:: Crafting Craziness ::

To say I have been a crazy crafter the last few days is an understatement. Crazy being the key word. I asked Cannon the other day if he thought all "creative" people were as OCD as I am about their projects until they are finished. He said, "Probably so." I thought, "Good answer." :) In all seriousness though, crafting, blogging and creating really DO keep me focused and productive at a time when quietness brings me back to the thoughts of our tremendous loss.

So, with full awareness that I go about my projects like a mad-woman with the finished product in my cross-hairs, here are a few pictures of the things I've been working on this week.

I love receiving a gift that has been made by hand for the planning, time and energy I know went into making it, so I got excited when I found this apron tutorial online from my friend and fellow Chi O sister Darby's blog. (Hootie! Hoot!) I really wanted to make our moms' something for mother's day and this was just the thing.

You too can make these super cute and super fun apron's for your mom by visiting Darby's tutorial here: http://www.flythroughourwindow.com/tutorials/ I gave CC a similar apron a few years ago and she is always talking about how much she loves it and how easy it makes finding her cell phone with the pockets. So, I decided I'd add a pocket to the front and see how it turned out. Sure enough, the hallowed i-phone fit nicely and the pocket is pretty cute, too! I used the pattern for the pockets found on this blog: http://sewmamasew.com/blog2/2010/06/easy-patch-pockets/

And if any of you are looking to find a good deal on some cute fabrics for these go to Hancock. Their duck (is that how you spell it?) fabrics are all 50% off right now and their stain resistance and thicker feel are perfect (not to mention the most important part...they have fabulous prints with coordinating solids!) By the time all was said and done, I ended up spending about $6 on each apron, but they don't look like it (except for that misaligned seam-sorry Glorio)!

So after my aprons were finished but my creative streak wasn't anywhere close, I got back into some blog-reading mania and stumbled across (yep, you guessed it)-ANOTHER tutorial on making a family "command center." Most of you in the 'burbs like me probably have sides of your cabinets that look somewhat like these:

The plain white sides had always bothered me-like a blank canvas staring me in the face. So several years ago I decided I'd get a roll of cork and cut some foam board to cover my cabinet sides and turn it into something useful-a message board. So for the last 3 years or so we have been putting that baby to good use.

Ok, maybe BAD use as over the years this board acquired WAY too many pictures and I couldn't BEAR to edit them. It was as if I had to choose one of my family members or friends over the other and I couldn't bring myself to do it. So when I stumbled across this blog post (from a guest I saw on the Nate Berkus show a while back) about a STUNNING message board, a light went on in my head for a way to make a good thing even better.

It was especially emotional taking down and studying each the pictures of Olivia and our fun family times together, but I forced myself to widdle it down to my favorite few (with the intention of changing them out often).

I was coveting the mesh wall-hanging basket from Ballard featured on isabellaandmax, but really didn't want to pay that much. As luck would have it, I stumbled across this similar metal basket while at Office Depot for only $16.99! I love that it has a section for mail, file folders and even pens and paperclips! And in this way, it may be even better (functionally and pocketbook-speaking) than the Ballard version and it's almost as cute!

Another deal I got was on the fabric from Hancock for only $6/yard!! I couldn't believe it. In the effort to "keep it real" here, I will tell you that I first eyed some yellow and white chevron fabric that was $18.99 a yard and really, really, really wanted it, but was proud of myself for resisting and going with the cheaper version (after all, I never really know how these projects of mine are going to turn out!)

I do want to say here that I am often convicted of my want of worldly goods and that these things are not important in the big picture, but the creation of them does keep my focus during these difficult days without Olivia. For that and for the love and caring acts of my mothers, grandmothers and girlfriends, I am so grateful. I hope you all enjoy a much-deserved, Happy Mother's Day this Sunday!!!

Who can find a virtuous woman? She is far more precious than jewels...

Strength and honor are her clothing, and she can laugh at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and loving instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the activities of her household and is never idle.
Her sons rise up and call her blessed.
Her husband also praises her:
Many women are capable, but you surpass them all!
Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord will be praised.
~Proverbs 31:10, 25-30

P.S. Is it really bad that I am posting this picture of the gift I want for Mother's Day? Maybe you shouldn't answer that. Cannon will laugh at me and say I'm insufferable, but I am hoping he reads this latest blog post before Sunday so he can get this baby on order from At West End (a new catalog Tappy started receiving and shared with me). I want this mermaid to live on my kitchen counter with cooking utensils every.single.day. And it will double as a flower vase. So that's two for the price of one, right?! Cannon also says he doesn't know why I couldn't sell things for a living because I'm always trying to "sell" him on something we need for the house! :) What's that I was saying about being convicted about my wanting for things of this world?! Sigh...

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