Where Am I?

Ah!  Good question!  I ask myself that on nearly a daily basis.  The fact that I am off work for the summer contributes to my confusion.  Is it Monday or Thursday?  The end of July or the beginning of August.  It's nice to lose track of time.

So this fall I start my third year as an elementary school librarian.  Hard to believe.  I still pinch myself to see if I've really landed that dream job. 

In two more weeks I will be done, done, done with the seven classes I've been taking (didn't I make it seem so simple?) that I needed to get my full teaching license.  No.  More.  Classes.  (After one more large project - grrr).

And what will I do with all this "spare" time?  It's so easy to over commit when you are starting the next phase, but I intend to concentrate on Pip and Sprout.  They'll both be in elementary school together - ah, bliss.  I will concentrate on that aforementioned dream job.  There are so many FUN things to do and plan.  Speaking of...do you have a question about books for children?  Ask the Librarian (that's me).  Leave a comment and I will answer your question in a future post.

And finally, oh Joanie save me, I'm about to craft again!  (I did make it on Crafty Crow, you know).  I'm starting here... 

And what about Green Husband you ask?  He's about to embark on his on little landscape design business and try his hand at being Stay-At-Home-Dad.  Yes, with the economy there's been a ripple effect, so there are some changes afoot.  "You have to throw a stone to get the pool to ripple."

And finally, finally, oh joy!  I finished Summer's Lease by John Mortimer.  It took me five. FIVE summers to finish it, but I did it and I've now netflixed the movie.  I urge you to try it.  It won't take you five summers to finish.

Countdown Sticks - How Many Days 'Till Whatever!

OMG! I crafted AGAIN!

Well, to be fair, Pip and Sprout crafted and it was a fun one!

Whether you are counting down to a trip to the beach or a visit from Santa Claus, our Countdown Sticks (TM) are the sticks for you!

First, take some jumbo popsicle sticks...as many as you have days to count down.




Decorate them any which way you please.



(We used markers, glue, beads, pens, and glitter foam with adhesive backing).






Place them in a cup or tin (or in this case our Christmas Countdown Cup - even though we're counting down to sun and sand - see the deflated Water Wing?).



Each day, take out one stick so you'll know how many days you have before you can rip open all your presents (or how many days you have to pack the sunscreen and water wings).



Voila!

De-Crafto Craft

Um, remember when I vowed to NEVER craft again?

Well, I crafted.

And I am so proud of myself because I cannot craft. Seriously.

But here, by some miracle, a crafty endeavor actually worked! Inspired by The Nester, I stuck with the project from start to finish! I did not waste money by purchasing cute accoutrements that found themselves relegated to the back of my closet! My daughter expressed joy at my finished product!

So without further ado (or don't) I present to you a pair of Ikea curtains. Hemmed (big accomplishment!) with Stitch Witchery (who knew?!) and then cuted up with an adorable trim of pink pom-poms (Hot Glue Gun!). Yippeeeee! Now I am really gung-ho to complete my daughter's room in the Fifties, chenille-esque bed covering, girly-girl, princess phone look I'm going for... Any suggestions? Who knows...I may craft again...

Green Chit Chat

Even though I have sworn off crafting forever! (basically because I am no good at it), I just had to alert you crafty-crafters to some fun things I've found on my Internet and magazine travels:

Knotions has a nice article on how to find sweaters suitable for repurposing at your local thrift store (not repurposing AT the thrift store - that might get you in trouble).

The articles references two sites I had not seen before and I am sure I will now waste countless hours looking them over: Thrifty Planet Resource Guide and The Thrift Shopper.

Also, did you know that Betz White has a new book out and about? It's called Sewing Green and it looks fantabulous. So go ahead, crafter! Let me live vicariously through you and craft up some green goodness!

Project Flip and Flop

Today the kids and I tried a project that was slightly exasperating on the technical side: crayon "stained glass" windows. Pip lost interest quickly, while Sprout was a machine with the crayon sharpener, dumping her crayon shavings onto wax paper, and watching while I ironed another sheet on top. She created an adorable heart which she then affixed to the front window using her stash of stickers (aside: I always used to look down my nose at people whose car/bay/storm windows were covered in stickers. Didn't they have enough CONTROL to prevent this from happening? I'm that person now. Don't look down your nose at me and no, I don't have enough control).

