Vixi's Dragons

Arguing with Myself: An Ode to Pierced Ears

2012-03-10T08:00:00.000-08:00

Or why informed consent is important when dealing with hereditary allergies

When I was in Junior High I begged and pleaded to get my ears pierced. My sister and
I had tons of old clip and screw on earrings, but they were so painful to wear.
I eventually prevailed and got my much desired pierced ears. After six months I
noticed a problem. My ears were getting infected even though the holes had been
healed for months.

So I tried different earrings. Eventually I determined that
I could only wear sterling silver or pewter, not just in my ears, but now
anywhere on my body. My neck would break out in tiny sandpaper bumps, and if I
wore a watch without covering the back it would eventually irritate the skin so
much it would lift right off leaving a raw red area.

Over time I learned to deal with my allergy. Every few years I develop a fun new
facet (because staying the same would be boring).
In High School I wore a costume necklace for a choir performance. After less than an hour I had broken out so badly that I still have a scar in my cleavage from the center drop.
In college I found out that the rivets in my jeans were a problem, so I cover every rivet in every pair with mole skin.
My husband and I had to drive almost 60 miles to find a jeweler who would cast our wedding rings in sterling.
When Elroy was born my best friend made me a sling with special plastic rings so that I wouldn’t have to worry about having a reaction.
If I hold straight pins in my mouth, even for the time it takes to stitch a seam, my lips blister and swell.

I have adapted. My inability to find or afford jewelry I can wear is part of why
I design my own. About 2 years ago I found out that my allergy is hereditary. My maternal great grandmother had the same allergy, as does my cousin. Up until then I thought it was just because my body didn’t like me.

Now that my girls are two, Hubby has been pushing to get their ears pierced. He does not have any allergies in his family, and his nieces both had their ears pierced as toddlers with no ill
effects. I understand that piercing infant and toddler’s ears is a normal and perfectly socially acceptable occurrence in many cultures. I feel that it is every parent’s right to make that decision
themselves. I’m not trying to advocate one way or another.

Hubby argues that so far the kids don’t seem to have picked up the other issues (low-grade febrile seizures) that run in my family, and so should not have picked this one up either. He may be right. My sister-in-law often references a study she read somewhere stating how allergies only get passed on the dad’s side. Her girls ears were pierced early (her husband is of Latin descent) and
she has ‘theories’ about allergies. This is not true. I know for a fact that I have family allergies from both parents and those have been passed on regardless of the parent’s gender.

I’m not against them getting their ears (or other places as they get older) pierced; I just want to wait until they’re old enough to understand the possible consequences and give informed consent. I can’t take the thought of dooming them to my allergy because earrings are pretty on
little girls. And I can’t imagine having an allergy like this and finding out that I could have avoided it if not for someone else’s vanity. Had I known how bad it could get, I might have gotten mine done with more caution.

Happily, I have come up with a way to check for the warning signs without getting their ears
done. I have always had issues with watch backs. I used to cover mine with nail polish or later moleskin long before my allergy reared its ugly head. As watches might be wasted on toddlers, I found a company on-line that sells stainless steel jewelry for reasonable prices (I couldn’t find surgical steel for cheap enough to buy three just as a test). So, just after Christmas each girl got a steel I.D. style bracelet with her initial engraved on it. I plan to have them wear the bracelets for at least the next year or until they show signs of sensitivity. Peach is already starting to show what could be early symptoms . . .

Just a little something I put together . . .

2012-03-08T15:41:00.003-08:00

Back before Halloween I found metal gears at my local craft store. They were awesome, so I bought a few packages. I saw them at a couple other stores and so wasn’t worried about finding them again.

What was I thinking . . . ?

When I needed more of them, they were gone. No one had them. The only place I found any was on etsy where an enterprising seller had broken up the pack and was selling it in small (expensive) lots. I despaired of finding them again before next Halloween. And I haven’t.

But I did find a new series of craft gears (for jewelry and scrapbooking) in similar metal finishes. These were bigger and had different shapes than the last set, and had more interesting detail. This new series also has clock hands in a selection of styles and sizes, chess piece charms, wings, birds, crowns . . .

And then
inspiration struck. A little time and some glue later . . . .
And then inspiration struck. A little time and some glue later . . . .

Faux-Pocket Watches!

I have a metal allergy so mine will be hanging from the vest I plan to make,

but they could also be worn as pendants. So . . . what do you think?

The Week Before Valentine’s Day

2012-02-14T10:11:00.000-08:00

(a love story)

Monday
I take Bam-Bam to the dentist. His tooth has what looks like an abscess and all the brushing in the world isn’t going to fix it. Even though I am miraculously able to secure an appointment today, Elroy has a minimum day and just to play it safe we all go.
All of us . . . Me, my mom, Bam-Bam and the girls. We even take 2 cars so that she can run to pick Elroy up if things run too long. My mom and the girls play in the kids’ waiting room (much to the amusement of the dental staff) while I go back with Bam-Bam to see what the damage is. The tooth isn’t salvageable, and he needs other work done (ahh, mommy guilt, my old friend). But they can take care of all of it tomorrow. And even the sedative isn’t as expensive as the place I took Elroy to a few years back (and not again). The dentist nearly jumped for joy when he found out that Bam-Bam has 4 siblings.
Things calm down for a while after picking up Elroy. The usual routine of snack, homework, tantrum, time out and finish homework play out normally. Until after dinner, Elroy gives one of those coughs and instead of bee-lining to the bathroom decides to cuddle on my lap. On the sofa. Just long enough to spray my whole side and down between the seat cushions. And again across the rug and yet again. It was a vile, stinking mess, and hubby (who doesn’t do vomit as it triggers his gag reflex) retreated to the kitchen while I, still dripping, started trying to clean up the carnage before the babies could play in it. Soon after, Hubby heads off to his night job and I get Elroy bundled off to bed with a large bowl and little hope that his aim will improve.

