Kylene's 5x5: Day One

Remember what Debbie said about no rules? Well as an "Imagined Hanna" I am submitting my project.

I canned peaches!  I know that this isn't such a great feat but it was my first time and I thought that I had this under control but when it came down to it there were a LOT of questions and hardly anyone available to answer them. Also, let's talk about how much I hate my electric range, it takes an hour to heat up the water bath and 20 minutes to get the water back to boiling with the peaches in. 19 jars of peaches. (5 are still in the water bath)

I have also been working on getting my Pandora stations working -that is a lot of work too.

Keira's 5x5: Day One

You'll have to forgive the muddy Instagram-ness of my images.  Our camera gave the fullest measure of devotion on a beach trip last month and Nathan hasn't decided that it's really, truly dead, dead, dead.  In the interim (as he travels the pathways of grief--the first step is Acceptance...), I have to contort myself a bit on my tablet.

But I digress...

For day one I chose a project that I actually MOSTLY completed last week.  (Remember when Debbie said there were no rules?  Let's test that, shall we?)  We're headed to a wedding in a couple of weeks and are closely related enough to the principle players to merit color-coordination.  Purple is the hue and I decided to sew something up rather than hunt the shops.  But, after the fabric was purchased and everything, I found that I just couldn't put my infant in purple.

What I ended up with is a great coordinating look for girls with very different ages and style needs.  A pop of plum grosgrain in the sash with a flat off-set bow and purple covered buttons complement the quiet grey spotted number.  And for Laura, the trick was giving dimension to such a simple broadcloth.  The grey does it but I had to know when to stop.

She says she likes it but maybe my next project will be teaching her not to schlump and eye-roll when I ask for fittings...

Debbie's 5x5. Day 1

Passport Renewal !!!

• Yes, this was my project.
• No, it is NOT a craft.
• ...remember the part about "no rules".

My passport expired nearly 2 years ago.  Yikes.  It's hard to be a world traveler without a valid passport.

Steve has been giving me a bad time about it lately (he renewed his last year or the year before...for work), but I admit I haven't really wanted to deal with it.  This week's challenge was a nice little nudge to get off my backside and get it done.

Since it wouldn't be much of a project without some kind of tutorial, here goes:

Step 1.  Look up passport renewal online. http://travel.state.gov/passport/renew/renew_833.html

Renew by Mail if All of the Following are True:
Your Most Recent U.S. Passport: Is undamaged and can be submitted with your application
 Was issued when you were age 16 or older Was issued within the last 15 years Was issued in your current name or you can legally document your name change
If any of the above statements do not apply to you, you must Apply in Person

Step 2. Fill out application form, then print it out and sign it.
Step 3. Find check book and make out a check for $140.00 (that's for a passport AND a passport card).
Step 4. Brush your hair...then drive to Costco and get a passport picture taken.
Step 5. Staple picture to application (borrow stapler from Post Office employee).
Step 6. Mail application (along with payment and old passport).
Step 7. Wait (I believe the turn around time is 6-8 weeks). Also cross fingers that you filled out the application properly and remembered to put everything in the envelope.

I Can Play It! Songbook

The Friend magazine has been printing simplified children's songs since January 2012. Now that my children are beginning to play the piano, I wanted to put all those songs in one place to encourage them to use them.

Project Supplies:

printer and paper

sheet protectors

3-ring binder (or 3-prong folder)

I Can Play It! songs (this link is for the plain black and white copies)

Project Instructions:

Print

Slip into sheet protectors

Insert in binder

Done!

Note: If you want to go fancy with the full-color PDF versions, it gets trickier: Go to the Friend, open each magazine, starting with January 2012, find the song in the Table of Contents (use the previous link to know the name of the song you're looking for), and click on the song title. For most of 2012, you then look at a bar on the right. Go to download, then click PDF for the color edition. For 2013, you will see the PDF. Just click (click to view larger) and print.

5x5 Challenge!

Next week (August 12-16) we're going to have a 5x5 challenge!  Post one project you've done each day next week.  What kind of projects?  Whatever floats your boat.  Crafting, organizing, cooking, building, sewing, painting...what. ever.

Who can participate?  Any Hanna girl or boy...real or imagined.

What's the prize?  Are you crazy? We don't lower ourselves for filthy lucre or shiny trophies (although that might be a fun project....) We offer prizes that matter - satisfaction in a job well done and bragging rights.  Especially bragging rights.

Here's the rules:

1. ...er...there really aren't any.
2. no, really, there aren't any.

Let the games begin!

Dare to Design 2013

It's time for Shabby Apple's annual Dare to Design contest! This year's inspiration comes from the 1940s.

First I watched "Anchor's Aweigh" (1945). Or rather, I watched Kathryn Grayson. For as frugal and rationed as the war years were, she had quite a nice wardrobe. By day she had serious separates, but what I really loved were her long, flowing evening dresses. Still, they had plain, jewel necklines. That wouldn't do.

My real inspiration came from another war movie: "Miss Annie Rooney" (1942). Annie spends most of the movie in her wardrobe of school separates. Near the climax of the movie, her grandfather pledges his pension to buy her an evening gown on credit, so she can attend the formal birthday dinner and dance of a chivalrous young gentleman she likes. With a sweetheart neckline and flowing chiffon skirt, she is a vision of loveliness in spite of wartime rationing and an underachieving father.

My design incorporates the sweetheart neckline, and a bodice with princess seams and ruching (vertical gathering). The ruching is echoed in chiffon over the lined cap sleeves. I shortened the flowing chiffon skirt to a figure-flattering tea length, making it more versatile for the modern woman. 

This rosebud-pink chiffon vision could be springtime's "little black dress." It would look lovely at an outdoor wedding, church, or a garden party. With a jacket, it could go to work; with some sparkly jewelry, it could transition to evening as well.

New Beach Tote

Here's what I love about summer. ...

I go to JoAnns with L and we both gasp at this super cute bicycle burlap material.  I say, "Oh, that would make such a cute tote!  For the beach! Oh, please?" And she says, "I think I will design it myself.  How long do you want the strap?".  Perfect summer day.  Two days later, I get a new cute tote.  L says it will be worth $1000 in 10 years so keep your hands off my tote!

(We (that's the royal we) are up to one week off school and three cute projects, two of which I was the beneficiary!  Nice.)