swedish piggies

first section in pony on one side, then next section on other side. back and forth adding each new section to the one above it.

i think i'll try it with braids next.   ponies get to tangled with my tomboy princess

zig zag split

basic ponytails, i could not get a straight line that day so i did a zig zag split. i grabbed a little of the short stuff from her bangs so there are some sparks in the front

side braid loop

pulled a braid to the side and then left the end long twisted it and wrapped it around the hairband and tucked it in to cover the hair band

criss cross braids

separate first section into 4 and braid each section. repeat with the second section adding the braid from the top as 1 section of the braid. cross the middle two to the opposite outside braids and the outside from the first to the opposite inner section. i didn't weave them right so 1 crosses 2 instead of under and over but you get it. learn from my mistake

woven braid

under braided then end of braid woven back up into the braid. held up to sports and a full day with no problems and no bobby pins

another version

  underbraid, then loop end of braid over and tuck under an inside loop of the upper braid. continue looping and tucking to the top, weave end down through the center. this is easier with a topsy turvey. i just cut a strip of plastic form a bottle and then cut a slit in the fat end. it worked just fine. this held through school, swimming and playing all day with no problems and no bobby pins.

 crossed woven braids

this was fun, we did the same as the other woven braids but instead of coming back up into the same braid, just crossed them back and forth.   i wove the ends into the same braid to secure them.

we are growing some of her front bangs out so she has lots of little whispys.    does that make them messy braids too?   she's just going to school, not a beauty pageant.

























 these are so much fun!   they stay put so well that we end up doing it a lot.  today's version was for field day.   my tomboy princess was entered into the jump rope contest and she didn't want a braid beating her on the back.   this one got finished in the car because we had to make some stops before we went to school.   it turned out looking like something out of gone with the wind anyway.   you gotta love that!   so this one just got a half knot at the bottom and the braids continued to the other side to weave.  i wove the ends into the outside loops of the braids this time though.   simple.





















this is just the crossed version.   section into four, braid from one corner to the other.   same on the other side.   then weave up and over.

4 and 5 piece braid

french braid with 5 pieces instead of 3. i treated the top part like 2 braids sharing the middle piece. i had my daughter hold the side i wasn't working on. a 5 piece braid always twists for me so it gives the braid some interest

dutch braid but with 4 pieces. it tends to make the braid twist which is a nice effect

criss cross braids

split the hair into quarters. basic 2 french braids with a regular braided part where they meet in the middle and resume french braiding. simple but fun













for this one i divided it into 6 and simply crossed it twice











this was divided into a pinwheel.  down the center, in half the other way and then half again.   you are going to braid from top center to the top in the opposite bottom section.
braid top left center across and into the upper section of the bottom opposite side.   when you cross the center, braid a space without bringing any hair in.   you will need to pull a braid under it in the end.
then do the same with the top center right, over the top left center braid..
then the top lower left side, over the top center right braid.
the last one is the only one you need to pull under another braid if you braid left then right.   braid the lower top right side down to the place it crosses the braid from the top.   braid without bringing anything in for a space and band it.   pull it under the top left center braid and then continue with bringing in hair from the appropriate section.

yet another version of the criss cross braid.    this isn't really even another version, it's just a play with the hair after the braid.   basic criss cross, then i just crossed the tails of the braids and brought them up and through the hole under the top braid, then around that same braid and weave through to hole it.   i left the ends sticking out for some funk.  

this wasn't actually woven in tight but it lasted through sport today.   i was actually just playing with it and teasing my princess.   the first time i wrapped it around her neck and tied it in the front (loose and not a knot).   i told her she needed a scarf because it was cold.   i was surprised that it held all day since it wasn't really bound in tight.   these pictures are actually her doing homework after school so it held up great!

flower braid

i wanted to do the braided flower but without bobby pins. i braided across the front and then pulled one side of the end of the braid to make "petals". then i wrapped it ,pulled side out, around and wove the end through the french braid continued around and tucked the end in under the french braid

zig zag braid

zig-zag part with zig-zag braid

4 into 1 braid

4 dutch braids braided together

side braids

small dutch braids, 2 on each side. then pony and wrap one around the top of the braid. then braid the pony with the other 3 braids in the large braid. i twisted the ends together until it curled back on itself and banded it

fish bone braid

fish bone the outside quarters of the hair then fish bone the whole thing together

smelly car flower

my husband has a tendency to smoke in the car when we are not with him.   i can't convince him how much it stinks and no matter how much i get after him, he still does it.   that inspired me to do something about the smell.   we have 3 kids so there are other smells on occasion but he was my muse on this one.  

