Indulgences

Knowing we will be out of the country in just a few days makes me go crazy indulging in my favorites: 1. Last minute a group of friends showed up last night just to hang out and chat. It was a wonderful reason to clean the house (since I let it go to pot with Tim being gone for 2 days of training in Michigan). It was great to absorb the feeling of being around some amazing women, and just enjoying all the diversity in the room. The conversation went from bra padding to housing in Shanghai. I showed them the nursery bedding I finished for Alice, my niece that was born just a couple of days ago. More on that one later. 2. Crafts. Man, I feel like a grandma attending a knitting club when I say that word. I swear I didn't own a hot glue gun until 3 months ago. But knowing there won't be stores like Michaels and Joanns in China makes me want to pick up everything I can get my busy fingers on. It's true, I can't be content with just going to bed at night lately. Especially this last month. After everybody goes to bed, out creeps the inner child that wants to build and create. Whereas in the past I was afraid of taking on creative tasks, afraid of failure, now I feel a pressing urge to plunge in since I won't have the resources while overseas. You should see what happens to the downstairs while sweet little noses snore the night away upstairs. Let's just say a tornado could only make the place more organized. My ususal bedtime was 10:30, but now I've made friends with midnight. That time of night when I'm already breaking the "healthy beditme rule" so why not break all the other rules that cap off creativity. I went from being intimidated by crafts and creativity to going all out, no red lights.

The TuTu I sent for Ashley (matching flower hair clips) in the shipment of bedding for Emily.


The nursery I made for Emily before Alice was born. I once heard a talk about "when delivering a loaf of bread, always tie a ribbon to show you love the person that much more". Never mind that I've never made a loaf of bread in my life. But, I did have access to some packaging supplies that laying around.


The Quilt. The other side is cream chenille. This was the fabric Emily kept coming back to. I kept trying to convince her to go with a black and white damask with a boa trim.


You can't see the tag, but this is the window valance. The brown part is dupioni. There is a fringe trim with a bead trim under it.


This is a baby wipe case for the nursery.


The diaper stacker.


The Bolster pillow. I don't know how "nursery friendly" it is with bead trim... hmmm... choking hazard?


This is a boppy pillow cover, with the same chenille cream fabric on the back.


This is a 6 piece bumper set, they tie together over the slats. It's better for ventilation, and keeps the bumper stiff, so it doesn't sag.


The crib skirt matches the valance, but without the bead trim. These two pieces have the dupioni b/c these aren't pieces that get dirty (they obviously are dry clean/spot clean only).

You want to know how crazy it's really gotten?? Here goes. So, we visit Utah around New Years time (mind you 2 weeks before we head to China), and I offer to help Emily (sis n law going through ALOT right now) with a crib skirt. We get to talking, and the crib skirt turns into the entire crib bedding and the window valance. Let's first be clear, I don't sew. LOL. I don't sew. Really, just 6 months ago, I started using a garage sale sewing machine. But girlfriend here can't use a pattern to save her!

So I go home committing to do this for her. Not because she asked, but because I'm crazy, and that's just the way things go with me. I leave her with a lampshade I made (hot glue gun, fabric, bead trim and fluffy trim), and tell her I'll send the rest in the mail. While normally I'd wonder what I'd gotten myself into, I loved that I had some direction for my meetings with Twelve AM creativity. Let us now remember that I can't follow a pattern, but once again, adrenaline rush knowing I wouldn't have access to a craft and fabric store in about two weeks.

Getting started was thrilling and exhillerating. I couldn't wait for the lights to go out at night for the rest of the normal world. This was when my fingers started working. Every night I spent about 3 hours on Alice's nursery. In 8 days (two of them ending as late as 2 AM), it was complete. I started with the quilt, then the boppy, then crib skirt, then valance, then bumper, then diaper stacker, bolster pillow, and baby wipes case. I am so excited for her to open the package, she's only expecting the crib bedding and valance.

I can't help but ask WHY?? Why didn't I try this earlier? Here all the resources were at my fingertips. I guess it's just the procrastinator in me. I don't appreciate it until I know I might lose access to it. Knowing I can't take advantage of craft stores while in China made me indulge. I am so very grateful that somebody needed a nursery-- LOL! Well, not just somebody, but the Peterson family.

Ashley, the 5 year-old beautiful brunette Peterson niece of Tim got diagnosed with a very aggressive brain cancer. The family has been through Hell. But talking with them you'd never know it. They are optimistic, full of faith, and have taken everything in stride. They have worked with their sweet little angel and done everything possible to prove their faith in their optimistic demeanors.

Plus, I needed to get a Peterson fix. It's became a strange addictive thing for me. Everytime I did something for that family, it was this overwhelming spiritual experience. I don't know if they necessarily need anything I can offer, maybe it was more for me than them. But I totally encourage everyone to have an experience like this. Do something for somebody who's trialed, but commit to do something you are not experienced at, and see what happens. It's like the heavens drop inspiration and you are a mere vessel. You can't take any credit for the outcome, because, remember, previously this was not your forte. I don't think I could ever come up with a nursery for my own home, only for theirs. They were the deserving family. And the cool part is that I felt like everything was created twice as fast, twice as concise. I really am trying to be careful about how I share this, but also feel compelled to draw attention to the sincere love I felt in my heart while making this nursery. I felt how Heaveny Father feels for this family. It was one of the Biggest spiritual experiences of my life.

It was just fun and entertaining to see miracles happen over my old kitchen table. For little me, it was witnessing water turn to wine. I loved the indulgence of being a part of it. I loved stretching myself because I knew I wouldn't be able to do something like this while I was in China. Everything was in place, the stars aligned and something totally cool happened.

I hope next time we are in town, another sister-in-law or family member will need a crib set. Thanks to Emily for sizing and sending these pictures... one by one... It's nice to have documentation of such a spiritual experience.