Saturday 28 January 2012

T-Shirts.

We have a confession to make.

We really don't mind being thrifty.

In fact, sometimes the knowledge that you've used every last scrap can give satisfaction. Sometimes.

So, for those that share this secret shame - here's what we did last night.

We rummaged through our wardrobes and found some old t-shirts, cut them, sewed two simple lines and came up with a stylish new option. Sort of.



OK. On second thought, we decided to raid Dad's t-shirt drawer (with his permission of course) and gave things a second chance.

Like this:



Of course, when you use your Dad's shirts, you're bound to come up with an interesting look.


Not that we have anything against the Red Sox.

Not satisfied by our already frugal efforts, one of us thought we should come up with a use for the t-shirt arms we had cut off.



Yes, you guessed it. Just throw one on your head and out the door you go.


But our creative juices were flowing freely now, and practically unstoppable. We cut circles and with glue guns, made these:




See?


And we have to say, that for Dad's old t-shirts, these are pretty versatile. You can wear them like this...


or this...




And the best news is yet to come. It took us about an hour and a half to make three shirts each. No joke. Check it out at crafterhours.blogspot.com, under Tee to Tank Tutorial.

Have fun!

~Olivia and Millie

Tuesday 24 January 2012

Real Life in a House Under Construction...





 Do you ever feel like you can't win for losing? Like you go backward faster than you go forward?



It was much worse than this! ...didn't quite have the humour to go for the camera when I first discovered the mess. I thought I had enough to do to right the house from the attic blow-in aftermath from yesterday!

On the bright side we are now all insulated and are ready to sheetrock the upstairs and my kitchen cabinets were installed on the weekend! Oh, and I made donuts yesterday...shoulda been here! =)

Now to finish cleaning up before naptime is over....

Aimee


Thursday 19 January 2012

There are two kinds of people...

The first kind of people are the people that can pick up a piece of cloth and hold it next to a sewing machine and poof, it turns into something cute, nifty, useful, beautiful...something lovely to look at.

The second kind of people are the people that can pick up a piece of cloth and after hours of fighting and wrestling with a sewing machine and truly heart breaking maneuvers, the result is disaster.  They end up going out and paying the first kind of people to make something lovely to look at.

Long story short 9 times out of 10 I am the second kind of person.


-Abigail

Monday 16 January 2012

How to Lose a Friend in 10 Days. How to Keep One for 10 Years.

"The road to a friend's house is never long."

Perhaps not long, but possibly nerve wracking. Millie and I took courage in both hands last Monday and flew by ourselves (on a plane. No lame jokes, please) into the biggest city centre in Canada. No big deal, right?

We're staying for 10 days with good ole' and dear friends, being productive and maybe a tad giddy at times.

And wise. We always are brimming with many wise ideas when all four heads get together under one roof. We've decided it seems fair to share some of it...so here you go. Our insight and advice when it comes to shedding friends and keeping them.

- Olivia

How to Lose a Friend in 10 days:




1. Spend every waking moment of every day with each other.

After all, you want the biggest bang for your buck. Just ignore the fact that the bang could be the sound of your friendship going up in smoke.

2. Insist on staying up until 2:30 every night...

...and forget about the sarcastic parental comments when you roll out of bed at noon. Also forget about any cheery good morning smiles from your pajama party mates.

3. Don't lend a hand with daily chores.
  
Isn't dishwashing a spectator's sport?






4. Say "I don't know" when repeatedly asked what you want to do.

You know your friend really doesn't want or care about your opinion, even after she's asked the twelfth time.

5. Let your opinions run wild in the kitchen. Guard your recipes with your life.

Your way of cubing butter is the only sensible way, so don't let anyone tell you different. And if you've got a good recipe, it's worth keeping to yourself.

6. Only engage in activities that you prefer.

Life's too short to do what someone else wants to do.



7. Don't appreciate things your friends do for you.

You're such good friends, you've moved way past the please and thanks stage.

8. Be brutally honest. 

 If someone puts too much jam on their biscuit or doesn't brush their teeth for the appropriate length of time, it is vitally important to put the issue before them.

9. Don't laugh at each others jokes.

Instead, keep talking until everyone in the group feels claustrophobic.

10. Neglect to apologise when you snap and growl.

I'm sure your friend will forgive and forget without you having to humble yourself. 

 How to Keep One for 10 Years:

1. Be intentional.

A friendship doesn't just survive on it's own. It takes commitment and planning. Even if you feel your friendship is as kindred spiritedy as Anne and Diana, you need to make sure you work on it. Think of it like a marriage, or how the marriage books say marriage is.

2.Cultivate interests you have in common.

Read the same books. It's pretty hard to have a friendship and not be able to quote from the same book simultaneously. Okay, it's probably possible, but books and other interests will cement your friendship and give you something more to talk about...If that's necessary.



3. Love each others' families. Embrace your common upbringing and experiences.

It's so great when your friend loves and respects your parents as much as you do. It's even greater when both sets of your parents are friends too. The way your friend is raised, and her experiences will shape who she is, so you'd better love, or at least embrace her background, too.

4. Don't expect things to be perfect or people to be the same as you.

If you do that, you'll die a lonely person, and no one will come to your funeral. You probably will have arguments even with the best of friends. That is allowed. Think, "Iron sharpening iron."


5. Learn to read their mood and adapt, going along with what they need.

There is nothing more annoying than a friend who says, "What's with the long face?" in the most hearty manner when you just want to be left alone. One of the greatest arts of friendship is learning how to sit in sympathetic silence or carry on a witty conversation when you really don't want to.

6. Listen.

Even while you're preparing to interrupt.

7. Be truly interested in their life, hobbies and every detail.

In our jolly foursome, we all have different strengths, interests, and hobbies. So, even though learning how to macrame a bikini may not be your cup of tea, you may have to display some interest in the art if it is your friend's passion





 8. Talk about your goals and resolutions. Don't be afraid of admitting failure or struggles.

There's a stage in most relationships when your conversation passes from "How was your day?" to something deeper. It may take awhile to get there, but that's alright. Nothing good comes quickly. It's great to have a friend to make resolutions with and it's even more comforting to confess your failures and have them say, "I struggle with that, too."

9. Pray for each other.

Just like that.

10. Stay in touch. Write letters. Send pictures.

Not necessarily all the time or out of obligation - but because you genuinely care. We're pretty big on snail-mail because that's how we keep in contact ordinarily. But, e-mail is better than nothing. There's nothing better than getting even a small note in your mailbox or inbox saying that somewhere out in the big wide world, someone decided to say, "I'm thinking about you." Or, even better, "I like you."

~Olivia, Margaret, Amelia, Emily

Friday 13 January 2012

Reaping What you Sow.

I just recently read this, article. http://www.feminagirls.com/2012/01/05/stingy-out-gets-stingy-in/....and was more than a little convicted, especially by point number three.  And so today...I nixed my plan of scrubbing the floors (because the little people toe smudges on them are driving me nuts!) and instead of skipping the "activity" page in our history book (Yes, I do that...*hides face in shame*), I announced to my 5 year old that today we had a special activity to do and he would get to do it himself.  And that's what he did and the result was wonderful...not just for him, but for all of us.