I tried to find a happy picture of me to contradict what I'm about to write so as not to depress you all too much...

I’m feeling rather sorry for myself.  Stand by…because I’m about to whine in 3…2…1…

I am never alone.  Except on my way to or from work.  I have a child attached to my hip at most times of every day.  And usually it’s more than one, it’s usually all 3.  Now, don’t take that the wrong way.  I ADORE my children.

I work really, really hard.  I work part time outside of the home which requires me to actually do a wee bit of work everyday from home in terms of just checking and responding to emails, etc.  I run my own business.  That requires me to sew, list, sell, create tutorials, submit articles, and lately, pick up and work on my portfolio again (yes, yes…I’m one of “those” – like a million others – wanna be textile designer).  To enhance what I can do in communications at both my day job and also in my dream job, I’ve started taking classes at our local art college.  On my wish list of classes for the summer is a basic figure drawing course.  I haven’t done that since high school…

And art, is something my mother always told me to do.  I was too stubborn to listen…but I digress, that’s a whole other subject.  I was still whining.  So, let me finish my pathetic little whine session.

I think I was saying I work really, really hard.  I serve my community in an “official” capacity (we’ll leave it at that) – belong to our twins club, the local art guild, active in our church, oh, did I mention I have 3 kids?

I know.  Big whoop.  Like, who doesn’t do all these things?  I’m just sayin’, I’m never alone.  I can’t even tell you the last time I was alone in my house.  I can’t remember.  It’s been since before the baby was born and she’s 21 months now.

And the gardener and I (‘cuz that’s what I call my husband) – the last date we went on included the baby.  Not much of a date.

On occassion, I’ll stop somewhere on my way home from work for an hour or less maybe to run an errand.  But what I need is some me time.  ME!  Or ME and the HUBS.  He doesn’t get any time either because while I’m at work during the week, he’s at home with baby.  And while he’s at work, I’m at home with the baby.  And when one of us gets home, the other may run out for an errand.

It’s just the “moment” we are in in our lives.  I don’t want to complain…ok, yes I do.

I love my life.  I’m just pooped.  If I had one day a month – a full 8 hours – to do whatever I wanted and I didn’t have to fix dinner for anyone or do laundry or work or sew for a whole day – LUXURY!  Man, what I would give to have that one day a month.  Heck, I’d settle for every other month at this point.

So, our date night that never was…our 12th Wedding Anniversary, Valentines Day.  Spent, me with the kids, the husband at work.  One of his Rangers called off sick all weekend and he had to cover his shifts.

To make myself think that we would really be actually going on a real date sometime, I made this fabulous necklace inspired by this…

This one is from anthropologie...

…and here is a great tutorial that got me started on this whole fabric roses thing awhile ago…I’ve made little pins and hair barrettes but I just hadn’t made the necklace I wanted yet.

So my date night that never was…well, here’s what I would have worn on my neck.

Took me close to 3 hours to make the whole thing...longer than I thought.

I love the gray I chose...it's very subtle for such a "statement" necklace.

I added in my some pretty charcoal colored pearl beads and then sewed it onto a black ribbon.

A few things I did differently than the tutorial.  I used a polyester type of fabric.  I used a hot glue gun and dabbed a dot of glue on every turn.  I twisted and folded my fabric constantly as I went around.  Then, I cut with pinking shears, a felt circle the size of the rose.  I mounded it with glue and pressed the rose into it when I was done.  I pressed it really hard to try and flatten it out a little too.  Then, I sewed each flower and bead to each other to make it one big piece.

I love it.  And like usual in my quest to afford to only work part time so I can be home more with kids – I have one for sale over in my etsy shop.  (you saw that one coming a mile away, right?).  I can do it any color or combination of colors and fancy do-dads and lace and bling so if you’d like one for your date night (good luck with that!) I’d be happy to make one for you!

If you want to make one with me – well, join me for our next sewing class.  We’ll be making some accessory bags and learning how to make these into pins to adorn our little bags – and I promise, we always have fun!

Now, if I could just arrange some time away…

{ps A THANK YOU to Bernina Sewing Machines and their fab blog for featuring me in their favorite blogs links this week – check them out!  They have super fun things over there!}

xoxo,

Trish