Spring Dresses!!!

Everybody who knows me is aware that I am overly proud of the things I make. Call it a complex for attention driven by staying at home. I got the fabric above for free and one of the patterns for free. I finally decided that I was going to make matching dresses for my girls.

I went a little nuts and even made a matching dress for my daughters cabbage patch doll.

My oldest wants to wear her dress all day, every day. While our washer was out of commission I boycotted her wearing it because I didn't know if I'd be able to get it washed by Easter Sunday.

I am super excited for my girls to wear these on Easter and I'm going to take tons of pictures. I think matching dresses are so cute (I know some people find it too cutesy, but they aren't twins). Speaking of which my oldest brother just announced he is having twins, yeah!!! We are happy and sad for him all at the same time. I can't imagine trying to handle two babies at once. I really think it would kill me. Kudos to those who handle it. (That was for my mother in law because my husband is a twin)

Anyway, Happy Easter!!! I love the colors, dresses, candy and easter egg hunts. And of course the religious significance. Have a happy, bright couple of weeks!!!

I'm in love!!!! (no offense Dan)

Yes they are the new loves of my life. I feel so incredibly spoiled. I mean I've dreamed of the day they and I could be together but I never really thought it was possible.

Too much, ok, but I really do adore my new washer and dryer. Just look at them, ah... I finally got to use them. They were delivered while I was out of town helping my sister with her new baby. Dan got to be the first to use them and I will always be jealous, to top it off he did all of the laundry while I was gone. It's a good thing I had a bunch of dirty stuff when I got home.

I know, I know melodrama is my middle name. But I am so thrilled. I actually used to almost hug these machines when walking by them at Lowes or Home Depot. After all they are gorgeous.

I guess there are some perks for having a washing machine bust mid load.

De-cluttering is the best!

I really wanted to post pictures of my craft room with this post, especially because I just finished my girls spring dresses, made a bow board, and made a matching dress for my oldest's cabbage patch doll. But alas the cord for my camera is missing and the great pictures I've taken will just have to wait until I replace the cord. I also wanted to show off the look of my new and improved craft room.

My sister in law came over last Monday and made me get rid of half my art supplies/ old artwork, half my fabrics and the majority of my patterns. Most of the fabric and patterns I gave to goodwill were given to me by well meaning people. I just didn't like the fabric or patterns but couldn't part with them because well they were a gift. I also hold onto scraps of fabric forever thinking that there has got to be some way to use them because they are just so darn cute. My sister in law forced me to look at when if ever I would use them and if I wouldn't rather get new stuff when I have a new project. All of the scraps that are only big enough for Polly pocket clothing I tossed. I did the same with my scrapbooking supplies and let me tell you I feel so much better.

There is a book that same sister in law lent me called "Clutter be Gone" by Don Aslett (He's somewhat of a cleaning guru). It talks about how attached we get to things and stuff that really has no use. We hold onto junk for some possible future use or because we can't bear to get rid of something we paid for. There are millions of reasons he lists for why we hold onto things that take up much needed space in our lives. But the ultimate outcome is the same, the clutter begins to take over not only our space but our lives.

For example. I love to scrapbook, I do one scrapbook for each of my children that spans the first year of their life. This is a doable goal for me and I feel a nice gift of me for my kids. The problem was that I have so much scrapbook stuff that when I get it all out it takes over my house. It is all I can do for days (even with my own craft room), because I have to do it when it is out because it is such a hassle to put away. For that reason I rarely scrapbook. So my holding onto scraps of paper and old stickers that I no longer care for and have no reason to use ends up holding me back from pursuing a creative outlet that I sincerely enjoy.

I have now caught the bug. Each week I am assigning myself one area of my house that needs de-cluttering and then I am going to do it. I want to live like "things" are not dictating what I do and don't get accomplished in life. My next goal is my linen closet, it is a disaster and I know that I will feel like a new person when that project is taken care of.

Seriously all you women out there suffering from clutter, just get rid of it. It will sting for a moment but you will feel so much better. Thoreau said "It is desirable that a man be clad so simply ...that he live in all respects so compactly and preparedly , that, if an enemy take the town, he can, like the old philosopher, walk out the gate empty-handed without anxiety." I heard a story somewhere (since I'm not citing the source I can't vouch for it's authenticity) but it was about two different groups of men working on a damn. One was Native American and the other Average white Americans. There was a catastrophic flood one day that wiped out half the workers, surprisingly all were white men. When asked what happened the Native Americans replied "The White men ran for their money, and we ran to safety".

Don't let things and money rule your life. If you get a moment read Thoreau, or if you aren't into classic literature (it is hard to wade through, I read it because I had to for my degree) read one of Don Aslett's clutter books (he has several). Free yourself and live in such a way that you own your things and they don't own you.

Who's tired of being a grown up?

So our washing machine just died!!!

I am so done with things breaking all at the same time. First the computer and now the washer. I didn't even get emotional or scared about the fact that my washer died right after our computer it just seemed to make sense. We finally buy a house and get in a position where we have no savings, my husbands company starts to scale back on bonus' while at the same time expecting him to triple the amount of additional service agreements he usually does and then things start dying. And I didn't even mention the fact that we barely just bought a second car (we'd been a one car family for almost four years). When it rains it pours.

I know I can't complain because no matter how bad or inconvenient it is for me, somebody has it worse.

I just sometimes go to bed wishing that I could be a child again and not worry about bills or insurance or even my waistline. Now I am realistic. I remember that being a kid was tough; so many things felt like the end of the world. I can't even remember how many times I would empty my toy box and climb inside wishing I never had to get out again (because I was so embarrassed over something I'd done). But I can't shake the feeling like I was so lucky when I didn't have to worry about grown-up problems.

Take for example calories. When I was little I never worried how many calories were in a piece of cake, but tonight at a barbecue at my parents house I couldn't not think about how much fat and sugar was in the frosting on a three layer carrot cake. I really didn't enjoy it as much as my daughter who ate it without the slightest thought given to the caloric index. She got home tonight and went to bed happy whereas I not only feel guilty about eating the cake but ontop of that I spent the entire night trying to figure out how we can afford a new washing machine. I was researching deals and trying to get enough information to put together a comparison worksheet so that sometime this month (before we run out of clean clothes) we can buy a new one.

I know, I know, the grass is always greener. But there have got to be some other people out there just as tired of being grownup as I am.

Computer trouble

So right before we left for our family vacation our computer crapped out. The fan stopped working and I've been hesitant to use the computer because I've been worried about the computer crashing. My sweet husband has been working to get it fixed, but he is a very frugal man and doesn't want to spend any money (which also explains why he doesn't want to buy and new computer).

For a while my neighbor lent me her spare laptop and I got a few things done on the neighborhood blog. Right now I am typing on a laptop that my sister in law hated so much she bought a new one to get rid of it. I am thrilled that she disliked it so much because she felt so bad for me (cause my husband won't buy me a new computer) she gave it to me.

So I haven't written anything for a while. Now I'm going to try and get caught up on everybody's blogs but it may take time. Just wanted to let you all know that I'm still here I'm just suffering from the computer blues. We can't all have nice pretty ibooks like you Stacey (yes I'm jealous, but thanks for lending me your extra laptop).