The children's bedrooms here have been a bit Spartan since we moved in.  Mainly just beds and a dresser – for personal items since the clothes are stored in the laundry room. It has been a good system since the rooms  clean up easily and usually look pretty neat. Now we are turning our attention to dressing them up a bit and slowly replacing some subpar beds and mattresses etc.  

The girls each picked out bedding before we moved. Alannah has a set of black bunkbeds and chose a black and white zebra stripe comforter with hot pink sheets and bedskirts.  For months the windows stood bare.  They are now dressed in bold pink sheer panels topped with black boas found locally.  They hang on simple black iron rods. 

We repainted an old hand me down chair in glossy black and moved it in for seating.  The stained white upholstery was recovered (glue gun and staple gun) in a pink cotton and topped with a pillow to match the bedding and boas.  It still needs the black braid trim to cover the staples.  Had to wait til I found it finally at a craft store.  To be done soon.   It isn't exactly "my" style but it isn't exactly "my" room now either is it? ; )  And it is very, very "her".  

I am finally embracing this idea that shopping and crafting are best done at least a season or two in advance.  With that in mind, I am deciding how to finish the French cross stitch completed mostly after Christmas last.  Thinking a tiny ribboned cushion to hang from a doorknob would be perfect.

And to go with the mood, a spray of summer snow. 

Dropping in for a second time today to share this link.  Mrs. Catherine who previously had an awesome Xanga site and a print newsletter  now has the Practical Housewife blog which is loaded with how-to's and videos.  She just began a new week by week challenge.   It's not too late to jump in.  She seems to also have a forum now too, though my position on forum's is that is usually a LOT more absorbing to talk about home making than it is to actually DO the homemaking.  (or homeschooling, or well, insert just about anything worth doing)  

I finished my first crochet garment this summer and finally got pics taken.  (These doubled as the mom-got-studio-lights-and-needs-to-practice-metering-off-them pics so please disregard the fact I don't necessarily know what I am doing. Heaven knows I rarely let that stop me lol.)

I used Caron Soft acrylic worsted weight yarn which has a bit of a sheen and soft drape to it.  The pattern is the Urban Girl Cropped Cardi from Lion Brand.  You can find it free here.  Although I had two false starts it really did stitch up -literally from bottom to top – very easily thereafter.  Third time's the charm. ; )  

I only had worsted weight yarn at home which eliminated most of the free patterns for little girls online. The smallest size this pattern came in was 7-8.  I did use a smaller hook than suggested but since my stitches tend to run a bit loosey-goosey large it probably is still a size 7.  Should fit her perfectly in oh, another year. I sort of expected that, but figured it would take me that long to finish.  In fact I would have been happy enough if it was finished in time to fit Abbie.  Success tends to surprise me. 

It will eventually have a button in front.  The loop is there.  The button must be located.  Easier said than done here. 

I was originally planning to make another for Abbie but we have since been gifted with a lot of hand-me-downs and I am turning my sights on hats and scarves for the older girls instead.  

This pillow is one of two I stitched up – truly stitched because my sewing maching foot has walked off – last weekend.  The fabric is part of the stash that came from the sale bin at Joann's many years ago.  It was supposed to redecorate our last living room but never really came together.  It's working here. At least in it's second incarnation. First time around it became valances which came dangerously near to 'country with a K.'  I ripped the seams and re-purposed them into pillows which look just right resting between the gnomes and the floral drapes.  

I have been meaning to show you the delft canisters we picked up in Belgium last winter.  Actually my husband snagged these.  Like I have said before, everything in this house is slightly imperfect. (everything ; ))  That is fine by me. It makes for affordable collecting.  These sets were often extensive and finding every piece still together could cost a fortune.  These were not a fortune and I suspect there was at least a flour canister at one time. Since they are decorative for us we don't mind a bit.  

Paging through an old (circa 1986) House Beautiful the other day I found an article about the restoration of an old farmhouse in the Netherlands. I saved the magazine all this time because I love historically accurate restorations not to mention all things Dutch.  