Tuesday
Bam-Bam follows directions and doesn’t eat or drink before his appointment. Elroy stays home even though he feels better and Hubby declares it must have been something he ate. My mom stays at my house with the kids and Bam-Bam and I head off for a morning of sedative induced drunken-ness for him and getting to sit and read something larger than a package label for me. Bam-Bam’s procedure goes smoothly and soon we are back at home. All seems quiet until our middle triplet, Peach Blush, climbs onto my mom’s lap and proceeds to douse her. Again, food is blamed as the likely culprit. I clean up the resulting mess and we return to trying to find Elroy’s spelling words in the only magazines I have (a mid 90’s World Wildlife and Horse Illustrated from my time in high school).
Hours later, Elroy is still working when Peach throws up again. I know for sure now. The kids have some sort of bug and life will be . . . interesting until its run its course.

Wednesday
Elroy is back at school, and Peach is keeping food down. No one else seems to have picked anything up, and I (naively) begin to hope that perhaps the worst is over. All I have to do is keep Bam-Bam on soft foods so that his mouth can finish healing and things can get back to normal. Right up until Strawberry Shortcake (littlest triplet) decides she won’t be left out and soaks the rug. Happily she misses the sofa and the people . . . unhappily she won’t leave her sisters’ food alone and throws up on 3 more occasions that day. Part way through the day I notice a fun sensation of nausea. One that I hope will go away if I ignore it. I make guacamole to go with dinner and hope things will be better soon.

Thursday
7 am I realize that ignoring my nausea has not indeed made it go away and happily have just enough time to not decorate the house. Guacamole does not taste as good the second time. Hubby, hearing my plight, decides that he’ll be needed more at home and calls into work. This is absolutely necessary, as I get a phone call from my mom. As soon as I’m capable of answering, I find out that not only am I sick, so is she. Hubby has to get Elroy to and from school today. I meanwhile have crawled back to bed, repeating my new mantra ‘it’s only a 24 hour bug, just need to make it a few more hours’. This might have been manageable until the second, shall we say, intestinal half of the bug reared its ugly head. Life was not fun for the next few hours. I couldn’t even keep pepto bismol down. Hubby, seeing that I was incapacitated, was able to hold down the fort until I tottered out. I’m still sick but holding food down seems more possible. 4 down, maybe I’ll get lucky and the last 3 won’t get it. Miracles happen, right?

Friday
Everyone seems to be on the mend. I wake up feeling hungry instead of nauseous and even though my mom is still down for the count (she usually takes Elroy to school) getting everyone ready and Elroy dropped off isn’t a monumental task. I even decide to take the younger 4 to run a quick errand before we go back home. We have a quiet day and, still feeling good, I take the kids by myself for a lap of the mall after Elroy is out of school. Even that goes smoothly, the boys stay with the stroller and the girls are happy to be out. We don’t even manage to draw much of a crowd. Leaving the mall was not so easy. The pretty new car next to me was parked too close. Not I-might-graze-it-with-my-door close. It was how-am-I-going-to-buckle-my-toddlers-in close. I grabbed Strawberry (she’s the lightest and so is loaded in the top seat of my stroller) and twisted to get her into the car, sending Elroy in after her to (hopefully) get her buckled in. Peach went in next (which is when Elroy lost control of the situation and got to spend the next 10 minutes or so chasing the girls around the car). As I went to lift Raspberry Tart, the biggest triplet, out of the anchor position at the front of the stroller I saw that her diaper had not been able to contain a blowout. Not just a blowout, a full blown mudslide, like she hasn’t had since she was 6 months old. It appears that Raspberry got the lower portion of the bug after all. And I can’t reload the kids to take her to a changing station inside. I have to change her in the car. She has ruined her clothes, top and bottom, and the seat cover for the stroller. I manage to thread my way between the cars and get her changed on the passenger seat, all the while contemplating how satisfying it would be to write a note on the hood of said pretty new car with the resulting mess. Something along the lines of:
‘In the future please don’t park so close.
Sometimes diapers have to be changed in the car and
that can be difficult if you can’t open the car door.
Thank you – the mom whose car doors you blocked’
I didn’t, but I really, really wanted to.
I stripped down the offending stroller seat, got the stroller and seats loaded and turn to address the shenanigans occurring in the car. Elroy had not only lost control, he had completely given up and the girls were happily climbing from one end of the car to the other. A few frantic minutes of buckling and squirming later and we finally managed to leave the mall. I have timed loading the car alone before. Without the stroller it takes about 7 minutes, with the stroller a little under 15. This time it took 30 minutes. At least Raspberry didn’t throw up.

Saturday
Hubby let me sleep in a little on Saturday morning, which was good as the stress of Friday afternoon had me hoping against a relapse. I was considering nominating him for sainthood, then I saw what Bam-Bam had done to the bathroom. To give him credit, he was the only kid who managed to even get to the bathroom, much less get anything into the toilet. Unfortunately, his aim needs some work and half the bathroom got splattered. Elroy slept from mid-afternoon until morning, and the others were not any worse than usual. We manage to make it through until bed time without too much drama. Hubby gets home from his night job and he and I get a few quiet moments to ourselves. Until a few hours later when Hubby wakes up. It’s his turn. He’s unlucky; he gets the version I had.

