Kate's Point of View

The Product of Creative Frustration

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My Sister Made a Baby and I Made a Blanket

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On March 4, 2014

In classes

When my sister let me know she was pregnant, I was determined to make her a baby blanket. In fact. I bought all of the supplies to make hers at the same time I was making one for Mart Girl. It was a wise move because I might have changed my mind once I realized what actually went into making the baby blankets I had in mind.After toiling away for more hours than I work in a week and stumbling at several points in it’s creation, I finished it! I am more proud of this than anything I have sewn so far. And while I love the one I created for Mart Girl, I learned a few lessons in the first attempt that made the second one even better.

The state of Ohio is created from strips of fabric I cut from Wonder Boy’s shirts. (Don’t worry – they were all ones from the donation pile.) I augmented that with fabric from one of my own shirts and then some brighter fabrics I purchased. I sewed the strips into many squares which I sewed into one larger square. I sketched the state of Ohio on paper and traced that onto the fabric, used Stitch Witch on the seams and sewed the state into the large piece of yellow fabric. There is a state of Ohio on both sides with batting in between. Many spools of thread later, and a few errors that took some research to solve, I sewed the two pieces together, added the satin trim and voila!

Little H likes the blanket, but E is also a fan.

In fact, it turns out to be a great picnic blanket!

If you’re interested in making something similar, contact me if you want any tips. I don’t really know much about sewing, but what I do know I learned in an online class from Freckled Nest. The classes teach you the basics and give you enough knowledge to convince you that you can create projects that are a little above your skill level, like a quilted baby blanket.
This post originally appeared on Kate’s Point of View. © Kate. All rights reserved.

Some Firsts

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On February 27, 2014

In rock

Music
My first album was a cassette and it was the soundtrack to Cocktail. I think that’s a little embarrassing. I struggle more with the fact that my favorite song from the soundtrack was “Kokomo.” That said, at least it wasn’t” Don’t Worry, Be Happy.”

Concert
So my love of “Kokomo” might stem from having seen the Beach Boys perform live countless times growing up. They played annually at a Cincinnati Reds game and I know I went many consecutive years and loved it.

(Favorite) Movie
I’m not sure what my first favorite movie was. We didn’t have a ton o movies around the house growing up. I really liked Babes in Toyland, which I watched on repeat and featured stars like Drew Barrymore, Keanu Reeves and Richard Mulligan. (Don’t let that line-up fool you into thinking it’s a fabulous movie.) I had short stints of obsession each time a new Disney movie came out because I was very cool in high school. But the movie I latched onto the most, I think, was Labyrinth. I stand by that one. The special effects are horrible but the movie is wonderful and the soundtrack, which I own, isn’t bad either!

Celebrity Crush
Growing up I watched a lot of re-runs on Nick at Nite. There’s a chance that I had a crush on a character from one of those shows. (The oldest son on My Three Sons was a looker.) I believe my first real celebrity crush would have been Kirk Cameron while he was on Growing Pains.

Collection
My coin collection started with Kennedy half dollars. Each summer my family would attend Schützenfest, a german festival hosted by a local Germanic society called the Kolping. My memory of those festivals is that whenever you spent money, a nice old man would give you your change and it would be a Kennedy half dollar and that made the festival awesome. My dad was encouraging when I wanted to start a coin collection, helping me get a book to learn more about coins and little cases in which to store the coins. I still have the collection. And it’s worth about $10 in Kennedy half dollars. The Canadian nickels I held so dear weren’t the money-makers I assumed.

This post originally appeared on Kate’s Point of View. © Kate. All rights reserved.

Why I love the Internet: In Praise of Convenience and Gluttony

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On February 21, 2014

In uncategorized

Trying to prove an argument? Remember an actor’s name? Learn the actual lyrics to a song? Hop online and you have your answer. And while I am annoyed by how many in-person conversations are interrupted by people tapping away at their smart phones, or, as my dad one called them, their tiny, dumb computers, I am grateful to have so much information readily available.And information is all well and good, but do you know what is so much more fun? Being able to buy just about anything. Seriously. Anything.

Wonder Boy and I were watching TV and contemplating that evening’s dinner. He tried to tempt me with some sub-par rice mix, rice being one of my favorite foods, but I called him on the shoddy representation of rice.

“What happened to the dirty rice with cheese?” I asked.

“We’re out,” he said.

And then I whipped out my little, dumb computer and a few minutes later, a case – A CASE – of dirty rice with cheese was on its way to our house. And, because if you’re buying a case of one thing, why not throw in another, I also got a case of grape Bubblicious, which is impossible to find in stores.

I think if my health-conscious father saw the joy on my face as I opened up the box, he might have thrown up a little.

This post originally appeared on Kate’s Point of View. © Kate. All rights reserved.

Chapter Books

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On February 5, 2014

In books, reviews

It’s a funny distinction kids can make when they announce to you, “I read chapter books.” There are children’s books with chapters, but that’s not what kids are referring to when they say “chapter books.” That label signals the entrance to a world of literature. It’s a ticket to far off worlds and adventure.
I have books sitting in my attic waiting for the days when my nieces and nephews announce that they’re reading chapter books. A few years ago I had a niece say she wanted chapter books for Christmas and I dibbed that whole category of gift. You want books? I’ll get you some books.

I’m not a mom nor an education expert. This guide is based solely on books I love and recommend. I don’t offer age guidelines because I think that’s much more based on the child’s reading and maturity levels. The full list is below. What books do you think I’m missing? I know there are gobs more!

This post originally appeared on Kate’s Point of View. © Kate. All rights reserved.

What’s Making Me Happy

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On January 31, 2014

In uncategorized

There a feature at the end of each episode of Pop Culture Happy Hour, my current obsession, called “What’s Making Me Happy.” I love that the podcast ends on a happy note and am trying to end my weeks with that same happy note.

Because my goal is just to highlight something positive, and not necessarily write long prose, I’m adding the item to the Facebook page only.

I encourage you to like my Facebook page to check out what’s making me happy!

This post originally appeared on Kate’s Point of View. © Kate. All rights reserved.

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