unfinished business.

A year ago today, I posted a picture of myself posing with my assembled quilt top, ready for the next stage of actual quilting. How far have I gotten with that project in a year? Well, I finally bought the backing fabric two weeks ago. And...that's it.

I have a pathological problem with starting projects and then never finishing them. I buy fabric and patterns that sit in a pile in my craft room. I have a dozen blog posts with the expository paragraphs typed out and nothing else. A journal of story ideas from my 100 days of working towards writing a children's book but very little else. A craft room and a basement halfway organized, halfway covered in boxes and junk. A million plans and good intentions and so little to show for them. I guess that's where the saying comes from - I know I'm not alone, but that offers little solace.

I remember reading that the creator of the show New Girl was really great at writing about starting relationships but terrible about figuring out how to keep characters in them once the newness wears off, so he writes sudden breakups into his shows to end things before it gets to the tricky part. I think that's pretty true in the realm of pop culture generally: the beginning of something is always sexy and exciting, and we have little interest in what happens once the newness wears off.

There's something so gratifying, though, about bringing something fully to fruition, which is why I can't figure out getting past my stumbling block when it comes to all this unfinished business. I need a way out and through the plateau of the sticky, yucky middle part in between that sexy beginning and the glory of the finish line. I need to find a way to embrace the Tuesday and Wednesday of my project and stop falling victim to the siren song of Monday fresh starts or I'm never going to get to the weekend.

To those of you working on 100 day projects right now - you're at the halfway point. If you've made it this far, bravo! I'm still hammering away at my "15 minutes of creativity" a day. So far, so good. Next time, though, I'm going to make myself pick one small, specific project and see it through to the end in the hopes it gives me some momentum for the other 17 things I have yet to finish.

you've got mail!: craft kits for kids

I admit it: I'm a craft supply hoarder. One entire corner (okay, more than a corner) of our basement is currently filled with all of the materials I had to leave behind for our move down south, and I still managed to bring three rather large tubs of supplies in the precious little space we had in our rented U-Haul trailer.

To be fair, though, a lot of those supplies are for kids. When the weather is great, I try to keep the girls outside as much as possible, but when it's too cold - or, now that we're in NOLA, too hot, humid, or rainy - I rely on fun, crafty activities to get us through the long afternoons and witching hours before parenting backup arrives home.

I wanted to share two awesome kid-craft resources with you just in case you haven't tried them out - these are both definitely kid-tested and mother-approved. Bonus: they both get delivered right to your door, so you don't even have to drag any whiny toddlers or preschoolers to the store to gather supplies! Win!


KIWI CRATE

You've probably gotten a sponsored ad in your Facebook feed for these little green boxes at least a few times. We've been lucky enough to get a gift subscription to Kiwi Crate for the past few years - Lorelei was perhaps a little bit young for them when we first started (though they now offer Koala Crate for even younger crafters, and options for older children are available too), but she absolutely loves them and Phoebe is now old enough to start enjoying the fun, too. Here's a recent crafternoon we had together with an activity that came several months ago I saved for a rainy day:

Each box comes with two themed/related crafts (this one was about baking) as well as a booklet of extension activities to try with your kiddos. The directions are simple and most require only some parental supervision, so long as you're okay with slightly wonky end products (I definitely am!). I extended the "lesson" by rereading a favorite story with them - Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells (if you haven't yet read this hilarious book about Max trying desperately to buy red hot marshmallow squirters from the local grocery store, you need to find a copy!).

These are not just for girls - Jason had a blast recently constructing a catapult and playing miniature golf alongside our two kids, and I find the activities and crafts to fit a wide variety of interests from robots to camping and everything in between.


KISS NATURALS

An online friend of mine reached out a while back to ask if I'd be interested in trying out some products from a company she works for and I was totally thrilled to be a guinea pig! Kiss Naturals, a Canada-based company focused on all-natural DIY craft kits, sent us two projects to try: their Bath Fizzies and their Glycerine Soap.

Lorelei and I had so much fun with these - over and over again! The directions were very simple and Lorelei could do almost all of it herself besides the use of the microwave. We made at least three different batches of the soaps and still had enough left over that I brought the kit to New Orleans with us so we can make more. The girls have been using the soaps in their shared bathroom and love the colors (pink and teal) and the yummy scents, too. Our attempt to make the fizzies was a little less successful, though that was probably due to user error (ahem, four year-old), and that kit was a one-time use, though I saved the silicone mold that came with it so we can use it again for other projects. Lorelei has been begging me to order the lip balm kit, and I'm thinking it might be fun for her to make them as holiday gifts this year! I'd definitely recommend giving them a try if you are looking for a Girls' Night In activity - birthday party idea, perhaps - and with two sizes and Canadian prices, it's a complete "steal of a deal," as my crafty mom would say!

