Simplicity Fail: Or When Planning Turns Into Covetousness

It all started with my renewed interest in taking homemaking seriously. During prayer time last week, I came to realize that I haven't been taking my job as a homemaker seriously. Nothing too terrible was happening, but dishes in the sink, dusty floors, and stacks of stuff randomly situated around the house became commonplace. One place of neglect were the windows in our family room/ kitchen open concept space. When we moved in there were green and purple walls. We got used to them. There were green laminate countertops. We got used to them. The previous owners took the curtains but left the rods. We got used to it. The cabinets were an odd sort of pickled cream while the appliances were white. I NEVER got used to them.  When our television broke and we bought a new one, our old coffee table became the new tv stand. Instead of replacing the dysfunctional overhead microwave we just put another one on the countertop.

Basically our most used room in the house was slowly sliding into ugliness. At first I looked at inexpensive ways to fix things--on the cheap. First up, build and paint an easy corner tv stand so we could reclaim our coffee table.

The prospect of a painted tv stand led me to wanting to paint our cabinets. I found a few tutorials and well, I was off to the races. That led me to pintrest, HGTV.com, and Houzz. My to-do list grew and grew:

• replace the microwave and dishwasher
• paint the cabinets white
• replace the laminate counters with wood--put together by me with my Kreg jig
• replace the non-functioning pendant lights with ones that shed more light
• repaint the dingy refrigerator
• replace the white knobs and pulls with brushed nickel ones
• sew purple and white curtains
• add a roller shade to the back door to cut the heat in summer
• build and paint a corner tv stand
• sew white canvas slipcovers for the sofa
• buy slipper or arm chairs so there is more seating around the tv
• build a few end tables
• buy a sisal or other neutral colored rug
• replace the black mats at the doors

Hours and hours later I had an an entire pintrest board devoted to all the new things I wanted to do to improve this space.

Then, I made the mistake of asking my husband his opinion. He loves the cabinets and even the awful green countertops. So I did what any grown woman would do in this situation: I pouted. I was stuck with an awful family open concept room! After a few hours of pouting I realized that I had fallen into that oh-so-attractive consumerist trap again. In my effort to beautify and make our space more useful, I had assumed that I had to buy and change stuff to make me happy. My happiness depended upon me getting to do what I wanted and (more importantly) buy what I wanted.

My online information gathering had morphed into online covetousness. So I've decided to take a break, clean my kitchen, put away the piles, and try to focus on one bit at a time. For now, keep things tidy and neat. I think I need to step away from the pintrest, and focus on the work rather than the dreaming for a while.

My So-Called Spirt-Filled, Simple Life

It's been months since I've blogged. It's been years since I've blogged regularly. I was about take this blog down entirely (who reads blogs these days?) when I was struck by the tagline of Crouching Camel: a meditation of a spirit-filled, simple life. Things have changed immensely for our family in the past two years. My husband got a better job that resulted in a move to Iowa. We were able to pay off all our debts, including our home and car. Because the educational choices here are so much better than what we had in Texas, we decided to send our sons to the awesome local Catholic school for elementary and then to public school beyond that. Our new house has about 500 more square feet than our old starter home. We have cable for goodness' sake!

There was a little simplifying: we are now a one-car family. I try to bike and walk more often. This year I vowed to only sew my own clothes when possible (have spent about $300 so far this year). But gone are the days of the avid price-booking and coupon clipping. We shop locally and spend money getting veggies from a CSA. In short, while we still live much less large than your average American family, our life is much less modest and simple than it used to be.

The spirit-filled part has taken a hit too. While we pray as a family at meals, attend Mass each Sunday, and pray at night with the boys, I've been remiss in keeping up my own personal prayer life. It usually consists of me listening to a bible study podcast while wiping down counters in the morning.

Not-surprisingly, with the loss of my mission as a homeschooling mother, the slackening of my spiritual life, and the mindless increases in spending, I find myself in a state of constant searching in my life. I've pondered going back to graduate school. I've thought about getting a job in marketing. I've wondered how it all slipped away from me so quickly. I feel like I'm flailing.

