happy new year

Happy New Year!

I bet you thought I forgot, didn't you?  

not about 2012; about this little blog.

aux contraires, mes amis!

VOILA:

 

 a new blog.

still in baby stages.

but readable, followable, enjoyable.

nonetheless.

see you there.

tag-up tuesday

It's Tuesday already! It's winter break and we are enjoying a week at home without the school routine. I find it's easier to get into projects when I know I can continue on it the next day should I be interrupted.

Completed over the past week:
-a cute birthday gift for Carter's classmate. enter pink ruffled apron and hair ties at left. (just a side note: Snuggles was at the party. Poor guy was wearing a pink and purple satin dress.)

-sorting through outgrown clothes and kids stuff. Now there are four boxes to drop off at the thrift store, six totes to drop off for consignment, four Kijiji ads (posted! and two of those four items are on their way out my door this afternoon.) and a handful of found 'lost items'.

-supplies gathered for the 'Home Organization Journal'. When purchasing the binder, I grabbed another big one and Carter and I put all his school
work in it. He's been paging through it telling me about the projects and is pretty excited to bring home new work to hole punch and add to the binder. If you visit, I'm sure he'll show you his work too. He's quite proud!

-two sales in the shop! and a custom order to fill. If you were oogling them, the dino blankie and the grey dotted blankie are gone. The new owner of the grey dotted blankie requested another in orange which pleased us so -- there is a certain boy (C.) in this household who LOVES all things orange and is quite excited for fabric shopping tomorrow.












-demolition. Not really my project -- it's Mike's but it does involve me too. The first level of our basement (there are two) has been torn apart! Insulation and framing removed, floors being scraped... We're needing some more bedrooms in this house -- especially with it being our turn to host family Christmas this year (hint, hint, family! -- book early, the rooms will go fast.) That being said, it will come to a time when Carter and Logan will no longer want to share a bedroom and our three bedroom house will accommodate when they make that decision. But we do live far from most of our family so I'm most of all happy to have the extra space for visitors.


On the block this week:
-potty training Logan -- another attempt. It's going well this time. I think we've got it!

-Valentine's Day care packages. I still work casually for King's just helping out with their Student Care Package program. I get to do the fun stuff: creating and delivering care packages. There are 17 care packages waiting to be tied closed with ribbon.

-fabric shopping: some 'warm & natural' to start quilting the little boy's quilt and orange flannel.

-I'm determined to get some more flannel blankies in the shop this week. In fact, I'm hitting the cutting table immediately after this. Okay, immediately after lunch. I'm hungry.

-the 'Home Organization Journal'. This is shaping up well -- I need some help from my DH though, so you'll have to wait a bit to see.

-three check-ups at the doctor's office tomorrow. Should be fun, no? lol! I'm sure there will be a story to share...

that's it! I'm feeling motivated having all of you to keep me accountable to my projects. Thank you! and thank you for reading. now go! get something done!!

Tag Up and GO!

snuggles

This past Tuesday Carter came home with a large purple backpack... reluctantly. It was a school project and he did not want to participate. The pack sat unopened in the front entrance for a few hours before my curiosity got the best of me. I opened it. A binder and fur. Out popped Snuggles, the class bear and the binder gave me clues as to what we were to do with this house guest. Basically: show him a good time (and document it). Show him a good time, we did when I finally convinced Carter it was going to be fun.

Carter and Snuggles headed out to our rink in the back yard for a little hockey.

Maybe Snuggles isn't the best goalie?
or is that balaclava restricting his vision?

Logan takes his turn.

A sleigh ride for Snuggles back to the house.

Okay, a fast sleigh ride back to the house.

Some shoveling work with the boys.

Snuggles is way into the shoveling, isn't he?

A snack after hockey and shoveling: hot chocolate and oranges.

Snuggles preferred honey.

Carter and Paityn had a tea party with Snuggles.

Breakfast was honey again.

Good night Snuggles!

a space for me & a prototype

I finally found/made some more time this weekend to tidy up my new sewing space a bit as well as do a little sewing.

My new sewing space: just off the kitchen in our 'sunken' family room. See? the boys can gaze at me through the railing from the kitchen.

This is the bookshelf that Opa Buikema made for me while I was in university. Hoping it's okay to store fabric on it too? Top shelf is dedicated to projects planned. The right side is flannel for baby receiving blankets. The basket holds a fishing game I've been working on for the boys. The left side is a stack of fabric for the following...

Here is the prototype of item #1 from me to go into our Etsy shop (soon to be opened).
I'm nearly happy with the little zipped bag. Just a couple tweaks and it'll be just right!

The lining inside
(does blogger ever do this to you? I can't get this pic to upload right side up!)

The stack of fabric from 'the left' ready for cutting and sewing.
Now to find/make the time...
(#5,6 & 7 from the bottom are "Bloom & Grow" (Riley Blake) from stitchsteals.com I've got it on order in pink too!)

our new lifestyle

just a few more pictures of life around here since we've become five...

Our arrival at home from the hospital and three very curious boys: Logan, Carter and Papa.

Two very proud big brothers.

Paityn, post-bath, on Saturday morning.

Logan finally felt that he should take a turn on his own to hold his sister.

Sunday morning before church...
Upon being introduced to the congregation, Paityn gave a very royal wave which brought many giggles and chuckles.

On this new lifestyle with three little ones: day by day, right? -- I've got half a day (that's me alone with the three) under my belt and it's not too bad. yet? I'm thankful for the season and that we can go outside to get the sillies out of little boys -- walks to the mailbox, digging in the sandbox, riding bikes and street hockey on the driveway.

(I do have an itch to sew but when and how, I just do not know right now. All the sewing equipment and supplies have been packed away for a while. I do still have to post my most recent projects though. I think I'm behind about five, or so...)

she has arrived!

Early this morning, we met the newest addition to our family:

Introducing Paityn Mareika born this morning at 1:07am.

She weighed 7lbs, 3 oz and measured 19 1/4 inches.

Paityn has two very proud big brothers ready to help with anything!

We are all doing great but are a bit tired after the ordeal. Papa and Gramma are here visiting/helping out/entertaining Carter and Logan while the rest of us recuperate.

some smiles

They were absolute monkeys today but there's always a shining moment, isn't there?

The boys were putting away laundry for me as fast as I could fold it this afternoon. This is what they did with the stock of facecloths I keep in the kitchen for mealtime clean ups. Normally, the cloths would be in a lovely basket.