Sunday
Knowing the hell he was going through, I let Hubby sleep. I even manage, on pain of time-out, to keep the kids from being too obnoxious for most of the morning. Hubby wandered out mid-afternoon, much to my surprise (and has been on the mend since).
It’s a good thing Hubby and I are waiting ‘til Friday to do the Valentine’s thing.

Monday
7 people, a 24 hour bug, gallons of vomit. It took 7 days from the first symptom to the end, but . . . . We appear to have survived. Now I just have an extra week’s worth of laundry and cleaning to find time for. I’m not really in the mood for any of the leftover guacamole. It may be a while before I am.
And then hubby suprised me with a Kindle Fire when he got home from work (after midnight, so it totally counts). Which makes my gift of candy and a card (well and other stuff, later) seem pretty half-assed (to be fair, hubby was making up for not getting me a birthday present last year, or that was how he justified it). *sigh*

coming soon . . . more crafty stuff I've been up to, and seat covers for toddler bike seats.

VixiDragon Designs Page Winner!

2012-01-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

I know I could have used a number generator,
but with only this many entries I figured I’d pick one by hand.

Congratulations!
Bam-Bam pulled your name out of the hat.

debbielynne- Jan 1, 2012 05:04 PM
I like the steamy gear earrings - multi!

You get a pair of Multi-Gear Earrings!
Email me with your info, and I’ll send them right out to you.

Didn’t win, but still really want something sparkly?
Check out my designs page for pricing and contact info.

Thanks again to everyone who stopped by and took a few moments to enter.
Hope to see you back again soon!
-Vixi

Update: Debbie got her earrings and sent me this link

http://debbielynne.wordpress.com/2012/01/25/vixidragon-designs

from her blog On the Banks of Stony Creek.

She has tons of fun thrift store finds and frugal living ideas.

Feel free to drop by and check her out. - Vixi

And the World Turns . . .

2012-01-11T21:00:00.000-08:00

Today is my 30th birthday.

In the 3 decades I've been on this planet I may not have changed the world, become famous, or become who I thought I'd grow up to be . . .

When I was in elementary school I dreamed of being a biochemist, of creating animals that didn't exist and designing a car that would run on smog.

Instead I have become a mother. I created children whom I hope will grow uo to be good people.

When I was in high school I wanted to become a veterinarian and work with horses.

Now I tend to bruises and scrapes, remove stitches and heal hurts with band-aids, perxoide, and a loving touch.

When I was in college I wanted to own a ranch and train horses.

Everyday I wrangle wild children and teach them to work together, to follow directions, to do their share, and hope to do so without breaking their spirit.

And I have accomplished so much more than I ever dreamed possible.
I have stood on the field inside the RCA Dome and preformed in front of tens of thousands from all over the country.
I have gotten back on the horse after nearly being thrown.

I have rafted the white water on the Kern River and smiled as we bounced off the rocks.

I swam in pools heated by hot springs and being fed on my mosquitoes the size of bison.

I helped clean the burns of a child who'd fallen into a fire pit, who's mother rode the bus to school with me.

I carried triplets who should not have survived, and learned that having them saved my life.

I kept my head when my child stopped breathing, and brought her back from the brink.

I have stretched pennies into dollars, kept the wheels turning and made sure we got by.

I have worked for a salary, worked to save money, and worked to keep it all together.

I have a wonderful husband beside me who works incredibly hard for us, for our family. He was my first love, my first kiss, and so many other firsts . . . my light in the darkness and my only love.
I have 5 beautiful children, 2 boys and 3 girls who teach me everyday. Who are my hope for the future. Who challenge me daily to be better, to show them how. Who changed how I view the world.
I have friends who have supported me in times of weakness and who have leaned on my strength when theirs ran out. We have laughed until we cried, loved even though distance made it hurt, cried on each other's shoulders when life pushed us down and pulled each other back up when it seemed we couldn't get back on our feet.
My friends, my sisters and brothers . . . I love you.
Thank you, my world would be a colder place without you.

Tonight I'm going out with my husband. We'll get some food, see a movie, spend a few precious moments together. To just BE with one another.

And that's all I really want for my birthday.

- Vixi

(P.S. Jewelry Giveaway is now closed. Any comments after 9pm pacific time will not be entered. Winner will be announced on Friday Jan. 13th.)

VixiDragon Designs Page Giveaway!

2011-12-29T13:00:00.000-08:00

Like the pretty things I make? Want some for yourself?
Don’t feel like making your own . . . You’re in luck!

Just visit my new Designs Page

and leave me a comment telling me which collection is your favorite.

1 entry per person (get an extra entry for following my blog).

Winning Commenter will have their choice of 1 (one) item in their favorite collection.

Winner will be picked at random.
(Sorry, Watch is NOT included in giveaway.)

Contest is now closed.
Winner to be announced Fri, January 13th 2012.

Ray-Gun Tutorial, part 2

2011-11-19T09:00:00.000-08:00

So, in part 1 I put together the tank and barrel pieces for my ray-gun . . .

But how to hold it?

I still wanted the pistol style grip, even with the much longer barrel. My hope was to find a wooden rubber band or pop gun at a thrift shop or yard sale. Nope. So, online or in a local store . . . only if I was willing to pay $15 - $20, before shipping. I wasn’t. Could I have made my own? Probably, but with my limited access to my own tools (which do not include a scroll saw) and the craziness of actually getting to work on things that comes from having as many little ones underfoot as I do . . . not so much.

