Handmade Home

Ok so you all know I love books.  I can't help it.  There is so much info out there and while we can find much on the internet, books are classic.  So when I get new books I have read or used I want to review them and let you know more about them.
I recently used a gift card from my birthday and bought this book by Amanda Blake Soule called "Handmade Home."  I am always looking for ways to do things differently, new from old, simpler.  This book looked liked it had some great ideas in it!
The first project that caught my attention was the "Family Art Table Runner"  Using scanned in art projects she has created a awesome looking table runner.  I am going to use this idea for Thanksgiving.  What a great tradition that will be year after year.  I figured Summer was a great time to get some of these started.
Having many headaches the second project that caught my eye where the "Silky Eye Pillow" (no pun intended!:))  Since I a beginner sewer, I like simple projects right now.  These look easy and plan to use some as gifts.

Her assortment of ideas for bags are great and I love beach blanket idea.  All these ideas use old fabrics, scraps  of fabric or even old table cloths and sheets.  She has ideas for cloth diapers, slings and even mama cloths.  I look forward to sewing more of her ideas and creating my own from hers.  When I get them done I will share with you!

Books, Books, Books

So I admit it. I love books. All kind of books. I want my kids to grow up surround with books. I have selves and selves of books. Sometimes I know I have too many books. But I love them. Todays task was to organize the kids books which were in boxes due to all the moving around we have been doing. So I took all the kids books and made them in piles on the school table. I had piles for:

• Board books
• Bible Books
• Learning books
• Hardback story books
• Hardback school story books
• Paper backs
• Chapter books
• and Readers

Plus any book that was torn or damaged we threw a way.

When I was done I had the board put in a little selves just the right size for the little kids. I put the Learning books, school story books, chapter books and readers on a self by the school room area. I put the paper backs, story books and Dr. Seuss books and all the bible books on two selves in the living room. Now all our books are organized and I can use the boxes they were stored in for other things.

I keep books for older kids on our built in selves in our living room. We are this much closer to finishing up moving rooms around.

List of other tasks that need done...

• Get Christmas boxes ready for Dan to put away.
• Clean out garage and organzie it. Maybe get car in.
• Finish getting room switched
• Put small clothing put away, or give away
• move dressers around
• too many more things!!

So I will just focus on those things