i've used coffee grounds to absorb smells in the kitchen, sock drawers and fridge/freezer so i figured i'd try it out here as well.

i made this flower from the site below but i added coffee grounds in each petal.    i crocheted a small circle for the center because i didn't have a button i liked for it..   then i stitched it to a piece of wire for a hanger and stuck it on the vent.   it really helps absorb the smells.  

i've just been setting a small cup of it out everywhere but i think i'll make some more of these instead.   fridge/freezer might not work since it might get wet in just fabric but a sock drawer would probably work.   shoe inserts for at night maybe?   hmmm . . .the ideas are still swirling. . .oh the possibilities.




i took the pattern from the top site but found the other site in my pinterest as well.

http://sewritzytitzy.blogspot.de/2008/11/from-annas-gardenfabric-flower-tutorial.html

http://www.howdoesshe.com/14-beautiful-burlap-crafts

up and over ponies

split hair into 3 across the head. split 1st section in 2 & make ponies. split ponies & turn so the end is pointing to the front. my daughter held her finger over the the pony in front of the band to hold it while i brought the end back & included them in the next ponies & repeated split & turn. i made one pony of the bottom section, turned & then tucked the 2 ends into it & banded it. later, i braided the end, brought it up & tucked the end into the band on the back side of the bottom pony

fuzzy bracelet

super simple bracelet i made for my daughter.   i cut several strips of t-shirt material about 2 1/2 -3 inches wide and a little longer than i needed for around the wrist.   cut a piece of elastic a little longer than the wrist so you have room to slip it over and it isn't tight.    lay them all together and sew down the middle long ways.   be sure to stretch the elastic a little as you stitch them together so the fabric will scrunch and be fluffy.   i used printed stuff so i made sure to put the printing facing both ways.    after it was stitched together i just cut little strips all the way around.     i cut them really skinny so it would be fuzzy.

woven braid with tie

4 sections ear to ear, split each section and tie an overhand knot with the hair, add the next section and tie down to the bottom. then bring it all together and braid. weave the braid back and forth into the knots, tie and let the end hand out the side

twists

twist, add some and twist some more. lil holds things while i work on the next section. i did 3 sections and braided it to hold it. then i took a small section from underneath and twisted it around the band and tucked the end into the band

twists with braid

small dutch braid in front. twisted up in back. twisted the hair around the braid and then braided the end of the twist into the braid to keep it in place. wrapped the end of the braid back up into the twist and held it with the hair band

braided loops

divide in quarters. band the parts you are not using. french braid from the bottom up to the half way point and from the front back on the top. when you get to the center, join the braid sections and continue braiding. i braided a little farther than i needed and had my daughter hold it til i was ready to braid them together. then i twisted the braid around, wove the end up through at the base and banded it it hold it. held up great to sports and school

twisted tiara into twisted crown

this is church hair in the morning into hot summer day hair in the afternoon.
    

 the twisted tiara is super easy.   i did an under -braid across the front and continued the braid to the end.

then starting at the opposite side i started a twist behind the ear.   twist til it will curl back once.   pick up another small piece and twist the same, add it to the first piece and twist until it will curl once.   so you should have a twisted curl, then the main twist curl, and another twisted curl etc across the head behind the braid.

i braided the end just behind the other ear so she had a braid on each side. 

then i used the curling iron to put some curls down the back and give her bangs some lift.

later, i  sectioned off the outside ring of hair and banded it out of the way.   .




now just continue the twist, add, twist.   i found out that small a small zig-zag pattern top to bottom and back up is easier for me than across the head.


you could have a couple of twisted ends that your princess holds for you until your ready.  i think i will use a couple of zig zags top to bottom next time.   and add them into the braid in different spots.

 i left the braid til last so could include the end of the twist in it.

unbraid the end of the tiara braid.   add your twisted ends into the braid.  then just continue with the under braiding all the way around her hairline.

when you get back to the start, just weave the end of the braid into the braid across the front of the hairline.   i've never had to pin the ends in and they stay just fine.

you may want to spray it down a bit first so the wispy ends stay put, we were just in a hurry.


this was a lot of fun and wonderful on a hot day.

now, go twist crown for your princess!

life is too short for shoes

braided chain

this time i think i've figured out the best way to do the chain braid.   we still have some whispys but it worked out much better than my last attempt.

