A Trailer for Every Academy Award Winning Movie Ever, and for your enjoyment.

A Trailer for Every Academy Award Winning Movie Ever -- powered by Cracked.com

I'd like to thank Amanda D for tipping me off.

My new favorite mom thing, and a free gift for you!

by Emily

It's the end of the day, my kids are pajama'd, and we're snuggling up on the couch for some reading time together. Often the day was long and chaotic (my husband and I are both in graduate school full-time and teaching), and its the first chance we've had to really connect with our kids. Days like that are tough on everyone. Our bedtime reading has become a sacred family ritual, and we all look forward to it.

When I think about being far away from our parents, and our children's grandparents, I feel sad that they don't get to enjoy our children in this same way--all snuggled up with a good book.

Enter:




I have been wanting to share this with all my mother friends! I finally got "permission" to do it from my brother in law, who is involved with the development of this cool product. It is called Readeo--as in the combination of the words read+video=Readeo.

Let me explain: have you ever used Skype? Or any other online video-chat program? Do you have children or grandchildren you do this with?

We have 2 children, and they miss their grandparents and so we have tried Skype as a way to have more meaningful contact with grandparents. It is nice, but Readeo is much more satisfying. It is like Skype, only with really great children's books, smooth video streaming, and bright, clear pictures.





I think my 2 year old, Joey, loves it most. This afternoon when I was talking to grandma on the phone, Joey was pulling on my leg, "Mommy? Mommy? Iwah book wih gamma! Now! Mommy?"

40 minutes later: the dishwasher is loaded, dinner is on the table, and Ruby (4) and Joey (2) have read 6 books with Grandma & Grandpa, as well as having showed them their tiger puppets they made at a Chinese New Year party, among other glorious tricks via Readeo's BookChat.

To get the full effect, check out this video on their home page: http://www.readeo.com/

The Story Behind Readeo from Readeo on Vimeo.

A few more things I like about Readeo:

• Face-to-face story time from anywhere in the world
• Award-winning and popular titles hand-picked for the site by Readeo’s editor (she's an expert in children's literature, IMO)
• Personalized “bookshelves” (I love this feature, and I gave some feedback to my brother in law, and now the bookshelves are awesome!)
• A library that is searchable by age, gender and subject matter
• A Book of the Month that is free to read for all users (even if you're not a paying subscriber!)



I hope you'll try it out, it is such a cool thing to do with your kids and grandparents, or a spouse who travels, or aunts & uncles, etc.

Here is the gift: a free month trial! You will need to sign up for a subscription to do so, but if you decide its not for you, you can cancel at any time, and you won't be billed until after the free month is over.

Coupon code: "readeolaunch"

I think you will LOVE it!

This might be a great gift for a grandparent who already has everything imaginable. Also, both users on each computer do NOT need to be a paying subscriber to use Readeo--only one user needs a subscription. The other user is a guest, and can BookChat anytime with the paying subscriber--so this is a great gift for the grandparent who has grandchildren in multiple locations.

Valentine's Day = Yummy in my Tummy

by Emily

My daughter is now in preschool. I'm not sure yet what the Valentine's Day protocol for preschool is, but I am kind of excited. I'm not the over acheiving parent who is going to make all adorable martha stewart one-of-a-kind valentines for my children's classmates on Valentine's Day. But I might make these Jello Jigglers.

You can find the recipe HERE.










The Family Fun website (Disney company) is great, and I get their newsletter in my email once a week. It is the same stuff that is in the magazine! How cool is that--online for free! (though, sometimes it is just better to have it in print :) )


I think I must also make something chocolate.
Yes, definitely. Chocolate.


Find the recipe HERE.

















This will do, as well:





(I did this one year, but with a heart on top. Cut out a heart from paper, discard the heart. Put the paper heart-shaped-hole on the cheesecake, and sprinkle powdered sugar to make it super fancy. What a treat!)




Recipe, is, of course, HERE, because I am so nice like that. ;-)





Do you have any Valentine's Day plans, or suggestions? Please share--and feel free to include a web link!

Texting saved my marriage. Or, procrastination.

by Emily


We started texting with some regularity about a year ago. It didn't really "save" my marriage, but that sure caught your attention, didn't it? Sorry if you feel misled.

If you don't text, let me give you a few reasons why you should try:

• It can add some spice to your love life: it's a great way to deliver a love note. I would recommend this to newlyweds and experienced partners alike. Texting by nature is short, so you don't feel obligated or pressured to come up with a lot to say, just a simple love phrase goes a long ways. And if you're busy, it isn't demanding--you can text your wife in the middle of that meeting "Thinking of you...(or your hot legs)", or your husband in the middle of that piano lesson "you're my hunka hunka man" or maybe it's a simple, "I love you" or "Thanks for..."
  
• Besides your love life, what about your loving relationships with others? If you have kids with cell phones, you can text them "I love you's" and "I'm proud of you's" and "CTR's" as much as you want--they will read it. They have to read a text, it is like an all powerful force in their lives. They can't resist the ring of a text.
  
• Meeting up. If you're meeting someone at a crowded event (football game, concert arena, church?) you can text your location "second row, left." This is good if you're in a loud environment and talking is difficult, or you're in a quiet environment (like church, movie theater).
  
• Grocery lists. No more excuses when your spouse or teenager is running to the store: "don't forget: milk, butter, and grapefruit...and diapers" no excuses, no excuses...you'd hate to have to go back for the diapers.
  