Let me know if you end up trying out either of these craft kits - or if you have others to recommend!

#52weeks52projects

If you follow me on Pinterest or Instagram, you might have noticed a new board or a few pictures recently labeled #52weeks52projects. I have been on a pinning hiatus recently because I felt guilty for pinning tons of things that I never actually got around to making, and it seemed silly to hoard ideas. But the new intentional me decided that, instead of abandoning ship, I should just make them, already! I'm aiming for about one new DIY a week - maybe slightly more/less depending on how difficult the tutorial turns out to be. Here are my first two attempts:

1/52: bobble-frame purse [things I learned: don't start with such a hard-to-match-up fabric the first time, take your time with the embroidery thread part or it will look super messy; sewing a curved line on a sewing machine is way harder than I thought it would be]

2/52: yo yos [things I learned: I can't sew even stitches to save my life, apparently. Thank goodness the Joann's in town sells yo yo makers so I could just do this the cheater way.]

Next up: a skirt for Lorelei. Wish me luck!

plans.

You guys, my to-do list keeps getting longer and longer. I add more things than I take off. Anybody else having the same problem?

The big stuff, right now, is all baby-related. I saw this nursery and totally fell in love!

photograph taken by from Jess at CINO - click on image to go directly to Craftiness Is Not Optional's post about her amazing DIY nursery

I had intended to make a quilt for the new baby myself, but with only about 10 weeks to go (o.m.ggggggg) I finally admitted to myself that I just don't have enough time, so it's all ordered on Etsy and should arrive in a month. Meanwhile, my mom and I are working on the details: crib skirt, throw pillows for extra cushiness on the rocking chair, a mobile, wall hangings. The picture above is definitely my inspiration, but I'm excited to show you how it all looks once we have everything ready. (And all those boxes out of the way...) I shared a sneak peek of my fabric on Instagram - hop on over to see it! And check out my Pinterest pregnancy board for more details about what I'm working on.

And because I always struggle with guilt, I'm making some new things for Lorelei's room, too - especially needed since she'll be moving to her "big girl" bed in just a few weeks! Lifting her in and out of her crib is becoming pretty problematic for this growing mama, so let's hope she's ready for the transition. Things I've learned so far: pinking shears are more expensive than you might think.

Any big projects in your future? Share in the comments and/or provide a link to anything you've recently accomplished - I'd love to ooh and ahhh over it all!

a literary bridal shower {DIY/how-to post}

My shop has been totally neglected, I've been skipping my regular posting schedule, and sleep has been minimal -- but my almost-sister-in-law's bridal shower was a smashing success!

My brother and his beautiful fiancee are getting married this July (remember them?) and their wedding will be all-things-book-related -- Meredith is an elementary school teacher who is working on a degree in literacy, Ross is an aspiring filmmaker who could never turn down a good mystery or Heinlein novel, and it will definitely be totally "them." My co-host and I wanted to make sure the party was in keeping with their wedding vibe, so we jumped on the book bandwagon and drove that sucker home. :)

A few more pictures from the event -- and then click on the jump for all the how-to details!

DIY: easy gift from parent and child for grandpa

Save this for Father's Day next year!

Lorelei and I made a gift for her grandfather for Father's Day but that could easily be for a birthday, Christmas, or other gift-giving holiday. Here's what you need:

potholder or oven mitt
fabric paint
fabric marker(s)
another adult (seriously -- do this with a partner!)

I poured some fabric paint onto a paper plate, then put Lorelei's hand in it to get it coated. With a little cajoling, my mom and I managed to get her to open her fingers wide, and then we pressed her hand onto the potholder. Once her handprint was dry, I traced my own hand around hers and put the date underneath.

On the backside, I wrote this message: for a Dad and Papa [or grandpa, etc.] who has always done just the right amount of handholding.

Super easy -- and a sweet, sentimental gift!

Pinterest pledge.

So now that I'm selling my wares on Etsy (one month tomorrow!), I've become pretty sensitive to the way that people use Pinterest and how it affects the creator of the pinned image and product. I am definitely guilty of doing this in the past, but it's pretty obvious that some Pinteresters hit "repin" without ever checking the links they're posting. Not only is this frustrating for others (like when you find a picture of a delicious looking dessert but the pin doesn't link back to the recipe), it can lead to some pretty questionable ethical practices, especially in the DIY arena.

This post from oh my! handmade and Salt and Ginger (formerly Salt City Spice) is a perfect summary of how thoughtless pinning can be harmful to crafters trying to make a living from their original designs. Though I suspect most people pin far more than they will ever actually attempt in real life (soooo guilty of this!), there's always the chance that one errant pin can lead to a loss of income for someone.