Fine . . . I guess I have to go with plastic.

Now, many people choose to repaint plastic guns (the Nerf ones in particular are quite popular and look very striking when painted out), but I was hoping for not just the look but the weight of a wood stock to help counter balance the length. I still hope to find one so I can trade the plastic one out in the future.

Back to the plastic guns . . . . After searching high and low at every discount, thrift and dollar store in my area, I ran across a cheap plastic gun at Wal-Mart. It was ugly. Boy was it ever ugly. A transparent neon green with blue accents and electric orange suction darts (I tried to find a picture, but apparently no one is willing to admit they have one).
But it had the shape I needed, with a grip and a clip set forward like a cross between a Glock and an AK-47 with a number of futuristic details and most importantly a flat top.
Once I painted it silver (love that enamel paint) and detailed it in gold, it actually looked like it would work.

I even had some cool brass cabinet hinges that looked vintage in my junk drawer that could hold the pieces together. It was finally coming together!

Then I tried to put it together . . . and learned that my hinges would NOT stay half-cocked at the angle I needed for long enough for the super glue to set. Which, as it turned out, the glue never did. To be fair, this was some cheap off-brand glue my mom had picked up for me, and some glues just don’t cure on certain types of plastic. So I had to scratch the hinge idea. After repainting (the glue did mar the finish) I used zip ties to hold the pieces together and craft glued the heck out of them. Once it had cured (overnight at least) I removed the zip ties and wrapped the tank onto the barrel using more of the gold floral wire (I made the coils out of this too).

Remember the threaded rod I scavenged from the old light fixture? After deciding how I would be wearing the gun (on my right hip) I used some silver craft wire to add the rod over the glued seam between the barrel and tank. I took a compass rose pendant and a plastic gear from a clock my boys broke, and made a sight that I glued on top of the tank. After looking at it, I decided the silver was too overwhelming and painted a large section of the grip a dark brown. I also touched up any glue points to look like silver solder.

So, here it is in all its finished glory. What do you think?

Hubby is so impressed with how it came out he plans to hang it on the wall with his Kit Rae Swords in the office.

I think he might be right . . . .

Next Time: my very first giveaway!

Ray-Gun Tutorial, part 1

2011-11-12T17:51:00.000-08:00

I liked the idea of getting to carry a weapon (since I’m usually pushing the stroller or holding little hands, spending Halloween armed had the draw of novelty) so I decided to make myself a ray gun.

Once again I was inspired by Jen of Epbot.com and her lovely gun made from an old candlestick and an art glass bottle. But she had been too crazy busy to post her tutorial (it’s finally up now), and as she is on a cross country book tour currently I think I’ll forgive her for the delay . . . Even if she isn’t coming out anywhere near me.

So I spent an afternoon browsing a local thrift store and found an interesting brass candlestick which broke down into 3 nice easy pieces. I could not find a colored glass bottle the right size (or a clear one for that matter), but I did have some other odds and ends lying around. I spent a long time looking for an aluminum bottle (or compressed CO2 canister) that fit my $5-or-less budget with no luck, only to run into a heavy PVC water bottle for $2 at my local Target.

It wasn’t perfect, but it would work. I put on a base coat of gray acrylic paint and then used some more of my metallic enamel paint (found in the model car and plane section of most craft stores) to give it the look of brushed metal. Things began to come together.

My original idea had been for a pistol, but as I was rummaging for odds and ends I ran across a metal pipe from a towel rack. Not only would this be a nice way to extend the barrel, it would give me an easier attachment point for the nozzle (inverted candlestick base). The stem of my candlestick was a long plain rod so I grabbed some fender washers and nylon spacers . . .

I was able to thread one washer onto the candlestick between the stem and the base. Then I alternated spacers and larger fender washers (gluing with craft glue as I went) down onto the stem to give a better transition and to give my gun a more retro ‘Buck Rodgers’ ray gun look. I didn’t have any spacers that would fit inside the barrel (and didn’t want to return to Depot to find any), but I did have strapping tape (duct tape would have worked, too). After the glue dried, I wrapped the far end and midpoint of the stem with enough strapping tape so that it would fit snuggly inside the towel bar (this took some trial and error), and glued it inside. I wrapped the seam with another layer of tape to hide it, and painted the tape, spacers and washers until I liked the effect.

But what, you ask, about the other end of the barrel? After playing around with some different odds and ends I decided to use it to attach the obligatory coiled wires from the end of the tank (PVC bottle). To do this, I got a plastic pipe cap

And used a nail heated over a gas burner to melt a hole big enough to put the end of the wires through. I bent the ends in place and hot glued them into the inside of the plug, and put a thin coat of craft glue on the top and slightly up the wires to give it the look (once I painted it silver) of a soldered joint. I hot glued the other end of the wires into the top portion of my candlestick (where the stem would have connected) and glued the cap from my bottle into the other side (where the candle would normally sit). I wasn’t thrilled about the flat bottom of the bottle but as I had just swapped out an old light fixture, I had the attachment pieces to rummage through. I was able to snag a threaded rod (added for looks latter) as well as the bottom cap and little ball finial all in an old weathered brass. Some wood craft discs, glue and silver paint later and my bottle had become a respectable ray gun tank.

More to come . . . .

Next time: Part 2 of my Ray-Gun tutorial,

and coming soon my very first give away!