• Change in schedule. This happens to us (me and my husband) where one of us will be in an irregular meeting of sorts (doctor's appointment, etc.) and the other is in charge of x, y, or z, which he or she is not usually in charge of. For example, "your turn to feed the meter" (when we park on campus, and we're both in class), or "don't forget to pick up the kids at 4." It's a friendly reminder.
  
• "Remind me to tell you about..." what Roo said this morning...or, that past due bill...or, the Walmart Wacko. You know, these are the things you think of telling someone during the day, but it just isn't the right time for a phone call. You can text a prelude to your conversation instead.
• Avoid sounding like a nagging naggy nag: You can text from one room in the house to another. Some of you might think this is ridiculous, but it is not. It saves you from nagging loudly at the top of your lungs (not pretty, and usually ineffective), and the message is clearly received. Consider doing this the next time you need your teenager's help. Or, how about when your spouse is glued to the computer/tv and you want to invite him/her to join you in something, without having to sound like a nagging pest?
• Apologies. Avoid insincerity. This is only to be reserved for those rare occasions when things go wrong, you can't apologize in person, and therefore a text is the next best option. It also helps to pave the way for a genuine apologetic follow-up phone call. A plea, so to speak. Humor helps too. "I'm really sorry, I was a stinky poo poo, and I hope you will forgive me. ;-( I love you."
  
• Venting Anger. If you really need to get that message across, you might feel better doing it by text. For example, if your teenager is driving you to the edge, your text might read: "I'm really mad at you." Or, "If I had a gun, I'd hit you with it!" This is sure to get the point across, and will not be easily forgotten. [That's an inside joke for all you Boss-me regulars ;-)] On second thought, this might not be a good idea. Don't text when angry. Take a deep breath, count to ten, maybe walk around to block. Just put the cell phone down and think twice.
  
• Distraction/procrastination. Okay, this is not a virtue of texting. It is a vice. As in, I blog, therefore I procrastinate. I text, therefore I procrastinate. Kinda how I'm procrastinating writing my 20 page paper on Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day and Mary Louise Pratt's Contact Zones theory--by blogging, and by texting my husband who is at school while I write in our basement. But it is worth it, all you bloggers know it is worth it. Beside, texting is no where near the time-suck that blogging is, unless you're 14 years old.
  

That's all I got. What would you add to this list? My marriage is just a little bit better because of texting. Please don't text and drive.

In Memory of our Dad

by Emily

Today we are celebrating the life of our father, David Wright Austin. He passed away last week on Thanksgiving morning. He used to always joke with me that it was Thanksgiving everyday for him because (due to food allergies) he often ate turkey and sweet potatoes. One of the things I like to remember about my dad was his sense of humor, like that recurring Thanksgiving joke.

We loved our Dad, and we will miss him. Here is a video to honor him, we hope you'll join us for a moment and enjoy the video. You can also read beautiful posts by Kristen, Robin (here and here), and Melissa, on their personal blogs.

A slideshow presentation in memory of my father.



David Wright Austin

May 27, 1938 - November 26, 2009

Good Enough

by Emily

This fall I started school again full time, working on my Master's degree in Literature. I'm doing it for the money.

(read: sarcasm)

There is a lot to talk about here--a lot about the change of pace, and the weird feeling of living a double life. Mostly there is a lot to talk about my constant reflection and reevaluating the situation as it affects our family, most especially our children.

In a "letter" to my sisters on our private forum, I wrote the following:

"So, I'm having one of those weeks, day after day, where I keep thinking "Who am I kidding? I thought I could do this?" It is getting ROUGH.


This time of year is always hectic, and with school now--and all the church activities and services, I have a hard time not feeling a bit...resentful? Like, between Monday and Sunday, I don't have a single "free-day" to catch up on all the stuff that has slipped through the cracks--some of it pretty essential stuff. But then I ask: how I would change it? Would I want to be released from Primary (Primary is Sunday School for children ages 3-11), or quit school, or just never be home and always work super hard up on campus away from all distractions? And I realize I wouldn't change any of those things. I like being in the Primary, school has been really good for me, and most of all, my kids are the most important of all these things to me--and I want to be home with them as much as possible."

I have to get used to doing things so that they are "good enough," and that is new and hard for me.

Joe is doing even more household and parenting things than what he's already used to doing (which is to say, he's always been very active in those areas of our family life). Even so, the floor is often icky, and the clean laundry may not get folded before it is worn and needs washing again, and my 2 & 4 yr olds will keep on running in circles, laughing and whining. My hair might stick up kinda funny, and I'll probably choose the comfortable shoes over the cute ones. But let's be honest--was it much different before I started school? It's not as if I was ever a stellar housekeeper. I do make good food though--when I have time.

So here's my pat on my own back: we keep on making time for family dinner even if it is frozen Bertolli meals (I recommend the ones with shrimp). And if you're lucky you'll still be invited over to our house for that dinner, but the house may be less tidy than before, and the dessert might also come from the freezer (ice cream). And the Sunday School lessons will still be just as every bit delivered from the heart, but the handouts might not have pretty ribbon or glitter glue on them. And the homework gets done, and I'm reading faster everyday.

And still the best part of my day isn't nailing that class presentation or paper, but coming home to my family for our daily dinner, pajama, scripture/prayer, and bed routine. That, and stealing one last glimpse and kiss when my babies are fast asleep.

The replies I got from my Bossy Sisters let me know that 1) they believe in me, 2) they love me, 3) they've been there too (haven't we all?), and 4) they are good listeners.

