About Disaster

I first want to say - I don't know how long it's been since my apt has been such a DISASTER! We have been fairly good at keeping it clean on a regular basis and even close to spotless the week leading up to this unfortunate event.

Here is how this happened. Friday we started out cleaning the house. Vacuumed, did dishes, laundry, cleaned Bud's room. It was beautiful! Friday night I had to make dinner for 2 families + our own. We were rushed for time as we had to leave at 5:30 to clean the SL temple, so I didn't really have time to clean up the dinner mess. We were there till 10:00, we watched the last Conan (I'm team CoCo!) when we got home, then went to bed.


Saturday we woke up early to cleaned our chapel, left to get Bud in Saratoga Springs (about an hour away) went to the case lot sale at Harmon's in Midvale, went home took naps, went to dinner, went to Home Depot, Harmon's in Brickyard to get some stuff Midvale didn't have, went to Wal-mart, went home, unloaded, put Bud to bed, and I worked a bit and went to bed.

Sunday was well.... Sunday, and Monday I seriously just needed a break and besides a quick trip to Walmart and Lowes, and Golden Coral for dinner we did nothing. That's right NOTHING!

In the meantime for the past 2-3 days Bud's been doing some arranging of the food storage. I have no explanation for anything that wasn't food storage, except the laundry in our living room was just washed today and, like everything else, just needs to be put away.


I'm still feeling a bit overwhelmed by it all but I have done SOME dishes now. I think I'll finish those before I start on the family room.

Now for your viewing pleasure -

Sweet Bud falling asleep while eating lunch early last week. Funny kid:)

About My Christmas Craft

So over Christmas a friend posted this picture on FB asking for someone who knew how to sew to make her one of these for her son.

I thought it was really cute, and I've seen them before at church only without the pad of paper. The paper, I feel, makes it that much more functional. Christina and I decided it would be a fun gift to do for the nieces and nephews.

It's been so handy to have at church and it's too fun that I really want to share it. I modified it a little so I wouldn't have to worry about getting perfect finished edges because I didn't have much time to do them. Here's how we did it...

Supplies and Tools:

• Crayons (set of eight was perfect like in the picture above)
• Small pad of paper (mine was 3" x 5 1/2")
• 13" x 13" square of cute fabric
• 6 1/2 x 13" rectangle of cute contrasting fabric
• 6 1/2 x 13" rectangle of heavy cotton
• 24" of ribbon (or more)
• Pinking sheers
• Sewing machine
• Matching or Contrasting thread (matching thread will hide any little mistakes better but contrasting is really fun)

~The Process~

Step 1: When all your fabric pieces are all cut out, fold the the big square in half - press it - then fold one of those halves in half - press it.

Step 2: Lay the heavy cotton on the wrong side of fabric. Fold up the bottom quarter of the square.

Step 3: Lay contrasting fabric on heavy cotton right side up. Fold up second quarter of square. Total dimensions should now be 13" x 6 1/2".

Step 4: Pin stitch lines starting 1/2" from left and 1" apart making eight sections. Mark end of paper pocket 1/2" from right. (paper pocket should measure 4").

Step 5: Starting from left, stitch crayon pockets through all layers from bottom to top of folded/main fabric. You can also stitch the line on right side of paper pocket, I chose to save this for later.

Step 6: Fold contrasting fabric down, exposing heavy cotton, and pin.
Turn piece over and pin ribbon into place so the bottom of the ribbon sits just above the end of the stitch lines made to create the crayon pockets.The ribbon center should line up with center of crayon pockets (four pockets on each side of the ribbon center)
Step 7: Stitch top and bottom of ribbon starting and ending your stitch lines where the stitch lines for your crayon pockets start and end. (click on pictures for more detailed image)

Step 9: Fold contrasting fabric up and stitch around top and sides. Be sure to back stitch far enough back so you don't cut off the back stitching while trimming.

Step 10: Using your pinking sheers to trim (this could be done with regular scissors if you don't have pinking sheers. The pinking sheers just give it a fun edge and keep it from fraying so much.)

Final Steps: Stick the Crayons and paper into pockets, roll it up and tie it.


It's great for traveling or any place where your kids have to sit for a long time!

FYI when you are buying your fabric have the cutter at the store cut at least 1" more fabric than you need, then you can square it up properly. You can make 3 of these out of 45" wide fabric, so they are great to make with friends if you only want one for yourself or if you are doing them for lots of kids you can plan accordingly.