Steampunk Goggles

2011-10-20T00:00:00.000-07:00

I first saw handmade goggles on Epbot.com (run by the incredibly funny Jen Yates of Cakewrecks.com). She and her husband put together some really fantastic pairs using plumbing supplies and some scrap leather (and has a great tutorial on her site). Hers used brass pipe fittings for the eye pieces, but as I do not have access to a Dremel tool (although it is high on the wish list) I had to find something else. After some web searching I realized I really just needed something round that was the right scale that I could glue the leather onto.

And so the search began. I looked for anything with a rim . . . Mason jar rings, PVC couplings, what I really wanted were wedding favor tins that had clear plastic viewing windows built into the lids. And after a long and fruitless search I followed an online lead to a local dollar store. I didn’t find the favor tins . . . but I did find these:

I don’t use bronzer as a general rule, and this was certainly not my shade, but the plastic lids had the right diameter, built-in heavy plastic ‘lenses’, and were a metallic aged silver color. Also they were only $1 each and I still had the makeup and brushes if I wanted them. Score! One problem . . . each lens had a small ‘etched’ leaf printed in the center. Scotch tape to the rescue! The slightly opaque tape completely obscured the leaf, but it left lines where the edges met.

So . . . colored lenses.

I had read online about a number of different lens inserts, everything from cellophane to pelxi-glass to plastic from 2ltr bottles. I live off the caffeine in soda and my stimulant of choice is Mt. Dew, so I had green plastic bottles in plenty.

I snapped the lids off the make-up cases, broke off any sharp pointy bits, and popped the lenses out. I then traced them onto some clean plastic, and realized they curled.

Problem . . . big problem. I was using craft glue (as hot glue and small children don’t mix very well) and the bend in the plastic was not allowing the glue to hold the lenses in place.

Fine, wait ‘til the kids are in bed and break out the glue gun. Same problem.
Back to the drawing board.

Maybe if I heat up the plastic I could flatten it enough to make them work . . . Brilliant! So I turned on one burner on my stove and held the plastic above the flame. It worked like a charm, until it started warping the plastic.

So . . . how does one make colored lenses for these stupid m@)*$^@*^ing goggles?!
Then I remembered having paint for plastic sun-catchers in my craft kit. Perfect!
I picked the color I liked (still went with Mt. Dew bottle green, as it went with my accents) and after gluing the lenses back into the frames, poured and spread a large blob of paint into each one.

Now that the lenses were finished I had to make the eye cups. I made a template out of construction paper (wrapped the paper to get the length and drew a curve for the outer edge of the eye cup), I then put it up to my face to adjust for the fit I wanted and when I liked it I traced it onto some scrap leather (you could use vinyl or even heavy felt if you really wanted to) leaving enough of an overlap to rivet the ends together and connect the nose piece. I glued the leather onto the frames with craft glue (for longer time to line up edges) and used large rubber bands to hold it on while the glue dried.

Once the pieces were dry, I decided how far apart I wanted them and cut a small rectangle of leather for the nose piece. Because I decided to rivet the leather instead of sewing it together (easy if you have a machine that will do it, long and tedious if you have to do it by hand) I cut my rectangle about ½ an inch longer than the distance I wanted between the eyes. This gave me room for the rivets (both front and back).

Now all I had to do was add a strap . . . .

Unfortunately none of my scrap pieces were long enough for a solid strap nor did I have enough to cut 2 long pieces and buckle them in the back.

So, how to attach it?

I had enough length for 1 long strap and a couple of shorter straps . . . Eureka! I put a buckle on either end of my long strap and attached the smaller leather pieces to the outside of each eye to buckle it into. But that would leave me with rough edges to camouflage. I had an ugly purple belt that I had picked up for 90% off on clearance (purchased only for the buckle) that was only about ½ inch wide and could be painted to look like a brass rim. So I cut down and painted out 2 sections of belt and glued them and the 2 side pieces onto the rim of the eye cups, once again employing rubber bands while the glue set.

Once they were dry I riveted down the side pieces and cut tabs and punched holes for later use with the buckles. I even glued on some metal filigree trim pieces I had gotten to make into jewelry. Because I wanted a contrast on the finish (read as some of the glue dried on the leather and made it shiny, and I didn’t feel like taking it off) I spread a thin layer of craft glue on some of the pieces of leather (the gold rims, the side pieces and the nose piece) which made gave them a nice polished shine.

And here they are . . . my very own pair of goggles. I can even see through them.

Next Time . . . Steam Punk Ray-Gun Tutorial!

Steampunk!

2011-10-18T00:08:00.000-07:00

What happened when Goths discovered the color brown?

Steampunk.

It’s a design and art style that asks the question:
If Jules Verne or H. G. Wells crash landed in your backyard, how would they redesign our modern technology to recreate it in their time?

Steampunk (also called Neo-Victorian) is a fun way of looking at the world, a world run by pistons and gears and moved by airships, jetpacks and clockwork devices. And a world that values individual craftsmanship and ingenuity over sleek plastic mass production.
For someone like me, it is a beautiful way to be creative and work with real materials on a very small budget.

My Halloween costume (and potentially a convention costume) is almost entirely from my own closet and the accessories have cost about $15 thus far to produce. Now to be fair, this cost does not include items already in my possession or left over from other projects. So for someone who doesn’t keep scrap leather for projects or have an enormous stash of old shoes hiding in the garage, making your own might cost a little more. I am planning on a couple of tutorials based on what I have put together so far. Here’s a picture of the main elements:

Want to make your own? I have tutorials for each of these pieces, and I'll start with the cuff bracelets . . . .

Cuff Tutorial

The cuff bracelets were made of an old belt (the metal work was part of its closure) a couple of mirror rosettes (from Depot)and some big economy buckles from a leather supplier (thrift store belts work well if you don’t care if things match).