Here is just a snippet:

"Let the little things go. If that doesn't work, let the mid-size things go. :) "
-Bossy Sister Melissa

"You have taken on a serious challenge and you are rising to meet the demands. You can do this! I think you will always be glad you did it."
-Bossy Sister Sally

"I understand completely. It is really hard but you can do hard things. I love you. Hang in there. You are amazing."
-Bossy Sister Robin


And finally, the one that made me laugh the most:

"Well, you took a pretty big bite. I wouldn't be surprised if you have to chew with your mouth open and a few little crumbs fall out."
-Bossy but Wise (and funny) Robin



Is there anything in your life that you're willing to admit to doing just "good enough"? What secret tricks of the trade can you share with me? (I need them!)

Some Kinda Famous Marinade

by Emily

My father-in-law is pretty cool. As far as I'm concerned, he makes the best marinade I've ever had--especially when used on tri-tip steaks. YUM!
(Tri-tip is bigger than a personal sized steak, and you usually slice it against the grain to serve--so a single tri-tip can often serve a few people).

And lucky you, I'm going to share it. Tuck it away for a Father's Day meal this June!

It really is "Some Kinda Famous Marinade".

Makes: 3 to 4 Cups of marinade


Ingredients:
2 C Kikoman soy sauce
1 1/2 C white sugar
2 T minced or crushed ginger (I use the kind in a squeeze tube)
2 T minced or crushed garlic (I use fresh)
2 or 3 green onions chopped into 1 inch pieces
4 ounces beer (to be simmered--alcohol evaporates)
(since I'm a non-drinker, and I'm also a non-planner, I don't usually have beer on hand when I make this recipe--unless I've planned in advance, which we've already been through--I don't plan in advance. I'm not opposed to it (planning or cooking with beer? Ha!), I just don't have it. So I've come up with my own alternative--I take a little yeast, add it to warm water and a Tablespoon of sugar, and then use 4 ounces of that instead...it adds a similar flavor and tenderizing element to the meat)





Directions:
1. Start heating the soy sauce in a large pan, on low heat.
2. As it warms, slowly add sugar and stir constantly until dissolved--it's a lot of sugar!
3. Add the ginger, garlic, green onions and beer.
4. Slow simmer on gentle heat. It doesn't need to boil, but it can if you care to burn off the alcohol. Heat for around 20 minutes (exactness is not required) to allow the flavors to have "permeated the brew" (as my cool f-i-l says).
5. Take off heat, cool enough to add to a zip lock bag with meat for marinating. You can use it on stakes, pork chops, chicken--you can chop the meat for shish-ka-bobs, or use it for tri-tip steaks. For beef, let marinate a day (give or take). For white meat, shorter time is needed. I haven't tried this with fish, but I think it would be excellent with just about any kind of fish.
6. BBQ grill, broil, or George Foreman that meat!

(My f-i-l also has been known to add it to meat and then stick it in the freezer for a quick meal in a pinch down the road. What a guy!)






Now--what should I do with ALL of this parsley? I have 4 times this amount still in the garden!

I hate you, I love you...

by Emily

First I received this:



Only, instead of a Mary and Joseph, I got 2 Josephs, and no Mary. A different Nativity story I guess?













Then I bought this:



You can "compose" your own classical music with various instruments at various volumes. After one battery change, it just up and quit working. My children are pretty gentle with toys, so I was disappointed.









Then I got this on sale for a Christmas gift:




My 1 yr old loves Elmo. He was frightened at first, but now he LOVES it. However, instead of functioning properly, all this Elmo does is let you "honk" his nose. All the other cool things he's supposed to do, he's not doing.












I love all these toys, my children love them. I hate spending money (or getting as a gift) and having them break/missing parts.

Back to the Nativity: My wise s-i-l Melissa suggested I call Fisher Price about the Nativity. Since then, I have taken the time to call customer service for big label toys like these when they aren't working.

Fisher Price Nativity: they simply sent me an entirely new character set, with Joseph and Mary! No sweat off my back.

Disney Little Einstein Composer: it is out of production, so they sent me a paper voucher ($) for the price of the toy, to be used at a regular store like Target or Toys 'R Us.

Fisher Price Elmo: they emailed me a free shipping label, I will mail them the broken Elmo, and they'll probably fix it or send me another one.

I love getting great toys at garage sales for cheap, when they break you don't mind so much. Out with the old! In with the new (gently used garage sale finds)! And I hate it when I get a new toy (bought or gifted) and it breaks, but I also love knowing that if I throw down $20 bucks on a new toy, there is great customer service to back it up. Of course, you have to take into consideration normal wear-n-tear on a toy. Still, it doesn't hurt to call and ask.

Thank you, Mattel!

Mother's Day Miscellany

by Emily

I've been a mother for a few years now. Nothing compared to my sisters' experience as mothers, and especially nothing compared to my mother and mother-in-law's experience. [I can't imagine what it will be like to be mother to older children, and I DON'T want to imagine it! Wah!] Still, I spend a lot of time thinking about motherhood. What it means to me, how it changes a woman. I read books about it.

I am it, I guess.

This is just to say to my own mother and other mothers out there, I love you. My appreciation and understanding of the magnitude of your sacrifice, love, service and devotion, and priceless worth grows deeper each year.

Some women hate mother's day. I think I can understand the complexities it holds for many of us, mothers or not. I can imagine the many ways it could be a rough day for people with different experiences than mine. It makes me ache for them.

This year I am helping organize a small gift for all the women who go to church on Sunday. It is small. But just planing this makes me excited and gets me thinking about all the women I know and love, and their unique role in my life. I love being a part of this gesture to honor them, mothers or not.

I am looking at mother's day this year as a way to show honor and reverence for the role of mother. I am thankful for a loving God whose plan included mothers. I am thankful for the mother He gave me.

I wait with anticipation for my sister-in-law Erin to become a mother. There is something so special and magical about that first time, the transition into Motherhood. I think Erin may very well be the best mother I'll ever know. First of all (not first in importance though), she is pretty, and beautiful, and cute.

Beautiful, Radiant, Gorgeous. Woman!

[ It is so gratifying to look at your mommy and feel that she is "the most beautiful girl in the whole world". I always felt that way about my own mother, still do.]

Second of all Erin is giving, kind, generous, selfless, nurturing, thoughtful, cheerful, long suffering, fun, loving, beloved, love, love, love ,love, love. She really is all those things. All those loves.

Sometimes she asks me for advice, and that makes me feel good.

I know what I am talking about because I have a wonderful mother.
I love you, Mom. I don't know if I can do it as well as you did it, but I keep trying.

Say What?

by Emily

Can you relate to this story?



I'm 30 years old, and today--just today--I realized I've had it wrong all these years. Stay with me here. Today I was at Big Lots, and I saw something kind of like this
<----------------
And it reminded of me of this story.










When Robin had her first baby (sweet Hannah!) she hung in her nursery a tole painting that said:

"Love Bears All Things"
and I remember there being little teddy bears painted on it.

I thought, "Oh, it is cute because it is baby-ish, and teddy bears are cute." But I also, secretly, thought it was kind of stupid.

Of course, I was seeing the teddy bears, and therefore reading it like this:
Love bears, (notice the assumed comma) All things

I thought a lot about this as a 9 yr old. I wondered, "But does one really love bears? And if one does, is it accurate to assume that the love of All things will then follow?" And then I would conclude, "That's just stupid."

Maybe I need to read this book. Though mildly humorous sounding, I mostly think it would be boring to read now. I don't want to read a large book about comma use.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things...

That's not stupid at all. It's beautiful. And today I just figured that out.

Do Something Nice For Your Husband

by Emily

Or, if you don't have a husband, do something nice for someone who plays a major role in your life.

For me, the something nice is sometimes just a cheerful smile and can-do attitude. Sometimes its a house that is quickly picked up and dinner ready to go when he gets home from work, topped off with a cheerful, "Daddy's home! Yay!" (*kissy kissy hug hug squeeze*)


About 4 years ago when I was practicing my new role as a SAHM, I decided that for a week straight I would make a deliberate effort to do 3 things each evening when my husband arrived home from work (school):

1. Have the family room and kitchen picked up (just a quick 10 minute pick-up)
2. Have dinner made, or nearly made, when my husband got home (this was new, prior to this we had both been working hard equally outside the home, so dinner was a coin-toss and usually ended up with each-man-for-himself)
3. When he walked in the door: STOP what I was doing, GIVE him a kiss and a squeeze, LOOK him in the eye, and SAY something heartfelt ("I missed you!" "I'm so glad you're home!" "How has your day been?" "My favorite time of day is when you come home!") and LISTEN to him.

Every misguided feminist part of me resisted doing this--terribly. It was so...so...so Dr. Laura. So subservient-housewifish. I felt like I was too good to be relegated to this kind of servitude.

Luckily for me (and my family) I've learned a lot more about service since that time. What a week of marital bliss! I don't do that every evening anymore, but I am more consistent with dinner, and I understand what a difference those things make. I could go on about how it changed the feeling in our home when I did that experiment, I could go on about the miracle of love and service.

It's a good reminder to myself to recommit to those that I love most in life. I wonder what my next experiment should be? Oh yeah...going to bed at 9pm each night. I'm working on that. It's a good one too.

Have you ever done an experiment like this? What has taken you years to find out about your spouse/roommates/co-workers/parents/etc? I really, truly, sincerely want to know. Please share (you might inspire someone)!

Have some birthday fun!

by Emily

Is it weird to post a photo of yourself on your own birthday? Who cares! These are from favorite birthday parties of past (not mine). Robin assigned me this post today, so here you go: how to have fun on your birthday. You have to make your own fun, don't wait for it to happen to you!















Today is my 30th birthday. SO, today we (meaning: me, you, and your kids) are celebrating by going to Village Bakery for an oatmeal cookie at about 11:00am. I hope you can come. You ALL are invited. Surprise me and come!




Me making Joe's B'day cake, Barefoot Contessa Ina Garten's Coconut Cake, yum!












*DH has to work hard all day and into the evening. We'll celebrate later this week.

Part 2: Win Chiska's Give-Away!

Leave a Comment by April 14th (next week) for a chance to win a cool, creative, doable crafty gift from Chiska!

Dear Bossy Readers,
Here is some more hands-on advice and experience from my awesome friend, Chiska. Check out the cool suggestions and links for fun, simple, creative projects (even some that require NO sewing), and LEAVE A COMMENT for a chance to win our Give-Away!

How do you prioritize your life so that you have time for your creative pursuits?

Well honestly, I drop lots of balls. I have a great husband who tries to help me have the time. The other thing is just fitting it into the few minutes here and there.

I keep projects in bags (that zip close--I do have curious children, but it helps) that way I can grab them and work on them when the kids are happily playing and have a few minutes. My son is pretty used to hearing, “let me finish this or that and then I’ll read you that story, help you find that toy, or just come be with you.”

When I get excited about something that’s when it’s the easiest. It’s more difficult to say I want to make something and be motivated to do it, than it is to see something specific and think, “Hmm I want to make a felt sandwich because it looks cool.” Then once I get started and I get really excited because hey I can make this!


What have been some of your favorite projects, some of your nightmarish projects?

I think one of my most favorite was making moccasins for my husband. They were my very first pair of adult moc’s. I used some of my mom’s “toe patterns” to create a design for the beading on the toe. It was fun time with my Mom holding my hand through the process and they turned out! I also love them because I was making a mountain scene with a river and when you look at it upside down it looks like some kind of goofy guy with a mustache snorkeling. I love goofy stuff like that.

I also loved learning to paint silk scarves--another Mom teaching me thing. It was an amazing process and pretty quick results.

Me painting a scarf

Nightmarish:

I think nearly every project has a nightmarish stage in it. For Christmas this lat year I made “picnic” blankets--small rectangles really for my brother’s girlfriend’s kids. I started in September and was really excited it was going to be a pretty simple project. Then of course I creatively made it more complicated. I appliquéd some animals on one and quilted crowns on another. Anyway, I thought I’d be able to sew up the sides pretty easily and after the 4th or 5th time of trying to make it look nice I just got mad and quit. They were very gracious about them, but that’s when I decided that using the machine as a time saving device--or trying to hurry to get something done was a bad idea.

How far in advance do you start thinking about/working on handmade gifts before they have to be given?
I usually pick something to make for someone and whenever I get it done--they get it.

The exception to that is Christmas. On my side of the family we take turns at Christmas time so we only have one family/person each year (there are 6 living kids and my Mom and Dad). That makes it easier. I like to think about it way in advance so I’m less stressed right before Christmas and I have time to mail it. I also have a quirk that says that it’s never too late for a gift. For example I had one of my brother’s for Christmas year before last. He got his gift from me right around April Fools Day. It was a quilt that I’d been working on for him off and on for about 7 years. I’d seen the fabric and thought he’s like it. I was also determined to make it big as I’d made him several blankets and they were always too small. I overcompensated, but it turned out great!

There are things that are quick to make so you can do them last minute.

Have you made anything special for your children while pregnant? Or since they've been born?

You know it’s kind of sad, but I haven’t made much for my kids. When I was pregnant I was so tired (both times) that I haven’t done much for them. I did make a book of pictures of Gram for my little guy so He’d remember her (she passed away two summers ago) I hadn’t realized this until recently when I made a scarf for him and he was so excited he couldn’t stand it.

I do have plans for a wall quilt for my tiny girl and I have some dolls that are in process--they’re my first attempt at dolls and look rather alien like--I call them awake and asleep dolls. My Mom made something like it for me and my three sisters. Her Mom had made a doll for her and each of her sisters when they were small. When her Mom died her Dad took the dolls and kept them for them so they wouldn’t get ruined. Until her sister’s passed away they would get together periodically and have tea parties with the dolls. I also want to make them both ABC quilts modeled after one my Mom made for me when I was young. My oldest loves the alphabet.

What handmade objects did you give for Christmas last year (or recently)?

I’ve already told you about the two small “picnic” blankets. I also made a “hug” blanket for my brother’s girlfriend (when asked what she wanted she said a hug would be just fine--so that’s what she got) I’ve made a couple pairs of moccasins a baby pair and an Plains Indian Style (which was a first for me) for a special birthday for one of my nephews. I also made a laminated list with magnets on the back with all the birthdays in our family for each family. Handy little reference when you need to know whose birthday it is. Most recently I made a felt “lunch” with a couple of bean bags as a birthday gift. I also attempted a flax-filled heating pad--it should be up under the nightmare projects, I still don’t know what the receiver thought of the 7 pound awkward thing, but I have a pretty good idea that it wasn’t good. I hope he fed the flax to his chickens or something.

Last Question: Do you have any suggestions of handmade objects that a beginner would feel is doable, and not too expensive?

Oh my favorite question! But it begs some return questions--what do you have? What do you want to do?


Sewing Machine Projects:

Rice Bag Feet Warmer http://adayinthelifeofthechristensons.blogspot.com/2009/02/tutorialrice-bag-feet-warmer.html

Faux Baby Legs
http://www.flickr.com/photos/babyhopes/sets/72157594274454468/
On this one if it seems complicated keep trying--it’s really not.

Lunch Sack--I’m adding this here, but it works great with felt food for a gift.
http://www.simplicity.com/index.cfmpage=section/classroom/sewprojects/lunchtote/lunchsack.html

Fabric beach balls
I haven’t tried these, but they look like they’d be fun so I’m adding them to the list.
http://www.purlbee.com/fabric-beach-balls/

Hand Sewing Projects:

Felt Food is amazing. This site is the best compilation I’ve found for how to info and patterns. Even the “high end” materials are relatively inexpensive and it’s just fun. For big kids, for little kids--you could make it for just about anybody.
http://www.keeperofthecheerios.com/2008/12/best-felt-food-patterns-from-around-web.html

Felt Sushi
http://hoogliart.wordpress.com/2007/08/08/felt-sushi-tutorial/

I thought this letters ideas was a cute one too--also felt related:
http://muffinsnmore.blogspot.com/2009/02/lovely-letters.html


No Sewing involved:


Button magnets: Buttons are so fun. I have an old cookie tin filled with buttons. I love running my fingers through them--that’s an idea too, make a button “box” for someone. Here’s an idea for magnets (among other things)
http://www.soulemama.com/soulemama/2009/03/button-it-up.html

A Journal--a book, not as hard it might sound.
http://www.jpgmag.com/stories/354

I recently saw a basket someone made from magazines by accordion folding each page and then wrapping them around each other (attaching them with a glue gun). You make a circle base and then overlap them slightly as you move them up to create the “walls”.

Look around your house and ask yourself what can I make with what’s around here?

What can I collect in the natural world?

Nature Printing:

On that point something that I just did recently as a preschool project was “nature printing” you can use felt tipped markers and/or an ink pad. You take a leaf--you’ll want a fairly malleable (not dried) one either color it (with the pens) or press it on the ink pad. Then stamp it onto paper. I used some dried Gingko leaves (strongly suggest if you have dried ones that you “re-hydrate” them) and markers and we had a blast! The fun thing with this one is that little kids and adults can do it. The results vary widely, but it’s fun for both.

Beads:
Something else I tried a couple years ago was making beads out of wood branches. I used willows, but I think any kind of tree would work. You snip the branches in whatever lengths you want your bead to be and then pound them through (lengthwise) with a nail about the girth of the hole you want. You can carve the bark if you want, I didn’t. I used a horse chestnut and some beads to make a present for a friend. I doubt she’ll ever wear it, but it was fun and she did like it.

If you know what you want to make, but don’t know how and don’t have anyone to ask then Google it. Chances are there’s someone on the web that will tell you how to make it.

Leave a Comment by April 14th (next week) for a chance to win a cool, creative, doable crafty gift from Chiska!

Part 1: Meet Chiska!

by Emily

Chiska is a dear friend I first met in a feminist literature class, and then later became closer friends as roommates in London. She is an ideal travel companion!

Chiska is probably one of my most creative and unique friends, and I love her so much. She has a sincere and generous heart. I want to introduce you, Bossy Readers, to her because she inspires me--and maybe she'll inspire you too! Leave a comment and you may even win her GIVE-AWAY! (it promises to be something cool and doable!)

If Chiska were a character from a book, for her I would choose Sarah Agnes Prine from These is My Words. This is because both Chiska and Sarah are pictures of beauty and strength--and Chiska has had her share of strengthening life experiences. But we won't focus on those experiences (including a newborn hospitalized for months with a life-threatening condition). No, instead I wanted to ask her about something of a much lighter nature: creative pursuits. Chiska finds beauty and interest in just about everything this world has to offer, and inturn inspires those who know her. And, she has a rockin' cool name. Meet Chiska:

You grew up in Alaska. How do you think that has influenced your creative pursuits?

I do more in the winter. Winter is the time for “hibernating” inside and making things. Summer is for outside playing as much as possible. I learned to make moccasins because of living there. The people I knew growing up were creative. I still want to be like them.

What are a few handmade objects that you treasure? What’s their story?

Oh dear, “a few”. It’s hard to pick just a few.

I have some lace that my Aunt Janet made. I actually have several pieces, a table cloth and a bunch of smaller “snowflakes”. The tablecloth she made for my wedding.

This was something that she did for almost everyone who got married. I didn’t expect that I would get a piece since she had been so ill. She had talked to my Mom about finishing it for her because she was having a very hard time doing it, but then decided she wanted to finish it. My Aunt Joy blocked and starched it for me. She said she knew that it was 90 inches because it took all 90 inches of her to get it blocked out. They’re both gone now and I love that memory.

The smaller pieces she made because she told me she wanted to sit me on a chair and sprinkle them down on me so I would know how much I was loved. She never got a chance to do that, but she tasked my mother with completing the “snowflakes” and she in turn sent them to my husband who did the sprinkling while I cried.

She also sent me a small piece of lace which I framed while I was struggling at school. She sent it just because “it wanted to come to your house”. And we (she and my uncle) want you to know that we love you. I still remember the lift it gave me at that difficult time.

I have a number of things my mother has made that I treasure. Three stained glass pieces, a tulip, a fish and a girl walking under an umbrella, and frame made from beach glass she collected and some glass that my husband and I had collected at an abandoned coal mine.

Another piece that it multi-generational is a picture with a piece of cotton tucked into a “vase” of material that one of my ancestors wove for her son.

She also made my wedding dress. It’s made of white leather and beaded with what we call ice beads. They’re faceted beads that catch the light marvelously and truly look like ice. The dress is self is simple. She made a collar, cuffs and an octopus bag. The star-like piece is our interpretation of a mariner’s compass, the flowers are forget-me-nots and of course snowflakes. I like to use my bag now in object lessons because to look at it, it’s different and interesting, but nothing special. When you shine a concentrated light on it, it’s amazing. It truly makes you catch your breath. My brother, Me, Wade @ Mendenhall Glacier

She always makes a pair of these for grandbabies--these are my baby girls

[Jealous Readers: Chiska made a boyish pair of these for my little guy. I LOVE them.]


I have a bowl that she made when she was trying her hand at ceramics. It has lupines painted on it and says, “More beautiful because you came.” I love how lupine leaves catch water in their center like diamonds.

