Whitniffic Whatnots

Like most of the world right now, I am hibernating at home until the end of April. While I am actually thriving creatively during lock-in, I'm missing my family... even though we don't get together that much normally. This got me thinking about what we're going to do to come May, when we'll *hopefully* be able to be go back to normal. Mother's Day is a good thing to look forward to! I've got some work to do to top last year's celebration! My mom is pretty cool. She always encouraged me to be creative as a kid, and I always thought she was Wonder Woman because she could do anything. Lately she's been pretty sad and lonely though, working too much and living alone after her little dog Schoodles passed away in late 2018. For Mother's Day 2016, I took family portraits.  Tripods and timers are super helpful.  I wanted to do something special for Mother's Day last year, so I called my brother in Milwaukee and planned to have us all stay...

I had every intention of avoiding posting about this crazy virus. There's enough bad news and scary stories being thrown around that I really want this blog to be a place to escape from all that and focus on the good. After all... staying home and working on projects is what I do best! But a nurse friend of mine requested an item that I thought was pretty helpful- a headband with buttons for mask straps to avoid getting raw behind the ears. Healthcare workers now have to wear masks for the entirety of their shifts, and I can't imagine that's very comfortable. I haven't seen many tutorials on how to make these, so I figured I'd put one together while I created a few cute options for her. Of course- buttons could be added to any existing headband for a quick fix! I dug through my stash and found a bunch of  bright, fun patterned fabric. Each headband requires a 21" x 6" piece. I also scrounged up two large buttons and a hairband for each headband. I ...

I babysat for the first time in 15 years last summer. (!) I realize babysitting is not a huge deal for most people, but I am not most people. One time, when I was 16, I babysat two kids (I think they were 2 and 4) for a few hours while their parents went to league bowling. It was THE. LONGEST. THREE. HOURS. OF. MY. LIFE. All to make like fifteen bucks. I also realized- just recently, actually- that the two-year-old probably  needed a diaper change while I was there, but I was so clueless that it never even occurred to me. I have yet to change a diaper. Ever. Fortunately, my good friends' boys are beyond the diaper years, and, in fact, can wipe their own butts! I had to make sure before accepting the challenge... I am so not ready for that kind of responsibility. They're 7 and 6, so I mean, I assumed they'd be able to take care of that stuff on their own, but you never know! So, yeah. The concept that someone would actually trust me to take care of their children for ...