Horray for in-laws!

So my in laws came to visit. YEAH! While some people shudder and cringe at the thought of in laws coming to visit, this visit has been very pleasant. The children have enjoyed seeing Grandma and Grandpa and Wayne and I were able to have a lot of help around the house. Wayne's Step-dad is a super genius when it comes to house hold fix-ups. As a reminder, we are renting a very old run down house that we're trying to fix up, without putting a ton of money into it. The first day they were here he fixed that bathroom door (which previously wouldn't shut). He fixed the door down to the basement (which you would have to SLAM in order to close). He fixed a broken sprinkler pipe and showed me and Wayne what we would need to do step by step in order to fix up the basement really nice. Then Wayne and his Step-dad went and weeded the garden for me (double YEAH!!!!) Meanwhile my mother-in-law and I made brownies and she taught me to sew! I had previously learned, but without experience and adult supervision making sure I'm doing things right, I just haven't sewn anything in well over 10 years (besides on occasional button or sewing up a straight seem that has come undone...and even that I post-pone for as long as possible). We went to the sewing shop in town picked out some material for pillow cases and got to work. I choose pillowcases because 1) they SHOULD be super easy and 2) My daughters have Santa on there pillow cases still. I thought it was time for an update. I got enough material for 4 pillowcases and finished 2 of them last night. Here is the one I did last night.




Now don't blow this up and check for mistakes because there are still many. Sewing a straight line is HARD! But, by the time I did the second one I was getting better. I'm going to try the other two this week. I figure the more I practice the easier it will be. My next project is a wedding dress! Alright, so that may never happen. But I'll be sewing pillow cases for years until I get them just right! My mother-in-law also brought up some piano books so I can re-teach myself how to play. She got me the Hymns Simplified and I was able to get through "Be Thou Humble." It was VERY slow and I had to stop to make sure I was doing it right a lot, but I DID get through the whole thing! So soon, I'll be sewing wedding dresses and playing the piano for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir! Just wait and see!

I will start up on the assigned July Challenge starting Sunday. I have A LOT to improve on and don't know where to start! So many choices and only one month to do it all in!