Project day!

I get one Saturday off a month.  One glorious, work-free, low stress day.  Kind of.  Today I did get to sleep in, but it's been pretty much go, go, go since then.  First things first, I got my butt to Hobby Lobby.  I have had requests for 6 paintings and 1 guest "book" tree to fill.  Plus my sewing machine has been dinked up for awhile so I figured new needles will surely fix my problem.  That remains to be seen as I didn't even get to sewing today, but I did get my paint slingin done!  After I got myself up and rolling I high-tailed it to Decatur and back before noon cause I HAD to get to my rental trailer. 

Unfortunately for me, my renter called last night to let me know the roof was leaking in the kitchen.  Considering that we just got the darn place rented again and the guy has lived there like a week I seriously thought about curling up on the floor and crying...but I tugged up my big girl pants and went to Ace Hardware to get what is essentially tar to fix the cracks.  I had to wrangle a ladder and climbed up on that roof.  That's when I had my next hide my face and sob moment, the roof was still half covered in snow and I had no option but to sit in the slush to scoot to the areas that needed patched.  Half an hour and almost an entire bucket of tar later I climbed onto the teetery ladder in my now entirely soaked jeans shivering and relatively pissed off at life.  Luckily for me, I headed home, put on dry pajama pants and made cupcakes.  I had that kinda freedom today.  

After my "feel less angry"cupcakes were out of the oven and I got over the mini-fit I threw when I burned my wrist on the middle oven rack, I started on my biggest canvas for my friend Jamie.  When the sisters and I were working consistently on Ethel Edith (our side business) we redecorated Jamie's house to get it ready to go on the market.  I had done paintings of her kids then, and she requested paintings of her kids to fill empty walls in their new bathroom.  She wanted 1 with her kids in the bathtub and another of whatever I felt like....which turned into 3 of whatever I felt like.  This is what I decided on.  You gotta have a painting of your kids with bubble hair and bubble mustaches.  You just gotta.  

I figured each kid needs a little time in the spotlight too so they each got an individual painting taking care of their bathroom stuff.  

This one is my favorite simply because of the expression I drew on his face, oh, and the nipples.  Crack me up!  

After I got Jamie's paintings done I did two more for a lady named Heather.  Heather saw the paintings I had done for Jamie and requested her girls be done.  I am following that up with a request for a peacock in teal, and an owl in red.  

I think they turned out fab!  Now I just need to get everything ok'd by my buyers and I can mark those two (well, 6) projects off my list!

In between paintings I made dinner for Zac and I.  It went south fast.  I make a mean spaghetti and meatballs, but I think my can of tomatoes was bad because it had a terrible aftertaste and we had to throw out an entire batch and start over.  (Which, by the way, I could not convince Zac just to pour back into the tin cans until it cooled, then throw away.  He insisted we must flush it down the toilet.) This super sucked cause we were out of onion and had to borrow the one we used in the bad batch from our neighbor.  I didn't feel like we could really ask for another because I'm not always cool with being "that guy."  The second sauce turned out great and Zac slammed like 7 meatballs so I know he approved and I felt much better with sauce that didn't taste like I'd melted a plastic baggie into it.  

That's pretty much been my day.  It's 10 o'clock now and am totally ready for bed.  I tell ya, it's been a long non-work work day.  Hope you've all enjoyed your Saturday and my paintings, and I'll let ya know what kind of escapades Zac and I have in Chicago tomorrow. 

Life is a like a song

Zac and I have ecclectic taste in music.  We know this is because we are awesome.  Only people as cool as us listen to both Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Nine Inch Nais in the same evening, on vinyl no less.  But seriously, we like to scour record stores in every new town we visit to find the next jewel to add to our collection.  It's one of our favorite things to do.  Our newest album purchase was 

We dig it!  We decided to go see them play a live show.  Zac picked the one in St. Louis, but it was yesterday and neither of us wanted to have to pull a late night show and early morning, we aren't kids anymore ya know.  So we picked the show in Chicago and bought tickets.  It was only later that we realized that the show is on a Sunday night and we were idiots.  Luckily Zac gets to take Monday off so he gets the late night driving shift cause my Monday is filling up with patients.  I'm gonna be draggin!  