(click the image for Jessika and Katrina's original post and image)

The quick summary:

Visit the original post over on omhg and pin the image to any of your DIY Pinterest boards.

From here on out, never pin anything without checking the link(s) first. If a "DIY" turns out to be someone's original artwork, DON'T POST IT AS A DIY.

Whenever possible, give credit to the image source in the pin description itself.

If you're feeling really saintly, spend some time going back through your old pins to correct them as needed, deleting anything that doesn't meet this ethical benchmark (I've started this process -- it's slow-going, but worth it!)

Okay, off my soapbox. Back to your regularly scheduled programming!

Friday round up.

Five things you should definitely take a look at this Friday:

1. I've had chalkboard paint on the brain lately because I'm thinking it'd be fun to have in our kitchen. Robyn must have read my mind (like she did the day she pinned this recipe on her Pinterest board), because she just posted this awesome tutorial, plus a giveaway from her amazingly cool shop.

2. Suzanne shared this website I'd never seen before -- new obsession.

3. L got a million compliments on her new suit at swimming lessons this week! It was a lot easier to get her ready for class by putting the top on her at home and just changing into the bottoms (plus swim diaper) at the pool -- I'm a convert.

4. Once the outdoor pool is open for the season, I'll be making use of this list of safe(r) sunscreens for babies.

5. These complaints written in the margins of medieval manuscripts are too funny, and remind me of my favorite Billy Collins poem! (Thanks, Megan.)

Our peanut is 10 months tomorrow -- I can barely believe it. Hoping she'll celebrate by deciding to sleep more than an hour at a time during the night, but if this past week is any indication, I shouldn't hold my breath.

Happy weekend, all!

the business of crafting (book review)

I've been doing some "work"-related reading these past few weeks --

Meg Mateo Ilasco's Craft Inc. and Kari Chapin's The Handmade Marketplace are both do-it-yourself manuals for starting a business based on your handmade goods. If you're planning to, say, quit your job as a literacy coach and decide to open a little Etsy shop on the side to keep yourself busy during your daughter's naps, it's nice to have the advice of a few people who've been there, done that, and both Ilasco and Chapin offer easy-to-follow instructions on how to hit the ground running.

My personality, work ethic, and ultimate goals for my shop seem to fit best with the tone and style of Chapin's guide, but both books offer similar content and advice: marketing and promotional basics, pricing your merchandise, creating a nurturing work space in which to achieve your goals. Mateo does the best job of outlining every step towards establishing your business in a legal sense -- how to file a DBA or establish an LLC, establishing sensible record keeping, filing taxes. Chapin, on the other hand, spends more time explaining the ins-and-outs of selling your crafts in different venues (online, brick-and-mortar, and craft fairs) as well as the benefits blogging can bring to your business. Both authors include interviews with other small-business owners to add extra insight into their different sections (I particularly liked the Q and A with Grace Bonney in The Handmade Marketplace).

Ultimately, I'd say Chapin's guide is a better fit if you're planning to start small with selling your crafts -- like an Etsy shop you don't have huge hopes for -- and Ilasco's is more appropriate if you're planning to go whole hog into supporting yourself and your family.

If you're hoping to get similar advice without shelling out the $15 for a copy of either of these, I'd also recommend signing up for Etsy's Shop Success emails -- they come twice a week and are definitely worth the extra space in your inbox!

wedding-themed wordy Wednesday.

I'm super excited to be featured on another blog today -- I'm guest posting for Amber over at Educating Miss Amber, because she's off getting married! Hop on over there to check out her blog all about her little guy, Liam, who is just a tiny bit older than my L. My post is a DIY tutorial for an easy-to-make toy for your little one!

In honor of Amber and Craig's wedding this weekend, I'm back with a poem of the day just for them! Okay, two, because I couldn't decide. :)

Wear Me by Robert Kogan
I want you to wear me
comfortably,
as you would a dress
or the silver necklace that you wear
around your neck.
Comfortably, so that I am always
next to you:
but most important --
something you decide
each morning to select. (online source)


I Wish in the City of Your Heart by Robley Wilson
I wish in the city of your heart
you would let me be the street
where you walk when you are most
yourself. I imagine the houses:
It has been raining, but the rain
is done and the children kept home
have begun opening their doors. (online source)

girl, you know I do.

All of the Ryan Gosling tumblrs are totally cracking me up right now. Especially this one:

(all images)

Someone I know posted a "Pay It Forward" handmade crafts status on Facebook, and I now find myself making something for two former students, a former colleague who lives in Guatemala, and the craftiest person I know in my hometown. I figure it's a good way to kickstart me into getting my store up and running, right?

