Dressers

Dear Ellen,

You know when you get that feeling that you should take care of something NOW but you're just tired? (Oops, that's all of pregnancy, I forgot). Welllll, this happened weeks ago and I just couldn't talk about it. A dresser almost identical to the white one shown was on Craigslist. And sold from under me because I didn't jump on it. It sold for $35. And if you go to the Dwell website it sells for over 1,000. And I didn't know this, I just knew it was an awesome dresser. I guess the silver lining is that Dwell thinks it's an awesome dresser, too. I told Ben I was so upset that I felt like my ribcage was collapsing on itself.

Your patchwork is sew cute! What have you done with your newest fabric?

Sewing School

Dear Hannah,

I got a sewing machine from Santa for Christmas and unlike my previous sewing machine, I'm actually learning how to use this one! Currently, I am enrolled in Sewing 101 at Stitch on Belmont Boulevard. Last Saturday, we learned how to make a pin cushion. Tomorrow, I will make a flip wallet. I might even make one for you, too! I find the machine totally intimidating and I can't sew a straight line to save my life. The process has helped me have more empathy for beginners of any craft, especially the new and nervous knitters that used to come into Angel Hair Yarn Co. I have great plans for this craft, but here are the very humble beginnings...

Step 1: choose fabric strips.

Step 2: try to sew a straight line.

The fabric on the right is the bottom of the cushion.

Step 3: Ta da!

Here are my classmates' pillows. Aren't they cute?

Love,
Ellen

You Would Look Cute In This

Dear Ellen
Sign up for Zulily and the will email you daily deals. It sounds annoying but it's all maternity and kid stuff and they really are good deals.
xo
Me

Dear Schmellen,

Oh, man, you are going to croak when you see Roost. I know you are not in cooking mode at the moment, but I also know you will be again in five seconds.

I like the clean bedroom advice. It is much easier to adhere to now that we have a larger closet. That is my new dumping ground, but it is slowly getting cleaner too. I got all wooden hangers and enough shoe storage. Storage makes me happy.

Complain to the grandparents to be that it sure would be nice to have some wood, batting, fabric and a staple gun so you can have a cushy headboard against which to lean while nursing baby. That should do the trick.

Hee hee,
Hannah

Chores

Dear Hannah,

Have you seen this website? Flylady.com - she's a woman on a mission and a ministry to help people take care of their homes. In anticipation of the New Year, I resolve to take care of my home.

Currently our most neglected, least attractive, and most cluttered space is our bedroom. According to Flylady:

"Your bedroom should be the cleanest room in your home. Many of you still use yours as a garbage/clutter disposal for the rest of the house. If your bedroom is clean and clutter free, then it becomes an inviting haven for building your relationship with your spouse. The best gift you can give your children is a strong marriage. This is true whether your children are 2 or 40 years old."

Besides decluttering, I want to create clear zones - sleeping, dressing, and rocking baby. Also, we need a headboard. The room feels out of balance and so I did a little research on Feng Shui. Here is what I found. We need a headboard for which I have no budget - as in no $. So, I'm thinking something like this. I've got some other ideas posted on pintrest here.

What do you think?

Love,
Ellen

Speaking of which...

Dear Hannah,

I finally joined pintrest and found this fun website All for the Boys (this is in direct response to my Mother's concern, "I just don't know what to do with little boys!") and this cool project from Katydid and Kid.



I want to make it now!

Love you so very much,
Ellen

Ps. Thank you for the sweet photos!

Proof

Dear Ellen, below is proof that you were meant to mother a boy.






Recently having a little boy has meant things like finding a shriveled Cheerio in the poinsettia pot. Or a crayon in the bottom of my essential oil room freshener. It turned the whole bottle green. It means being handed a booger as if I wanted it, and waking up to my husband and son playing with Dad's old He Man characters.

I think, however, if we ever do have girls, we will be surprised by how similarly indelicate they are. They will probably still hand us their boogers. They'll just do it while wearing tutus.