Advent Calendar

I had wanted to buy this Advent calendar from Pottery Barn but then I got the "brilliant" idea of making it myself. I Googled, sought out opinions, and then made a plan. I bought 5" squares of assorted Christmas fabric online. The most tedious part of the whole project was tracing the numbers on Heat N Bond paper, cutting them out, and then adhering them to the squares. I also did the tracing and cutting twice. The first set of numbers I had were too skinny. When I laid them out on the squares they didn't stand out enough. I had to go back and find a new chunkier font. I think the part I was most nervous about was drawing the tree but I think it came out cute. The most cumbersome (and dangerous!) part was sewing the pockets onto the tree because there were tons of pins and I had to maneuver the whole thing through the machine. I pricked myself A LOT and a couple of times drew blood. The tree is about 4 feet tall (not including the stump and star) and 3 feet wide. In order to give it some thickness I inserted a layer of batting. The next thing I had to figure out was how to hang it. I got some dowels and used more felt to make some loops. I found this tutorial online that helped me figure it all out. Now it was down to the final phase - sewing all around the tree (right sides together) and turning it inside out. My topstitching skills need some improvement. The bottom part got tricky since I included a tree stump. From afar it looks pretty good. Get too close and you'll see how much of a beginner sewer I really am. :)

While making the tree I looked up ideas for what to put in the pockets. I didn't want them all to be little toys or candy. A majority of the pockets were filled with activities like decorate the Christmas tree, chocolate fondue night, visit Santa Clause, shop for toys to donate to a charity, etc etc. I am looking forward to doing this activity with the boys and I hope they like it too. I think next year I'll include little ornaments in the pocket so they can decorate a small kid tree or something.

laid out my squares on top of green felt

numbers on the pockets

made a pattern

Pockets not sewn on but it's definitely coming together

Added a layer of quilter's batting to the backside

Added loops for the dowels

My mini hacksaw to cut down the dowels to size

Attached screw eyes to dowels

 

Testing out the screw eyes

All done and ready to be filled

Loophole

Whenever we're in a parking lot I always say to Lucas and Caleb "Hold hands, we're in a parking lot" Sometimes I have to give Lucas a choice to either hold hands or be carried. And as much as I don't want to carry him I have to because he can be a squirmy little kid and try to run away from me.

Today I picked him up from preschool and as we were just about to get to the parking lot I said "hold hands.." and he held his OWN hands together and said to me "I am holding hands" and when I tried to hold his arm he tried to squirm away from me and declared "I am holding hands!" I guess in two year old logic-speak "holding hands" means he can hold his own hands and walk across a parking lot by himself. Do I really have to spell it out for him and say "Hold MY hand?"

The other day Caleb had a fever and so I gave him some Advil. Lucas said "I'm sick too" and he proceeded to fake cough and say "See I'm sick, I need medicine".

It really is true.... the second kid is opposite from the first.

Beginning Sewing 2

So I decided to take another Beginning Sewing class because I wanted to learn how to make the bag that I originally set out to do.

Originally I was going to have a cotton lining but then thought it be better to have something wipeable so I found a coated fabric(I think it's PUL). I still have enough of the coated fabric leftover to make a lunch tote or something small. While in class the teacher asked if I plan on adding batting. I hadn't thought about it since the original pattern was for a bag that can be folded up to put in your purse. I decided to get this foam type batting so that my bag had structure and could stand on it's own. I'm really pleased with the end result.

my new bag with button closure

polka dotted lining

Christmas pajamas

One of the perks of making our Christmas pajamas was being able to pick out fabric. Jamie said he wanted to be involved in picking one since he did not like the print of last year's. Here's what he chose. The fabric arrived pretty fast and after having finished my Beginning Sewing pajamas I thought I'd start early on our Christmas ones and try to make Lucas' pants first. I found this tutorial online. If I messed up at least it wasn't too much fabric. But it was so easy! One down three more to go!

Lucas' pj pants

Halloween 2012

October was filled with lots of Halloween activities. Pumpkin patches, Halloween crafts, and costumes. This year the boys picked out their own costume. Caleb chose to be a doctor and Lucas chose to be Diego from the show Go Diego Go. As it turned out Lucas' costume was a bit of an ordeal.

The first chance they got to wear their costumes was for a Halloween birthday party. Lucas' didn't like wearing his costume at all and insisted on taking it off. Since Diego's "costume" consisted of a blue T-shirt, blue shorts, and vest I figured I could make put my beginning sewer skills to good use and make a vest. That costume was worn only once for Parent Observation. On Halloween he didn't want to wear either Diego costume so I dressed him up in his Frank Gore football jersey and had him try to carry a small football.

During the day, we went to Caleb's preschool "Enchanted House". It's a maze with different displays - some were related to books (like Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are) and others were games. The kids were given prizes at each display. It was totally cute and more than I expected. After that we went to downtown Los Altos for a trick or treating event. Lucas may not have been into wearing a costume but he quickly got into the trick or treating.

On Halloween night, we decided to trick or treat on a street in Los Altos. One of the houses on the street built an elaborate pirate themed display. By now Lucas knew how to trick or treat like a pro. Once he got his candy and said thank you he turned and ran toward the next house. I had to slow him down or else he would run into the dark street. He also had no problem running toward the door pushing his way in front of other kids. Today he mentioned he wanted to go trick or treating again. I told him he has to wait another year for Halloween. Thank goodness... Halloween was pretty exhausting.

Scrubs and doctor coat

Trick or treating in downtown Los Altos

Enchanted House at Children's House

So hard to get these two to take a good picture

Halloween event during California Ave Farmer's Market.

At least he kept the vest on longer than the costume we bought at the store.

scary and happy pumpkins