00.000-06:00

Note, the bedding I made for us and my candle shelf. :)

Master bedroom before

2008-07-11T16:17:00.000-06:00

Sorry, this is the only picture I have of this room. Note the ugly walls and wall paper. This was the only closet for my husband and I to share! I cut a hole in the opposing wall and created a walk-in closet for myself and rearranged this closet to use the space more efficiently (semi-walk-in).

Guest bedroom after

2008-07-11T16:14:00.003-06:00

Guest room before

2008-07-11T16:14:00.001-06:00

Upstairs bathroom after

2008-07-11T16:12:00.000-06:00

Upstairs bathroom before

2008-07-11T16:11:00.001-06:00

Basement after

2008-07-11T16:08:00.001-06:00

Basement Before

2008-07-11T16:07:00.001-06:00

Main floor bath after

2008-07-11T16:05:00.001-06:00

Main floor bath before

2008-07-11T16:04:00.000-06:00

Study After

2008-07-11T15:59:00.002-06:00

Study Before

2008-07-11T15:59:00.001-06:00

Kitchen After

2008-07-11T15:56:00.000-06:00

Kitchen Before

2008-07-11T15:54:00.001-06:00

Living and Dining rooms after

2008-07-11T15:45:00.000-06:00

Note the couch we were given in already broken condition when we were first married. I recovered it an a fake leather and it's still going strong! :)

Includes close ups of the details I painted on the dining room floor after pulling up the carpet and refinishing the wood floor underneath.

Living and Dining rooms before

2008-07-11T15:43:00.000-06:00

Front yard after

2008-07-11T15:40:00.000-06:00

Front yard before

2008-07-11T15:39:00.001-06:00

Backyard After

2008-07-11T15:33:00.000-06:00

Backyard Before

2008-07-11T15:32:00.001-06:00

Our first home

2008-07-11T15:10:00.000-06:00

So, when we went off to vet school back in 2003, we decided to buy our first home in Boone, Iowa. Oh how we loved Boone. We couldn't have asked for a nicer town. I have often said I wish I could have grown up in my parents era instead of my own. Well, Boone is about as close as you can get. The movie theater showed one movie at a time and just about all of Boone would show up for it. When the seats were full, people would sit on the floor to enjoy the film. The bakery was a couple blocks away and one of our favorite hang outs--that is, for us an the elderly population of Boone. Of course, everyone else in Boone would stop buy the bakery to pick up a quick sugar fix. We could walk the kids to the library or to the park or to the local YMCA. Teenagers would swarm the main drag on weekend nights. People are friendly and help each other out. There is always someone you can rely on when you need something. Sunday walks always provided opportunity to socialize with friends and neighbors who would be out walking too. It was so wonderful living there. Well, anyway, when we went to visit Boone to look for a house, we knew we couldn't afford much. So, all of the houses we were looking at were pretty tiny and run down. But, in Iowa, real estate is cheap and as we were walking down the street we noticed a house with a for sale sign. It was, to us, a big, beautiful house that we knew we would never be able to afford. We joked about how funny that would be if it were our first home. We decided to take a chance and ask the Realtor about it. Turns out it had been on the market for quite some time and was in our price range! So we bought it! And it gave me an opportunity to exercise my creativity and carpentry skills as I fixed it up during our time there in Boone. It was a sad, sad day when we left that house and all our wonderful Boone friends. We still feel like it is our real home. Hopefully we will come to enjoy our new home as we did our old. Since we were starving students raising two boys on the amount of money I could make teaching piano in a tiny rural town, we really didn't have any budget for our home improvements. So, I feel that my greatest accomplishment was changing the look of the house on very little money. With the exception of the the nursery (for which we needed new furniture and such), each room cost less than $100 to change and many less than $50. The following are some before and after pictures of the house.

My first chrochet project

2008-07-11T14:50:00.000-06:00

O.k., so here's my first project to share. This a my first crochet project I have ever done in my adult life. My grandmother was an excellent crocheter and she taught me how to do things like crochet a chain or a washcloth and such when I was a small child. But, all that knowledge has since been lost. Our dear friend adopted a beautiful little girl after many years of trying to start their family. This special occasion called for a special gift, so I decided to learn to crochet. I found a pattern online for a really beautiful dress and crocheted it for their little girl. I was blessed to see her wear it in the temple when she was sealed to her parents. What a special day that was. Well here are some pictures of the dress. I'm so proud of the button I made for the back closure. That was not in the pattern. :) Good job me. The pictures that show the bow are of the front of the dress and the ones that show the button are of the back of the dress. All the others are just close ups of the details. Hope you guys like it.

Jack of all trades, master of none

2008-07-11T14:36:00.000-06:00

So, everyone keeps telling me I need to start a blog. Well, I'm going to try it out. We'll see how it goes. Unfortunately, I spent several hours trying to come up with a stupid name for this thing. If that's the way it's gong to go with this, I may not post very often. I wanted to use the blog to share with my family and friends the projects that I work on. I try to work on projects all the time to keep sane. However, I don't really get to share them with anyone. However, the process of project-working has helped me learn many new skills. People have called me a renaissance woman, but i don't really think that accurately describes me. A renaissance woman would have mastered several skills. I must say that I do not really ever master any of them because I like to learn new things before I get a chance to master the old things. So, I would consider myself more a jack of all trades, master of none. Or more accurately, jack of many trades master of none. I don't know why I don't master any particular skill. With as long as i have been playing piano, you would think I would have mastered it by now. I had an epiphany lately though. That is, I don't play piano (or do any other skill or sport or whatever) in order to perform it for others, I just do it because I enjoy it. I guess if the goal is not for the enjoyment of anyone but yourself, then you really don't need to master things You just need to set and accomplish goals and learn new things. That's basically how I run my life: set and accomplish goals and learn new things. Maybe now that I am going to try to share my projects with you guys I will actually master something at some point because now I will have a third party critiquing my work. Maybe it will just be too much and I will stop sharing. Who knows. I guess this blog thing is, in and of itself, a new task to learn . . . a new goal to set and accomplish. If I find that I enjoy it, I will probably stick to it. I guess it's an experiment that we all get to share in. Aren't you all so lucky? If nothing else, you will get to enjoy the humor of how many terrible typos I make all the time and what a horrible speller I am. That is, if spell check doesn't catch all my mistakes. Well, here it goes. Wish me luck!