Today's Project ~ Purple Bracelet

I've been wanting to make a bracelet to go with my new dress for Brian's wedding.  I originally was thinking about velvet, I have some left-over from some long-ago project, but I really wanted purple to go with my outfit.  So, when I had some fabric left-over from Parker's Romper, it seemed perfect.

I've been planning to use one of my bling-brooches left over from work, but I needed to do something in addition.  Originally, I was going to do a pleated ribbon circle under the pin, but that would require a trip to the fabric store.  Then, last week I saw this post, so I was inspired to do the fabric knots.  ...unfortunately, turns out that would also require a trip to the fabric store.

Then I remembered the yoyo's we made at MOPS a few weeks ago.  They've been laying around the house since they fell off all the bobby pins & magnets they were originally attached to.  Turns out they are perfect, and I had several to chose from.

I bought a bracelet form at the craft store a while ago, so I used that for this project.  But, if I feel like doing this again, I have a bracelet in my jewelry box that I got in BP several years ago that I could use, it's just a little too big so it's always falling off, and the edges are kind of sharp.  A layer of fabric might be just the thing to make it wearable.

One thing I learned from this project ~ if I'm really going to start being super-crafty (which is a pretty big "if"), I'm going to need to get a new hot-glue gun.  I got my current hot-glue gun from my Mom, and she probably had it for 20 years prior.  The trigger doesn't work, so you have to push on the glue stick to get anything out.  Plus, the stand is so wobbly, half the time the glue had hardened by the time I'd finished putting the gun down.

Except for that, it turned out to be a super easy project.  I was able to finish the whole thing in the time it took Keith to put Parker down for a nap.

I'm not really a big hand-made jewelry person, it is one of those things that I see on another person & think it looks really cool, but I don't think I can pull it off.  So we'll see how much I wear this, but I think it looks great & I'm excited to try it out.

This week's field trip

We didn't have a field trip this week because of Easter, so we have to bring in photos we've taken outside of class.  So, Parker & I worked on a little photo shoot today in the sunshine.  Unfortunately, Mr. Cranky-Pants here can barely handle being put down this week, so easier said than done...I took 295 photos, these are what I got.

Oh, he cries...

I have a new friend at Church, who, nearly every time she sees us, she mentions how great Parker is and how she's never seen him cry.

Let me assure you that he does.

And if he hadn't, he seems to be trying to make up for lost time this week.

He'd better have a mouth-full of teeth when this is over.

Today's Project ~ Parker's Purple Romper

I've spent an astonishing amount of time over the past month trying to find an outfit for Parker to wear to Brian & Sandi's wedding.  I didn't have an exact idea of what I wanted, but I did know that I wanted it to be really cute, a little different, and purple.  Turns out, purple was to be my undoing.  Finally, a few weeks ago, I threw my hands up in frustration and said, "Fine!  I'll just make something!"  I've since managed to find something on EBay, but the purple romper idea was stuck in my head, so it had to be done.

I was originally considering making my own pattern (you can't work in the industry for 12 years without picking up a few things), but finally decided to just go ahead & buy a pattern.

I don't think I've made anything from an actual pattern since high school.  Most of what I've made lately has been pretty simple; bibs, bags, and curtains aren't real complex.  But here's the problem with buying a pattern.  When I create a pattern, I put hours & hours of thought into how the pieces will be cut, the order & logistics of sewing it together, etc.  So that, by the time I'm actually sewing, I know how to make it inside & out.  As far as I can tell, whoever made this pattern didn't appear to put any thought into it ever.  So, some of the directions were somewhat less than clear.

But I digress...

That said, it was nice to have someone else figure out the details of the pattern for me.

It took me every free moment of the last two days to finish it, but here's Parker's new romper.

That's not to say it was all that complicated of a style, just that Parker chose this week to be the week that he didn't take a single decent nap.  Any other week & I probably would have finished this in an afternoon.

It's a little big, but I think that's part of the style.  Plus, it needs to still fit three months from now when it might actually be warm enough to wear it outside.

Eight Months!

Our little boy is eight months old!

Some things Parker can do:

Move objects from one hand to the other.

Stuff his face with cheerios - and he can get the vast majority in his mouth, much to Darcy's dissapointment.

Sit for long periods of time - he has the ability, if not the inclination.

Sleep for 6-8 hours in a row at night, which means I can now sleep at least 4-6 hours in a row (assuming Darcy doesn't wake me up)

Roll from one end of the room to the other.  He's starting to get frustraded with constraints of rolling, I think it's just a matter of time before he figures out crawling.

Some things Parker Loves:

Mama & Daddy - I'm still #1, but Daddy's a close second

Binky

Food of any shape, fashion, and color

Laughing

Silly Tickle Time/Pajama Time with Daddy every night

Pulling Darcy's hair (sorry Darcy!)

Pulling Mama's hair

Jumping - He likes the jumparoo, but his favorite is to stand in your lap and kick his feet while you lift him up & down & up & down until you think your arms will fall off

Talking & waving his hands

Sticking his tongue out and making funny faces

Some things Parker does not like:

Bath Time

Being ignored - and he would ususally file "being put down for a nap" under "being ignored"

...I think that might be it.

Parker is finally learning to fall asleep without being swadled.  It occasionally causes a 10-minute crying fit before he falls asleep, but he's getting better at it.  And now, often when he wakes up, he just hangs out happily playing in his crib until I realize he's awake.

Parker's learning to stick his tongue out, he loves to watch you stick your tongue out & then tries to copy.

Easter!

The Needs again hosted a fantastic Easter party this year.

Parker wore his cute Easter outfit from Grandma.

Waiting for the start of the Easter Egg Hunt...

Once everyone arrived, we had an all-out Easter Egg Hunt outside for the little ones.

Wesley wasn't really into the egg hunt, but he did have fun tossing his ball over the wall & letting me find it several times.

The kids (except for mine) are starting to get old enough that they can play for extended periods of time & we don't hear from them.  The girls were downstairs "fixing" the car.

I think the desserts were a hit.