June 3

Hi. Thought I'd pop in and share some stuff I've been making. The bulk of what I worked on over the past month (a solid two weeks, I'd say) was editing, renaming and organizing NINE YEARS worth of digital photos. Our life as we know it around here started when Caleb, our first grandchild, was born in 2001. Not only because of this amazing new boy child that was in our midst but also we'd just gone digital with the camera. Over the years I was always too busy or completely uninterested in sorting or printing or otherwise preserving these pictures, which; when asked what is the one thing I'd run back in to save in case of a fire, it would be the pictures. SO. Here I sat and plowed through it all. At a mere 13 cents a print and 2.99 per dvd (I stored them per year and made 3 copies of each) I still spent $250 on the project at Costco. My mom had said something not long ago about how since we've all gone digital kids don't get the pleasure of leafing through the old photo albums like we used to. That really struck a chord with me so that's why I printed most of them and put them in the books.

By renaming them all by year (beginning with 010101 all the way through 100603) I can quickly sift through 3000 files and find pretty much any picture anyone wants. That's my best tip for organizing photos.

Once I got that biggie off my to-do list I was ready for a chair project I'd been wanting to do since seeing it in a magazine last summer.I found the chair when driving by a yardsale while in Redding for Amy's wedding last fall. I snapped a*before* pic but somehow deleted it during the above mentioned photo work. The metal legs and back support were painted medium green and the seat and back were painted white with red and blue  splattering all over. OH they thought I had such good taste for wanting to buy that chair! ($8).  The splatters were so thick I had to sand it all down to wood.

 
(I agree that the fire engine is distracting but I'm too lazy to get up and retake it right now).

I started with the sanded chair and an inexpensive poster from Michael's. The chair in the magazine I had seen was just a flat expanse so it took the whole section of poster well, but the seat on mine has too many dips and valleys so I had to cut out smallish bits of the poster and collage it on (after first spray painting the whole thing red). By the way, after years of buying the same ol' jar of Mod Podge, I found when I ran out but still needed to go over these papers with a couple of coats that they make a gloss version, which looks EVER so much better than the matte. For this type of application anyway. Try it! This chair will go in the desk section of the bunkbeds I refinished for Caleb a couple months ago.

One of my fabric addictions is cute border prints. Usually cute Japanese border prints. All I could think to do with them up until now was maybe make some activity (magazine size) bags. Luckily, before I cranked out 20 of them like I am normally wont to do I had an idea to make little dresses with them.

This is Simplicity 3511. Patterns were a dollar at JoAnn over the weekend. Of course when I wanted to buy some in larger sizes and went back last night they were back up to $11.95. Ridiculous! What drew me most to this pattern was that sweet little peasant looking sleeve. I can just see Madison in this with a kerchief on her head :-) Maybe when I have her tomorrow.

By using a different fabric on the back I can use the two panels on two separate pieces, plus it adds visual interest I think.

When we toured Mary Engelbreit's studio last month we were told how much Mary loves getting presents and what a big to-do they have with decorating for birthdays around there. Jan also mentioned that Mary's birthday is June 6. So I got it in my mind that I wanted to make her a banner...using her fabrics and fonts. The fabrics were easy enough, but the font search wasn't really a homerun.

Jan told us during the tour that what Mary really likes about getting presents is the opening, and how she most appreciates a good *presentation*.  Well, I gotta tell ya'; that just locked me up. I had the banner finished for days, but there it sat all through the holiday weekend wondering how I was gonna WOW Mary Engelbreit with my packaging. Finally yesterday I crammed it in a manila envelope, ran to the PO to then cram it in a priority mailer, then came home to email Mary's assistant and ask her to please just open and hang it before anybody even knew I sent anything. Why do I always stop myself short like that? Hmmmm. Oh yeah. The fear of success bit. Gotta keep working on that I guess.

:-)
 

Comments

[mary]

Jen, I LOVE my banner! Official thank you note is on the way, but I want you to know it's hanging in our kitchen at the studio PERMANENTLY because that's where we celebrate birthdays every month. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

[sharon]

I got so excited about the banner forgot to say.......those dresses are adorable!! And your right, a little kerchef on her head....tooooo cute.

[sharon]

OMG who wouldnt love getting that banner to hang on their birthday? Ya think I can meet Mary downtown and she can let me use it Wed for my birthday?? lol I'll tell her I would return it. That is so very cute Jen.
Love that chair you did too. You have the best ideas!

[Black Eyed Susans Kitchen]

Amazing you!!! The dress is just too cute, and the banner is wonderful. You give the best gifts...I still have the heart you made me hanging over my desk.
♥, Susan

[Sue McGettigan]

Such a sweet little dress and that banner is GORGEOUS!! As for the chair, I have such a thing for chairs like this, I'm glad you rescued the splattered battered chair and redeemed it!

[georgiapeachez]

You are just so awesome to send MARY a present, how could she not love that banner! And that little dress! perfection! xo, suzy

[BrendaLou]

Jen, the dress turned out really cute! And now you've guilted me into doing something with the photos!

[sherri]

Oh...what a great birthday present for ME...love it! Thanks for the photo tips too!

[Barbara]

Love all your wonderful projects!! I bet ME was thrilled with the banner. I have all my photos sorted by date as well. I works really well. I also have them all loaded to Flickr, and can then put them in some separate folders and add tags which also makes it easier to find things.