Ahh...Monday
Usually, I'll be the first to say "I'm so glad it's Friday!" Friday means school is out for the week and the kids will come home and we won't have to worry about getting homework done, hurrying to get things ready for the next day, trying to stay on schedule to get to bed at the right hour. Tim will come home and have the next 48 hours with us...there is always the chance that we could try to sleep in the next morning, even though that actually happening is pretty rare. Friday is the beginning of our weekend mentality. It's a little easier to get through a Friday than it is a Monday knowing all of the above. Monday usually just means it's time to start all over again! Not this week. I am so glad it's Monday...finally, I feel like I can take a deep breath. It is welcome today.
Our last week was a tremendously busy one. Tuesday brought the deadline for the Jesse Tree ornaments that I had started back in October. I had twenty seven sets to make. The first nine were delivered on November 20 and the last 18 were due April 20. Seems like a pretty reasonable amount of time to get things done, but apparently I don't do well unless I am under the gun, so while I started the last sets in January, Friday through Tuesday saw me working on them every available moment I had, and even some moments that weren't so available. Tim and Julia helped, and Carrie pitched in on several sets, as well as my mom sewing and handstitching many of them, and in fact Tim stayed up until 3:30 am Sunday to finish trimming some of them. At midnight on Monday, as Julia and I were putting sets together to package, we realized that some were missing! We still haven't recovered them from wherever they are, so Tuesday morning, the missing ones were recreated and delivered right on time! Whew...done!! I still have the two extra sets that I decided to make to sell on Etsy that need to be finished, but I have no desire to do so right now. I'm sure they'll wait for months on my shelf.
Eight hundred plus ornaments, over 10,000 yards of thread, approximately 260 hours! By the grace of God, the little kids were quite cooperative during this really crazy busyness. Benjamin was in Scottsbluff and Mathilda and Joseph played with each other or got crafty on the other side of my sewing table while Amelia occupied herself for hours playing with the empty thread spools that I saved for her. My great grandma had a box of wooden spools and old perfume bottles (Perfume...P-E-R instead of the P-U-R that cost me my chance in the spelling bee when I was in grade school!) under her bathroom sink that we played with at her house! It's a good memory.
In addition to cranking out all these ornaments, for some absurd reason, I had orders for four nursing covers, two car seat covers and a set of hangers from Etsy and donations from Miela G for our MOPS silent auction! It has all been finished. Well, the MOPS auction isn't quite done, as I donated a certificate for an outfit that I was going to make, but due to time, I thought it made more sense to offer the outfit made to suit someone's size desire, so I still have to actually make the outfit. I was incredibly flattered though, considering there was a little bidding war going on over the outfit and the nursing cover I donated. I also donated a sun dress and some hangers. The hangers didn't create quite the commotion, but the dress sold well also. I wish I would have taken pictures of the covers I made and the sundress! There will be some new additions to my Etsy store due to the overwhelmingly positive responses.
Our last week was a tremendously busy one. Tuesday brought the deadline for the Jesse Tree ornaments that I had started back in October. I had twenty seven sets to make. The first nine were delivered on November 20 and the last 18 were due April 20. Seems like a pretty reasonable amount of time to get things done, but apparently I don't do well unless I am under the gun, so while I started the last sets in January, Friday through Tuesday saw me working on them every available moment I had, and even some moments that weren't so available. Tim and Julia helped, and Carrie pitched in on several sets, as well as my mom sewing and handstitching many of them, and in fact Tim stayed up until 3:30 am Sunday to finish trimming some of them. At midnight on Monday, as Julia and I were putting sets together to package, we realized that some were missing! We still haven't recovered them from wherever they are, so Tuesday morning, the missing ones were recreated and delivered right on time! Whew...done!! I still have the two extra sets that I decided to make to sell on Etsy that need to be finished, but I have no desire to do so right now. I'm sure they'll wait for months on my shelf.
In addition to cranking out all these ornaments, for some absurd reason, I had orders for four nursing covers, two car seat covers and a set of hangers from Etsy and donations from Miela G for our MOPS silent auction! It has all been finished. Well, the MOPS auction isn't quite done, as I donated a certificate for an outfit that I was going to make, but due to time, I thought it made more sense to offer the outfit made to suit someone's size desire, so I still have to actually make the outfit. I was incredibly flattered though, considering there was a little bidding war going on over the outfit and the nursing cover I donated. I also donated a sun dress and some hangers. The hangers didn't create quite the commotion, but the dress sold well also. I wish I would have taken pictures of the covers I made and the sundress! There will be some new additions to my Etsy store due to the overwhelmingly positive responses.
When all the sewing was done, the house still needed to be cleaned, food prepared and everyone ready for Saturday, and then Sunday, one final long run before the 1/2 marathon next Sunday. Yes, I'm glad it's Monday!!! It's a good day to rest, and then I'm sure we'll be busy all over again.
