Hobbies, etc.

So just a little update on me...since having my thyroid nuked, it was completely non-functional at the beginning of this year. I ended up going to a new practice (my dr. retired and I wasn't a fan anyways) and seeing a naturopath (who is treating my immune system more than my thyroid, which is where my thyroid issues stem from).

The new doc put me on hormone replacement and we're in the process of getting it just right. Although, even with hormones I was surprised I wasn't feeling better. Still very tired, cold, depressed, impatient...BLAH. Talked to my naturopath about it and I can officially say that "My name is Trista Teeter and I am a progesterone cream user." WOOT! The woot is for the effects that it brought. It was like a complete 180. I went from literally not wanting to move all.day.long. to having a list of 10 things I wanted to get accomplished in the next 2 hours, lol.

So Russ bought me a sewing machine.

And it began...

Actually, I did this project today. Took a whopping 2 hours to bust out and Brooklyn was super happy about it. She's the one that actually bugged Russ over and over about the sewing machine, so she's super happy to get goodies from it. I let her pick out the fabric and the ribbon. I kept saying, "What about a brown ribbon? Or green? Or white?" Nope, shimmery gold it is. And as much as I thought it would clash, I figured what the heck, why destroy her "sense of fashion. Except that...after I finished it, I decided I really liked it, lol. It fits her personality.

This was actually my first (okay, not my first, that was a dog bed out of a sheet, but that's boring!) project, a duvet cover which was desperately needed for my duvet! And I looooove it! A dark purple on both sides with a strip of brown and cream pattern up the middle, and then the back is covered in a gold/cream so I could flip it over if I needed a lighter color.

We've had this couch for probably almost 2 years. We got it for free from a good friend (thanks again, Jen!) and within 6 months my kids had completely ripped the back cushions off, and ripped them open. Lovely. Actually, now that I finally just cut all of the cushion covers off (they were attached), it looks WAY better believe it or not. Actually, one of them was attached. We went for a good year w/ only 1 back cushion.

Sewing Project #2: Pillows! Although now I wished I would have done box cushions, I still really like these, even if they are bigger than I had expected (plus they're 9" smaller than I'd originally thought they should be! Silly Trista.). Of course with 2 kids and a couch-loving dog, they rarely stay ON the couch (I must admit, they are great floor cushions as well), but I like them.

Although I consulted Brooklyn on these fabrics, I made the final decisions as I didn't want hot red and bright purple with bright green birds on it. However, I did let her negotiate her choices in fabric for the accent pillows--of course one is red (her favorite color) and the other is a khaki and white (both w/ fun designs). Oh, and after some hard and fast first-rate debating back and forth, she won out on the buttons as well--black and clear gems it is. I'm really glad I have her to help me out with these decisions, she definitely helps me think outside of the earth-tones-palate box.

I love this fabric!

Next project: Sewing this crown for Brooklyn's birthday, pacifier clips for my soon-to-be-arriving nephew, and school uniforms for Brooklyn!...oh, and I suppose I should attempt the rugby shirt that I sold my soul for...that was the deal. The dude would get me a new machine if I made him a rugby shirt. Yikes. Hey, at least it's on the list now!



My other "hobby" (aka - obsession) now that I have a bit more energy is organizing. I've let everything go to crap while I've been feeling bad and I'm tired of it. Soooo, jumped on the Organizing Junkie bandwagon and am doing the 52 weeks of organizing. I figured, "I can do 1 project a week!" and figured I'd do something like one kitchen drawer each week. That way I won't get overwhelmed AND I can keep the costs down if I need to purchase bins, etc.

Well...be careful if you decide to take on the 52 week challenge...it's addicting. At first I thought, "I don't know if I have 52 places to pick!" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Silly Trista.

So my first project was the one that annoyed me the most--the pile of papers on my kitchen counter. And do you want to know what I did? The bathroom instead, which is Week 32, NOT Week 1. But as I was putting papers away I found this shoe organizer not being used, and the kids bathroom was also driving me crazy with lack of storage. Voila! Easy 15 minute fix. Cross that one off my list!

Soooo, back to that nasty pile. It may not look so ominous to you, but it taunts me. The baggy of screws that needs to be put in the garage, the pattern that I need to return but have to find the receipt for first, the manila envelope containing a list of things to do before Brooklyn can go to Kindergarten...eek, it really weighs me down every time I pass it. Plus, the kitchen is the one room I really attempt to keep decently clear and clean, so it drives me nuts to have chaos at the end of it all.

So I decided it was time for my Command Center. I've always wanted one, but it was so daunting and I was afraid of how much it would cost... I'll tell you that the most expensive item in both photos is that T hanging on the wall. And only because I had to buy 2 small bottles of paint for it.

I do need to add a few more things--I need to make a key holder and either a filing system or a magnetic board to go to the left of the T and frames.

Fridge has my To Do list, the grocery list under that, and each kid has a white board w/ pictures of their chores. They get to erase the picture when they do it, then they get their jewel for that chore (although some are time sensitive) and when they fill up their cup with jewels, they get $5 or a date w/ Mommy and/or Daddy.

Need to add a few more things here as well to make it a little more cohesive. But overall, the chaotic feeling when I see that corner of the kitchen is gone. Now I feel much more planned and prepared. Woot!

This week I'm on to the Master Bedroom Closet...dun dun dun! Although I'm not taking photos b/c my doors don't open wide enough to get the "full effect", clothes have been purged, shelves moved around to give shoes a rack, bins have been purchased and things have been stowed (including the bunch of wires in the desk drawer that was for Week 21! Bonus!), and working on a cheap way to store ties and belts efficiently.