So, once again I think it is time to reassess. I am at the crossroads and I need to make a decision. Will I double down on simplicity and recommit to a less consumerist lifestyle that requires so much of my time and energy? Will I pursue a higher status along with a PhD although it has marginal financial returns? Will I try to make freelancing work again for me or is the prospect of that much "alone" time too daunting? I honestly don't know.

What I do know is that I need to start by taking all of this into prayer. I crave God's guiding hand in all of this. I know that the longing for peace and comfort that I feel right now can only be satisfied with Him. Consumer conveniences and social status are just poor substitutes.

So, dear imaginary readers, I invite you to take this journey with me. Join me on my search, once again, on how to build a spirit-filled, simple life.

The Price of Cheap Clothing

I still haven't bought a piece of clothing this year but with swimsuit season just around the corner, I sure am tempted. I've been working on a home decor sewing project but need to make room in my sewing room for a few pjs and practice on swimwear. Just when I felt like I was losing my resolve, I came across this piece: Are Kids Making Your Clothes? Okay, that will get me through temptation for another month, I think

Cold Weather and Hot Irons

Just thought I'd follow up on my Stuff I Want Post with the good news that the sewing fairy godmother, otherwise known as my mother-in-law, sent me a brand new steam iron for my birthday. She understands that delicate paradox that to give someone a small appliance may is weird and giving a fellow sewist a steam iron is perfectly normal.

And now that I have a new bike in the garage, Mother Nature is thumbing her nose at me. It is bright, sunshiny, and 20 degrees outside today. Gorgeous but too cold to ride. Sigh. Universal Bike Truth #16 strikes again.

The Bike Has Arrived!

Picked up the Mundo today. It is HUGE. When I walked into the shop, I was actually a little afraid of it. It reminded me of the first time I drove a big, big truck--it seemed that I ought to need a special license to drive it.

First things first, I bought a massive lock for my Mundo. I don't want this baby to slip away anytime soon. I'm sure I'll be spiffing it up soon enough--rearview mirror and panniers perhaps?

Once I was brave enough to hop on board I found it surprisingly easy to maneuver. I had to quickly figure out how to shift properly; it has been nearly 20 years since I've been on a proper bike if you don't count indoor spin class...and I don't.

When I got home, the boys were thrilled to take it for a ride. It is a little harder to maneuver with the kids on board but I think I'll get used to it with practice. The hardest part is getting going from a full stop and putting down the kickstand while on the bike. The first will surely get easier as I get a little more muscle development in my legs. If I can't figure the second out, I'll surely need to develop my arms to be able to hold the bike up while dismounting while kids are on board.

The best part is how much fun it is to ride this thing. It has been in my possession for three hours and we've been on two bike rides so far. Wheee!

In Anticipation of Spring

It still looks like winter here in Ames; snow is on the ground and coats are a must. But after nearly nine months of waiting, I finally ordered a cargo bike to be delivered to Skunk River Cycles to be built and tuned up. It is due to arrive via FedEx Ground on Monday of next week. I figure it will take about a week for it to be assembled. That gives the snow plenty of time to melt and me plenty of time to develop my bike legs in time for Ames' Kidical Mass inaugural 2013 family ride at the end of the month.

How did you choose your bike?
Originally, when we moved to Ames, Tim and I just planned to get regular bikes and a trailer for the boys. Having gone down to a one-car family with the move to Iowa, we wanted to challenge ourselves with going car-lite. This was made even more possible by buying a house that is about a mile from pretty much everywhere we usually go: park, school, church, grocery, etc. Before you get too impressed, Ames isn't that big and everything is within about a 3-mile radius of our centrally located house.

I hemmed and hawed and read about two thousand blogs about all the various trailers and trail-a-bike systems. I was a little nervous about the trailers because our one-car garage is rather full with our one car. I also doubted that a trailer would really be useful for much longer as the boys get bigger and older.  Would it be "cool" to be in a kid trailer to go to kindergarten? Would they beat each other black and blue in the confines of a trailer?

