Feeling A Crafty Pull

Recently I have begun to feel drawn to some of your awesome blogs which have shown some super cool works of craft. I love to see a project finished and it gives me the motivation to learn to do new things. I have been moaning to the Hubby lately about not having any interests outside the home and find it hard when he goes out as I feel I am always stuck here. But then I realised why can't I be happy and enjoy my time at home? And what better way to do it then getting crafty?

I was super inspired by this post to begin with from Brigitte's Stay at Home Mamma Blog. It got  me so excited I went out to our local Magazine Shack, which sells, buys and swaps magazines. I came home with a pile of Sew Hip Mags, which is a U.K. sewing magazine.

They contain super patterns and are anything from beginner to advance so anyone can find something in here. I found a pattern for a pillow case dress. All you did was cut the top off, cut out some arm holes, make a casing at the neck and thread it with a tie. Super simple!

I decorated with buttons too, to add colour.

Then in following with Brigitte's post I started to think what else I could use to make Jaybug a dress. I ended up pulling out some single sheets that we never use and made this dress.

Thanks to the beautiful Jaybug for her modeling 

Brigitte then posted these which have to be the super cutest pants I have ever seen and I am planning on raiding the hubby's T-shirt draw to make Squeak some. But on her post was also a link to where she got the pattern from and I have fallen in love with this blog - Kojodesigns.

I have also found some awesome patterns in my Sew Hip for some cute felt monster, some Chenille bunnies and some material dolls. Paisley Jade's post here is so cute with her little bunnies that I am going to make some bits and pieces for Christmas. Her awesome crochet - like this baseball cap are also inspiring me to learn to crochet. I also found these on Virginia blue's blog - aren't they cozy!

Tonight Quack has his first Fancy Dress Ball and the theme is Wild West Hootenanny. So I have been busy making Quack and Jaybug some vests and bandannas for there outfits. They are calling themselves Woody and Jessie!

As the vests are the first "real" pattern and item I have constructed I am so pleased with how well they turned out. I managed to buy 1 metre of the brown material for $3 from Spotlight and the red bandannas are a top of mine that was no longer needed by me. So now I am looking for my next project, as I have taken over the dining table!

And the only other thing more exciting than feeling crafty is that Squeak has learned to say Mum! Apart from babbling 'bubba' for the last couple of weeks, with no meaning, it is his first real word. So now when he wants something he just says Mum and I burst with joy every time.

Squeak with his first ever ice cream in a cone

The list experiment

The list is something that holds all of the days tasks and jobs as I see need doing. The list isn't physical, it is mentally held in my head. The list is always changing and updating as the environment around me changes. If the children need something done, depending on the urgency, is where it fits into the list. The problem for me at the moment is I come at the bottom of the list. As the day progresses more and more things fill my invisible list and I never make it to the last task - which is me.

I have been learning a bit about self care and needing to take the time to do things for yourself. This is very challenging for me. Something inside me get anxious and nervous if I put me before doing what I see is on the list. I feel like I am cheating if I take time for me before the washing is done, or the lounge is tidy, or the dishes are put away. If I take the time to sit down before my list is complete all I do is sit there feeling guilty about the things I should be doing or the time I am wasting that could be more efficiently used.

But my challenge is to put me near the top of the list and learn to overcome the bad feelings I associate with this. So for a week my goal is to do something for myself, leaving something else that is on the list aside. I know that just thinking about this makes me worry as I feel the nerves build. But unless I make myself a priority I won't have the time to take a mental break towards wellness and other people will also expect that I will always put them first. Sometimes it is important to do things for other people but I am learning it should never be at the expense of your own well being.

So today I did some yoga and Pilate's before I hung up the washing (yes I will admit that before I did take the time I had already put the washing on, done the dishes, tidied the lounge, given the kids breakfast) but it is a start right? I left the washing, and what do you know, the world didn't fall apart. The washing was still waiting for me when I finished.

So this afternoon I once again took some time for myself to test the theory again (that the world wouldn't end if I did something for me without completing my mental list). I took some time to do some scrapbooking for Monkey number 3. I completed his birth page and his first month - so another two things off my scrapbook list but not off my household chores.

It is now time to start feeding time at the zoo, followed by bath and bedtime. But before I started I wanted to let you know about my experiment and let you know I would love to keep you up-to-date over the week that follows. I am also challenging you to look at where you put yourself and to take some time for self care over the next week with me.