What I've been up to - Week 42

What a week ! What a week! If I had to summarize it all in one line it would be: "the good, the bad and the ugly".

First the good. After months and months of uncertainty and 8 weeks of delays, my departmental transfer has finally been approved and I will be starting in my new position on the 31st! I'm ecstatic. Going to a different department means adjustments but also means new challenges and occasions to learn. I've very much been looking forward to that.

Also in the good, the hubby and I went in a long overdue date at a local cajun restaurant and had a delicious and spicy meal, followed by a decadent dessert: Godiva chocolate cheesecake. Not as good as poor Manny's (you have to be from the Utica, NY to know about Manny's) but yum! 

Yesterday we took bug to Larriland farm to find pumpkins. Bug had fun running around looking for the perfect little pumpkin. We will be carving those on Saturday because the weather has not been very favorable and we were worried that the pumpkins might rot very quickly.

Then the bad. Both the hubs and I caught a cold and we had a few lousy nights fighting fever and cough. Not much crafting got done. I was way too tired. And then our washing machine decided to quit on us and cough up a bunch of water in the basement. No damage done thankfully but we had to spend part of the weekend looking for a new washer which will be delivered next weekend. We got somewhat lucky though: the model we were after was on sale!

And the ugly. Well the ugly is that Bug is now sick too. Sick enough I had to call my boss and request to work from home. Lots of unpleasant washing and cleaning for mom and dad. Enough said. 

What I have been up to - Week 41

Week 40?? Week 40 !! It is October already.  This year has flown by so incredibly quickly. 

Half of the year was a blur to be honest, between my father-in-law's cancer treatment and my own health issues there wasn't much time or energy to spare. Thankfully my father-in-law is back on his feet after months of chemo and several surgeries. So far he has a clean bill of health. I'm not yet 100% in the clear and I've been dragging my feet scheduling a follow up appointment dreading I may have to go through another surgery but I am thousands times better now than 6 months ago. And oh so thankful because the next few weeks are going to be so busy. People talk about the stress of the holidays. It is true. I'm already feeling it. 

Work is a bit hectic with a transition phase still dragging. Our interim manager is fine and I like working with him but who knows what will happen when a permanent replacement is found. I imagine there will be more changes, more stress. Just what I need right ?

Anyway, this week is the last one before I go into full "Santa Gift Shop" mode. 

We had one last grill party with friends on Saturday evening, on the terrace, and enjoyed a fantastic weather, the last hurrah of the summer. 

In preparation for the event, I had to seriously clean up the studio ... It had not looked this neat in quite some time.

But not before I finished a Halloween costume for a friend's daughter: 

I hope this makes one more little girl feel just like a princess

What have you been up to?

What I've been up to - Week 40

Fall has set in here in MD. I'm not ready. Not ready to give up summer, not ready to brave cold temperatures, rain, wind and eeek snow. Are you ready for winter? I'm still looking forward to the holidays and will be starting with the Christmas present "production".

Bug had another good week at school, while I had another really busy week at work, and another to follow since it's my turn for the on-call rotation.

A busy week in the house too with couple more home improvement projects completed. After 7 years, I finally have a power outlet on the front porch, in time for the holidays too !! Some more cabling also finished as we switched internet providers and are now a VoIP house: No more landline, our telephone goes through the internet but that involved a hole in the ceiling of the studio, a lot of furniture shoved aside, along with dust and plaster. 

Not much crafting possible in these conditions so I've been busy making fabric flowers and making pretty slippers out of plain ones. After all the mess was finally cleaned up, I tidied up the studio and I'm ready for some crafting.

At least this weekend was quiet and restful. We all went to visit Aunt Joan and Uncle John, had a simple family dinner and bug had a chance to play dress up with this fabulous traditional dress that her great grand father brought back from Korea. Unfortunately it is still a bit too long so not a option for a Halloween costume until next year at least.

What I have been up to this week - Week 39

This week has been nothing short of crazy work-wise for both my hubby and me. Really early mornings, really late nights on Monday, tuesday and Wednesday... Really really tired Thursday, Friday. Poor Bug didn't get much mommy and daddy time all week so we kept the weekend extra cuddly and quiet: we all slept in, enjoyed late breakfast and staying at home for the most part.

I was way too tired for much crafting this weekend but I cleaned up the studio and snapped photos of recently finished projects. After that Bug and I watched "Tangled" huddled together.

