Angels and Demons

Tomorrow, I turn 33. A fantastic birthday, right? I'm far enough past 30 to no longer mourn my 20's, and a good distance away from 40 to laugh off any remarks of being "old".

A generation ago, another person was about to turn 33 as well. They had a fantastic life, and a beautiful house. Their oldest was also 6, and their youngest 2. They were the perfect example of what happens in life when you finally "arrive" and have the world spread out before you.

Then came synovial carcinoma, a leg amputation, and lung cancer.

Suddenly a 34 year old was staring at the last moments of a life cut way too short.

As I spend my last day being 32, I'm left with the anxiety that tomorrow begins a race to beat fate, and see a birthday that my father never reached.

How he must have felt seeing his children and thinking, "is this all they will know of me?"

Did you ever think "what did I ever do to deserve all of the wonderful things in my life"? What if the answer were........nothing. What happens when your time starts running out? If you know that it is, how can you not just feel unimaginable pain thinking that every time you do or see something, it could be the last time? How could I have possibly reached that point already?

What if I have?

Decoupage Clipboards

These are a set of clipboards for the wall in my new sewing studio. I plan on hanging them just like this over my desk for organizing my printed shipping labels, receipts, special orders, etc. Aren't they pretty?

This is what I needed: chipboard clipboards (I found them on Ebay 6 for $9.99 with free shipping), paper (yes, it's Amy Butler and yes, I have all the matching fabric in my stash), grosgrain ribbon (I used a narrow 5/8", but 1" wide would look really pretty too), a healing mat/paper rotary cutter (for trimming the edges), glue gun and Mod Podge not shown

I made a pattern by tracing the clipboard and cutting out the section for the clip part. I used 12" x 12" scrapbook paper. Since it wasn't quite long enough, I choose coordinating paper for the top and divided it with a ribbon.
After tracing the pattern and cutting out the paper, I decoupaged it onto the clipboard and let it dry overnight. Then, I flipped the boards over and used the rotary cutter to trim any excess paper from around the edges.


I used coordinating ribbon for a nice transition between the two sections, and glued it onto the boards with a glue gun.

I flipped the boards over and glued the heat-sealed ends to the back side for a nice finished look.

Voila! A beautiful clipboard to stay organized. It doesn't hurt that they match the fabric I use on a regular basis. ;-)

I have another set of 6 clipboards that I plan on doing for the family to use. I'm going to make one for each of my kids for above their backpack hook, and one for each season.

A Wish for Morning

I spent most of my evening yesterday reading the blog, Rants from Mommyland. Now, before you go clicking over there, I feel that I need to add a disclaimer. I take NO responsibility for the things you will NOT get done today, because you have spent it reading this blog. Seriously, you've been warned.

Ok, now for my own wishlist of things that I would like to NOT have to do/have happen every.single.morning.

10. I would like my 2-year-old to NOT start whining about Lord-knows-what the second I open her bedroom door in the morning. Do you want out? Do you want to stay in your crib? Do you WANT to eat breakfast with a passive poop smooshed between your buttcheeks?!? You do? Well, ok then, here's some Cheerios.

9. I would like my 6-year-old to get dressed in TEMPERATURE appropriate clothing. I might add, that I would also like this to include a change of underwear without a big dramatic scene about how he JUST changed them. You know, like 3 days ago. I dream big, I know. If he does in fact come out of his room in shorts, a sleeveless top, and those damn bright green monster socks that somehow made it in my cart from the Target $1 section, please help me to resist just letting him go outside in the 20 degree weather and figuring it out for himself.

8. While we're eating breakfast, I would like my children to NOT get upset because the other one is "looking" at them. On more than one occasion my children have eaten at separate tables, which you would THINK is a genius solution, until they just start squawking at each other from a room away.

7. I would like to walk past the bathroom and not have to flush the toilet. AND, if the toilet genie HAS magically flushed a night's worth of saved up urine down the drain, I would like the toilet to actually stop running without me having to open it up and do it myself.

6. I would like my nice and sweet FIRST attempt to get my son to put his shoes on to be met with an equally sweet "ok, mom". Not the "ooooooooooh" followed by stomping and whining that he "didn't get a chance to play". Hmmmmm, maybe if he had actually played for the past 10 minutes, instead of tormenting his sister, we wouldn't be having this discussion.