My question is - does wax paper have a right side and a wrong side? Does it matter what sides you iron together? I tried ironing leaves and the paper would just not stick together. Also, the crayon oozed through (through!) the wax paper onto my ironing board...is this so wrong?

Green Housekeeping

First of all, I know I said that I have given up crafting forever, but why oh why oh why can't I have enough talent to make these? The patterns are just mocking me with their cuteness. Maybe in my next life.

Second I have some catching up to do in the blogging buttons category - in both the receiving and the giving. Amanda from Yay! Pie! has presented me with a blogging button which I am happy to accept and to pass along as well. The "I Love You This Much" Award goes to three bloggy friends who always make my day (I am leaving out my favorites who Amanda already decorated - spreading the wealth):

Big Binder
Nini Makes
Fo.ne.tic.lee Speaking

I also received a second button from Look, Mom, Look, one of the very first of my bloggy friends. I am passing this award along to three bloggers who regularly take time to stop by and comment.

Carrie at It Matters to This One
Meg at Soup is not a Finger Food
Jenny at Roughly Speaking

The rules of this award are: SHARE THE LOVE!!! Share this award with all those blogs out there that you love. All the people who make you smile. All those that make you laugh. All those that make your day. All those that leave uplifting comments on your blog. **All I ask, is that you include a link to this post with the award and ask your recipient to do the same**

The Ultimate Craft Closet

I'm sorry to say that I hate going to the craft store, a la carte, every time I think of a new project that Pip and Sprout might like to do. It seems quite ineffecient and it is probably quite expensive in the long run.

So...I am asking for your help. What items would you keep stocked in your Ultimate Craft Closet? Felt? Glue? Pencils? What's around your house? Old yogurt containers? Toilet paper tubes? Bubble wrap? Ribbon?

SusieJ is looking for a film canister, some balloons, an Alka Seltzer tablet and a box to get her through another snow day. I wouldn't have any of those things on hand either, I'm afraid. Would you?

Works for Me Wednesday - Green Holiday Card Bubble Craft

Even though it's *only* the 19th of December, my holiday cards are already looking a bit droopy hanging there on the armoire. As you consider what to do with all that cheery cardstock, post-holiday, think about making some colorful "bubbles" with your children. Depending on the card's size, trace a ramekin, saucer, or other small round dish on the card's design, cut it out, and then decorate (if it even needs additional sprucing) as you please.

When you're done, send those bad boys, with love, to Miss.Donna Quirke Hornick. Do I know her personally? No. But could she, and her room, use a little perking up right now? Yes. Works for me!

Bubble on!

{{More fabulous ideas over at Shannon's house}}

Clothespin Envy

My clothes line has clothespin envy.

Luckily I have a unopened pot of Modge Podge and all winter to work on these things.

Oh You Lucky Green North Carolinians...

Green Boss recently forwarded a little tidbit to me and I guess you could say I'm a slightly green with envy.

Who has been to this fabulous place and was it everything you had ever dreamed, and more?

The Scrap Exchange
Celebrating 16 years of Creative Reuse
548 Foster Street, Durham, NC 27701
phone 919-688-6960 fax 919-688-2792

I remember going the Boston Children's Museum which has a similar set up; it was every little sculpture artist's dream. Incidentally, the Boston Children's Museum is now going for its LEED certification by incorporating the following elements into its new addition:

• Green roofs on the new addition
• Storm water reclamation to reduce run-off into Fort Point Channel
• New infrastructure and fixtures to increase building efficiency
• Recycled, local, and low-emitting building materials

Tulle Ballet Skirts, Advent Calendars and a Few Bits of Green

Thank you so, so much, dear readers, for all of your recent comments.

I would like to thank those of you who replied in response to my quest for tulle ballet skirt tutorials and for home made advent calender ideas. Here are some of the lovely links - in case you missed them in the comment section - for you to visit and enjoy.

Kellie from La Vida Dulce made an absolutely adorable skirt in such yummy colors. Here are her pictures and she promises to have her tutorial up soon. Thank you, Kellie!