Then Bug asked about her Halloween costume. Thankfully she did not say she wanted to be Rapunzel  (big relief!). But guess what: Bug still asked to be a princess. I pulled out last year's costume and while the skirt still fits, Bug had outgrown the jacket, well the sleeves. I unpicked them and made new sleeves with matching fabric and reusing what I could of the existing sleeves. Bug approved: she wore it for the rest of the day :) 

In other news, we had our first follow up appointment at Kennedy Krieger since starting the ADHD medication. Bug is doing awesome and even though the treatment messes up with her appetite during day time, her weight has been mostly stable. So far. it's been the only side affect. The benefits are so overwhelmingly positive, we are glad we went through with the medication. She has been doing really great in school, much better than we ever had hoped for. We are staying the course and will follow up again in December. 

What have you been up to?

What I've been up to - Week 37 and 38

If you missed my usual ramblings last weekend, sorry but the date needed to stay solemn. I preferred to skip a date. 

The past weeks have been all about getting into the new school routine, which we are finally getting down and also getting a few things done around the outside house before the colder weather settles in. Not so successful in that area but we got some other overdue projects tackled: Bug has now a proper homework desk in an area where the distractions are limited, I finally hung some artwork on the master bedroom's wall (after almost 7 years in this house ahem ... oops) and we reorganized a few things on the walls of the stairwell and second floor landing. Oh and I finally have a little desk in the office for "overnighters" when I'm on call for work. I will use it for the first time super early tomorrow morning .. yipee!! 

Bug is still doing wonderfully with her ADHD medication. We have a follow up appointment tomorrow morning but I think we are going to continue as is for the moment because not only the side effects are relatively minor, but she is also her happy, energetic and mischievous self, with the ability to concentrate on one task, including at school.

Not much done in the studio. I finished a corduroy skirt for Bug and a necklace for me, made a couple of pillowcases as a housewarming present for a girlfriend that just bought a house and started on a little halloween project I'm hoping to finish this week. I still have to take photos so the reveal will have to wait a little.

What have you been up to ??

What I have been up to - Weeks 36

I thought this week would be quieter after all the commotion of last week ( earthquake AND hurricane the same week .. wow). Well there has been more commotion. At work. My new boss quit, barely 4 months after taking over the department. The news was a bit of a shocker. We'll see what this all brings. Hopefully good things for the team. Bug had a good first week at school despite a bit of a snafu with lunches. 

Busy week on the home front too: my hubby and I finished staining the deck posts, the terrace and deck handrails and re-organized Bug's bedroom a bit. I also tackled the ever growing problem of my closet and dresser. The long overdue task that resulted in a large pile of donations and a trash bag of odds and ends and I found a few "long lost" items. 

Then this morning my hubby finally admitted we needed to do something after what was one morning too many waking up sore. Off we went to buy a new mattress. Bug had a great time "helping " us test the various models. We settled on a firm support mattress which will be delivered tomorrow. I CAN'T WAIT. My back has been a mess since we came back from France!

I did find some time to craft. Another pair of jeans has found another life and I've started putting together a new necklace. Pictures to come soon. I also finally pulled out my corduroy stash to make a fall/winter dress for bug. It's coming along nicely but I had to stop because I need my little model to check the fit. Time to go to bed... this long weekend went by way too fast

What I have been up to - Weeks 35

Some week we just had !! First an earthquake on tuesday, then hurricane Irene last night. And on top of all that, we had to get ready for Bug's first day of kindergarten (which has been postponed by one day due to the hurricane aftermaths). We have been so busy I wouldn't have had any crafting done until today if we hadn't been sent home early after the earthquake. 

I used the unexpected time off to refinish this table and chairs to setup a homework station for Bug. 

Speaking of bug, after debating the pros and cons for days and researching extensively all our options, weighing the risks vs. benefits, we started her on medication for ADHD, the lowest possible dosage. So far she is doing great. She is our bug, but she is more settled not doing 10 things at the same time. We are now so much more optimistic about school. I'd be glad to hear your take on this issue.

In the family news, my FIL just finished his chemo. We are all anxious to find out about his control scans.

Irene only made minor damages in our neighborhood,  we were lucky the power didn't go out even at the worst of the storm. Last weekend, we went to our favorite farm to pick peaches and apples. Since we were stuck home most of the weekend, I was able to make some poached apples and peach jelly.  Yumm! But being holed up while Irene was raging out gave us a bit of cabin fever.

Late this morning, we walked around the neighborhood and found small branches and leaves everywhere, a few larger broken limbs...

 

and uprooted trees. 

Look how waterlogged the ground is !!

Bug was adorable with her little bumblebee umbrella

And I managed to sprain my ankle less then a block from home. On a big chestnut. Mpff!!

