Craft Therapy

New (non-daytime nap-taking) baby + busy church calling + 3 boys at home for the summer + no travel plans due to outrageous medical expenses + Travis working 2nd shift or late more often + post partum depression = a stressed out Melanie.

To combat this life-sucking combination, I've got a new plan. Just do what makes me happy. Forget about the $800 of dental work Grant needs, stop worrying about the chaperones we need for stake youth conference, hide out from the heat, make do with whatever food we happen to have around the house, postpone potty-training Hayden, and do what will get me to the end of the day.

So today, I chilled with the kids. They seemed to have mellowed out now that we're into week 2 of the summer. For breakfast we had no-bake cookies from last night. Lunch was sandwiches and dinner was pizza-toast with applesauce. The baby took 2 long naps!! Yay! Of course in the middle, I had to hold her for a couple hours, but hey, I'll take it. The kiddos played computer games, played in the basement, and had a sprinkler party in the backyard (complete with 25 mosquito bites for Grant eek!).

I've found that sewing, crocheting, and crafting make me happy. I've decided that if sitting at a crumb-covered table and sewing cheers me up and makes me want to keep going the rest of the afternoon, then it's what I will do. And I'm happy. We eventually cleaned the living room, the laundry will eventually get done, but more importantly, we will eventually make it through this summer.

So, guess what I made today? Wait, a little history first. I love baby nightgowns. They are SO awesome for late night/early morning diaper changes. BUT, they only make them in size 0-3. So now that Cosette's in 3-6 month clothes, I miss her gowns! So as I fell asleep last night, I thought geez, I guess I'll have to sew some. Hmmm....I couldn't finish one during a 45 min Cosette nap and I hate doing the ticky-tacky stuff like sleeves, closures, etc.....Hmmmm....A onesie with a skirt attached is basically all I need....Couldn't I cut off the bottom of a onesie and make a nightgown?! Yes!!! Now I'm excited. But how am I going to make it to Joann's with 4 kids tomorrow....I would need some fabric....I guess I could wait for Trav, but he's working late a lot lately....oh wait....don't I have a pile of my shirts I'm getting rid of because they either don't fit well or have a small stain? Couldn't I combine a onesie I already have and a shirt I'm getting rid of to make the perfect nightgown?

(Here's the remains of my first onesie and another shirt that will soon be a nightgown too!)

Yes I can!!! And I can finish it during a short Cosette nap! I cut off the onesie, cut off the shirt just below the sleeves, gathered the unfinished edge of the shirt and sewed it to the onesie. Next, I just stretched and zig-zagged elastic along the bottom to create the gathered bottom. Finally, I sewed the trim from the neckline of my shirt around the waist to finish it off. It rocks.

Lovin my new gown!! So comfy and cool! And thanks to whomever handed down the onesie to us...

And here's one of Cosette rockin' her legwarmers again.

I've also been doing a little scrapping:

So now I've just got to keep working on my current projects. I've started a new one too: crocheting bonnets and booties for Cosette. I realized today that she would outgrow them soon, so I better get to work! I'm about 1/2 way done with my first bonnet and I'll loving it! I'm hoping to be able to take this project to the waterpark.

Oh and if you want to get lost in craft-land, check out my new favorite website: http://thecsiproject.com/

It is filled with LOADS of fun crafts and home decor ideas. You'll be bookmarking ideas like crazy!

So, don't be surprised if you stop by my house and find 3 or 4 crafts in progress and a big mess. Hopefully you'll also find a sane mom and generally happy (if not very clean...oh wait, swimming at the waterpark equals a bath, right?) kids. P.S. Let me know if you have any crafty/crocheting/sewing sites that you just love!