Its about time!

I've had several failed projects lately, hence the lack of posting and general making malaise. A trip to JoAnn's last week helped to fuel the fires and after one more semi-fail (not terrible, but certainly not good enough to blog about) I dove into my version of Dana's Lined Kid Pants. I think I may have even used the same fabric she did. It was super easy and a great way to use up Dad's old t-shirts as the lining. Basically you just make 2 pairs of pants, turn one inside out, stuff them together and sew. Now that I've got this pants making thing down, its not much of a hassle to make the second pair. I'm pretty sure I put these together in under an hour, including a sizing snafu that required additional sewing.

My latest pattern iteration is a little on the long side, hopefully allowing for a longer wearing pant. This lined version is a great realization of that with the built in contrasting cuff from the lining.

And everyone knows that its important to have a comfy pair of pants to rock out in. Even if your headphones aren't plugged in.

Things we do after nap :: Mirror art with bath tub crayons

I'm finding that sometimes its hard to fill time with a toddler. Our biggest obstacle right now is Jack's attention span. When planning activities, I have to find short, uncomplicated things for us to do.
Bruce was on a work call from home yesterday so I needed something to keep Jack busy on the other side of the house. Having daddy work from home certainly affords us moments that I'm sure many moms and dads aren't able to experience together but it also presents some interesting logistical challenges with a rambunctious little boy in a 1200 sq foot house. I had bought our first bath tub crayons a couple of days prior and when I walked into our bedroom to change Jack, the light bulb went on.

I drew some silly pictures and Jack scribbled happily. This actually kept us both busy for a whole 20 minutes or so. Enough time for Bruce to finish his call and wander into the bedroom to find out what the heck we had been up to.

I like that we were creating on a unique surface. When you get up close, the reflection of the line work in the mirror makes it even more interesting. From further away our own reflections can become a part of our drawings. I suppose Jack's a bit young for these musings just yet but I hope I'm sowing the seeds. Either way, I got some sweet, baby hugs so that's a win for this Mama.



The best upcycled tote!

Bruce started a new job at Microsoft this month. Very exciting career move for him and very exciting swag upcycling opportunity for me. He brought home this bag from his orientation (along with, seriously the best water bottle in the world). Also, please ignore the monkey. They are EVERYWHERE.

I knew it was the perfect size for a new diaper/snack/toy/extra wipes bag. So I slip stitched some polka dotted fabric on the front and elevated it to moar awesomer status.

I used it first on our outing to the Seattle Children's museum a couple of weeks ago and it was perfect. I HATE taking my purse there since I inevitably end up crawling around on the floor with Jack. Something not too big, but over the shoulder is best for me. It easily held several snacks, 2 bibs, a package of Kirkland wipes, 3 diapers, my giant wallet, keys and the Jelly Bean sling. I've been using this thing almost every time we've gone out since then. That's a pretty successful upcycle, dontcha think?