5. I would like just one meal in general to not include me cleaning up a spilled drink because my son can't remember to put his cup down away from the edge of the table. If I'm going to have a huge obnoxious piece of blue Painter's tape on the table so he knows exactly where to put his cup, at least let it be worth something.

4. I would like the opportunity to have my contacts in BEFORE about 11 am. I know the UPS man just LOVES to see me in my glasses and froggy pants pajamas, but just ONCE it would be nice to actually appear like a normal human being before lunch.

3. I would like to NOT be awoken X # of minutes before the alarm goes off, by a husband that needs me to check his head to make sure he didn't miss any spots while shaving his, ahem, hair? Just because your mirror is covered in regurgitated toothpaste juice, even though I just cleaned it yesterday, doesn't mean that your wife should have to lose the last precious minutes of slumber waking up to have a head shoved in her blind face hearing "am I good?"

2. I would like just one morning where I'm not tripping over the dog every time I turn around. Yes, I realize that you haven't peed since I let you out at midnight, but unfortunately, if I haven't popped you out of my uterus, you're position on the totem pole of attention is pretty low.

1. I would like just ONE morning where I can drink an entire cup of coffee WITHOUT having to reheat it in the microwave 15 times.

Out like a ravenous beast

April is ending on a crazy, wild note around here. As an incredibly tumultuous week starts to settle down, I basically have a big 'ol WTH look on my face.

The week started with a fellow seller on Etsy, requesting that I remove every discernible marking that a baby carrier had, indicating that it was made by me. Say what? Well, I mean, she forgot to make her baby sister a baby carrier that she promised, so why not just purchase something, pass it off as your own, and call it a day, right?

Easy peasy.

Um, yeah, NO.

She also wanted me to put her own return address on the package so it would look like it came straight from her. So, in addition to trying to pass off something as her own, she also is a big fan of mail fraud as well. Why not just have everyone put the same address for the return address and the "to" address, because it will be returned for insufficient postage and get there anyway? Psh. Who needs to be an honest, moral person. Totally overrated.

Here are some snippets of correspondences with psycho lady:
"

"I am ordering this as a gift. I do not want any of your shops information included with the order. I want it to look as if it came straight from me. Could you please leave the return mailing address as [address removed] so that she knows that it is from me. Thanks, it is for my little sister who asked me to make her a sling but I just do not have the time ;)" "Personally, I don't see why it matters what I want to do with it if I pay for it. If I want to cut it up for scraps, pass it off as my own or re-sell it. I kind of get where you are coming from but I don't agree. Just send it to my Etsy address then: [address removed] and I will package it how I would like to with some other items and mail it all at once from here." "Sorry that you find my wish to morally corrupt. I actually went ahead and bought the infantino mei tai style carrier instead and it cost a little bit less than yours. So I guess it all worked out." Lovely fellow SELLER on Etsy, huh? Disgusting. I hope she didn't cut the tags off the Infantino carrier, because it's not like they wouldn't sue her or anything, right? Come on people, it's perfectly acceptable to take everything you own, remove any markings and open your own thriving super center. Do you know what the cherry on top of this is? Etsy is "unbiased", so they won't remove the lovely negative feedback (my only one I might add). It doesn't fall into the category of "untrue or malicious". You know, because I DID cancel her order. AFTER SHE TOLD ME TO, because I wouldn't comply with her demands. Don't you just love people? So after she finally stopped coming back with more retorts to the already dead horse, yesterday we ended up in tornado watches/warnings and severe thunderstorms. I am deathly afraid of tornadoes. Just hearing about them makes me anxious and crazy. Combine that with the fact that I need to corral 2 kids and dog into the basement, possibly from a state of deep sleep, I was pretty much fried. I didn't even want to sew in the basement, for fear that I'd miss something going on above ground. So I did some cutting upstairs, printed shipping labels, and headed to bed. I had such a restful night sleep. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. It was the worst night ever. Not only were my senses on high alert for every whistling whip of wind outside, but I was nearly driven mad by my 50 lb golden lab. The dog would not.stay.still. She paced, she sat next to the bed panting from the heat. She climbed under the bed and panted so I could hear her THROUGH THE MATTRESS. She went downstairs, and came back up..........and went back down. Each time her "click, click, click" on the hardwood stairs getting louder and louder. She dug around in her food bowl. You know, looking for the Thanksgiving turkey I surely hid in the bottom. Drove.me.mad. So I finally look over at the clock and it's after 4 am, with the birds starting to chirp outside. I'm mean really, if I was going to be awoken at 4 am by a crazy hyperactive dog, could it NOT have been tomorrow when I could have at least watched the royal wedding?!?!