Concerts are one of my favorite things to do with Zac.  When we lived in St. Louis we had more opportunity to see great bands.  We saw Radiohead and had a great time at 311/Snoop Dogg.  I hope when we go visit our friends in Portland we get a chance to catch a great band play.  We shall see.  For now Zac and I need to decide on a plan.  We aren't sure if we are gonna head to Chicago tomorrow night and spend the day wondering around the city, or do a marathon drive there and back on Sunday.  Decisions, decisions.  I'm always up for some priceline negotiating for a great hotel for far less than I should pay.  Zac and I both love Chicago.  We even talked about living there before.  I'm not so sure that  Chicago is right for us anymore, but we still love to visit.  I am looking forward to a long drive, good pizza, a loud band and a cold beer.  I'm sure after said beer and pizza I will have at least one amuzing Zac tale to tell.  Until then, follow this link to hear Cage the Elephant play Aint' No Rest for the Wicked and take a minute to jam!

Days off

Today Zac and I both had the day off.  This is pretty unusual.  I generally have 3 nights a week and all day on Wednesday to my self.  Zac gets an entire day to lounge and watch movies on Thursdays (if Dad doesn't have plans for him.)  So what did we do with all this time together you ask?  In a word, nothing.  It was great!  We watched a movie last night, slept in a little today, watched the season finale of Nip/Tuck and did a little grocery shopping.  We made lunch, I made him cookies, we both ate way too many and I painted my nails while we watched The Godfather.  Sounds like a pretty darn good day huh?  Now it's 9 o'clock and I have that bit of guilt that always sneaks up on me after a day of doing what I want to do and not what is most productive.  Darn you work ethic!  It makes me believe that I should have cleaned my house top to bottom, have all the laundry finished and put away, all the closets and drawers should be organized and I should have exercised.  Thank goodness there is always Saturday afternoon to redeem myself :)  For now I will just keep kickin back and enjoying my coral fingernails, red toes and the company of my favorite man. 

P.S.  Thank you again to Maggie for taking off my old toe polish after your adjustment.  I just couldn't risk messing up my fingers and you kinda owed me.  hahaha!

Released!

Annie was officially released on Saturday and I just got word that baby Ollie is breakin outta the hospital sometime today.  She had to get her bilirubin down and pass the carseat test.  Little did Ollie know she would be under such scrutiny without so much as a review before all her testing.  I tell ya, 4 days old and she's already kickin' butt!  I'm supposed to get a text when they start the 2+ hour long drive home and it's already becoming one very long drawn out day.  I can't wait to get out to Annie and Jade's tonight to finally get to hold this chubby little bean!  Isn't she just fantastic?!

Family resemeblance

Now that Baby Ollie is here we finally get to swee who she really looks like.  Turns out, she looks just like Aubrie.  This is Olliebean on her very first day of life (left) and Aubrie the day she was born (right)

Or how bout these two.  Again, Ollie left and Aubrie on the right.

Aren't they both just precious.  Both are such pretty little babies, but, Aubrie's mohawk was much bigger because she had this much hair.

And I can't really put  both girlies on here without a picture of Ev as a little babe.  Now that he's on here, he looks just like ollie too.  I'll even throw up that same picture for comparison.  They are all so perfect.  

So for now, we all wait.  Wait for Ollie to poop so she can finally come home.  I can't wait to see her and get to hold her for more than ten minutes.  Hope you enjoyed the little peak at some baby pics.  They are undenialby perfect. 

A link to Ollie

Zac said it best on our way to a very late dinner last night "Ollie is really cute and your sister looks great, like she just got off of work not like she just pushed out a baby."  It was a very good day and now here is a link to Annie's blog to see some very good pictures of our very happy family.  Enjoy our newest addition!

 

She is here!

It is official!  Ollie Faith has officially joined the world.  She was born about 15 minutes ago and we haven't gotten to see her yet but we have seen one, single picture and she is big!  We were expecting a dainty little girl, a five or six pounder but no....she is 7lbs 10 oz.  She was pink and has a chubby belly and arm fat rolls which is exactly what we were hoping for.  We don't have any other details to share but we will!  In the meantime HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLLIE!

Prayers

I got this e-mail a few days ago from a dear woman named Marty.  This is what she wrote....

Hi Abbie,

I was in Maggie's shop today and she said Ollie will enter into this world Thursday February 10, 2011.

Hallelujah, a miracle child from God!! Thank You Lord!!

I will be traveling when Maggie sends me the news, but I want you to know I'm believing in Divine Intervention for Ollie. I know all of you are too. Most of the time we have to fight our battles on our knees. I will be on my knees for baby Ollie. We serve a mighty God who answers prayer. May the Lord of Hosts be with you all on Thursday when you meet baby Ollie, and may you all praise him for the gift of life.

She will have a mighty testimony for all the world hear!!!

The enemy may have had different plans, but our God is bigger and mightier than he............

