Life Lately...

We are three days from the big move out...ahhh!  Honestly, at least in the packing aspect, we are more prepared than we have ever been at this point.  In almost every room, the only things not packed up are the things that we are still using.  Bech has most of his pottery packed up, which is the area we've always struggled with.  He, understandably, doesn't want me to pack it up, but he doesn't always have the time to get it packed in advance.

On Wednesday, we will load up a Penske, then drive to Brookhaven/Jackson for seven days.  We will get seven days to just relax and spend time with our families.  

Then, after having loaded my sisters stuff up, we will head up to DC and then Pennsylvania.

For some reason, this move seems harder to me than the rest (or maybe I'm not remembering the rest!).  Africa was so exciting.  Jackson was coming home.  Vermont was for my schooling.  Baton Rouge was bringing my child back near his family.  

And now Pennsylvania.  This is the first time I haven't known ahead of time what I am going to be doing when we get there.  I have applied for (literally) seventy something jobs through the Penn State website.  I have also applied for several others through the local newspaper.  I have a phone interview this week (yay!), so please pray that it turns into an actual job!

But, deep down, I also know that I am probably going to fall in love with Pennsylvania.  The little victorian town we are moving to has a victorian Christmas festival every year.  There are local wineries, apple orchards, pumpkin patches, farmers markets, etc.  Plus, I am going to be right smack in the middle of Amish country.

And I know that we will make friends.  It's just that, to be honest, I'm kind of tired of making new friends.  Not like it bores me.  It's just so emotionally exhausting to keep making new friends and then leaving them in a year or two!  I am still missing Malawi friends, for goodness sakes!

I am hoping that the seven days in between leaving Baton Rouge and heading up North will be an energizing time for me...I am definitely going to need it!

Okay enough of my Eyeore-ing!  I will finish up with some Jack pictures:

I hate that you can see our yucky apartment porch in this picture (so ready to be in our new place in Bellefonte and out of our soul-less place now).  But, those saddle oxfords on him...they completely melt me!

I love this outfit.  It's so vintage Southern toddler.  In fact, I bought it off ebay, so it probably really is.  I only have a few more years of dressing him this way, so I am enjoying every minute.

Sewing Project

...And I'm back!  This past month has been nothing short of crazy.  We had a 2 year old birthday, my sister's wedding, a quick trip to the Ozarks, a quick trip to Oxford and Memphis, an Evans family vacation at a lake house, and now it's pack pack pack, apply apply apply, and keep a 2 year old happy.

But Jack's grandparents (both sets) have spent the past 6 days spoiling Jack like crazy so that Bech and I could pack in peace.  I'd say we are about 90% of the way done.  All that's left is things that we are still currently using and some of Bech's pottery (and that is mostly because he needed some special packing materials that will get in today).

Yesterday, after I packed in the morning and translated some Vergil in the afternoon, I knew that it was time for a break.  I picked up some coordinating fabric last week at the Cotton Patch in Brookhaven (if you are local and don't know about this place, you have to go visit!  They have amazing prices on fabric!).

Jack needs some fall clothes.  He has SO many summer outfits, and that's great in the South.  He wore short jonjons until October here.  But that is not going to fly up in Pennsylvania.  And if you've read this blog for long, you've probably figure out that I am sort of very particular/vain about what Jack wears.  I hit up Remember Nguyen's memorial day sale so he's set on church clothes.  And I've got a bunch from Expectations after Christmas sale as well.  But I needed some just everyday clothes.  

I've always loved the look of Pipper's patterned boy pants, and I love me a cute applique top.  So I decided to make some!

I got these fabrics for $6 for 3/4 a yard (from the Cotton Patch).  I decided to do reversible so that I could cuff the pants and to add an extra layer for warmth.  I might make a pair or two of non-reversible (but still lined) pants as well.

The first pair--I am going to get a "J" appliqued in the polka dot fabric.

The second pair (and probably my favorite print)--I am going to get a green tree appliqued.

The third pair.  I saved this one for last because of the stripes.  I am going to get an owl (there's an owl in the print) appliqued in the stripe.  Also, I still have to the elastic in the waist.

I had a Simplicity pattern for the pants.  I added on 3 inches on the last two pairs (I forgot on the first!) so that I could cuff them.  I made them in 3T, because I do have a larger child.  And if they're a little big this year, then we'll get 2 years out of them!

I'm not a good sewer by any means.  All I've done before is a couple of sets of curtains.  But I found TONS of good resources online:

This girl explains things really well.  Her pants aren't meant to be worn in reverse, plus she uses seam bias, so I couldn't follow some of her instructions.  But I used a lot of her tips.

This one was definitely the most helpful, just because I was making the same style.  She doesn't explain the cuffs very well, but everything else was great.

This explains the cuffs a little more clearly.

If you want to add outside pockets.

A helpful video.

Again, I am not a sewer...these were so easy!  And I got a lot faster.  The first pair took about 2 hours, the second 1 1/2, and the third about an hour.  I am definitely going to make more.  Plus with the price for the fabric, each pair was about $12.75...I could not have bought similar pants for that price!