DIY: sugar and spice body scrub

So I had intended to try a new body scrub recipe this week as a quick-and-easy holiday gift for friends, but I ended up falling back on a tried-and-true favorite instead: my Sugar and Spice Body Scrub.

The recipe originally came from an old issue of Country Living, but I seem to have lost all traces of it (I'm thinking in the Great Basement Flood Disaster of 2011). I found some versions online that seem close to what I remember, but I tweaked them a little and came up with this! (The nice thing about this project is that you can pretty much find all of the ingredients at your local grocery store except for the essential oil -- but you might even be able to find that if you live near a Whole Foods! Oh, to be so lucky...)

Combine two cups of white sugar, two cups of brown sugar, 1.5 tablespoons of ginger, 1.5 tablespoons of nutmeg, 1.5 tablespoons of cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon of cloves in a large bowl.

Add in 10 ounces (about a cup and a quarter) of almond oil and stir, stir, stir with a fork or whisk until everything is mixed evenly. You might need to get in there with your fingers to break up any large chunks of sugar.

Here's the only tough part, because it requires you to concentrate: add in 100 drops of cardamom essential oil (when purchasing, a 1 ounce vial should be plenty). After each set of 10 drops, blend carefully before adding any more. Be ready for your kitchen to smell like you are making some amazing cookies -- and slap your husband's fingers if he tries to sample any (really, 'cause it's not edible despite all the yummy ingredients).

Once everything is mixed together, you can start packaging! If you want to be earth friendly, upcycle some old jelly jars (especially those Bonne Maman ones!) or empty cosmetic tubs. I bought 4-ounce, double-walled containers (though next time I'm going to plan ahead and save jars instead!). If I really packed them full, I would have used 8, but I ended up with 9 -- the size of your jar will obviously determine the number you make. I also got some cute labels so they would look a little less plain. Be sure to include a little note telling your recipients that this is not intended for facial use and that they should use it within 6 months.

(Yes, my kitchen wall is covered with maps. Loooooong story for another post.)

All told, it probably took me an hour from start to finish once I had all of the supplies, which was the perfect project for L's naptime :) If you used old containers and made your own labels, the total cost for this project would be somewhere around $25 -- in other words, $3-per-person gifts. Score!

Have a happy weekend -- I'll be doing some at-home spa treatments with my new scrub :)

walking the walk.

As I mentioned on Facebook the other day, I have been pinning so many things on Pinterest with nothing to show for it that I feel like someone on a virtual version of Hoarders. So I decided to put my money time where my mouth pins are and actually MAKE STUFF.

Here's what I've been working on so far this week, plus my reviews of the tutorials or recipes (all photos below are from the websites I've linked to -- click to see the original sources!):

This soup. It turned out pretty great. It's not an exact copy of beef-broth-based French onion soup taste-wise, but it is pretty close and a great vegetarian substitute. A little time-consuming, just as a warning -- it took me pretty much all of the Packers game to complete it!

These cookies. I substituted 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour instead of using all unbleached white, dropped the butter down to 1 1/2 sticks, and lowered the brown sugar to 3/4 of a cup. We had orange-flavored cranberries from a bog in Wisconsin, which gave the cookies an extra kick of flavor. Amazing! I might try them with walnuts next time.

Pendant necklaces like this one (mine aren't nearly so fancy, though -- isn't this beautiful?). So far, these aren't working out perfectly -- I'm having issues with the copper of my pendant trays turning the text I'm using blue, which is sort of cool but totally unintentional. I was hoping to be able to use these in my etsy shop (if I ever get it up and running...), but so far these aren't really sell-able.

Holiday wrapping that looks like this. I scored some great red ribbon and striped red and white wrapping paper at the dollar store, and I had some kraft paper leftover from a long-ago project. I think this will be my go-to wrapping scheme forever!

And later this week, I'm hoping to make this

and this...

and this!

The local moms group I joined is having a craft night on Friday, so I should have plenty to keep myself busy. I'll report back with my progress (to keep myself honest, of course!).

Any last minute holiday crafts or recipes you've got your eye on?

DIY: upcycled holiday card garland

During L's fantastic post-swimming nap yesterday I finally got around to working on the craft project I was inspired to start right before the basement flood discovery. Remember making these in elementary school?

(image)

I had a huge stack of old holiday cards that I didn't have the heart to get rid of, so I decided to upcycle them into a quick and easy holiday garland.

After cutting them into strips, I just curled them, taped them, and...voila!

I would love to try doing this with a more professional-looking result sometime, like these:

(image 1, 2, 3 -- which has a free printable here)

But for now, I'm just happy to have put my packrat tendencies to a good purpose. (8 cards resulted in about 6 feet of garland, by the way.)

What holiday DIYs are you up to?