Gretchen from Lifenut also posted pictures of a tulle NO SEW ballet skirt she made from a tutorial. She writes, "When I hear or read the words “no sew” my eyes grow bright and my heart swells with hope." I hear ya, Gretchen. Lovely skirt.

Joanie at Nini Makes has a pretty advent calendar with directions published in that wacky UK-centric magazine Green Parent (Green Parent, you may send me free copies to review at any time, please and thank you) but has graciously offered to email the template to anyone on this side of the pond who asks. Aww, thanks Joanie. I'll take one!

And how very nice of Mommy from Heart of a Mommy to comment on Wednesday and I mention her comment because she recently posted about winning a subscription to Family Fun which gets me to my green info. of the day which is...(good NIGHT, get to it all ready!) the December 2007 issue of Family Fun has a piece on 10 ways to have a happy green holiday. Most of the ideas have to do with recycling boxes, bags and cards from holidays past. Not a bad idea, eh?

Oh, and these is still plenty of time to get your comment down for my bloggy book giveaway. Too shy to comment (Jackie?)? Aw, come on. Just a monosyllabic "er." or "epp." will do.

Wednesday Me For Works

First of all, thanks to all you for suggesting ways to corral my Playmobil toys and to iron my organics at the last Backwards WFMW!

Now, a plea to both loyal readers and guests...two of you once posted about making tulle skirts for kids from scratch and non-food advent calendars (actually, update: I've since found one I had in mind from Nini Makes). Can you please refresh my ailing memory and alert me if you were indeed the one (or two or three or four of you...anyone!) that addressed these topics?

More questions to be answered over at Shannon's place!

Don't forget my bloggy book giveaway...still plenty of time to enter!

With bloggy love,

Amy

Eco-Friendly Crafts

Do you believe that sometimes the stars just align? Look at this post over at Sew, Mama, Sew. It includes links to two eco-friendly products: a rag rug tutorial from Vintage Chica (you crochet it from scraps of fabric!) and then this clever draft dodger dog (or snake) tutorial from Crafty Crafty. Helps ya keep yer cold air out and your warm air in - very smart.

Did you remember I'm having a bloggy book giveaway until this Sunday?

And oh gosh, the November 2007 issue of Working Mother is green, it's green, it's green...as green as a fresh green bean (did you know that every episode of The Backyardigans focuses on a different style of music?).

And one more thing...I had forgotten about another Massachusetts word that gets a "Huh?" in Virginia: rotary. You know...that thing were you have to merge to cars that are already in the rotary? Anyone?

Freezer Paper Tutorial - HallowGreen

Happy Sunday, everyone.

Today's freezer paper tutorial is going to have a live-blogging element to it...meaning...it's football season and Green Husband's team is playing today. Need I say more. Hopefully the tutorial will be complete by 4:00 p.m. EST (read: post naptime). In the meantime, I'll be posting in dribs and drabs.

Also, please note. I am not a crafty person. I cannot take a good photograph to save my life. Please be kind. :)

Supplies...darn cat.





This morning we happened to do sponge prints of pumpkins, so I've decided that that will be my stencil. Here's my pumpkin that I will cut out and trace onto freezer paper. You can trace something directly onto the freezer paper - I would have used the sponge pumpkin, but it's already covered in paint! LOL!



Now don't forget to save any little scraps that you cut out (in my case the pumpkin's eyes, nose and mouth). Those are used to mask the paint. Also, my picture is symmetrical so it doesn't really matter which side of the freezer paper I trace my image. If you are concerned about what part of your image appears on the right or left side of your finished product, don't forget that the shiny side of the paper needs to go face down on your fabric.



My image is now ready to be ironed onto my son's t-shirt. Because these aren't exactly keepsakes for me, I've used an orange t-shirt that I know isn't going to make it another summer season. Placing the shiny side of the freezer paper down, carefully iron on all your elements down using low heat/no steam. You can just put a towel under the t-shirt if you're worried about the heat. I'm not so worried.



Ironing tips: You don't really need to "iron" per say. Just press the iron down flat on the paper for a few seconds until the freezer paper fuses. Remember: where ever you have paper there will be no paint.

