Morphing Living Room, Again

I have a little friend who comes over on Wednesdays to play who was very, very concerned 2 weeks ago when he saw the harp missing from the right of the fireplace.  Averett grabbed my hand in his three year old insistent way and brought me to the spot and repeatedly asked me where it was.  We moved it into the sewing room for early-morning safety---I have up to 13 Bible study students still walking through here in the dark early hours and it was getting too much attention.   Our 13 year old harp tuner musician genius friend plays it safely while Roxie plays games on my computer, and it has worked out great.

I've been thinking about color change for the ceiling for awhile:  constellation with stars, mixing the turquoise and purples...I had Utah Benjamin Moore Blue skies with clouds painted on it years ago...The triangle ceiling has been fun, but I am ready for a change.  I took down the horizontal grey and white (wrapping paper) stripes from the mantle to expose analogous faux bois!  I've been thinking about making it look like the Ikea wood fabric, greys, to tone it down again  (when I do the ceiling).

Maybe it is a seasonal or a holiday thing, or trying out Pantone's color of the year Radiant Orchid, but I tried some bleach pen writing on some thrifted fuchsia sheets and made pillow coverings, and dyed the faded ocher couch cushions with purple Rit dye...made a flower ruffle pillow because I wanted to try it out, recovered the table with magenta vinyl... 

And made a HUGE "cocktail straw" wreath using instructions from Vintage Revival.  I learned that floral wire is much, much cheaper than the jewelry wire, even in same store, same gauge.  And "coffee stirrers" are not stronger than "cocktail straws."  (Notice the little bending curve bottom left.)  I spray painted this one red and love how it looks, love the geometry.  I made a smaller one following VR directions to cut straws down that I hung in front door shown on INSTAGRAM.  Easier than it looks to make, and fun!

(PS.  This week I moved Jen's chair painting to this spot in the living room, moved this wreath to dinning room window, and hung Stewart's orange quilt in the front hallway opposite "Love and serve 1 Another" sign which hangs above the arch.  Another example of domino decorating, move one thing, something else moves...)

Great Grandma Sparkles

These are Great Grandma Billie's sparkle hands.  She wanted to make sure Suzanna & Emmalyn saw them.  She LOVES seeing photos on their blogs about their nail parties, and wanted them to see matches!

Pillowcase Skirts

Spider Man pillowcase skirt with contrasting pocket (this was actually a valance, but same fabric-polyester from thrift store).

Pillowcase (sideways) with purple t-shirt fabric at bottom to give needed length.

And the back.  Exposed colored elastic at top makes this a super fast project:  stretch and sew right to top.  I used the bottom of a too-big t-shirt for purple hem--so no hemming.  The thing that takes the longest is unpicking pillowcase top, bottom, and folded hem where pillow goes in.  That becomes the width of skirt.

Neon dinosaurs, two pillowcases so hemmed edge where pillow goes in is the bottom hem.  I unpicked top and bottom of pillowcase and just cut edge opposite pillow opening and sewed the two pillowcases together, so this one is a little fuller.  Notice pink elastic at top?  Tuesday Morning had great "baby" elastic for cheap.

And last one to show you today is Archie and Friends.  There is a pocket on the left so you can't see the modesty skirts I applique added to the girls' mini skirts...Purple heart elastic on the top of this one.

Heroes in My Life

We are snowed in, school cancelled, work cancelled.  I am in sewing room ripping apart pillowcases to make skirts (I will photograph) and watched "Temple Grandin" starring Claire Danes.  "Autism gave her a vision.  She gave it a voice."  Great story.  This is quoted from wikipedia page about film:

Grandin is the focus of a semi-biographical HBO film, entitled Temple Grandin,^[24][25] starring Claire Danes as Grandin.^[26] The movie was released in 2010, was nominated for 15 Emmys, and received five awards, including Outstanding Made for Television Movie and Best Actress in a Drama.^[27] Grandin was on stage as the award was accepted, and she spoke briefly to the audience. Coincidentally, the 2010 Emmy Awards happened on Grandin's birthday. At the 2011 Golden Globes, Claire Danes won a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television.

Temple goes on my list of heroes!  And for everyone else tomorrow:

(Not original, but loving this photo of pillow, linked from Flavor Paper wallpaper)

Haircut & Road Trip to See Max

Haircut, super short in back this time.

Daycare home spotted on way to visit Max:  horizontal siding stripes.

Open gate in middle of bridge...

The sister missionaries came by Wednesday (both from out west) and we laughed about the "dead trees" look of Maryland winters.  But the lighting Saturday from 4:00-5 pm was beautiful.  Loved the sky, the clouds, the shadows...

I took over 700 pictures on way home, just pointing out my passenger window.  A few keepers.  We weren't allowed to take any photos inside the re-hab where our son is staying.  He looks calm, sedated (medicated).  Should have brought him more treat food (nothing homemade allowed).  He was wearing one of his Boychoir t-shirts.  He thanked us for the 11 books we brought him to read.  He read Grandpa's letter and a copy of Sam's letter to the senator.  He is still struggling with the 12-step program-getting hung up on acknowledging help needed from a Greater Power.  He doesn't like to ask for help, and he is still not sure how to mesh his incredible drug-induced "spiritual" experiences with reality, still nostalgic for the certainty he felt from delusions and adamant that he doesn't believe the Mormon story.  He is says he lied to us about quitting smoking because he doesn't want to disappoint us again.  He doesn't feel like he has anything in common with all the other people being treated there.  Scary-sad, for me.  There is nothing I can do but love him, pray for him, visit him, write to him.  Can't change him.  Can't love him sober. 

Our Classroom 6 am school days

One of my favorite things we have done in Daily Seminary class is illustrating the people and taping them on the wall in family tree/generations, showing contemporaries, how Book of Mormon prophets are related, who was a king or a king-wanna-be, who murdered whom, who was good, who was bad, who repented:

I gave them a paper with the index description of each man and let them draw a face.

With the snow and the freezing temperatures there have been many delayed school openings, which cancels our early morning class.  I have missed the students!  Looking forward to Monday morning!

Happy Valentine's Day to Your Hands (and His) a Little Early While it is SO COLD OUTSIDE!

My mom blogged about their smitten and I was intrigued!  Fantastic idea:  a mitten that allows you to hold hands with your sweetheart (or a young child) and stay warm, skin contact without having to switch back and forth between coat pockets...Perfect for walks in the cold!

Here is my hack:  Take a knit hat, inside it out, and from the top sew 2.5 inch smooth U shape, zig-zag because it is knit and you don't want it to fray.  Sew back and forth several rounds.  I tried increasing zig width, decreasing stitch length, using a variety to make sure it is good and stitched, secure and won't unravel when you do the next step:  CUT

Tried the straight cut, seemed to work fine.

Also tried a more key-hole shape and then CUT like this:

...which did not seem to make much difference.  I would recommend applique zig-zag stitch heart or other personalized decoration BEFORE you inside out and make center seam.

And write your name on at least one so you don't give them all away!

Coming in the mail soon to you, my Utah children.  There is one in there for Aunt Becca & Chris, too.  Thanks to Deborah for discovering this cool idea!

John's right arm in gray, me with my left hand in couple glove while taking picture.