When You Thought I Wasn't Looking

When you thought I wasn’t looking
You hung my first painting on the refrigerator
And I wanted to paint another.

When you thought I wasn’t looking
You fed a stray cat
And I thought it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn’t looking
You baked a birthday cake just for me
And I knew that little things were special things.

When you thought I wasn’t looking
You said a prayer
And I believed there was a God that I could always talk to.

When you thought I wasn’t looking
You kissed me good-night
And I felt loved.

When you thought I wasn’t looking
I saw tears come from your eyes
And I learned that sometimes things hurt—
But that it’s alright to cry.

When you thought I wasn’t looking
You smiled
And it made me want to look that pretty too.

When you thought I wasn’t looking
You cared
And I wanted to be everything I could be.

When you thought I wasn’t looking—
I looked . . .
And wanted to say thanks
For all those things you did
When you thought I wasn’t looking.

Pantry makeover

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Activism Isn’t About Being Better Than You

By Christie in childcare, education, mom stuff

Long ago, though I won’t say HOW long, I was in middle school. I wasn’t even sure I liked boys, and I didn’t want kids at all. In fact, I promised my uterus to my gay friend Sam, as I swore I’d never use it (Samir, you can still have it, but now it’s a little used).

When I met the guy who’s now my husband, I realized I did want kids. And with him.

So how do you go from potential lesbian, forever child-free future to major loud mouth auto-didactic child health activist?

Trial and error. By making mistakes.

Often people ask why people care. Why do I care about getting out good breastfeeding information? Why do I care how you buckle your kid in the car? Why do I care what you do during your birth? Because I wish someone had cared before me, so I didn’t have to go through what I did.

In almost every activist is someone who has had issues or scares in the places they speak against the most. When I talk about car seat safety, not only is it because my once-hospital-nurse-mother ingrained seat belt usage and dangers of accidents into my head, but because a girl in my middle school died by being decapitated by the windshield she flew threw, and because I broke a window with my head and continue to struggle with physical problems and will for the rest of my life from a car accident.

Why do I care why you buckle your child in? Because I’ve actually been there. I’ve actually been in a car accident, suffered from it, and don’t want your child to. Because I realize how even minor accidents can cause lasting pain. Because I realize how severe accidents can do more damage than most people can imagine that last a lifetime. Because I care about children… and other than when a mom takes offense to help, NORMALLY caring about children is considered to be an amiable trait. I care when I see your child buckled in wrong because I used to buckle Rowan in wrong, and realizing that scares the crap out of me, because if we had been in an accident, he could have been seriously hurt. I wish someone had told me how to fix it. I am only LUCKY that we never got into a bad accident with him strapped in wrong and my ignorance resulted in his death. So forgive me, but I don’t wish your child injury, so I want you to know you’re doing it wrong.

The Kyle David Miller Foundation is a leader in car seat safety advocacy… because the mother lost her child. I can promise you she wishes she’d had someone step in and teach her more about car seat safety before her child died.

Why do I care if you breastfeed? Because it’s hard, that’s why. Because there is so much to know, so much to learn, so much to get through, so many obstacles, especially societal and cultural, that stand in your way. There is so much misinformation, and the risks of formula are so insanely downplayed at risk of hurting someone’s feelings that women honestly aren’t making an informed decision, even when they think they are. Did you know the CDC and the WHO can’t even agree on how to mix powdered formula, because you have two options: #1. boil water and kill dangerous bacteria and nutrients in the formula or #2. maintain the nutrient count but risk your child’s health or even life with a deadly bacteria. Because I care about children, I care that they are fed in the safest manner, which is breastfeeding. Because studies show that formula fed babies are at risk for many more problems, no matter how much formula companies and often formula-feeding moms try to convince you (and themselves) that there’s little to no difference, it’s not true. Formula is an amazing, life-saving nourishment for babies… when breastmilk is not available. I had so, so many things thrown in my path, from the nurse in the hospital who never let me feed Rowan until I’d pumped colostrum to prove to her I could that was fed to him with a spoon, to the MANY bottles of ready-to-feed formula we were “gifted” with, even in the specialty children’s hospital, to the doctor who tried to schedule Rowan’s feedings to every three hours. I certainly understand how many things stand in a mom’s way. I have learned so much over the years, and I want you to know what I know, because I don’t want you to struggle. I want to help you remove so many of the barriers that I had to overcome, without you having to learn the hard way.