Now, here is the important part which I learned the hard way last time. Go slide something between the two sides of your fabric if your fabric has a front and a back (like my t-shirt). I'm using this Sunday's Post magazine. It's the home addition and I really can't afford anything in there anyway. If you don't do this, the paint may seep through the fabric, causing the front and the back to stick together while drying. Hence, the hole in the back of my son's shirt last time when I tried to separate the two.

Pick up your brush and apply a very thin layer of paint to your image. You can work from some paint you squirt out right onto your fabric. You do not need to glob it on, but you want to make sure you get right up to the edge of the freezer paper, so don't be shy...paint right over the paper.




I can already tell that I've used a bit too much paint (it's acting uber-saturated) and that one of my "floating" pieces was not ironed down well enough so I'll probably have some paint seepage under there. Que sera, sera, eh?




Now. Lay flat and put somewhere where the paint can get nice and dry. And, note to self, do not leave it where the cat can sit on it again. My paint brand says to wait 24-hours. Bummer. The one I used before said 4.

So tomorrow, or whenever, simply and carefully peel off the freezer paper. You can use a pin or a paper clip to gently get under the paper instead of marring the image with your fingernail.

Follow your fabric paint's directions, but it's best to wait at least 72 hours before you wash it...kind of like those perms of yesteryear.

The kids are stirring... I hope you enjoyed this tutorial; thanks for waiting. I can't wait to see what creative things you come up with - I could sure use some inspiration in that department!

Go 'Skins!

Green Jokes

I am still feeling a bit harried by my trip up North. Leave it to a vacation to make you feel like you need a vacation as you try to play catch-up at work and at home. I am juggling (like all of you are) several presentations for work, a poster session for an upcoming conference, checking in with my blogging buddies, and tentatively beginning a new journey down a new path: freelance writing. I enjoy doing all of these things but do ya think that locking my keys in my car is my brain trying to tell me something? Fortunately Sprout and Pip were not in the car with my keys and at least I don't have to worry about canning peaches like Daring Young Mom. Read her post - it's a keeper. And, to top it all off I'm still on laundry load number three, dudes.

Here are some posts that are in the hopper:

More DC Greenery, including the winners of Michelle Singletary's eco-friendly contest and the upcoming Green Festival.

Miss Kitty et al.: Gather yee supply list...this weekend will be The Great Freezer Paper Tutorial. Remember, I'm no expert but if I can do it, you can do it. Trust me. Halloween images are perfect for freezer paper projects: lots of spooky silhouettes.

Some magazine round-ups: Yes, my addiction to the glossies is serving me very well. Allow me to crunch the numbers for you. It really is a DUTY to go through all of these magazines looking for green tid-bits. It's a tough job, but somebody, SOMEBODY, has got to do it. Let it be me.

And, my goodness, I almost forgot to write about the title of my post. Good thing I read it to remind myself! Wouldn't you think by now there would be a dearth (is that a word?) of Green Jokes? I mean you'd think any joke that relies heavily on the number of people needed to screw in a lightbulb would just be ripe for so good old-fashioned CFL humor. Any one?

Tomorrow is Computer Free Friday! See you on the flip side!

ARRRRRRRRR - T. Rex in Freezer Paper

I. did. it. I did a craft. It came out reeeeee-ally well. Perhaps you think I am bragging. Well, I kind of am because, if you must know, I do not have a good crafting history, shall we say. I have started about a dozen "hobbies" and usually give up. But in my, ehem, old age I have finally learned that nothing is accomplished without hard work and some massive mess-ups. So after learning about freezer paper here I became inspired. I did this while the kids took naps and if you want to, you can too. Here it is...T. Rex in Freezer Paper:



***Update***

See my freezer paper tutorial here!

Great Green Gardening Goes Ga-Ga in Toddler Trainers!

Have I mentioned I love alliteration?

Okay, now here is a fun little project that takes no time at all (or no time at all for your husband - I'm the IDEA-man, he's the EXECUTION-man. Without him, I'm worthless. But I digress).

We took some old shoes that don't fit my little Wanna-Greenies anymore, slapped in some soil from our (my husband's) compost heap, planted some green bean seeds, and no kidding, it must be the traces of organic sweat still lingering from my children's feet, this bad boy popped up in two days: