Nursery Details

The quilt top for Eden is now complete. Really, it was complete a week ago, or at least as much as I've now decided I'm going to do. I really meant to take progress pictures when the 192 squares I cut were turned into 384 triangles and then slowly sewn back together... but I was a little obsessed with the triangles and couldn't bear to put them down and grab the camera.

It's wrinkly, but you get the picture. My only complaint is that the purple I chose for the room's main fabric (will be repeated in the bumper and crib skirt) is a little bland for the quilts corner pieces. It'll work well for the skirt and bumper (mixed with green and yellow too) because it won't be overwhelming... but for the quilt... it's just a little blah. All this to say it doesn't bother me enough to rip the entire border off and do it again. I need to take close up pictures of all the fabric- they're such sweet feedsack reproduction prints.

So what else should have been done to the quilt top??

The pattern calls for a feather embroidery stitch to be done all around the edges. I thought "great! I just bought this wonderful book for beginning embroiderers! I can try it out!" 4 days later I finished outlining the first of twelve dutch windmill blocks, the quilt had lost some of it's softness, and I was already snagging it on things (what is a baby/toddler going to do with this??). It adds great color, but I'm all about the comfort and durability, so I ripped it all back out.

In staying with the vintagey theme I'm working into the nursery, I got this fantastic pillow. It's new new- not just mine new- so it doesn't smell or have stains, and will really brighten up the brown glider my parents got us for the nursery.


This is not the actual chair, because of course we're too picky and it has to be special ordered (crossing fingers it's here before Eden :) ). It is in the same fabric as the one above but is a bit smaller with a rounded back instead of square. It is sooooo comfortable and just the perfect size for our little petite family.

More pics to come as things progress, but for now I think I'll go crash!

I want some chocolate cake for breakfast...

So I have decided not to go to Dallas this weekend for many reasons, and I think it was a good decision. The things that we "needed" to do there have changed and no longer need to be done/can probably be done in Tyler instead. Also, I'm just still so exhausted! Don't listen to people when they tell you to get all the sleep you can before the baby comes- because it just adds to the list of things to worry about that aren't getting done. Sleep well before you get pregnant :).

I find out today whether the for-profit-cake (picture above) went over well. It was for a 9 year old's birthday..... yeah... most lucious cake I think any 9 year old might ever get. His mom said that when he saw the cake, he pouted, whining loudly "but mo-om, I said I wanted a homemade cake, not a store bought cake!" Ahhh such a cute un-knowning compliment from the little kid. So, at least it was pretty.

The recipe can be found here. It's a Martha Stewart Recipe for Rich Chocolate Cake with Ganache Frosting. I use 9 inch pans instead of the specialty ones the recipe calls for. Oh, and I didn't even attempt the shaved chocolate. Trying to hold onto chocolate in a Texas kitchen in August without it melting? Please. Being pregnant alone emits enough heat from my hands that would make the task impossible in the winter.

The cute tea towel in the picture was part of a set gifted to me by my mom last Christmas. She always finds the cutest things. Her back procedure yesterday went as expected- painfully but most likely successful. She won't know until a week from now if the procedure stopped the pain it was supposed to, but the doctors are optimistic. Thanks for all the prayers!

Reality Doesn't Bite

I am exhausted and had a really pitiful breakdown yesterday where the 4 year old came out in me and decided it wasn’t fair that I was working so much. Really, God has blessed me with wonderful work, of which I mostly enjoy. Currently, I work “full-time” at Elliott Electric Supply- 32 hours a week. They moved me to a non-stressful position when I got pregnant, lowered my hours, AND let me keep my insurance (how great is that??); unfortunately- it’s just a tad bit boring. I also do album design for my sister’s wedding photography business, which I love! It’s usually not much work, but it’s been a consistent 8 hours a week the last few weeks. My evening last night was dedicated to baking a cake --- for money (it still shocks me what people will pay you to do). Throw in my Tuesday violin lesson- which is so not work, but it felt like it during my tantrum--- and you find me feeling like all I ever do is work (and Thomas agreed).

If you knew much about the Cocklins, you’d know we’re all work a holics- or hobby-a-holics (our hobbies tend to masquerade as work). We just can’t sit still! I usually LOVE the feeling of being productive, of using skills God gave me in a multitude of ways, but lately my train of thought has been shifted—and I realized after my 4 hour tantrum that this is where the clashing feelings are coming from.

Soon I will become a stay at home mom and we’ve been trying to prepare for the transition. I have only been out of a job for 2 months since I was 16 so this is going to be a BIG change. Thomas and I have had a lot of conversations about what each of our expectations are for my new role and how they fit into reality. I’ve thought about it so much that I expect myself to already be fulfilling the roles we discussed. And why not? There are millions of working moms that keep their house running like a well oiled machine. So if they can do it while they have kids, surely I can do it when I don’t have kids right? I sit in my cubicle for 7 hours a day dwelling on all the things I should be doing at home to prepare for Eden and serve my husband, and then when I get home, I either have more work or I’m too tired to do anything.

When I finally uncovered these mostly sub-conscious thoughts yesterday I realized 1) Pregnant women are allowed to let some things slip like consistent housework and cooking, 2) While I’m still working I shouldn’t expect myself to change overnight, and 3) I have an incredibly loving and supportive husband and God.

So what did I learn from my realization? Well, I’m baking another cake tonight and am going to Dallas this weekend to get some necessary baby things taken care of, and am convinced the crib skirt should be finished before I leave to be on schedule…. so maybe realizations are easier than action… but my mental health is much brighter and that laundry can sit in the corner for a few more days :).

Back into the swing of things...

Well there has been a serious lack of baking… and blogging, but I have really good reasons! Pregnancy has thrust me from the camp of people with few food dislikes and a passion for trying new things to the camp of people who eat only safe, bland foods. As a result the joy of cooking for experimentation and tasty results is no longer appealing and the task has joined the ranks of other not so fun household chores. In spite of this development, I’m getting paid to bake soon! How crazy is that? I’m a little nervous that it’ll end in catastrophe but it’s a simple cake that I have made before. But do we need to ask ourselves what could go wrong? Ohhhh plenty :).

Although I’m not baking I’ve found other things to occupy my time (I can hear all the gasps of surprise). Currently I’m throwing myself into some sewing projects which have been really fun. After days of online searching I have gotten all of the fabric to make the bedding for Eden’s nursery, except the sheets which will be bought- I do have my limits even if they are a bit past the crazy line. This project involves making my second quilt, and I’ve once again chosen a pattern with lots of white accented by bright colors. I’ll post progress pictures as I go along. Most of the other projects will be top secret until after Christmas.

I just finished a project for which I was given two pillow shams and asked to make three throw pillows- square, rectangular, and circular. I love challenges and this involved using imagination and learning a lot of new skills. It all went well until the round pillow- adding cording to a round pillow is apparently not for beginners who are making up the pattern as they go along– but I think it’ll go over ok. I really want to make a bunch of comfy pillows for my living room now.

All of this extra time to sew is courtesy of being out of school. I passed my content state board and am now admittedly putting off my second state board because it’s so nice to not study! I’m really getting down the art of relaxing thanks to a sweet husband and some good friends. Thomas gifted me and Anna the best pedicure/manicure and we had a grand time being the only two customers in the salon for 3 hours. That mixed with large doses of pool time, a few out of town trips, and more than normal amounts of shopping has me plump and happy (ok, the plump part is Eden’s fault J ).
I really have a lot more to say but this is long enough already. I guess that’s why people blog every day…. Not every quarter….