Lately

Lately - it seems like I share most of our life through Instagram, rather than this blog.  It's so fast and in-the-moment. (I'm @julia_davis7)  But for all you who aren't on Instagram - here ya go!

 

Lately - I've traded in my sewing pursuits for typical summertime things... pool, parks... and some major painting and de-cluttering. 

I've been slowly working on a room at a time in our house, purging, de-cluttering, and organizing.  Getting rid of stuff is an amazing feeling, even though it's slow going for me.   I was inspired last year, by Sarah's 40 Bags in 40 Days concept (and her simple clear tips & tricks on how to go about it).  I never did get through our whole house last year.

Then a few months ago I stumbled upon Ann Marie's adorable blog, and she had some free printable charts and more motivation to get going...

So, I tackled our storage room first...

It's one of those rooms that's soooooo nice to have, but quickly becomes the dumping grounds for anything and everything.  I gave away/got rid of at least 8 trash bags full of clothes - 4 bags of stuff went to the Goodwill - and 2 big bags went in the trash.  Boy does it feel good to have it cleaned out.  Now let's see how long it lasts!

Lately - over the last 2 weeks - I re-painted our entire main floor, in Benjamin Moore's Revere Pewter.  Its a soft greige (gray/beige) and holds it's own against the greenish daytime light cast through the new windows, but we like it at night also.  (this is all that was left of our 5-gallon bucket of paint!)

Lately - Jack's been having 4-H shotgun practices to get ready for the big County Shoot, so we spend every Thursday evening (just like last year) at the shooting range - and while he's shooting, the other little ones are playing with cousins and friends, eating a potluck dinner, and generally getting covered in dirt. 

Lately - the local (and free) splash-park has also been a huge hit... (and this is how Blaize smiles when he says "cheese".)

Lately - oh yes - Audrey lost one of her front teeth on Friday... and her other front tooth the very next day! And the tooth fairly only forgot 1 out of the 2 nights, which is an improvement for us!  I absolutely love it when my kids loose their front teeth.  I think it looks so cute.  But then I'm always a little sad at the same time - once they loose those baby teeth, their smile will never look quite as young again - just a reminder of how quickly the days are flying by.

So - that's what we've been up to lately.  How about you?

 

:: weekend

I know it's been a while since I've written on this blog of mine.  That usually happens whenever I am up to my eyes in projects and keeping everything else going.  But boy has has it been fun!  Now that Christmas is over, things have slowed down a bit and I have so much I'd like to write about and show you.

But first things first - it seemed appropriate to share a few of these snowy pictures from our cold weekend.  We enjoyed talking and relaxing by the warm fire, but were also driven (by our children's energy levels) out to do some snow shoveling, hauling up firewood, and also fun. 

 

 

 

 At this point, fingers and cheeks were freezing, and children began heading indoors.

(funny fact:  I have no idea how these snowflakes started moving or how to make them stop!  I guess my photo uploading software noticed the flakes in the picture and automatically added them - haha!)

Jack and Ellie did a lot of whittling and carving by the fireside, too.  We had wood shavings everywhere (yes - everywhere), but it provided hours of creative entertainment.

A few weeks ago my Mom suggested setting this little man on the counter beside me while I work or cook in the kitchen.  She said she did that with us kids when we were little.  And from the first time I lifted him up, we've never gone back.  It's been a lifesaver - he's happy to be near me and able to see what's going on, and I'm able to get things done without him holding onto my legs and fussing.  Don't know why I didn't think of it myself - and I'm so thankful for others who give pointers along the way.

 Overall - it was a great weekend: warm - cold - AND I began my January de-cluttering, and boy does it feel good! (more on that later).

 



:: Baby-doll shirts

A few weeks ago I went shirt shopping for my oldest girl, who is just about to turn 7.  I was amazed at the dismal selection of cute, feminine shirts.  It seems like most of the stores only had shirts that looked way too grown up.  She had one shirt I loved from The GAP (bought at a consignment store), so I found a shirt pattern that was similar, and bought it when JoAnn's was running them for $.99.  This baby-doll style of shirt seems to be flattering on any little girl, and looks adorable with leggings or jeans. (McCall's 6388)

If you haven't noticed, I have a thing for polka-dots.  =)  Now I just wish I could make a few for me.

:: What I've been sewing lately...

I'm knee-deep in quilts for my 3 girls' room.  "Swell" is a simple pattern, but when you multiply it by 3, it has become a bit never-ending for me sometimes.

I do most of my sewing at night after the kids are in bed.  It's just so nice to have that little bit of quiet time to myself.  Sewing, and thinking.

This week I finished all 400 mini-blocks and needed a fast way to mix them up and get them ready to be randomly sewn together.  I tried something I've never done before.

 I put them in the dryer on a low-heat setting, and gave them a good tossing for a minute or two.
 I think it's the most beautiful basket of laundry I've ever had.



And now I'm ready for more sewing.
UPDATE: to see the finished quilts, click here.