Somewhere along my web surfing I cam across the cargo bikes and my real obsession began. I mooned over xtracycles, Madsens and Yubas. I considered the Big Dummy and even the big clunky box bikes. Since Tim and I are backpackers, we dreamed of being able to go bike camping with the boys which made the xtracycle and Yubas more attractive for their handling. Ultimately I decided to go with the Yuba...it seemed the most sturdy and simple for a novice like me. Also it seemed to be the one that more moms with lots o' kids were using in the blogosphere. I really liked the fact that it was possible for the boys to ride their own bikes and then hop on mine when they got tired. Bottom line, if it wasn't going to make towing two kids easy, I wouldn't have much time to use it.

Where did you buy your bike?
I had a choice to make: buy online and have it built locally or buy in Des Moines and purchase a tandem bike carrier to bring it home. Ultimately I decided that it was better to stick with the local folks as I figured we'd be needing lots of service and accessories through the years if we were really going to go car-lite. I cringed at not being able to buy it locally though. I have no idea if bike shops make their  margin on large or small items, but it sure would have been nicer to let some local salesperson get the commission on my purchase. Skunk River Cycles was my choice: they support a lot of the same charities we do and they have a shop cat. Oh, and they are within walking distance of our house. And I like shopping on Main Street in general. Even our closing attorney recommended them!

How much is this bike costing you?
Well, if you really want to know, go to the Yuba website and check out the prices yourself. It isn't cheap, but compared to a car or a year-long gym membership it is more than reasonable. Now you see why we saved up for nine months for this purchase. Since we've gone down to one car we've seen our gas expenses go from $400 per month to about $125--most of that being trips to the Science Museum. Our insurance has been reduced by about 75%. Obviously with less wear and tear on the Subaru, our maintenance costs are also significantly lower. If I prorate our gas, insurance and taxes on the car (excluding repairs) the Yuba Mundo will cost about the equivalent of six months of car ownership. So I figure in the course of about 2.5 years we will recoup the costs.

Now I just play the waiting game. I watch the Weather Channel and the FedEx Tracking website more often than necessary. I dream of popping boys on the back and tooling around town.

Where's Waldo?

I finished my entry for the One Pattern Many Looks contest on patternreview.com. As you can see, my "many looks" is fairly subtle, hence the call out photos calling your attention to the difference. But look at those matching stripes!!!

Stuff I Want

I've been enjoying my sewing so much lately. I'll post later about my two follow-up tops for my One Pattern Many Looks contest, but today I'd like to write about what sewing has been doing to my mind. It does help me relax and it is so nice to have something to show for my work at the end of the day. Parenting, cleaning and cooking don't quite have the same "look at what I did" appeal.

The dark side of sewing has been a serious case of the gimme's. I find that as I plan and prepare for future projects I am increasingly finding things that I want to buy. Crafting in general for me has this problem. People buy the materials for whatever craft/art interests them but they spend far less time actually DOING the craft. It's as if by buying a watercolor paint set and nice papers, it will magically turn you into the sort of person who paints lovely landscapes. It is the crafting fantasy. Now I've always been cautious of this tendency in me. Even craft supplies that I no longer use, at least at one point were in heavy rotation: card making supplies, I'm looking at you.

But since I know that I'll be doing some serious sewing for at least a year, its as if all my internal stop gap measures to avoid hoarding are gone. I feel entitled to web browse for things, even if I'm muddling along just fine. So in full confession mode, here's the stuff I want:

Sewing Furniture

For the most part, actual furniture made specifically for sewists is hideous, oak veneered, particleboard monstrosity. But I would love to put my sewing machine on something more stable than the card table that I'm currently using. Oh, and a cutting table like this that would get me, my self-healing mat, and rotary cutter off the floor would be a dream.

A Dress Form

While I would love to be able to splurge for a high quality form like this one from Fabulous Fit ($390):

I could be easily appeased with a standard adjustable one from a sewing outlet for about $129

Do I NEED a form. Probably not. But it would be so nice for help with fitting and with taking brag photos for the blog!