First I removed all the hardware from the old belt (it had a tie closure so no holes or buckles). Then I cut the belt down to size for my wrists (plus a few inches overlap). Next I attached the buckles, and decided on the placement of the decorative pieces.

Then I riveted the metal work and rosettes onto the pieces of belt, and punched holes for the tongues of the buckles.

I achieved the multi-metal look by painting accents on the metal (and rivets) using metallic enamel paint (used for models and miniatures, sold in most craft stores) and playing with the shading until I liked the effect. Behold, my finished cuffs:

Next time . . . make your own Steampunk Goggle Tutorial!

What I've Learned This Summer

2011-08-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

Having spent the last 6 weeks with my adorable, demanding, sweet, obnoxious, amazing, aggravating, too smart for my own good offspring (much of which included forced captivity due to lack of another set of hands) I have learned some interesting truths.

Truth #1: Nap time is awesome!
My girls (at almost 18mos) have finally reached the twice a day naps that any parent longs for. Now if I can just get them to stay down for more than 30mins . . . .

Truth #2: I miss my creative hobbies.
Hubby took Elroy to a Magic: The Gathering Tournament last Fri held at one of the relatively local card shops and called to ask if I wanted some die cast figures to paint. I enjoy painting (of molded figures, not on canvas) and find it to be a great stress relief, but with all the craziness of the last couple years I haven't had the opportunity for a very long time. That evening, after I finally got Bam-Bam and the girls to sleep, I made the time. And I could not believe how much being able to focus on one small detail oriented project that was only for me really helped me set aside some of the day's tension. I slept better that night than I had in weeks. As a mom I spend so much of my time (waking and sleeping) tuned in to my kids' needs that by the end of the day I rarely have the energy or mental capacity to take on something for myself. And many of the crafty projects I do tend to be geared for the use or comfort of the kids. It was nice to be able to do something purely for my own satisfaction. And having remembered how much I enjoyed it, I have since gotten some new paint so that I can take the time to enjoy it more often.

Truth #3: The Laundry Monster always wins.
Laundry is never ending. It takes 12 to 14 loads of laundry a week to keep things going around here, and lately I've only been able to manage 7 or 8. This means, that although everyone has some clean clothes, they may not always have all the requisite pieces of their wardrobe clean at once. Someone is always out (or 1 pair away) of underwear or socks, or pants. And always when I've just sat down for the first time since I got up and already have 2 greedy babies brawling on my lap and 1 crying at my feet. But I did find that white vinegar removes nasty deodorant build-up, and the cheap laundry additives work better than the high end alternatives. I love Soil Love, Cool Love, and KidsNPets!

Truth #4: Toddlers LOVE DVDs.
Hubby and I have an extensive DVD collection (somewhere in the 700 - 800 range). When we moved into our house we purchased a 4ft wide by 7ft tall shelving unit (purchased at Best Buy, designed by the same minds as Ikea) to hold them. As soon as the girls became mobile the bottom shelves were emptied and storage ottomans were placed in front to block access. Now they can climb . . . . Usually 3 to 4 times a day I hear the thud of DVD cases hit the floor and find them, at least one perched on tip toes atop one of the ottomans to reach the R rated movies 5 shelves up. And the other giggling cohorts sitting amidst the pile checking to see how many cases have discs in them. *sigh*

Truth #5: I don't do well with forced confinement.
Fri afternoon I took the kids to a local playground to meet up with my best friend since 3rd grade. On the way home (less than 100 ft from my driveway) my car started to overheat. Sat, Hubby decided around 2pm to get some more fluid for my car and when that drained right out within a few minutes took it to a local auto parts store. He called to break the news that a rather large crack had developed in the reservoir for the radiator and the dealer was the only source for that part, at 5:45pm on Saturday. As luck would have it, said dealer is the only one locally that doesn't open its service department on Sun. So Hubby takes Monday off to deal with my car and magically at 4:45pm the service dept calls me to let me know that the necessary part (which they had that morning, Hubby had called to check) was out of stock and they couldn't get to the car until the following day (Tues) when they got more in. By this point my internal monologue was rather frantically chanting "GOTTA GET OUT! GOTTA GET OUT!" with increasing volume and anxiety for the past day or 2. The tension was making me feel like I was vibrating out of my skin and making me fidget so badly I itched all over trying to suppress it. Mentioning my need for escape to my wonderful, supportive husband comforted me with the words: 'too bad' and 'just deal with it' before hopping in his car with the boys to hang out at his sister's. My car was finally ready at 3:30pm on Tues, but since hubby was working and my car seats and stroller were in my car, It didn't get picked up until almost 5. For the record, I was out of the house (with Bam-Bam in tow) by 6, and ran errands until I had to return so hubby could head off to work. But my skin isn't crawling anymore.

I discovered a few more, but I have to go remove the girls from the DVDs for the 4th time since I started this post, so they'll have to wait.

'Til then - Vixi

Fireworks

2011-07-04T01:30:00.000-07:00

I grew up in the woods. I know there are many people who would assume that Southern California doesn't have any woods . . . but I assure you, it does. This means I am somewhat conflicted when it comes to fireworks. Living where 1 spark will set large chunks of your community ablaze can do that. Particularly when your dad is the Fire Captain for said community.

My husband has no such conflict. He grew up (maybe 20 miles but worlds away) in a subdivision where kids played with sparklers and every block had it's own fireworks display.

Needless to say this is an area where we don't always see eye to eye.

