Just a warning...and stuff

The flu has invaded our house. I should have known it was coming when Caleb came home from school on Tuesday and mentioned one of his friends had been gone that day. He didn't know if the kid was on a trip(his idea) or sick (my idea). I'm thinking he was sick, because that night Caleb was up--he counted--six times. Let me say, what a great kid! He made it to the bathroom and the toilet each time. How good is that for a six year old! On Friday it hit me and I could hardly move all day (I was so glad when no one showed up to exercise, I think I would have cried), then that night Joseph was up most the night, then Saturday night it was Felicity's turn. I'm not sure we're all done, so if you want to visit, do it over the phone. Plus, our house is the requisite Sick Disaster Area, and my hair is the same.

But on to brighter things, I'm still working on my year end round up of I love Mondays (I decided to start that tradition). Hopefully I'll get that done by tomorrow. Today I want to share a few more fun things from the Internet I've found this year and I've either tried and liked or want to try...

http://mushroomvillagers.wordpress.com/the-eddie-cap-tutorial/

This is an Eddie Cap. I've actually made this one a few times, it's a little icky to make at first, shifting fabric, getting it all the right size and stuff like that, but with practice you can make a pretty cute hat!

http://iammommahearmeroar.blogspot.com/2010/03/here-comes-gunny.html

Remember all my Angry Mom posts and how I would get a garbage bag and gather toys that I would threaten with giving to some other kids who would actually clean up after themselves? Grr. Anyway, this is a brilliant idea. Meet Gunny, the Incredible Toy Eater. The kids won't pick up? Here come Gunny who will eat all the toys on the floor (he has a little flap where his mouth is) and then keep them until whatever time Mom has cooled off enough to give it another try.

http://www.lobzik.pri.ee/modules/news/article.php?storyid=244

Aren't these roses beautiful! Op, sorry, they're not. Roses I mean, they are fall leaves folded and glued. This tutorial is in Russian...but Google translates. Whew, 'cause I can't even speak Spanish, Russian is a little beyond me. I did this one, too, but it can be hard to find leaves big enough, the ones I picked in the canyon where too small. I almost knocked on a couple doors to see if I could pick their leaves, but I chickened out. If you have any good trees you know about in public areas (or privately owned areas of nice people) let me know and we can gather and fold together next fall.

http://placetobloom.blogspot.com/2010/01/build-fort.html

This is a brilliant idea, too. Do your kids make tents in which they pull all the blankets of their beds, pile books precariously on corners as weights, move around all the furniture until you can't see any carpet in the room? I know my kids do, and I remember doing it, too. What a crazy mess! But I hate to say no more, because it's fun. Here's the idea: A Tent Building Kit. It has a few sheets with ties on them, clamps, ropes, whatever you can think off so they can tie corners onto things rather than stacking books onto the corners of the blankets. Plus, you don't have to remake every bed in the house. Birthdays for this year, done. Well, I guess I still have to make them. http://www.soyouthinkyourecrafty.com/1999/12/anthropologie-inspired-knotted-quilt-tutorial-pt-1/

This is on the top of my crafty to-do list. Love, love this quilt. I've been wanting to make a quilt for Farris and I for awhile, and this is beautiful without being too horrible to make. Simple process, something I can do while I watch an old movie. Perfect.

So there's some of my inspiration for this coming year. What is inspiring you, crafty or other wise?