My Mom has something she calls whisper diamonds--moments that you catch as they come into your life through all the other muck that we have to wade through. There’s a story my Dad tells of picking nagoon berries with my mom in a torrential downpour. (Nagoon berries grow very close to the ground so you have to bend over to pick them) He says that just as the rain really started coming down and he was sure it couldn’t get any worse he heard my Mom say in an excited voice, “Look!” She was looking at the droplet of water that the lupine leaves had caught. She’s like that, always looking for the good and beautiful even in the midst of misery.
Lupine leaf w/ water droplet

When I returned to Alaska as an adult I’d told her I loved lupines. She told me that she didn’t like the flowers--which shocked me. So I told her what I’ve just told you. Her response was my bowl.

I have two wonderful quilts that my elementary school librarian has made quilts for each of my kids. The most recent is a fun storybook quilt.

I also have a piece of carved wood that my youngest brother carved for me. It’s a totem of sorts with the masks of comedy and tragedy with a rose on the top. It’s a curved piece--stick really that has a beak at one end and the carved “totem” as it were on the other. It was just something that he’d done to keep busy, but I loved it because of a writing project I’d just completed titled The Rose Connection about my sisters and I. He gave it to me after a debate about whether or not he would sell it to me. I love it now in part because he’s gone and it gives me a little piece of him to keep.
I have a painting my grandmother made. I don’t know when my grandmother started painting, but I think it was later in life. I love this one particularly because an aunt and uncle gave it up so that I could have it. A story my husband wrote for me while we were dating and had is 7 year-old niece illustrate. How can you not love a man that would take the time to do that?!

Are you still with me? Last one I promise. My mother-in-law made an incredible cross-stitch of a World War 2 plane. She made it for my husband who bought the pattern for her. She in turn altered it so that it would match the plane that his Dad was a tail gunner in during the war. It’s representative to me of the special bond that my husband has with his mother and it’s amazing.


Do you think of yourself as a creative person--and good at it too?

I’ve only just started to think of myself as a creative person. Do I think I’m good at it? That depends on what I’m doing. I’m a great at cross stitch and I like it. I do pretty well with moccasins…the baby ones. I make a very nice origami lily. I love to try and make things work. I’m exploring that part of me more. It’s hard for me to slow down and try to do things well sometimes because I’m anxious to see the outcome. There’s nothing that “fills” me as much as completing a project…especially with help from my family. I love that!

What does it mean to you to be creative? How do you value this?

It means I get a chance to make or do something unique to me that connects me to others.

It’s a way for me to interact with others, to express my love and appreciation. It’s a way to honor my pioneer ancestor’s resourcefulness. I love it when I can make something from things I have “on hand”.

It’s a way for me to connect with my children and husband. Sometimes my little boy will climb up on my lap and sew with me as a break from his playing. (I have a needle guard so there’s no danger of him hurting himself) I love that closeness and he feels involved in a grownup project which he loves. My husband is great at helping me lay things out (as in quilts--2 so far) balancing color and shape. He’s also a great editor. It’s been fun for us to collaborate.

It also gives me a way to produce something when my job as a full time Mom gives me very little that lasts longer than a few minutes in the way of tactile accomplishment.

It gives me a space separate from my kids. My circumstances are such that true “breaks” from my kids aren’t frequent so I create breaks by encouraging their independence so I can work on a project--even if that’s only a few minutes.

My “studio” really a corner of our dining room

What kind of handmade objects are you working on right now?

Currently a wall quilt, some felt food, a cross stitch, a writing project that I’m trying to make time for and a pair of moccasins (well 2 pair actually--one of my very best friends got married 18 years ago and they’re supposed to be their wedding gift. I tried to get out of it, but her husband won’t let me.)

Working on can be loosely interpreted. I usually have a list a mile long and projects in various stages hanging about.



[L to R: Wall Quilt, Cross Stitch, What I Write With]

It's easy to let things get in the way of pursuing creative projects: the dishes need to be done, it costs money, I have no uninterrupted time, I don't know how, where do I start, I want to--but checking my email and blogs is easier to do and instantly gratifying, I'm just plain exhausted!...are these things you struggle with?

Absolutely! Some of my struggles are different from yours but distractions and exhaustion often get in the way. I find I go in cycles. Usually the winter time is a more of a creative production time for me.

The implied question here is how do I work around those excuses? One way is to make friends with people that I know make things. It’s been my experience that people who make like to share their skill. Not everyone certainly, but lots of people. Ask around. My Mom makes moccasins and is willing to teach anyone who wants to learn. So far no one has ever taken her up on her offer of coming by the house and learning. Make time for that. I also think that it’s creative to read blogs. I’ve gotten lots of great ideas from places online. It takes time to seek good things so remember that it’s ok to be reading.

Did your creative pursuits take a back seat when your little guy was born and spent the first part of his life in the hospital--or were you able to do things during that time, was it a good outlet?

Take a back seat? Absolutely they took a back seat. I did make a pair of baby moccasins toward the end of our time at the hospital. It gave me something to do when we couldn’t do much else. Ironically we were more involved in his care at that time than earlier on, but I just wasn’t up to much before that. When we brought him home he was on dialysis from about 5:30 p.m. until 5:30 a.m. I would come home from work and play and interact with him for about a half an hour and then we would “put him on” and have the evening to do things. It was great for my husband and me. We would visit and work on things--well he’d read and I’d craft. It was a great way of coping for me at that time. You always think when you’re going through something difficult that it’s hard to go through, but for me the aftermath has been more difficult. Some of that may be that there is no after in aftermath, but it is much calmer now and things are much more stable.

What sort of objects do you collect? (I know about your children's books, and now, placemats--which is such a great idea! Tell us about those, and others as well.)