A Better Iron

My current iron was purchased by my husband at the hardware store. Need I say more? It steams and gets the job done but I'd love to have an iron with more than 12 steam holes. Say something like this:

400 steam holes!! Imagine!

Better Fabric

Ames has three fabric stores: Joann, Hobby Lobby and Quilting Connection. The first two have fabric that is fine for muslins but really substandard for durable garments. Quilting Connection has a fantastic array of fabrics...for quilting. So far I've been making do with Joann but I'm frustrated and know sooner or later I'm going to have to shop online. I've been eyeing these stores:

Gorgeous Fabrics
Emma One Sock
Elingeria (lingerie/swimming fabric)
Mood
Fabric.com

A Pantone Fandeck

If I'm going to start buying fabrics online, I'm going to need some color help. Enter the Pantone fan deck. Most of the better fabric stores list their fabrics by Pantone number.

Small House Patterns

While I can get patterns from "the big 4" companies at Joann (McCalls, Vogue, Simlicity, Butterick), I'd really like to get some of the great patterns from smaller houses like Sewaholic, StyleArc, Jalie, and Pamela's Patterns. Style Arc in particular interests me as their patterns are often knock offs of current fashions and they give hints on how to style them. Oh, but they're located in Australia--shipping charges are a bit steep. Sewaholic drafts patterns for the pear-shaped body, which obviously appeals to me as well.

Better Lighting

I really do love my small basement studio. The boys have their art table and I have my sewing space. And there is tons of storage space for fabrics, tools, supplies, etc. I just wish I had slightly better lighting around my imaginary sewing furniture. An Ottlight floor lamp would be awesome.

Okay, so that's about $2500-$3500 worth of stuff right there the range depending on the amount of fabric and patterns purchased. I'm off to scour Craig's List and Goodwill and hope for the best! I do think the better fabric and a few new patterns may be in my future though.

The First Garment of 2013

 And it is finished! My first garment of 2013--and it is only January 7th! This v-neck may not be perfect but it is certainly wearable--even in public! Here are my notes for posterity:

• The directions were super with the slight exception of the lack of detail about putting in the neckband. I really liked the final results though.

• The sides are a bit snug but I've also put on about 5 lbs since the beginning of Christmas season so I don't want to alter the pattern too much for a problem area that I KNOW I can get whipped into shape by next month.
• The bust is also a bit snug. Instead of doing a major change to the pattern, I think I'll just add a bit more length to the front and then ease that into the rouching on the sides. I HATE t-shirts with darts so the rouching is a nice alternative.
• I had a few blips in setting the sleeves the first time so a little ripping and restitching were called for. I think I'll improve with experience.

• My topstitching on the cuffs and hems leaves much to be desired. Next time I'm going to lengthen the stitches and experiment with the double needle option. Too much puckering.

Now as for the contest, I'm not sure how many of these I really want to make. I certainly have a white rayon shirt on deck and I'd like to try out a stripe. Not very creative but at least I'll make my goal of having an entry.

The First Top of 2013-Vogue 8536

So work is underway on my first article of clothing for the new year. It is meant to be a tomato red, long-sleeved, v-neck shirt. It's the one in grey on the pattern cover above. I've still got to attach the arms and hem the bottom but so far it is a decent effort for a wearable garment, and an EXCELLENT effort for an initial muslin. For some unknown reason, I decided to jump back into sewing with the world's wonkiest, most slippery thin rayon knit. Thread tracing to find the grainline was an exercise in futility. Beware the red tag clearance knit! Overachiever I suppose. Next time I'm using plain old squishy interlock...that stuff doesn't budge.

I'm planning to make a few of these tops as entries in to the One Pattern Many Looks contest. We'll see if I include the big tomato top in the entry--if I can crank out two more of these before the end of the month probably not.

I've been reading up on fit so I don't make a bunch of potato sacks this year. (FYI does anyone else think that "swayback" is code for small waist and big bum?) For the first time in my life, I based the pattern size on my upper bust and not my bust size. Surprise! It actually fit my small shoulders perfectly. I think I may want to increase the side gathers to make a little more room for the bust and definitely add a little room to the waist and hips. Thank goodness knits are forgiving!