January

Just catching up.

A few crazy pics of the kids.

Carter getting his bobcat badge, coincidentally on our 10th anniversary.  Yup we went to pack meeting for our anniversary.

We pin the bobcat badge upside down.  The scout has to do a good deed before it can be turned right side up.  Its called a good turn or something.  Did I mention I'm Carter's new Den Leader?  I have the (tailored) shirt to prove it.  I look quite smashing.  Love a lady in a uniform.

My poor birthday birches bent clear over in the ice storm.  Luckily they are tender enough to bend instead of snap in half.

My clothesline I forgot to put away.  You can imagine what the power lines looked like.  

 When the branches droop instead of stick straight out in their Dr. Seuss fashion they tend to snap the already coated power lines.  Our power was out for only 36 hours, but some neighborhoods lost power for 6 days.

A half inch of ice on a blade of grass.

Apple tree

We lost 3 branches on our pine.

 Brianna still loves her spoons.  She hasn't dressed them up recently but they still  occupy family roles.

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Hiking on the trail near our house.  Yes we do enable Brianna's avoidance of expending physical energy.  I know I'll have to put a stop to the babying eventually but right now its easier.

Headboard

Regular updates to the blog really are a little out of my realm of possibility as evidenced by one blog post so far this year.  Maybe I can figure out something tricky to post pics in chronological order so that y'all think its January (when I made the headboard) and not the last day of our measly rainy June.

So here is how my process for the headboard:

First I popped my quilt batting in the dryer with a couple of tennis balls to fluff it up.  It was pretty compacted from the bag.  

Proceed with power tools.

Charlie helped me make chalk lines and then I drilled holes for the upholstering.

Swoop an angle at the edges.

I used a piece of particle board I already had but it was a couple inches shorter than I wanted, so I just spaced my 1x4s out a bit to make up the difference. 

Wrapped the 1x4 with batting and fabric with staples on the backside.

Present wrapped the ends.

Spray particle board with adhesive and add foam.  I used 2 inch foam and it is unnecessarily thick.  Considering the foam was 2/3rds of my cost I should have gotten something a lot thinner. I added my quilt batting and fabric.  The batting helped smooth out the edges of the foam and board.

I stuffed the extra fabric and stapled the easy parts.  I put a couple of stitches in the parts that needed smoothing.  Not pretty at all, but its below the mattress so its not visible.

On to the upholstering.

Kinda wish I had used buttons.  Really thought the fabric would pull in harlequin pattern so I was disappointed.  Oh well.

Finished!  I love the fabric with the embroidery on the bedding. Now I really need to paint that wall.  Any suggestions?