May the Lord of Lord and the King of Kings Bless you and your family abundantly,

In Christ's Love, Marty

 This is the kind of support my family has been getting from people all over.  It's really been amazing and uplifting.  I hope as you read through her note you said a prayer for baby Ollie.  She will be here anytime!


P.S.  Annie is dilated to a 1, they've got her epidural in and the pitocin flowing!  She will be here before we know it!

The countdown

Baby Ollie finally gets here tomorrow!  She makes her big debut to the world.  I, of course, am working the whole day and stupidly scheduled my last patient of the day at 5:15.  I gotta hit the road ASAP and rely on my ever-present lead foot to get me there "quick, fast, and in a hurry" as my family likes to say.  I am just sure Ollie will be there before I am, so I'm hoping she's all cleaned up and I can walk right in to kiss her pretty face and force whoever has her to hand her over.  I will also get to see Zac for the first time since very early Monday morning and will hopefully get  a nice dinner date with him too.  Say prayers for Ollie and the family as we travel and put in lots of time in the waiting room.  Oh, and remember, GET EXCITED!  You will get to see pictures of her very soon, like tomorrow soon!

Netflix and subtitles

I just want everyone out there to know, I LOVE NETFLIX.  Trust me, if I were a product/service as well, I would marry it.  I was sent home early from work on Monday and told not to come in yesterday due to the "storm of the century" central IL was supposed to get (which has been more of an ice storm and considerably less snow than I expected).  I did not fear for I knew there was a variety of T.V. and thousands of movies waiting for me.  I never wish I had cable instead.

When I wrote my blog about my quirks I realize I forgot to add a multitude of things, but the one I'd like to mention today.  I LOVE SUBTITLES!  I know, it's weird.  Who seriously watches movies with subtitles on when they have no hearing issues? Me!  I actually prefer to watch with the volume slightly low and the subtitles on.  

I just can't help myself subtitles are so great!  It is the only problem I have with netflix...no subtitles :(  Oh what to do, what to do?  I guess I just need to take a break from reading my movies.  

  

I can do things

Occassionally I decided that I know how to do things.  Things that I in all actuality don't know how to do.  Maggie and I have an on-going debate about me believing that I can just do things (and I WILL play you a song on a piano one day) and so a couple weeks ago I decided that I could sew well enough to sew a quilt.  Not true, but I decided to go through with it anyway.  I had ordered fat quarters online from a lady on Etsy and spent a few hours on my day off cutting the fat quarters down into 4x4 squares.  It took forever because I made a pattern out of a piece of cardboard and scissored them all. Since then, I got a rotary cutter and a cutting mat which makes things so much easier but hey, ya live, ya learn.  

So, I went to town, cut all my squares, then put together a pattern that I liked.   Steps 1 and 2 done!

The next evening I decided to start sewing.  Like I said, I have never sewn a quilt before, so I don't know that this is the way to do it, but I started with my 4 squares right in the middle and worked around them sewing together 4 blocks at a time, then the small blocks into big blocks.  This was the quilt top after I finished it up.

After that I ironed it all flat (as flat as I could since I didn't sew my seems all the same direction), then laid it on top of a minky fabric and cut the back. 

Once I had the back cut to size I started sewing.  I ran along all 4 sides and left a spot just large enough to flip the quilt inside out, like you would if you were making a pillow, then hand stitched the little bit closed by hand.  This is the quilt with the back on.

I messed it up a little.  The minky fabric has a little bit of stretch to it, so I cut it a little wonky and it wanted to pull the top funny so I learned my lesson there.  Since I don't know how to hand quilt, I decided to just tack each square to the minky fabric and make it a tied quilt.  I just used embroidery floss and tied the center of each square.  This is the finshed product.  I was happy that my lines were so straight except for one spot....where I sewed in a set of blocks upside down and then was so frustrated with myself that I couldn't bring myself to seam rip it and do it over.  

So....that's my first attempt at quilt making.  I love that quilt.  It's just pretty.  I made it for Miss Ollie who will be here shockingly soon.  I've just finished my second quilt for Maggie's baby.  I'm sure hoping it's a boy because the quilt is definately all blue and red.  I'll throw up some pictures of it soon.  I hope you like it too!  And remember, I CAN just do things.  You can too. 

P.S.  I forgot to mention that I know very little about sewing machines....what type of needle should I be using for this kind of project?  My thread keeps breaking on me at random so I have changed my tension to be tighter and looser and that didn't seem to help so I thought maybe it's my needle.  I suppose I could read the instruction manual but come on...who wants to do that.