Busy year....still more to come

Wow, so this year has been super busy. I had a baby in May - Annalee is her name and this last week she cut both her bottom teeth. The trick we used was cold celery. Not frozen but refrigerated. She loves it!

I have really gotten in to beginning quilting and am loving it. I find that with a newborn, a three year old, 5 jobs (or so) and a husband that I really do not have as much time as I want to donate to myself. So, I make a little time here and there - mostly at night.

I have also found some really creative gift ideas that I am working on for Christmas.

I have been watching my cousins two little girls who are the same age range as Roz and I feel they need backpacks for all the traveling they do back and forth to their mom's. So, somehow I googled pillowcase backpacks or found it on some webpage and finally... I found it. Another blogger here has a website of fun crafty ideas and this was one. Her page redirects you to Little Birdie Secrets' webpage and that page is AWESOME!

I must say. The backpacks only take about 45 minutes each or less and are really cute. You can use any style pillowcase and make it perfect. I have completely fallen in love with this idea and so far am planning on making about six more for all my girly girls in the family that could use one.

They are large enough for shoes, books, clothes, and all sorts of goodies and I'm really happy with the end product.

So, here comes Christmas with so many female and younger relatives with an easy, low-cost, cute and functional present.

By the way... Pillowcases at the local thrift shop are as inexpensive as $.25 each! And you can find ribbon or bias tape or cording there too! No need to buy from scratch unless you find a printed pillowcase you just can't live without.

Also this weekend I finished both of my girls' Christmas Dresses and are they cute!!! Matching color and fabric but totally different styles that challenged my novice sewing skills.