Finally this afternoon, after going through the pile of clothes needing mending/hemming/buttons to be restitched, I had some time left for a fun upcyling project. Come back tomorrow to see it ! It involves this fabric:

What have you been up to ?

What I have been up to - Weeks 34

Jet lag is behind us. We have settled back in our routine. Or have we? Bug has turned 5 this summer. In a week she will be starting Kindergarten. A big milestone.  When Bug was 18 months old we knew something was off in her acquisition of language. It took almost a year to finally get a referral to have her evaluated.  If you are a regular, you know that Bug has been in Special Ed for the past 2 years and will be attending the local school in a regular class albeit with some additional help. Back in April, we expressed our concerns to our pediatrician one more time and she directed us to the Kennedy Krieger Institute. After a long 4-months wait, we finally had our first appointment this week. Four letters entered our universe: ADHD.

We are  not completely stunned. We have known for a long time bug was not like other kids her age, in a subtle manner. In hindsight everything is starting to make sense.  We have a long road ahead figuring out the best strategies to help Bug overcome this challenge and realize her full potential. This is a big step though. Somehow this is a big relief too. We have been told for the longest time Bug's language delay was due to the bilingualism in our household, that everything would just resolve itself and that we were just worry warts. I'm so glad we decided to ignore the "wait and see" advice and got help for Bug quickly. And now she will be getting better, more targeted help and we will learn how to best help her too. 

Between recovering from jet lag,  the school preparations and trying to figure out how to organize our life to make things easier for bug, my studio and this blog have been gravely neglected. I'm hoping to squeeze some crafting time this week. We'll see :) 

What I have been up to - Weeks 32 and 33

Sorry for the radio silence. 

Ooops. I meant to do some blogging. But in the end I really needed this long break. I really needed to rest, relax and enjoy quiet time with Bug and my hubby. We took everything slowly. No pressure, no watch to look at. Just the simple pleasures of life: family, friends, good foods and the lovely weather that graced us everyday save one.

A bit of shopping, a bit of sight seeing, a lot of farniente at the poolside and the beach, altogether we just enjoyed spending time without the stress of daily life. We had the best vacation: the kind you come back from truly rested, body and soul. 

Bug now calls herself a mermaid. 

She was so happy and she tried many new foods. We are thrilled

We came back on Friday and are still pretty jet lagged. Time to regroup and prepare for the school year. A big milestone for bug since she will be in Kindergarten. School starts in 2 weeks. I'm not sure how much time I'll have to craft but I will make time to show you all the goodies I brought back. 

What I have been up to - Weeks 29 through 31

The past couple of weeks went by like a blur. This poor little blog has been on autopilot since July 9th... The post scheduling feature has been my best friend. 

 The second surgery went well but the recovery was rough and even though I haven't been in nearly as much pain as for the first installment, I was significantly more  tired and the recovery has not been easy. I am in much better shape today than I have been in the past 7 months I must say, even though there is still the possibility of needing a third surgery in the fall. Time will tell. 

So a slow recovery for me, and then the minute I was back on my feet, there was Bug's 5th birthday to think of.

Then we've had to get ready for our trip... I'm actually blogging from the Philadelphia airport. It's the first time in almost 3 weeks that I have some "free" time to blog. I don't even want to look at my mailbox, I know it's scary. I will get to it I promise :).

Crafting has been way neglected but I did manage a couple of things ... they were just necessary in preparation for our trip. I made a carry bag for bug's car seat to be able to maneuver with it from the car to the plane. The experience of our previous trip taught us that they are a major pain to carry around as is. 

The next two weeks will be all about resting and enjoying being together. No crafting, but shopping, beach, pool and sightseeing. There will be pictures overload :) 

What I have been up to - Week 28

This week has been a roller coaster ride at home and at work. Some days were fine, some days were hell. At least one thing went (mostly) as planned: all the preparation for my second surgery this Tuesday. I even made my weight loss goal! We recently bought bicycles and even though we haven't been riding very often or very far since I get tired so easily, a little exercise paid off. 

 Well someone here is not exercising very hard

Unless being a ham counts as exercising...

The doctor I'm now seeing is considered one of the best in her specialty but still warned me there is the possibility of needing round 3. Please send good vibes my way on Tuesday for a complete success. After more than six months of feeling like the shadow of myself I'm so very ready to be better. 

I'm pretty sure I will be out of commission for several days after the surgery. So I invested my Sunday in preparing meals, getting the laundry under control and straightening up the house with the help of my hubby. 

