K.I.S.S. - Keep. It. Simple. Stupid.

When I'm browsing the internet and come across things I like, I bookmark it. I have bookmarks for things I would buy - if I had the money, bookmarks for websites I like - like design and recipes, but my biggest bookmark folder (by far) is for craft ideas. Things I want to make. It's a long, long list with lots of cool stuff. I first saw this idea while browsing "NieNie's" blog a year and a half ago. I thought it was one of the cutest ideas - a relatively simple concept - so I bookmarked it. And have been envisioning it on my girls' wall ever since. For some reason or another, although I can't seem to muster up the energy to tackle my laundry room, Thursday I decided it was time to make these. (a long explanation for me to just show off my hard work from the last few days)

They make me so happy and the girls love them. If you'd like some instruction and patterns for the animals, let me know and I'll happily email it to you. They are just scrapbooking paper cut out and ModPodged on painted canvases. "Relatively simple." 

I say "relatively" because I have realized that I think it's harder for me to keep a project simple than it is for me to go WAY overboard. It's almost embarrassing. Once I start a project, it has to be perfect and I obsess over it. My mind starts racing a million different directions of how to do it and what I can add to it and before I know, my "simple" project becomes the project from Hell that never ends. It's retarded. I just need to learn how to, in the words of Michael Scott, K.I.S.S. Keep. It. Simple. Stupid.

SO. If you would like some instruction and, in fact, patterns for these little animals that were made in Illustrator and obsessed over for hours, I'd be happy to send them along. :)

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Along other creative lines, I have been working on decorating my bedroom for the past several years. Frankly, I love DIY projects, repurposing, and refinishing furniture. I love sewing and specializing things to my odd and eclectic tastes. I know that as far as sewing goes, I probably don't save any money and obviously don't save any time, but I love doing it and I've learned so much over the past few years. I've got numerous ongoing projects that I'm still completing for my bedroom, but - as alluded to previously - they're not done and I don't know when they will be. So since the majority of it is completed, I'll post what I've done so far.

I picked up this desk at a second hand store in town last Fall. I needed a new place for our computer - since Nels confiscated the desk downstairs - and because I love turquoise, I painted it. 

Ta-DA! I've been slowly completing all of this bedding for the past . . . 3 1/2 years now? Yep. that long. I made everything on my bed (except the sheets, of course). The pillows, the shams, the quilt, and the bed skirt. In FACT, I even designed the bed - and then Nels made it for me when he was working with my dad 6 years ago. The bedding is very traditional looking, but I love it. I love the colors. Someday, I'll decide it's time for a change and do something new, but for now I'm really happy.

I love these two pillows. The ruffly one was kind of fun to make and I love the texture of it. The other one is made out of some of my favorite fabric that I have EVER seen. There was supposed to be another matching pillow also made out of it, but because I loved it so much - and when I went back to the store to get more, they were all sold out - I turned my supposed-to-be-a-pillow fabric into . . . 

. . . a bag!
Which I also love. I hate diaper bags. After four kids, I've graduated from diaper bags. This does the trick nicely.

And speaking of loving fabric. I couldn't help myself but turn this little swatch into a mouse pad. SO SIMPLE. Even by a normal person's standards. :) You can find cork board at the craft store that has adhesive on the back. Cut it out into desired shape, stick desired fabric to it, and trim. Took all of five minutes. If that.

So there you have it. My cousin Amber has been hounding me for months to take pictures of my completed bedding and honestly, it's taken me this long to actually have my bedroom clean AND batteries in my camera AND remember to do it all at the same time. Hopefully in the coming months, I'll have more fun things to share, but for now, I'll just have to "WOW" you a little at a time. :)

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By the way, I'm finally feeling quite a lot better today. Thank you for asking. :) I think I've been sick every other week since having Violet. Mastitis then a UTI then another UTI then respiratory crud then mastitis again. Awesome, huh? I think having her did a number on my immune system and it just hasn't been able to catch up since. However, I think I'm pulling out of it. HOORAY!!! Maybe I'll have the energy to be a real mom again soon?? Is that too much to ask? No. Of course not. Somebody's got to do the laundry, for goodness sake, and I can guarantee that it's not going to be anyone else that lives in this house. However, "Anyone" has been doing an awesome job doing the dishes and helping with the kids and I really have no room to gripe. "Anyone" is wonderful and works incredibly hard.

We got the garden tilled and ready to plant today. I *think* I'm excited.