He thought it was cute that I held a sparkler for the first time at our first 4th of July together. He rolls his eyes when I forgo the 'privilege' of lighting the next fountain. And he shook his head when I was hesitant to hand our young son (Elroy, maybe 3 or 4 years old at the time) a lit sparkler even under supervision.

I know he really doesn't see what the big deal is. For him it's a right of passage. To be old enough to be trusted with setting up or lighting fireworks is a big deal in his family.

For me . . .well, for me 4th of July meant going to a large city sponsored show with my mom and siblings, worrying about my dad (who was on call at the fire station) and hoping that some firebug hadn't managed to set the mountain on fire so we could still get home.

So, tonight we'll grill and enjoy the warm night and the show with friends and family, and I'll quietly hope that when the man I love plays with fire, he won't get burned.

'Cause it's late . . .

2011-07-01T00:30:00.000-07:00

I was going to tell you about getting run over by a motorized wheelchair at Disneyland a couple of weeks ago . . .

but it's late, and I should be sleeping.

The last 2 weeks have been . . . let's say . . . difficult.

The girls are all walking (and climbing) and once again teething (which means biting). Bam-Bam is still working on potty training. Elroy is home on summer break. Hubby's hours for his day job have changed (better or worse I don't know yet, we'll just have to see), and my help during the day is gone for the summer.

I should probably qualify that last statement. My mom has been helping me 6 days a week (when Hubby is working) since I was on bed rest during my pregnancy with the girls. This has been tremendously helpful as just getting into the store takes 2 carts and (it certainly feels like) a dozen sets of hands.

For the past year (give or take) my parents have been searching for a property to be their (for now) vacation house and (in the near future) their retirement property. They finally found one they love and were able to purchase it, but it needs a lot of t.l.c. . . . . So they are spending July (and already spent the latter half of June) at their new place making it into their place.

Which leaves me rather . . . trapped. I may need to mention that I have a low tolerance for cabin fever.

And, because I like a challange, the past 2 weeks have also included swim classes for the boys (Hubby is even in the pool with Bam-Bam). So there's an upper limit on how long I can take at anything during the day. But tomorrow is the last class and Hubby has Fridays off for the next month. Hopefully I can coerce I mean convince some of Hubby's family (who live less than a mile away) to come and give me a hand 1 or 2 days a week while my mom is gone. If not . . . maybe Hubby can watch the kids while I take the ever expanding laundry pile to the laundromat on Fridays, 'cause I can't seem to get caught up.

Laundry is kind of like sleep that way. . . . I really should be doing more of it.

Teething and Triplets

2011-04-13T00:08:00.000-07:00

I can pretty much say that the only person who reads this is my best friend for almost 2 decades now, so I don't really have to worry too much about being too honest. The last six months have been rough. No, that's not the right term. Hellish. Yeah, that's it. It seems like life is conspiring to keep me from ever sleeping again. Right around the six month mark all 3 girls started teething. And I'm not talking one at a time, each girl has had at least 4 teeth cutting or sitting right below the skin waiting to cut constantly since around Thanksgiving. A has 7 teeth, with #8 (bottom eye tooth) waiting, B has 5 with #6 cutting, and C also has 5, again with #6 cutting. Now to make things more fun, right around the time this all started Highland's (the most well known teething tablet manufacturer) recalled all of its product because they didn't have child-proof caps. I have yet to see them back on the shelves. I did find an alternative . . . however it is only sold (at least in my neck of the woods) at Walgreen's. And I really don't shop there. Even better, child #2 (I think I'll lovingly refer to him as Bam-Bam) is potty training. And has been with limited success (until very recently) for the last 8 or 9 months. Around the time of my last post he spent a whole week wearing underwear and staying dry until his afternoon, let's call it . . . 'elimination' which would inevitably end up in said underwear . . . and smeared all over the bathroom. At that point I put him back in diapers for a little longer. Not to be left out, child #1 (I believe Elroy seems most appropriate) hung out with his (slightly) older cousin and came back a mini teenager. He's six! He was a sweet, helpful, considerate child when he left . . . but he came back a back-talking, entitled mouth on legs. To top things off Elroy and Bam-Bam have hit that age when territory starts to become important. Now that Bam-Bam has the vocabulary to assert himself more the games have become a bit less friendly. At this point I'm just glad they haven't taken to marking the furniture . . . . And through it all darling Hubby has remained steadfastly . . . planted in front of the computer. I HATE EQ. I loathe it. He plays using Ventrillo (so he can talk to other players through his headset mike), so I'm never entirely sure that his remark (or answer to my question) was actually meant for me. Don't misunderstand me. I feel that computer games are a fun and worthwhile hobby and enjoy getting to play some of the rpg style myself. But somebody has to watch the kids. The girls are mobil now, and the boys play so rough. I love him, with all my heart. And I can think of at least 3 occasions in the last week when that has been the only reason I haven't thrown something at him. *sigh* What a time to decide to start blogging right? And to think, all that was my long winded explaination of why I haven't posted for so long . . . . I'll try to be better. I can't guarantee it . . . but I'll try.

Craft Time: Adjustable Sun Hat

2010-08-17T23:49:00.000-07:00

I have triplets. My babies are 6 months old now and it's summer here in So. Cal. This means glaring sun and triple digit temperatures from April until mid November, and retailers in their infinite wisdom don't make sun hats in infant sizes. So, after realizing that I don't have the patience or the time to make hats for my girls myself, I decided to adapt ones made in toddler sizes.

And if you're interested, I'll show you how . . . .