The highlight of my week was Amie's visit for some crafty fun on Saturday. We set out to make something grey and yellow.. and came up with quite a few and exchanged knowledges and stash goodies. Detailed report and photos to come. After we cleaned up the disaster area in my studio, Amie's husband joined us and we shared a relaxed dinner on the patio. 

I still managed to squeeze some crafting time here and there to make a bike basket and also made good progress on the Hungry Caterpillar quilt. I only have to finish the binding!

What I have been up to - Week 26 & 27

No, I have not fallen off the face of the earth, or the blogiverse. I've just been very busy and tired. I had to make time for my family, home and health, somehow after  those priorities were taken care of after my regular work days, there hasn't been any energy left for much else.  Even if everything goes well and that my second surgery is the final one, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to dedicate much time to blogging until  the end of August. There is so much going on both at home and at work. 

We did of course have some July 4th fun... Family and friends gathered for a wonderful parade. Firetrucks, marching bands, waving flags, vintage cars, candies (and even local political figures),  there was something for everyone young or old.

Bug had a great time

It was a bit overcast but that also meant it wasn't has hot as it could have been.  After that we grilled some hotdogs of course.

I did get some sewing done this past 2 weeks because it's the one thing I need to keep going day after day in this rough time.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar Quilt is advancing fast. Both the top and back are now pieced. I will post some pictures tomorrow. Hopefully,  I will be able to quilt and bind it this week. It's a crib/toddler bed sized quilt so it won't take too long. 

 

The other project I finished will have to stay a secret until next week but it involves denim.

What I have been up to - Week 25

Nothing too exciting to report this week on the work side of things. The week was busy, no time out, but the good kind of busy, not crazy. I wish it was always like this. 

My hubby and I decided we needed to exercise more and after shopping around we found the right bikes. We've been taking a couple of rides this week with Bug in a trailer behind her Dad. She loves it ! We're not being too ambitious for now since I'm out of shape and we are just going to build up slowly to get to a proper exercise schedule. This morning we biked the long way to the local farmer's market, where we found some great fresh fruit. The trailer has a handy storage compartment where we were able to put the loot for the way home. I really need to make a little basket to hang on the handlebar though, just to have a drink handy when riding. Going on my to-do list for this week,

It was also Bug's last week of school. 

I made some fabric flower clips, barrettes and brooches for everyone at school. It was a big hit 

We had a meeting with the whole educational team to decide about her kindergarten placement. The final word is she will attend a regular school, a block away from home with additional support to help her catch up in the areas she is still behind. We are not 100% convinced this is the best solution for Bug considering her troubles staying focussed even for simple tasks but we will give this a shot. If things are not going well for Bug after the first 5-6 weeks of school, we will reconsider our options. One thing is certain: she will be very disappointed she won't get to ride the bus to school this year since we are less then a mile away. This will also make things more "interesting" for us, since it may also mean that we have to change daycare. The home daycare Bug has been going to since she was a baby may not be able to handle the drop off and pickup. I'm worried about all those changes throwing her out of balance. 

The studio has been a bit deserted. I've been too busy enjoying the back deck before it gets too hot and steamy like Maryland summers can be. I did start working on the "Hungry Caterpillar" quilt unfortunately, I managed to misplace the USB cable for my camera so no new pictures just yet. Ooops. I asked the hubby to get me an extra cable in case it's really really lost. And it won't hurt to have a spare. 

Yesterday Amie (Kitty Cats and Airplanes) and I met again for shopping and crafting. We had a great time! We started with a little raid at the local Goodwill store followed by a quick stop at Hobby Lobby. We did really good until we checked the clearance section. Lots and lots of pretty beads. Looks like jewelry making will be on the crafting menu in the coming weeks. I actually made some earrings today. Same problem as the quilt pictures.. stuck in the camera until I find the cable or acquire a new one.

Back at my place, we decided for something out of our regular crafting routine: we painted on the theme of July 4th. We painted side by side with the same colors but came up with completely different interpretations. Can't wait to show the pictures (again, pesky cable issue).

What have you been up to ??

What I have been up to - Week 24

Not the best week I have to confess. At work, our interim manager has now become permanent. I'm not sure how things are going to work out. This will be a complete change from my previous boss for sure. And I've been stressing out about Bug and her school. The meeting in on Wednesday and I'm not sure we have all the information we need in our hands. 

To complicate things, my health problem are interfering a lot, at work and at home. I've been in a lot of pain most days which is not very conducive to rational thinking. Thankfully my doctor gave me a new prescription that will help me function until the second surgery, next month. It's been working so far. While yesterday afternoon was quite miserable, after 1 pill, the evening was much better and today I've been so far pain free. 

