Snow is Melting - Spring is Coming!

I've committed another DeStashing! 

Full of fun colors and cute detailing this little tote with wallet is here just in time for spring!  I found this group of fat quarters at an unclaimed freight store a few months ago. There were (from what I can remember) about $5 for a bundle of six! It's pretty difficult for me to pass up such an awesome deal like that so I got two bunches. This is the little project that these fun colors were waiting for.

The adorable tote with matching wallet were made from two fat quarters of  coordinating fabric. There is enough left to make another wallet, or as The Tool suggested, a coin purse. I'm just gonna show off the cute finished project. Maybe I'll make a tutorial with the next one I make.

An attempt at an *artsy* photo shoot.

Wallet ready for it's close up:

After I took the photo and loaded I realized I should have put something in the wallet. Silly ME!

Total Cost:  Maybe about $3.00  - two fat quarters at 83cents a piece.

and some fusible interfacing. 

Not too Shabby!

Time Cost: Took about 2 hours. But was also watching a movie and folding laundry.

Multi-tasking at it's best.

And Even though it's Wednesday:

How to Get Everything you Want on your Birthday

In only THREE easy steps:

Step 1:   Have The Tool make a cake with the hellions. Over sprinkling unavoidable.

The Tool trying to "spread" the sprinkles. This makes my heart melt.

Step 2:    Fight with Bubba to keep fingers out of cake long enough to sing "Happy Birthday" song.



Step 3:    Get first taste of delicious cake by licking the frosting off loving child's hand.

What more could a mother ask for?

It was a great birthday celebration.

Thanks for another great year.

                        ~ Dee



Defeated & Deflated

Warning: Feelings and Opinions are expressed below.

Recently I was inspired by a post over at Miranda's blog "The Simple Life of Lily and Claire" about feeling "gross and uncomfortable" in our skin. Miranda is a mom of two wonderful little girls.  She writes about them, life, and sometimes struggles with weight loss. While I cannot relate to being overweight, or trying to lose weight, I can definitely relate to the feeling "gross and uncomfortable." Miranda's post was just so perfectly timed and hit home with an experience I had while at The Victoria's Secret this weekend.


The Tool lovingly bought me some "stockings" from The Victoria's Secret for Christmas. I love that he was being thoughtful and got me a gift but what am I going to do with a pair of $16, thigh-high, black stockings that were too big anyway? After our fun visit with the tax prep dude we went to return the stockings. I was looking around trying to decide what to get with my $16 merchandise credit. The Tool was dragging the hellions behind me, trying to keep six little hands from pulling all the lacy underthings off the racks. After the fourth well-meaning saleswoman asked me if there was something I was looking for I finally asked for help. This is pretty much the conversation verbatim.


Your Queen Wifey: (sheepishly) "Would you happen to have something in a 30 or 32 double A?"


SalesWoman: (very loudly) "We happen to have a 32AA in our *really expensive waterballon, push up to your neck* line."


YQW: (confused look) uh...


SW: (still very loud) "Would you like to be sized today? Many women come in and think they are a double A, but we can usually get them into an A or even a B"


YQW: (with a glimmer of hope) "Sure"


I am then ushered into the dressing area where I am handed off to a sizing expert.


SW: (to the Sizing Expert) " We need to get her sized today. She thinks she's a double AA. Let's see if we can get her into a *still sounds like torture* bra probably in an A or B."


YQW: (to Sizing Expert) "I'm pretty sure I'm a size double AA. There's not much there. This is all bra."


I do the trick to remove your bra under you shirt so that she can get an accurate measurement. This is followed by a stranger I just met feeling me up while I try to avoid eye contact with the other ladies waiting to be groped sized.


SE: (loud enough to be heard on Mars) "30 and 30. You're right double AA."


YQW: "So do you have a double AA I could try on?"


SalesWoman: "How are we doing in here?"


Sizing Expert: "Yeah, she was right. There's nothing there."


Both women then convince me to try on 6 different styles of bras, all of which were 32A - and of course did not fit. All of them gapped in the cup. I ended up just getting some more underpanties and left without a much needed bra.


This left me feeling defeated and deflated. 


