What Do You Do When You Aren't Blogging?

I've been really busy this last week. You might not think so since I haven't blogged much about anything, but it's because I've been busy that I haven't had much time to blog. It's not like I am not busy when I DO blog, but, those of you who blog know that you have to make choices with your time, and if you choose to be on your computer, well, that can eat up a huge chunk of your day...unless you are very careful. 

Because I am not always perfectly good at being careful about my computer time, since the beginning of December, I have been focusing my energies towards doing things to celebrate the season with my family, as well as making things for Christmas gifts, and, okay, I can admit it, I have gotten caught up in an excellent series of books my son, Tex, recommended. And then there has been the cleaning and the organizing. I think a cleaning bug bit me sometime last week and we have been going gangbusters ever since. I just can't reconcile putting pretty decorations on top of dusty and disorganized furniture, so we are doing one room at a time, until it is all done. Hopefully BEFORE Christmas gets here!!

Well, here's a glimpse of some of what I've been doing. If you've been making anything for Christmas at your house, I'd love to hear about it, so leave me a comment and a link to your blog post about it...whenever you get around to blogging about it, that is, and I don't mind at all if it takes a while.

I wish I'd been smart enough to take a "before picture," but my enthusiasm for my idea overtook my blogging sense. These used to be cute overalls that Firefly outgrew. We found them when we spent a day culling too small and too large (hand me down) pants from all the kids' wardrobes, and putting those that needed repair into my fix-it basket. After all, I can't justify watching those Christmas movies unless my hands are busy. Do you know what I mean?

In any case, I thought these overalls were too cute to throw away. I considered donating them, but then it hit me...why donate them when I could make something useful out of them? Here is what I came up with...a handbag. Or a tote bag. Whichever you prefer.

This will be a bag for Firefly to carry her picture Bible, pad, and crayons in to church. Or it could be a bag for her to carry her sewing in. She can decide when I give it to her on Christmas. I know she is going to LOVE it. I want one now!

Actually, I thought up the idea when I realized a very adorable pocket on the front of the pants would make the perfect patch for her favorite pair of jeans which had a small hole in the knee. But I couldn't reconcile using the pocket (and ruining the overalls), if I couldn't use the rest of the overalls for something else. So I thought about it and decided that if I cut off the legs, it looked kind of like a bag, and it appeared to be just about Firefly's size.

I lined it with an old dark blue tee shirt, and made the bottoms of the pant legs into pockets. I added salvaged embellishments from elsewhere on the overalls to the front and voila...it's done!! Well, actually, I still have to attach the pockets, but I am almost finished. I've been sewing it all by hand, since that is how I prefer to work, so it is taking longer than if I'd used a sewing machine, but I have been appreciating the sense of accomplishment (and the excuse to sit down and enjoy a Christmas movie with the kids...we loved The Christmas Bunny!). 

I found a cute pair of slightly larger overalls with pink and purple plaid pockets to make Ladybug a bag, too (they do still fit her, but we decided that the girls have enough pants and skirts to make the overalls unnecessary), and another more manly pair of outgrown ones for Cowboy. I may try to make the overalls straps into backpack straps instead of going for the handbag look for his. I hope I can get them both finished by Christmas. I may have to resort to the machine to accomplish that, though. Bubba gave me a whole stack of holey jeans of his the other evening and I can't wait to come up with a use for them!!

If you've ever done anything like this and have a link to share, I'd love to check out what you did. Thanks!!

Blessings to you this Christmas season...I pray you are enjoying and appreciating every moment of it.

Heather