Laundry Room- Lined Curtains

This is a tutorial on how to create lined pocket rod curtains.  I am really not an expert sewer, but this is a project for a novice.  The key is to cut straight lines, and IRON everything...This specific fabric is organic cotton twill, that has a really nice stiffness to it.  It looks really great with a lined too!

Smock- When Painting and Parties Mix (TM)

Last week, I had the opportunity to get back to my first love... Painting.  So I went painting party.  Smock, run and organized by Yianna Angelopoulos, is a party where you paint, socialize and drink. Smock will come to your home or venue to set up a whole art studio, which includes canvases, paints, brushes, easels, and smocks.  Drinks and food are provided by the host.

Our theme of the night was "50 Shades of Grey" meets Georgia O'Keefe.   Each easel was set up with a small Georgia O'Keefe picture and a quote from "50 Shades of Grey."  Yianna encouraged us to look at the center of the flower and work from there. To begin, we were given one crayon to create a rough sketch.  That's right no pencils or erasers.  The goal was to encourage us to sketch over any perceived mistakes and to problem solve.   Further, we worked with a limited palette of white, black, and yellow focusing on creating shades of gray with mid-tone values. As time progressed, we grew bolder with our choices and we were encouraged to add some color.

In the end, our paintings turned out fabulous!  Each and every painting reflected our unique and individual personalities.  If you would like to host a Smock party or would more information, you can reach Yianna Angelopoulos at smockchicago@gmail.com or her blog www.smockschicago@blogspot.com.

Play Nice

     For a two year old, the idea of sharing with little sister (who is 1), is pretty much much a daily struggle.  Every time the kids play unsupervised, there is some amount of crying and hitting involved.  I am sick and tired of putting Mr. S. in the "naughty seat," which in my humble opinion does not work.  When he hits and shoves, he is aware of his negative behavior, but rejects apologizing to his sister.  Though he willingly apologizes to mommy and daddy.
     I recognize that he needs to be in control and assert his independence.  This is fine with me, but it needs to be accomplished in a safe and controlled setting.



 

     So today, Mr. S. made the rules.  The three of us played "legos" in the toy room.  Mr. S. loved to dump, so he was in charge of dumping the legos and building.  Meanwhile, he allowed the baby to put the legos into the bin.  Mommy was in the middle making sure they did not get into trouble.  With my right hand I helped Mr. S. build tall buildings, while with my left hand I made a pile for the baby.  This is how the morning went.  We peacefully played to our hearts content.. I guess mommy needs to supervise more often.

Expect the Unexpected

This morning, I was scrambling along, quickly trying to get myself and my two children ready to leave the house.  We were heading to the city to meet some friends for a nice Sunday brunch.  I was in the bathroom, putting on my makeup oblivious to the goings on around me.  My two and a half year old son had taken the roll of toilet paper off of the holder and made a huge mess.  This was the last thing I needed to deal with five minutes before we were about to leave.  I decided not to get upset.  I gazed into his big brown eyes, and I could tell that he had grandiose intentions.  I calmly asked him what was this creative masterpiece?  He confidently asserted that this was a road. Not any road, but a road for Baby.  I then looked at the big mess of toilet paper again.  He was right, it was a road!  At that moment I was proud of my little right brained prodigy.  He is clearly on the road to finding his creative spirit.

The Hummingbird

How The Wise Hummingbird began.........

A couple of weeks ago, I read the story of 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan environmental activist.  She told a story of the hummingbird, best described in this you tube video, called "I Will Be the Hummingbird."  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGMW6YWjMxw
I was truly inspired by this story, as it really is an allegory of how we should live our lives.  At times,  we feel that the daily grind of our lives is insignificant.  Each of us plays an important role in influencing others in a positive way.  "The Wise Hummingbird"  is a small way of sharing my gift of creativity.  I will be the hummingbird that teaches and inspires...enjoy!