Zhao Lianhai, if you’ve followed his story, is an activist because his child suffered irreparable kidney damage from a knowingly-contaminated formula. I can guarantee he wishes someone had protected his child, even if it meant telling him how dangerous it could be.

I could keep going, I could go into birth explanations, but it all boils down to this: people become activists not because they woke up one day and decided to be an asshole or loudmouth. Something happens in their life that shows them that there is a specific need for more support, more information, more action in a certain area.

Even if “Why do YOU care what I do with MY child?” seems like a good retort, it’s really rather ridiculous, as caring about children and being an advocate for their health is an amiable trait, not one that should be shot down because of “parental choice.” Parents choose to do lots of things, but that doesn’t mean they’re all right or okay or healthy.

Before insulting someone or being offended by their passion, maybe you could do what activists are so often told to do, which is find out their story. Because most people start out not caring at all… but something happens that shows them someone needs to, and often, most often, it’s because they wish some activist had been there for them, and because they have something potentially life-saving to teach you, if you actually let down your guard long enough to listen.

How did I get here?

When I opened Blogger right now, my playlist randomly picked "Godspeed". As I sit here with my mind wandering back 6 years, it is only fitting that THIS is the song that is playing.

March 24th, 2005. What a crazy day.

It was my last day at work in a neuroscience lab at the University of MD School of Medicine. I was frantic to have my calendar of mice matings set up through July, because it was my last day of work before my maternity leave started. It was my last day of work since. It was a lot of running around, a lot of preparing, a lot of "hiding" all my reagents and protocols so they wouldn't be contaminated by RNase or in complete disarray when I had planned to return. It was a lot of emotion as I said goodbye, but such a relief to go home and have 10 days to "relax" and prepare before my son arrived (due April 4th).

When I walked out that door, I never imagined how much would never be the same.

I had an OB appointment that afternoon, to which I left STILL "only" 1 cm dilated. Cool.

We went to our Bradley class (which we still had 2 more left after this one) from 7-10 pm, where we found out one of the other couples had gone into labor that afternoon. What I didn't know at the time, is this woman and I would spend a lot of time together in the next few weeks as we navigated life as new moms. Crazy how life works sometimes.

When we got home, we watched some TiVo'd American Idol. Yes, TiVo existed in 2005, and yes, once upon a time we ACTUALLY watched AI.

We went to bed, I got comfortable, and right around midnight started to drift off to sleep.

Well, until I was jolted awake by my water breaking.

The next moments were a blur. Trying to wake Brandon resulted in him screaming and bolting out of bed because he thought someone had broken in, I tried jumping the shower, and walked around standing on bench paper from the lab as I continued to leak. We called the doctor, finished packing the bags, got in the car.

I remember this moment right as we were on the Towson exit over 695 where I realized that I was going to have a baby today. March 25th, I was going to have a baby.

It's funny what moments stick with you for the longhaul, and what memories just fade away. Changing tv shows on Nick At Nite, the amazing nurse that was holding my hand, Brandon pushing against my back, the gradual increase in light outside the window as a new day began.

It feels so long ago. A lifetime ago. A third of a childhood ago.

I feel like we've lived a lifetime from that moment. All the memories before he was in them almost seem as if they aren't real.

We HAVE lived a lifetime since that moment. HIS lifetime.

How much that little boy has changed my life.

The little boy who slept on my shoulder. Who could fit in my lap. Who I could carry in my arms.

The not-so-little boy who tells my I'm pretty in the exact moment that I feel that I'm not. The not-so-little boy who can take away all the stresses of a day with one hug. The not-so-little boy who for every minute, of every day for the last 6 years, has touched my life in a way that I didn't think was possible.