Problem is there is nothing to keep the band down and my current bras just ride up over my lack of boobs and I end up pulling my bra back into place at least every 12.7 seconds. Most days I just go without. But after breastfeeding 3 children what is left there is basically just nipples. Not exactly what I want to be advertising all the time.


It just makes me feel that no matter what size you are there is always something that we don't like and hate about ourselves.  The simple fact that I am shaped like an 11 year old boy makes me feel gross and uncomfortable. Often times I look in the mirror and all I see is a lanky, awkward stick. There is not much that I wouldn't give to look curvy, sexy, and womanly. 


I try to gain weight. I eat junk because I want to gain weight, but am probably setting myself up for heart disease or diabetes. I don't exercise for fear of looking too muscular instead of soft like a woman should be.
I don't want to sound braggy, cause I'm not. I don't like it this way. I know most women will read this and think "poor skinny bi*&h - are we supposed to feel sorry for you?"  I don't often share this feeling because of that reason. 


No matter what our size - our goal should include being healthy for us and for our children.






Is this just what comes from being a woman in our society - are we programmed to think that no matter what we are never perfect? 


Women's bodies are amazing! I myself have made three beautiful babies! I was able to experience breastfeeding.  Pretty neat what my body can do. But still I look at it and feel gross.  What an unfair exchange for being able to give life.

The Victoria's Secret can't even get me a bra. Back to the little girl section at my local Walmart.

At least until I have the $7500 to buy me some new, awesome jugs.

Total Price: $ Humiliation and Defeat

Fabric DeStashing The First - Half Apron

The Tool I have decided that I have too much fabric that is sitting around "waiting" to be used. Most of it is super awesome money saving deals that I have just THE Project for and had to bring it home. Well time to start putting some of this stash to use.

So project by project I will declutter my basement in hopes of someday having a crafting room. That hopefully will be completely organized to my standards and allow my creativity to flow.

Some of these projects will be used at home for me, some will be gifts, and some will probably find their way to my etsy store. Heck- if I can make a little money too- I'm cool with that!

So to kick it off. This fabric has been in my stash since probably Summer 2003. This was the start of it all and it only seemed fitting that my first project come from this buy.  So I present to you a very country kitsch cool apron:

Gonna have to have The Tool work on taking better pics.

 -OR-

I need to get to cropping!!

Total Cost: $UNKNOWN - but probably less than 50cents.

Time Spent: About an hour. Watch a movie with The Tool while multitasking.

Both fabrics were from Walmart probably in the $1.00 / yard pile - as the summer of 2003 I was a poor, college student in transition.

Love this little half apron - think it'll work it's way to etsy.

Welcome to The Stash Ride-RATED G

Although the title is a bit scandalous, have no fears, this is a safe and fun place to read about our adventure in making a house a home with little to no cash! 


Let me start with introductions.

I'm your Queen Wifey - I stay at home to take care of the house, children, pets, husband, and just about most things. I am married to The Tool.

The Tool is a wonderful, hard working, dedicated dad, husband and all around great guy!

Then we have our hellions:
Princess - 5yr old.
Monkey - 3yr old.
Bubba - 15mo old. 

They are pretty much our reason for living. We work hard so they can have what they need, and (occassionally) what they want.

Living with us is also our cat Trinity and pup LeRoy! 


Now what exactly is The Stash Ride all about?

Let me tell you!

The "Stash" is what we have around us to work with and make our home operate. There is a great supply of resources at our fingertips, we just have to find new purposes for using what we have. The Stash Ride is all about using what we have wisely. Kinda a green way to live and make a home. Our family has started to think this way after we became a one income family (not of our own choosing, mind you).  We have come to realize that we can make it work with what we have.

Together, The Tool and I have a pretty comprehensive skill set.

I cover most traditional domestic skills - such as sewing, gardening, cooking, ect.
The Tool has more of a manly roll - home repairs, car maintenance, woodworking, ect.

There is a lot that together we can accomplish.

So there you have it.

We'll be sharing our thoughts, projects, money saving ideas, and basically how we make our house a home with little to no cash!

So hold on, sit back, and enjoy The Stash Ride!