2 ponies

divide pony into 4 equal parts and braid each section.

cross opposite "corner" braids between the other two braids.   then cross the other two braids in the center across the top of the first set.   continue this criss cross pattern.   wow, i hope that made sense.

anyway, it turns out to be this great round braid.

have fun with it!

now, go get tangled up in life!

the list

our family is one of the least organised bunch of people there is.   something i'm working on but its really hard to institute organization in chaos.   its also overwhelming.   i try to break things down for the kids so a chore isn't so staggering.   still, every day, i got something done and then looked around not knowing where to go next.   and everyday, the kids came and asked for this and that, tv, games etc.  before the chores were done.  here is my solution.

i made "the list".

i have a clear list of things that need done and the kids don't ask for anything til its all done.


we have several large frames that were left in the house we are renting.   i took the picture out of one and started writing all of the things i could think of that needed done.   when the kids came home, more things came up.   as the week went on, more things were added.  
it sounds like a lot but it's easy stuff that just has to be done and the kids like checking things off.   its great to actually see some progress with each check mark.   some of ours were brush hair and a place for each person to check.   not really an issue but nice to see check marks.   same for brush teeth.   i broke some thing down like : dirty laundry, wash laundry, dry laundry, fold laundry and put away laundry.   there are two reasons for this.   first, i keep ending up with dirty clothes all at once instead of a little every day.   second, just washing the laundry isn't "doing" the laundry.   anything that had more than one step had to be broken down.   its also nice to see those check marks going up.

after we had our basic list worked out i put colored paper under the glass with everything written on it so we can  just wipe it off every day.

i left room for the bigger or ongoing projects like finish the sandbox, clean off the porch, or finish unpacking.   so when things are done we can take on something else if there's time. 

we also have weekly to-dos.   change bedding, take garbage to curb and the like.

so far it's working pretty well.   we have relapses of our chaos addiction but at least we seem to be on the way to recovery.  

cross braid variation

variation on the cross braid
i sectioned off the center triangle and left it unbraided for now.
section a rectangle along the side of the triangle on both sides and french braid.
at the end of the french braid braid a few more inches.
cross to the opposite side and continue with french braid but include the hair from the top opposite side in your bottom braid.

was that clear as mud?   i'm hoping that a picture is worth more than a thousand words because it's devilish hard to explain.

now, go have a wonderful, non-confusing day

homemade laundry soap recipie (lazy version)

everyone has one and i had a great one until we moved.   here's the u.s. version that i used for a few years and loved.   it lasted forever and didn't cost much at all.

i'm not really a pattern or recipe person so i simplified my down to basic - pour the whole box, grate all the soap, mix, use.

approximately equal parts of each, like i said not much for measuring so 2 small boxes, equals one big.   i don't want extra open boxes sitting around so i just used the whole box.   its laundry soap not quiche, it'll do a great job either way.

washing soda*
borax
bars of soap.   i used 1 fels-naptha and 2-3 ivory, depending on whether the big bars or little bars were on sale.   fels naptha was kind of expensive sometimes so then i left it out and just used ivory.

* (bake baking soda on a cookie sheet at *400 until it all changes texture to get washing soda.   you'll have to move it around some to get all of it.    haven't tried this yet but i thought i would pass it on anyway.


anyway, mix it all up in a bucket or whatever your keeping it in.   i used 1 tbs for each load.   a little more for my husband's work clothes that came home literally caked with mud and\or concrete. 

we had really soft water in our area so i didn't need anything else.   i've heard that a tbs of salt in the load helps with the hard water.   here in germany, the water is horribly hard and i've been using salt and a half cup or so of vinegar in the rinse.   i have yet to find borax here and baking soda is more expensive so i'm working on a new german recipe.   if anyone has suggestions, i'd love to hear it.
 

tiny creature

smaller than a fingernail
smaller than pebble
tiny fragile creature
i peek into your world
do you realize the great expanse where giants tend to roam?
do i comprehend the great eternal plan that leads me to my home?

endure

 i endure
   remain still
      refusing to fall
and so spreading the seed

grow baby grow

grow where your planted even when walls are built in your way

room with a veiw

oh, begin your upward life
make your way toward your light
let nothing stand in your way
find your place in God's great world

 rough covers the smooth

but color comes along

variety is not the easy way

 

sea green

rolling sea of green

with islands striking out

standing in your storm

 your heaving waves
 stand still

black and blue

so big and beautiful

black and blue

where are you going

where have you been