What you'll need:

broad brimmed sun hat, with or without chin strap

complementary ribbon (my preference is a grograin, but anything washable will work), no less than 5/8in wide and long enough to wrap around the hatband 2 times

secondary ribbon (decorative only, enough to wrap 3/4 of the hatband, totaly optional)

decorative buttons (count the seams in the crown of the hat if 4 use 4 buttons per hat, if 6 use 5 buttons)

hand-sewing needle and all purpose thread (entire needle must fit through button holes)

5 or 6 straight pins (per hat), washable pen to mark center point (if desired)

First, find the front center point (hats with 6 top panels will have a center seam front and back). My hats have 4 sections but no front seam, so I lined up the 2 forward seams to find the mid point. I marked this with a vertical straight pin.

Now find the center point on the ribbon (line up ends and smooth) and carefully mark (washable pen on the underside) and attatch to the hatband with center pin. If you're going to add any other decorative ribbon repeat as needed.

Now, using the seams as guides lay out and center the ribbon over the hatband, pinning at each seam (if using a 6 seam stop 1 before the middle back seam to allow room for adjustment).

Sew on your buttons at the seam lines to hold the ribbon on securely, and using a single stitch, tack the ribbon down every inch or so between the buttons.

The hat will now adjust down to fit the average newborn all the way to toddler. Quick, easy and completely customizable, this project is only limited by your own creativity. Blue ribbons with sailboats or sports equipment could easily make a plain hat suitable for daddy's little boy, too.

Enjoy, and Happy Crafting!

A Simple Rant: Don't Pray for Me

2010-07-31T10:42:00.000-07:00

I'm Agnostic.

While this covers a range of beliefs (most being that a higher power exists but is not worshiped, only recognized), my personal belief is that no organized religion, large or small, has it right. Too much is open to interpretation, and everyone views that wisdom through the veil of their own experiences and prejudices. But that is a discussion for another post . . . .

Since the birth of my triplets (well, since they came home from the NICU) everyone feels the need to comment. While most comments are along the lines of 'oh, they're adorable' and 'are they all girls?' ('cause the pink car seats and outfits are so gender neutral), the comments that bother me are the constant offers of prayer. Now let me be clear, I appreciate the thought and the desire to help that most people have and on the whole I'm very honored by their kindness.

The issue for me stems back to a conversation I had with my grandmother (a minister) earlier this week. She told me about one of her divinity students (training to become a minister in her church) who was given the assignment of praying for my babies on a daily basis. Then my grandmother shared how much her student had enjoyed seeing the newest pictures of the babies SHE was helping to take care of through her assigned daily prayer.

Well, that I don't appreciate. It is all well and good to wish the best for someone, but to take credit for my childrens' well being when you've never met them or me . . . that is insulting.

Prayer didn't find and move to correct the blood flow issue that almost killed 2 of my girls in utero. Prayer didn't catch the lack of growth in the smallest girl in time to deliver all 3 safely. Prayer didn't find the necrotizing cyst on my ovary that was days from rupturing. Doctors did. Prayer didn't keep my girls alive and growing in the NICU. Dedicated doctors, nurses and volunteers did. Prayer hasn't kept them healthy, growing and safe since they got home. I have. My husband and my mother have. Our friends and family have. We have done the feeding, changing, bathing, burping, holding, comforting, playing and everything else necessary to get these girls to where they are now.

So, if you feel entitled to credit for my childrens' health and well being, even though we've never met, on the grounds that you added them to your prayer list, it's time to re-evaluate why you're praying. My children should not be your ego boost.

And if they are . . . well, don't pray for us. Pray for yourself.

Arguments with Myself . . . Environ-Mentals

2010-06-27T11:09:00.000-07:00

I have family members who are rabid, foaming at the mouth environmentalists (one of my brothers and his girlfriend, and a cousin as well) who strongly believe that everyone should return to organic farming methods and an agrarian lifestyle. Great. Wonderful.

Unfortunately, using only those methods (only natural pesticides, ie other bugs, heirloom crop varieties, and no genetic modification to the plants), and farming every square inch of arable land on the planet will only feed 4 billion people.

There are 7 billion humans on the planet.

So, my question to them is . . . which half of the population starves to death?

Genocide for the right reasons is still genocide.

I don't know about you, but my budget is tight as it is. My family can't afford to have food prices double, much less quadruple (which is more likely). If the food supply is cut by half (or more) scarcity will cause prices to skyrocket.

The French Revolution had a similar genesis.

The question then becomes . . . how do we feed 7 billion people in a more sustainable, earth-friendly way?

If you really want to change the world then you have to stop lamenting how things should be and find a way to work with how things are.

Well Hello!

2010-06-26T21:32:00.000-07:00

I guess I should start with an introduction . . . .

I'm Vixi. I married my high school sweetheart, and we have 5 kids.

Our oldest (boy) was born in 2004. Our next (boy number 2) was born in 2007, and this year (2010) we had triplets (all girls).

So, that's 5 kids under 6 . . . and I'm not even 30 yet!

Before you ask . . . no, we didn't have help (no infertility treatments, of any kind). Yes, multiples run in my family (boy/girl twins a couple generations back), no we don't plan on having any more, and no we aren't looking for a reality tv show.

I'm very into fantasy and medieval things (art, books, movies, you get the idea).

So much so that I am a card carrying member of the Society for Creative Anachronism (S.C.A. for short). I even converted my hubby and he periodically dresses in armor and hits his friends with a rattan (think solid bamboo) sword.

So, with all the craziness in my life I've decided to add blogging ('cause I like a challange). Here goes . . . .