Absenteeism

Main Entry:	absenteeism
Part of Speech:	noun
Definition:	state of not being present
Synonyms:	absence, defection, desertion,skipping, truancy
Antonyms:	attendance, presence

Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition 
Copyright © 2011 by the Philip Lief Group. 

Yep, that's what would describe the state of my posts lately.  Non-existent.  Well, in my defense, I haven't really wanted to blog lately.  So, that's not so much a defense as an excuse.  Works for me!

I know I'm waaaay overdue for a major update, one of my monologue-y kinds, not to mention I've got several that I need to finish and actually post.  I'll get around to it.  I will!  I have several that are about the kiddamaroos.  They could inspire a book to tell the truth.  Maybe a novella.  Anyway, they are in the works.  I've been caught up in projects as of late and I feel like I've gotten a lot done.  Plus, DOING stuff keeps me from falling asleep!  ADHD, much?!  I would say so.  Okay, so I'll start with all the projects I've been doing.  Here we go!

 I figured out how I wanted to hang all the single frames I had stored up.  I actually have more, but I do have a plan for them...along the same lines.  I spray painted them all either cream or black.  I do actually intend to put pictures in them.  I wanted to get them up on the wall first so I could see how I liked it with sticky tack and then I got lots of the picture hanging command strips.  Love those things!  I really abhor putting holes in my walls.

 Zekey had to get in the shot and then the silliness really shone!

I painted the two end tables I had and put them in place of the huge square coffee table I did have in the living room.  I like them better and they double as storage!  Yay!

This is an entertainment center that my mom's friend gave us.  It was a gold/yellow color and I painted it to match the "coffee tables".  It took a while and I actually got a lighter color than I intended, but it is done and its staying that way for a while!  I'm going to hang curtains over the two openings and its going to be our homeschool station.  I'll take a pic when its all said and done.  The computer armoir is also going to get the same paint treatment as the bookshelf and coffee tables, but it'll have to wait because I'm tired of painting for now. :)

 This is a stack of fabric diamonds that I cut using my self healing mat from creative memories scrapbooking paraphernalia and a rotary cutter I got a while back, but hadn't used yet.  I want to make both the girls a rag quilt.  The one that I had planned and "drawn" up on the computer was ambitious to say the least,  especially considering I've never made a quilt before.  Yeah.  So, I got to looking at how to make a much simpler quilt and came across one that had a diamond pattern and decided that's where I was headed.  I then learned through much googling that instead of using the poly, cotton or bamboo batting that I'm familiar with, I could just use cheap flannel as the batting.  I never could understand how the higher loft batting translated into those really thin quilts that I prefer.  Now, I know the "secret".  I know, I'm late to a lot of knowledge parties.  Oh, well! 

Then in my internet wandering I came across rag quilting.  I've seen them before, of course, but I didn't know that what they were called.  A lady in my co-op told me that she was doing them because they were so easy, but I really didn't look into it until this last week.  So, I've decided to do a diamond rag quilt for each of the girls. I'm going to applique ladybugs, birdies and flowers and possibly dragonflies to some of the diamonds. I think it will totally fit in with the shabby chic-y look I'm going for in their room.

Okay, this is telling on my ocd-self, but I nearly don't want to mess with the stack because its so nice and neat and straight-lined.  Yeah. :)

This is one of a set of shelves that Sam built me quite some time ago.  It sat in our garage, primed and ready, just waiting for me to finish painting it.  The other one is a rectangle and is almost painted black.  I ran out of spray paint and have to go get some more.  I don't know where, exactly, I'm going to hang these, but I'll find a place!

I have a mirror project I'm going to do, you know, when I have time.  I also am sewing some little dolls and when they are complete I'll put pics up.  I've already finished the one I gave to Ailey, but I want to take a pic of all three.  I'll also explain why I even made them.  There are also a few more projects waiting in the wings.  I know, shocking.  I'll hopefully get them on here as I go along.  For now, this is a start!