Happy New Year!

One of my New Year's resolutions is to blog daily, so join me on my challenge! 

Wishing you a healthy and happy 2014, The Williams Family

Adventures in Sewing

Today's adventure was.... sewing with Stacy and Sophia!  It shocks and amazes me how skills you learned 25 years ago... even 35 years ago in some cases, come back to you when you are trying to re-learn them.   For instance, take sewing.  I took sewing classes in 4-H.... does anyone remember 4-H?  I learned to knit, sew, ride horses, raise rabbits,  I even sewed my own Christmas stocking one year.  I was literally 9 when I gave up on it.  In college I took Costume construction classes, but never liked it.  I remember once, standing there for two hours with my arms out having class-mates pin muslin onto me... and when I put my arms down I passed out.   BAM right on the floor.... so embarrassing... anyway, I digress.  Here are some pictures of Sophia and I trying to rev up the sewing machine she got for Christmas.  I think our two projects came out pretty good.

Now, you see people on Pinterest with all their artsy fartsy creative things, pictures of nice little  frocks and bows and all that stuff, but, yeah that's not how we roll in this house.....

           Shit Shit shit shit shit.....

That's about the moment I realized I sewed the pants inside out.

 Sophia did a pillow for her brother all by herself....

 Don't sew your fingers to the machine, we don't have time for an ER visit today.

 Im laughing because I'm completely retarded.  Does this go here or... where?

 Extra fabric for other projects.

Sagan's Pillow.

Ironically today Stu and Sagan worked on his Pinewood Derby car all day.  Mostly it was Stu on a very dangerous wood saw,  and then on a very dangerous dremel, coming hazardously close to filing his own fingers off, while Sagan played Minecraft.  Let's be honest here, how much is a 7 year old really going to do when it comes to Pinewood Derby?  We'll save that for another post.  For now I have to go sweep up, it looks like a Cambodian sweat shop in here.

We are Never Getting A Real Tree, Ever Again. Ever.

 

Today's adventure was removing the Christmas Tree.  About a week ago, I noticed the needles falling off my tree like rain.  Since we heat our house with a pellet stove ( article I wrote back in '08) it is quite dry.  I did attempt misting and watering the tree regularly, but the needles didn't want to stay.   They all jumped ship... onto my rug.  I almost lost my mind trying to clean them up, as illustrated below.

 

 

 

 I am woman, I am braless, and I'm wearing all-weather-mocs. 

 

Stu hacked up the tree, wrapped it up and threw it off the back deck in a rain storm.   This is his annoyed face.

 

 

 

I made three attempts to sweep my rug.  Then I vacuumed.   Again and  again.  Then I lost my mind.  Then Stu vacuumed.  I nursed my pine needle punctures and itchy skin from contact dermatitis.....Still, the pine needles linger.

 

 

 

 

Next year?   Fake tree.   Sorry kids. 

 

 

But it sure was pretty.

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.....

My friend Katie came up to visit me from Florida this weekend, reminding me that distance has no effect on friendship if the friendship is real.


I truly believe some people are compatible, and others aren't.  Not everyone is cut out to be friends with everyone, but there is a friend out there for everyone. 

"People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime"

I had a friend say this to me a few years back and it is really something to live by.  If you adhere to this rule, you can save yourself a lot of heartache.  I definitely have those "lifer" friends, the ones you tell the truth to when they have a booger hanging, or their shirt is too short to cover their beer belly, or their tramp stamp is looking a little faded.....and those friends who seem to appear in your life right when you feel you can't go another day and lift you up.... and when they leave your life you remember fondly that they were definitely there for a reason.... and then the friends who are there for a wonderful, fulfilling season, that eventually wear out their welcome in your life, and fade like an old pair of underwear that eventually gets holes in it and isn't pretty and sexy anymore.   I can categorize my friendships into reasons, seasons, and lifetimes.

Katie's a lifer.