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 :) 

Denim project: A bike basket

This is my new bike. The hubby and I (with bug in tow) have been riding as much as my health issues have allowed in the past 2 months. It's a fun family outing and good exercise that is easy on the back and knees. 

And Bug loves being the princess in the trailer carriage

We live in Maryland, where temperatures are well over 85F over the summer months. I needed to be able to take along a drink, Without having to reach down on the frame (sure way for clumsy me to fall flat on my face). And then there is question of where to stash the cell phone (yes, the geeky me has a ride tracking app on the iPhone), the bike lock and some cash just in case we decided to stop somewhere for a snack. The answer: a bike basket. 

I turned to the blogging world for ideas and stumbled on the excellent tutorial made by Anna on Noodlehead. I had to make a few alteration to accommodate all my goals. No mystery about my love for denim. Sturdy, fun and versatile.

This is the first incarnation. After a couple of uses I decided to add a handle to be able to easily carry the basket when not attached to the bike (I have to remove it to load the bike on the car's bike rack)

I added an inside pocket with a snap

 

Large enough to fit my iPhone and some cash

Here it is on my bike

And it's big enough to fit a large bottle, and with a handle sturdy enough to carry it if necessary

I love it

  

Fiona's fashions - A pleated skirt

Princess Fiona's wardrobe keeps expanding. I like being able to use those cute prints from my scrap bin. And Bug loves Princess Fiona to look stylish. I'm still struggling with making tops,  making sleeves (that fit) this small is a challenge and there is the extra complication to make it kid friendly. I'm working on it. 

In the mean time, Princess Fiona is getting a new skirt. 

And now that I've figured out how to make pleats, Bug may get a cute new skirt too