Somehow in my youth I decided that I needed to collect things so I think I collect anything I can.
I love art, so pictures that “speak” to me get picked up from calendars, cards, posters, original work, photographs (my husband’s a great landscape photographer).
Original Oil by friend, Gwen Toomalatai You can get a better idea from her etsy website: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6377160

Placemats--usually the cheap tourist trap plastic ones. It’s fun for me now when my wings are a little clipped and I can “travel” at my table and talk to my husband and kids about other places. I had to get some animal mats from Alaska so my little guy would be excited about them, but now he is.

Fabric (and I’m not much of a “sewing” person, but I’m learning to quilt)

Books, especially children’s books. I love the marriage of art and words in them. We have a “library” with about 7 bookshelves in it. That doesn’t count the ones in other rooms.

Prisms, I love rainbows.

Leaves, rocks--I once carried a rock that I named Herbert 3 miles. When I was traveling a lot I’d pick up flowers and leaves and press them. I made a book and put them in it so I could remember some of those fun times.
(Herbert pictured here)
Cool containers, formula cans, cereal boxes (great for making pattern templates). I have a hard time throwing anything away--it drives my family crazy.

Unusual generally small dangly earrings. In my younger single days I had a pair of “hiking” earrings. That still makes me laugh.


Shells, beach glass, rock with barnacles and the edge of the frame my Mom made.

If you could be an apprentice to any kind of craftsman or woman, what would you want to learn?
I would love to learn print making, spinning, weaving, paper making and woodworking. I don’t know that I could choose just one. I have an Aunt who always had something she was doing in her hands. It didn’t matter where she was: meetings, riding in the car (she was legally blind and couldn’t drive), church, family gatherings. She could knit, crochet, and weave. When she died no one was interested in her spinning and weaving things so I got them all. So here I am a fully equipped spinner and weaver without any skill whatsoever and a little bit overwhelmed by it all. I tried some crocheting for a while with some cheap yarn that someone else gave me--it’s a pile of cheap yarn so I thought I would make a multicolored who cares what happens with it afghan type of thing from what I remembered learning as a kid (with a few tips from passersby) It’s miserable, but it kept my hands busy when I couldn’t do much else. Can anyone tell me how to keep your edges straight?

Do you do this just for yourself, or have you ever gone commercial--craft shows, selling objects online, etc?

I’ve never been able to bring myself to going commercial. I don’t know that I could. I don’t like production levels of handmade things. I did once trade a pair of baby moccasins for some smoked salmon, but that’s as close as I’ve come. Most of what I do is for me and the deadline makes it stressful for me as I try to steal the time to do it from my day. When I can just go at my own pace if I have sick kids that need me for several days more constantly it’s ok.

I've always seen you as a person who takes in the world around you--embracing it in its beauty and harshness--Has becoming a mother dampened this (because you're so busy) or has it heightened it (because it is magnified through your children)?
Becoming a mother has rocked my world in positive and negative ways. I want one day to create some kind of masterpiece that shows the dark and light of it all. I think as a child I thought that for the most part life was light. As I grew I learned a lot about the dark, death, pain, suffering and sorrow, they’re all part of living. It’s not always fun, but it is always life. I still have to encourage my son through the pain of regular blood work--it’s not as often as it once was, but it’s still very difficult to tell this precocious child that he needs to cooperate with someone who’s going to hurt him. I want them to see that life is hard and good. I hope that some of what I make helps them to see that and to focus on what it good and beautiful while acknowledging what is bad and ugly. I’m certainly busier than I’ve ever been, but I still find a need really to express myself in one way or another.

What other "creative" pursuits do we overlook that can also be fulfilling?
There are so many things that can fulfill a person: cooking, throwing parties, writing, gardening, blogging, reading, being a mom, being a wife, being a woman, being a Dad, being a husband, being a man, being a friend--they all require us to take from the world around us and create something that is uniquely “us” and share it with others.

There is so much information out there, so much criticism, negative and positive, that I think you have to pull from all the different sources and makes what works for you work for you. Doing something that gets you excited, interested that’s what is fulfilling and therapeutic.

Staying at home full time is an incredible opportunity for creativity. A friend of mine pointed out to me that you have the opportunity to fill your day with whatever you want. You choose. It doesn’t always feel that way, but the reality is in no other job in the world can you make those kinds of decisions every single day.

I’m afraid I’m getting lost in this question. I have 3 sisters. All 3 have said that they “aren’t creative”. In other words they don’t make THINGS. One of them throws amazing parties for her kids. That’s one of her creative outlets.

Another sister is an amazing dancer and I think that’s one of her creative outlets. It’s what charges her batteries.

The other sister makes things, but she’s not as voracious about it as my mother or even I am.

What advice would you give to women out there--all kinds of women in different stages in life, experiencing different joys and sorrows--on how they might begin a small creative project and how it might help them?

I think I would tell anyone if you have the tiniest of interests in something pursue it. You may find you don’t like it or you may find a way to live and enjoy life.

Having a way to express yourself is so empowering. It takes time to learn things, take the time. Choose things that fit into the time that you have and once you have even the most rudimentary of skills make it your own. It can be a distraction, a way to reach out to someone, to connect with someone. It can be a simple as sitting down and coloring (with or without lines) something. Don’t worry about it matching what’s in your head, just do it. Then move on from there. I believe in coloring and I’m terrible at it. I’ll win no art contest or even the admiration of others, but it’s color and shape and me. Nothing else matters. It does help that my little man says, “Oh Mom, that looks beautiful!”