Different things jump out at me today:

I haven't really looked closely at this issue in forever but I seem to have begun collecting many of these things.  My short term goal is to try to find some hand painted wood.  These boxes are Hindelooper pieces from the Frisian region of the Netherlands, which is where I spent a summer in high school.  Germany is known for its Bauernmalerei, which is literally Farmer Painting.  Sweden has Rosmaling.  It is all wonderful and I hope some of it follows me home. : ) 

Alannah and I have been encouraged by our first hat projects.  As in, they actually fit people's heads.  (we aim low lol) It was rather instant gratification as well since they came together inside an hour using this pattern. 

We also got a little addicted to trying the sampler shapes from the Crochet Bible.  There were hexagons, squares, circles, flowers in circles.  Then I saw the African Flower pattern at Craft Passion and loved it immediately.  Or maybe really loved her color scheme. Either way I tried one of those as well. Since I have only scraps yarn these serve little purpose other than to affirm to us that yes, we can follow patterns and make cool things. And some days, that little reminder is really plenty of project incentive. : ) 

Any new hobby worth it's salt involves favorite new blog bookmarks.  Favorite new crafty blog is Rose Hip.  Her whole blog looks like Moira's room.  I want to make one of everything. Most definitely some edged pillow cases. Just as soon as I order the thread. (Let's pause for a little reality check here – this charmed country I find myself in is nearly devoid of craft stores.  What there is smacks of 1983.  Just saying. You mail order your craft supplies here.) 

And on the real stuff – I will say too that I have started two sweaters since which have not materialized as yet.  The first pattern I messed up and had to rip a bit out.  And have not been terribly motivated to continue because the worsted weight yarn, even in a soft blend, feels poufy for a little girl.  The second, from the Crochet for Tots book is true to its stated measurements, however it should be noted that those measurements are NOT typical for the sizes they are supposed to be.  I realized a young teen could fit into the sweater at the size it was stitching up, which is a good 9 inches wider across the chest than most size fours. 

So I am on the hunt for some cotton/bamboo blends in a lighter weight and patterns to work with.  Or maybe just a candy colored assortment of yarn to make Moira the Rose Hip inspired afghan she requested.  Really there is something so incredibly soothing about the repetitive motion and the delicious colors. I am glad we picked up the hooks again. 

And now, a little intermission.  Because I have a very short attention span.  And every now and then my hands will absolutely fly into the air in a frenzy if they cannot make something.  Even something small and sorta useless. But hey, a smile is never wasted right? 

And there is always room for a flower SOMEplace.  

Playing around with the Crochet Stitch Bible.  Love it.  Incredible graphics, a complete crochet how-to in the beginning, and my fave – the diagram patterns alongside the written instructions.  Trying to learn those because you can follow the international pattern books if you can.  

"It seems to me that there are very few organizational issue that can't be solved if a mom gives time to them. If your child's room is cluttered, you are the only one who knows the size of the bedroom, the closet, the other furniture in that room.  If you were to spend a day working in that room, looking at it, and praying for a solution to the particular clutter difficulties, you could probably come up with great ideas.

What organizational issues are coming between you and a meek and quiet spirit? Let us face them, with the Lord's help, and overcome them."

-Teri Maxwell, Homeschooling with a Meek and Quiet Spirit

Teri has a different response to peace robbing clutter.  Where others try to convince us to learn to accept and live with mess and its accompanying upset, she gently urges us to take 30 minutes a day to restore peace by simply removing it.  30 minutes.  No more.  Little by little we can create order from chaos. Not with militant vigor but with quiet persistance.

We might not be able to solve all the outside challenges in life head on.  But we can enable ourselves and our families to meet them with grace and strength. Visual white space helps create space in our heads for clearer thinking.   

It might seem counterproductive to sweep, to box toys, and to clear counters when the tempo of life increases.  As the years go by it becomes more clear to me that this is exactly the best response.

Steady quiet work and prayer.  Keep rooting out the peace robbers.