It goes without saying that not much is getting made here. What with a newborn baby (and a crabby one at that) and two crazy preschoolers wreaking havoc from the first moment they wake up and a blanky blank holiday–we need all the school time we can get. I have somehow managed to make some pies, mostly because I want to eat them. This one is pretty damn good (and all gone) and this is on the docket for today. But I did get to sneak down to my studio for all of ten minutes to sew up this little curtain for the fireplace. I’ve been wanting to do this for a while now and had grand visions of appliqued castles and little pockets for little friends. Finally I just said screw it and cut and hemmed this pretty piece of fabric (a bedspread from urban outfitters that was destined to become something at one point, I just forget what).  I saw the idea in Cookie magazine, but I can’t seem to find it anywhere online. The kids call it their secret room and though the novelty has worn off for them already (two days later) I still like it.

I got this fabric, well really it’s more like a print, from reprodepot last year. After asking my super talented art major friends how to display this ginormous piece of fabric, I went to the art supply store to get stretcher bars. Stretcher bars, if you don’t know (I didn’t), are used to make a simple wooden frame that you can then stretch your canvas over. Now that I think about it, they are like large square (or rectangle) embroidery hoops. They come in every length, so you can make a frame in whatever size you like. I only say all of this because if you like fabric, sooner or later you are going to want to put some on your wall and stretcher bars will help you out immensely. I was really nervous about this project–mostly I didn’t want to destroy this beautiful fabric. I finally got my nerve up at the last craft night and put a thousand staples in it. It may be a little wonky, but I’m okay with that. It’s in the kid’s room and they love it (I thought it might give them nightmares, I mean it’s pretty large and a little on the creepy side). When all the furniture rearranging (for this little baby) finally is finished I’ll show the whole room.

trash picking season is in full swing here. I’ve found a few things, including this fantastically huge map (we live in wisconsin, if you didn’t know, so it’s not weird). I’ve had to pass by many things because with another baby on the way we just don’t have room for more stuff, even if it is free for the taking. Speaking of that little baby, he or she will be here soon–seven weeks–so I think I have to be in this space a little less and start to make room for the little one. I will still check in, probably once a week, but if I disappear you will know what I’m up to.

for more awesome trash look here.

We’ve been living it up at Grandma’s house all week, but now we’re heading deep into the woods. I’ll be back sometime next week. Thanks for all your wonderful feedback on my last post. You guys are great.

We’ve had jute rugs for a couple of years now (you can see one here) and they were getting ratty as hell. Not to mention totally beige and boring.  They hide every stain though and with two dirty dogs and two toddlers that is pretty huge.  But the boringness was outweighing their usefulness when the spring came, so I sprung for some new ones. Rugs are really expensive (if you didn’t know) and I would like to tell all the shelter magazines and design blogs to stop telling everyone that 1000 bucks for a rug (or a couch or anything really) is cheap, because it is not. 10 bucks is cheap. And that’s what I paid for one of these yellow stripey runners at Ikea.  I duct taped them together–classy I know–and now I have a rug that I is far from beige and cost less then take out.  I got two more for the living room and it like we live in a whole new house (granted one where I have to vacuum a lot more, but still they look pretty good).