Six years worth of moments have passed before my eyes.

My son turns 6 tomorrow.

My son turns 6 tomorrow.

Good Morning, this is your Cruise Director

Milk money, Dr. Seuss party decorations and napkins, daily bag book, class leaf project, book order, pennies for "pennies for patients", folder, and earned paw prints to cash in for a prize from the class treasure box........

This was what I had to remember to put in Ben's backpack for school today.

You know, in addition to finding a naked Sadie in her crib this morning, catching up on the 3 loads of laundry I didn't get to yesterday, finding more fabric for cabinet sleeves because I ran out of fleece at 11 pm last night, feeding two staaaaaarving kids breakfast, getting shoes on, changing diapers......................etc, etc, etc. All this before about 7:30 am.

I may add that I still managed to have a hot cup of coffee in my hand as we waited for the bus. :::flexes muscles:::

I feel like I'm a Cruise Director. You know, the person that keeps everything running smoothly, but never gets any of the REAL credit. That person.

Entertainer, organizer, school project designer, finder of lost socks............ I have this all down to an exact science. This morning I simultaneously got oatmeal ready, filled the Keurig, and prevented the dog from getting wacked in the head by the dishwasher door as Sadie frantically searched for her spoon.

Almost 6 years later, and I'm still anxiously awaiting that moment when I get to watch soaps on the couch with a box of bonbons.

Damn you false advertising.

I love Mondays

I know, crazy right?!? But I do. There's nothing like the feel of a fresh new week to get you motivated and moving. Weekends are lazy around here. Definitely enjoyable, but it's nice to get back to a routine when Monday rolls back around. It's even better that tomorrow starts a new month. MARCH. Did you know that DST is less than 2 WEEKS away? I didn't know until I updated my planner this morning. It pretty much made my morning.

We even had a crazy weekend, and I'm still glad it's Monday.

While Sadie is content watching an episode of "Jack's Big Music Show", I'm taking note of what I need to do today. But hey, at least it's not "Toy Story 3" again, right?

My 3rd load of laundry is in the washer right now. The 3rd of TEN that needs to get done. That's 1 whites, 2 darks, 1 towels, 5 fabric, and 1 load of diapers (which is really a soak load and THEN a wash). Oh, and I really should do sheets today, so that makes 11.

Once my fleece gets here, which should be around 9 am, since UPS and I have a standing early morning "date" pretty much EVERY morning at nine, I need to get cracking on 58 more fleece sleeves by TOMORROW. That's not including 5 carriers and 3 minky blankets that need to be in the mail on WED morning at the very latest.

What have I done to myself?

Isn't success wonderful?

In addition to all of this, I'm really trying to maintain the success of my cleaning schedule, which I'm happy to report is entering it's THIRD month of complete success. What needs to be done between now and Wed? Vacuum carpet/steam clean hardwood on the 1st floor, vacuum the 2nd floor, clean the basement bathroom, and clean the shower and toilet in the master bath.

I'm not completely insane right?

Not an object of my affection

I've reached an important milestone as a parent. Now that Ben is in Kindergarten, it has become increasingly difficult to "know" all of his friends. When your kids are younger, they become friends with the children of YOUR friends. So the parent holds all the cards. Now? Not so much.

Ben was invited to a birthday party on Saturday and I do not know this child or family. Not at all. And I really don't want him to go. In fact, I've considered calling my IL's to see they want us to come up that day, because then I wouldn't have to take him and would have a good excuse.

Horrible isn't it?

But what if none of the other parents aren't staying? I don't want to be the lone parent there, but I'm not about to leave him alone in a house I don't know.

I'm seriously stressing over this and every day that goes by is one less day I have to make up my mind. Because, you know, I should actually RSVP.

On top of this, I made the mistake of scheduling a playdate tomorrow. With a parent who I absolutely despise. Why? Because my freakin' phone was ringing off the hook on Thursday while I was trying to make chocolate covered pretzels, cut out a billion craft pieces, and watching the very painful process of Ben writing out his Valentines..........all for his party the next day. I was so fried and SO DAMN SICK AND TIRED of trying to get it through to this woman that I want nothing to do with her, that I just threw up my hands and said "what the fuck" because I just wanted to get off the damn phone.

