It's over...or maybe a new beginning

 The grade six graduate.  I can't believe it's over.

Here is Ali just before her walk over to the graduation ceremony.  This photo was taken by her sister and I love it.

A group of moms and I decorated the gym and it looked magical.  We had a little help from a professional to string twinkle lights and hang panels from the ceiling.  The gym was transformed.

This is a bucket we filled with lanterns, tissue balls and balloons to anchor the stage.  It looked really cute.

And now today is the last day I am going to walk over to the school as a parent.  After nine years it won't be my school anymore.  And all the families that have formed that community for us have a different role in our lives now.  We live in a close-knit neighborhood but I know it will be different.  We will say hi and catch up if we come across each other walking the dogs but we won't be as intertwined in each others' lives.

Maybe after nine years it is time for a new beginning.  I think my girls are ready.  I just don't know about me...

Focussing on Summer ...

Two teenage girls (well one "almost") and one summer.  What to do?

Well there are camps, cottages and even a surgery or two but still I know some of the days will seem long.  In the old days I could have a table of crafts and we spent many hours whiling away the time but things are different now.  Crafts have to be cool.  Crafts have to be ones that mother definitely doesn't need to supervise.

I have the following lined-up.  Some tried and true and some worth investigating.  I'm working on a cool, hang-out spot in the back.  Keep you posted!

Just like camp but way more funky.  A great way to use up fabric scraps

Find it here

Another way to use up fabric scraps.  I love this look over a white t-shirt.  So pretty and crafty - but a cool, teenage crafty.

Find it here  and here

This seems like another cool idea for teenage girls.  Popsicle stick bracelets.  Definitely looks doable.

Find it here and here.

And finally a tried and true.  We all love doing this.  It is so much fun and definitely makes the hours go by quickly.  You can find the book here.

The other thing is... maybe you don't want the hours to go by quickly...maybe you might want to slow them down.  I know I do!

Never got a chance...

This was supposed to be my Saturday morning but it wasn't.  I started to make changes to the graduation video for next week.  That change created another change and before I knew it I had to start all over again! 

This is going to be this Saturday.  I know it! 

 I think...

One down, and one to go...

Here is the graduate before the ceremony... and all the tears.  She has had two wonderful years with all of her friends and she doesn't want it to end.

I never got a shot of the room after all of the set-up.  The teachers did an outstanding job of making it special for the kids.

A close-up of one of the lantern clusters.  The room was so pretty I am not sure you even needed them but it was fun to make anyway.

I can't completely relax.  I do this again in a week.

Saturday Morning

 Could this be my Saturday morning?

This is what I want for Saturday morning.  One grad over.  One kid at a cottage.  One mother with nothing to do but hang on the porch with a coffee and some fun reading.

These are my cotton socks knitted in my favorite color of blue.

These are my new mother's day pjs.

This is Matthew Mead's latest holiday magazine.

This is a book I have borrowed from the library (it is overdue now!).  I took a look and I am not sure I am going to qualify with all my little, crafty jobs.

Could it be?  Saturday morning?

I'll let you know!

Finally...sort of.

I love this closely cropped shot of the lantern cluster.  They look pretty good.

Here they are side by side waiting to go to the graduation in two days.  The flowers will be added on site to cover up any bare spots.  They should be fine.  Transporting them I'm not so sure.

I saw this awhile ago at Amy Atlas's blog.  The branches look cute.  Okay, maybe I'm not totally finished...

Trying to remain calm

I am starting to think that maybe I have made too many promises and I am afraid that I won't be able to deliver.  The lantern/tissue and now flower thingamabobies are due on Thursday for the grad.  

I was looking for something different in white all over the city and came across the martha flowers from a paper bag tutorial.  I couldn't see myself putting those together without a complete breakdown so I started playing around with legal white paper and folding it accordion style.  I saw that if i clipped the folds a half petal shape it could turn into a flower.

It isn't long enough so I need two sheets that I tape together.  It isn't perfect but it will be hanging up fairly high and I think I can get away with it.

This is in no way a tutorial but this is what I did.  

I can use the flowers to fill in gaps once they are hung at the event.  Maybe I could use double sided tape or glue dots.  Not sure.

I came across this picture on the weekend and I couldn't believe it.  This is kind of what I am trying to do but in many colors instead of white.  And the flowers are so much more sophisticated.  All I really need is time now.

They are getting there but my husband hurt his leg playing soccer and now that means I am up and down the ladder for thingamabobie 2.  So frustrating.

Maybe I can get back to my bag of happiness next week...hopefully...but then there is the video for the other grad...

Classic case of Procrastination

I've been playing around with ideas for a blog banner.

But I should be doing this. 

 If you remember from a previous post, I am working on a grouping of lanterns and tissue balls for a graduation.  I decided to hang each component on their own line and then all of those get tied to a central ring.  

The whole thing gets suspended to the ceiling by a magnet.  So I am working on it in the garage.  Pardon the mess.  Also these photos were taken with an ipad.  I will try to get a good shot when, and if, I complete this.  I should also be editing a graduation slideshow.  Okay, back at it....

Missing Ribbon

I recently donated a few things from my etsy shop for a school silent auction.  I delisted my # 1 prize ribbon and Molly the Monkey.  Molly has a removable hat (with braids) and a skirt and scarf, so that naked, she is safe for small children.  I added a knitted cake and the donation became a new mom basket.

Well, when the organizer put all the donations together in her car, somehow my prize ribbon fell out of the basket and went missing.  Now I had to scramble to make a new #1 for the fundraiser.

The new #1 ribbon delivered today!

 At first I was a little frustrated but then I thought - someone has picked up my ribbon and somewhere in my neighborhood there is a little kid proudly proclaiming they are number one.  The card the ribbon comes with says  "you deserve this"  and I guess that thought they did!

I better start making some more ribbons the shop is getting low ...

Knitting for my girls

I mentioned in an earlier post that I have been knitting all these teacher gifts and toys and I need to find projects for my older girls.  Well here is something I was able to knit for them. These socks are so much fun!

I wish I could link to the pattern but I can't find it anywhere.  It was a cheap kit I found at local store made my Lara Lamb.  Cable Socks Kit.  I love this pattern because it is quick and easy and if you make a mistake you can hardly even tell - my favorite kind of knitting!!  This site looks like they have a similar pattern but I can't guarantee it.

When I put these on it feels like a hug from my grandma.  I knit out of cotton so I can still get away with wearing them this spring.  

I gave the girls the pink and red for valentine's day.  I thought I would take a shot of- all of our feet in all of the colors - but between plays, track and exams we can barely get together to say goodbye!