On the plus side of my week, my hubby has been awesome at helping out around so the house is very presentable, all the household chores have been taken care of so I can enjoy a really quiet Sunday. We were going to go to HonFest (a local even in Baltimore, half an hour away) with some friends but they decided to take it easy today and after my rough week, I'm glad to do the same.

 I've actually started on this by enjoying my morning coffee on the back deck. The reclining chairs we bought last weekend are so comfy, especially now that we added footstools!! 

We went to the local farmer's market, got some fresh fruit, veggies and bread and I showed off my fancy market tote - even my hubby said it looks very cool.

Then it was time to retreat inside: It is  hot and humid today with a good chance of thunderstorms in the evening. 

I've only completed very small projects this week : a couple of outfits for Princess Fiona and adding ties on the new chair's seat cushions. Oh and some fabric flowers... but that's always on the menu.

Last but not least, I think the best of my week actually happened late yesterday evening. My blog bestie and I spent over an hour on the phone exchanging ideas and just chatting away. It was like catching up with a long lost friend and it was AWESOME. I just know it's the first of many chats. Love it!! Looking forward to more.

What have you been up to? 

What I have been up to - Week 23

Funny how 4-day weeks at work end up being as much work as a regular week but crammed into less time! You end up feeling as burned as a regular week if not worse. Thankfully we had planned for a slow paced weekend. All the housekeeping was done during the week, including the climbing of Mount Laundry.

Yesterday, after a morning spend gardening and setting up a new raised flowerbed with the hubby (and a refreshing shower), I sent Bug and her dad grocery shopping while I prepared a few summer treats for a dinner with some friends.  We grilled on the back patio, ate and chatted until late, the kids ran around and played until they dropped - a very enjoyable evening.

Today, we took a trip to Ikea to acquire some reclining chairs so we could finally enjoy fully our newly renovated deck.  Here are a few pictures of the reconstruction process. We kept the structure but replace the handrail and all the top decking with treated wood that I stained to be in compliance with the village's and HOA's covenants (Meaning it HAD to be brown)

That's before

The back patio during the construction - What a mess!

My hubby setting up the railing posts

My hubby and his uncle John 

Bug the day of the completion 3 weeks ago

What a great timing! After a very rainy month of May, this turned out to be a fantastic day to just relax outside  - 85F ( 26C) with a very light breeze and normal humidity levels. Summers tend to be pretty hot and humid in MD. So as soon as our new  chairs were setup (there is always a bit of work when buying Ikea furniture), I grabbed my laptop, the hubs grabbed a book and we lounged of a bit in the perfect weather.

All caught up with emails, all caught up with my reading list. And of course some plain ol' doing NOTHING. That is actually rare enough to be noted.

Bug also enjoyed a book, in her own special way. 

More bubble soap was used and abused

Looks like we are having dinner outside tonight too.

The other news of the week are not so great. My new doctor confirmed I will need another surgery which has been scheduled for mid-July. I'm a bit angry and depressed to have to go through all this again. How do I communicate my concerns with my previous doctor about the March surgery? I'm also worried about the possible implications with my health insurance.

The worry made for another slow week in the crafting department. It feels I am in a never ending slump. A couple of smaller projects got finished though: my new seriously long necklace, another jeans upcycling project and  a new dress for Princess Fiona. I will share those this week. I still have some photo to take :).

What have you been up to?

What I have been up to - Week 22

This marks the end of the second week since my manager decided to move on to greener pastures (and to Boston). So far the team is holding it together. We have yet to find out how our ex-boss will be replaced (if at all). This makes for a bit of added stress. At least the 3-day weekend has been giving us a much needed relief. 

We took the opportunity to visit my in-laws (father/mother/brother/future sister) and my hubby's childhood friends upstate NY. 

Bug had lots of fun in Grandma and Grandpa's yard as usual. More on our weekend in a separate post. Summer has definitely made a grand entrance in MD with temperatures in the 90s and our usual thunderstorms. Time to get Bug's little waddling pool out of the basement for splashing and refreshing. 

Crafting time was limited by the travel preparations and work overflow. I only finished a denim apron and a belt as well as ruffled skirts for my nieces. I still have some jeans upcycling in the works that I will share soon

 

PS: this post has been made possible by Lisa, my sweet co-worker , that loaned this magic gizmo called a wireless access point. This cool gadget allows me to blog from the passenger seat as we are making our way back to MD on the Interstate. Yay for technology and big thank you Lisa :).