But I could just drop him off down the street, right? WRONG. I do not trust this woman and her sleazy husband (both of which I'm convinced are swingers, but I digress). I do not trust that she won't spend half the playdate baiting Ben on what he thinks of their teacher (whom by the way, she likes to complain about while IN their classroom during observations/participation days), or trying to compare what he knows/how he did on his report card compared to her son.

I.DO.NOT.TRUST.HER.

I really don't hate people. My true dislike of people is really few and far between.

But this woman?

O.M.G. she gets under my skin like no one's business.

I don't know how many times you can politely decline invitations or say you'll try and figure out a schedule and call her back, and then NOT call her back, before SHE GETS A CLUE.

I do not want to hang out with this woman and be BFFs. I do not want to schedule playdates between Ben and her two hooligan sons. I do not want previously mentioned hooligans and mother coming here for fear they will never leave. I do not want her kids here to destroy our toys and house just because "boys will be boys", and theoretically you can just replace carpet when they get older.

NO.

NO THANKS.

But of course, in my tired and irritable state last Thursday, I agreed to this stupid thing tomorrow.

Blech.

Where is the flu when you need it?

Today's project

Crib Rail Teething Cover





There are end ones too, but they don't work on our sleigh crib.

Coffee Mate Art Party

16 coupons for a free bottle of creamer

Instant coffee and creamer packets

Paper, acrylic paint, and palette for painting

Drawing pad, wooden art case

Art kit in wooden case

What happened when two adorable children found the box.

Post-packing peanut snow angel making

Toy deals

I once again scored big at the 75% off toy clearance at Target:

$3.74

Angelina Ballerina figures $1.74 each

Bakugans for $1.74 each

Video camera $11.50

Optimus Prime costumes $3.74

Wooden Play food $1.50 each

Wooden kitchen for an American Girl-sized doll $14.98

Play My Way Table (great because we already have a few of the bins) $12.48

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My recent trip to Rite Aid: $41.90 + $15 UP rewards + $8.99 in submitted rebates

That's 8 boxes of Special K!

When wheels start turning

I need a new creative idea like I need a hole in the head. I have about a billion "ideas" in my head that would take from now until eternity to finish, but alas, the wheels in my head continue to turn.

In order to re-do our study to install the built-in desk with a marble desktop that is currently taking up 1/2 the garage, we were going to get rid of this monstrosity:

So well organized, isn't it? I especially love that computer monitor from my first Compaq in 1996. Vintage IS in you know.

I would like to see it turned into something like this:

armoire turned sewing cabinet

Or:

a crafter's heaven

Dream big or GO HOME PEOPLE.

"My Wish"- Rascal Flatts

"My Wish"

I hope that the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you're faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin' till you find the window,
If it's cold outside, show the world the warmth of your smile,

But more than anything, more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,
And you always give more than you take.

But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything,
My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

This is my wish
I hope you know somebody loves you
May all your dreams stay big

Lost and Found

It's amazing what you find when you decide to organize your life. After months of it being on my "Most Wanted" list, I finally found my cutting table. How you "lose" a 5' x 4 1/2' cutting table is really something only I could do, but then again, I also "lost" that 40 yd bolt of quilt batting. I baffle even myself.

After moving some bookshelves from the play area into my craft room, I was able to keep my most popular fabrics readily available to use. Since we got an awesome built-in desk for the study upstairs from one of Brandon's old displays, I have to move 2 bookcases from in there, down to the play area in the basement. Don't you love how you have to make 10 messes to clean ONE?




But now I have a nice and organized shipping center, so it's all good.


I've even managed to keep this section organized for a whole SIX MONTHS. I know, I'm awesome. And yep, that's a step stool. Not to be confused with the little plastic Ikea one in a previous picture. You remember I'm 4'11", right? They come a dime a dozen around here, every closet has one. :)


Do you think I need more supplies? I don't know, I think I do. And don't get too excited about that there microwave. I still haven't manage to locate an outlet on that wall to plug it in.


The newly organized corner of the play area. Don't be too jealous, my kids haven't been down here to play yet. Do you see what "two sets of grandparents who save 25 year old Little People sets" and two children later gets you? That's right, an ENTIRE shelf and 2 large bins devoted to Little People.