Crafting Envy

   I chopped my basil down to size finally. These things were going crazy. I did it about 3 days ago and they are already half grown back. Apparently herbs love me.



(Don't mind the horrible mess on the counter, I was in the middle of a project for my upcoming seasonal redesign)



  See, they're already growing back lush and green.



  And this is how they started life at the beginning of the summer. They grow up so fast (sniff)




   Tomatoes do not share the basil's admiration for me (can you believe the nerve of them!). Maybe it's because they know I don't really like to eat them much. I like to grow them and I would can them if they would grow but I'm not such a fan of eating them.



   Weird side note. We had a completely volunteer tomato plant pop up underneath the deck, through the gravel. I staked it and we're letting it grow to see if it will produce but I'm kind of baffled at how it got there at all.

   Now peppers, the peppers understand what kind of devotion to give their mistress. The skinny ones are Cayenne and the dark green ones are Serrano.







  They positively adore me! Good little peppers.

   The mint and lemon balm seem to have their own agenda. They grow like crazy but it's that scary kind of crazy, like that boy you met at church camp that keeps sending you weird farm animal candles in the mail and 14 page letters you can barely read and generally stalks you for 5 years (true story, his name was Ivan) kind of crazy.

  The lemon balm has completely taken over the back of the raised bed.




   The mint seems even more insidious to me. It's kind of hard to tell from this picture but that's a two foot tall plant box and the mint has sent a runner out the top.





  And the bottom....



  It's escaping! Ahhhhhhh! Save yourselves!

   The birthday party is done thank goodness. However, I didn't manage to get the photographs required for the the Big Birthday Post so that will have to wait until my mom gets back in town.
    Here is a gratuitous baby shot to tide you over. Be seein you soon.....real soon.....

Well hey there. There is a birthday of a certain little boy coming up at the end of the month,(we're celebrating on the 25th). Lots of plans in place for that and not a lot of time to complete them so I may be absent more than usual (shock!) But I should have some good pics and ideas after it settles out. See you around!

    Well, I promised I'd post the before and after photos so here you go....

Before:



After:




   I feel pretty good about it. It's much, much lighter now so that's nice for the summer. Any comments?

    I managed to complete at least one project since the last post. Little Elleanore, the one in the picture above that is being attacked by the duckie, is starting to pull up on the co-sleeper so it won't be long before she can take a header straight out of it so it's time to put her in the big play-pen. It has a very hard uncomfortable pad in it and it needed something more suitable for sleeping on but I just can't buy one of those horrible poly-vinyl covered toxic mattresses, I know they are waterproof but....ick! And anyway, who could sleep on that with the crinkling and stuff? Natural mattresses cost an arm and a leg and the play-pen isn't a regular crib size so we'd have to special order one of those.




    So, instead of all that I made one for it. I found some foam that was mostly chemical free and some Warm & Natural batting. I sewed two layers of batting to two different pieces of material and sewed it together on three sides like a pillowcase. On the fourth side I put some velcro closures on it so it can be washed like a duvet cover. She seems to like it okay. Haven't tried putting her down to sleep in it yet, keep your fingers crossed. Her dollies like it too...







    I'm sewing together a dress for my mom and have some plotting to do for various other projects.

    We are attending a wedding this weekend and I'm actually getting my haircut tomorrow!!!! I haven't had a haircut since before the baby was born! I'll be sure to post some before/after photos so you can ooooh and ahhh or some junk. See ya.

Teething baby, piles of fabric, messy house...husband returning in 4 days or so.


Vengeful Crafting Gods: 4
Little Ol' Me: 0

   Did I mention I'm a momma? Well, I am....and everything that goes with that...especially screaming baby's (she cried for half an hour even though she was super tired and should have gone to sleep).





   Yep, this is me on Day 10 of the husbands out of state training.... Glorious isn't it? Day 10 of doing all of this by myself with no help. Only 10 more to go......sigh.




   Enough self-pity. I have been managing to get a few crafty things done but no good pics right now. I have many many works in progress but little done.
   I find that I despise sewing patterns. It's not so much that they are horribly fiddly, easy to rip, impossible to fold back up or NEVER in my size, no I resent the authority they represent (sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?)
Here is the convo in my head: "But why do I have to put the notch there? It would be better over here." "Who said I need 3 yds of fabric, I can do it in 2" "This piece doesn't need interfacing, I'm sure it will be fine without it." "Why doesn't this f*&$ing thing fit after I spent so much damn time on it??"
   So, I've decided to cast off patterns and just sew without. I won't be sewing garments for myself this way, just the children. I won't be sewing garments for myself at all because I find it utterly depressing that my hip size requires 4 yards of super-stretch fabric to accommodate it. Thus there will be no sewing until those numbers shrink a little bit, oh say fifty pounds worth.
   Anyhow, hope the rest of you are having a lovely Friday and Father's Day weekend and all that stuff. I'll be here thwarting those sewing patterns by eating more chocolate (that'll teach you not to come in my size, hmph!)