Fruit Fly Buggers

Ben's family comes tonight! So, this week I've been trying to get as unpacked as possible. I think it's been good to have this deadline so that I'll actually get it done. Even though I have been working hard in the past, this way Ben has to help me too, hehe ;)
At least I need him to move boxes since I hurt too much when I do it.

So, on another note, I was telling Laura the other day about how we have these nasty fruit flies. I HATE THEM! I've been trying to keep the sink clear of dishes, and still they're there. I put the only fruit I have in the fridge...and they're still there.
The worst thing about them is that they always fly up in my face like they have no control where they're going, but they really have awesome reflexes 'cause I can never kill them they're so fast! AND they're just these tiny little buggers, how do they keep living when I swat at them so much?? It's like they're indestructible.

Where was the culprit?? The trash is taken out almost every other day, if not sooner. There was no fruit, no dishes...what were they eating, where were they coming from???

So, back to the unpacking side of things. As I helped supervised Ben moving the boxes out of the guest room I noticed one open tub that I had some wrapping paper, a couple bags, and various stuff in. I thought I had gone through it, but I didn't.
Ben took a box out of the room, and I then took one of the rolls of wrapping paper out......

FLIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everywhere FRUIT FLIES!!!!

Tons of them flew up in my face...oh yuck!
Once they weren't in a frenzy anymore I took a peek what was at the bottom of that tub.
Well, when my Dad helped us move he had a bag of grapefruits he was gonna take back to Utah with him. Grapefruit. Probably about 6 grapefruit were misplaced and put in this bin, then forgotten. I have no idea why there was no stench to let us know, but oh well. The bag of decaying fruit had leaked all over one of my purses which absorbed it. You should see the look on my face right now, complete nasty grimace, and I can't help it. And the bugs were EVERYWHERE all over the purse/bag/fruit. They were just breeding and breeding. UHG!!!
Completely disgusted I took the bin out to the trash can outside and threw most of it's contents right in. I took what wasn't touched/effected in the house. 

What happened to the rest of the fruit flies in the house? 
Wanna know a secret? 
I found the solution to trapping fruit flies on a blog probably a year ago, but for the life of me I can't remember what blog it was, nor can I find the entry anywhere online. Luckily I remember how to do it.

Fruit Fly Trap!

Here's what you need if you're gonna make one:

- A Mason Jar
- 1-2 sheets of paper
- Tape
- Pieces of fruit

I rolled up my 2 sheets of paper so that they made a funnel that was wide enough for the flies to go into, but hard for them to find their way back out (probably 4-5 millimeters wide). Then I taped the paper to keep the funnel shape.
Cut up a little piece of banana and some citrus and put them in the mason jar. We even microwaved it a little bit so that it would be good and gross, ya know, the way they like it. Stuck the paper funnel in the jar and let it sit for several hours.

You can see a bunch of them gathered at the top trying to get out. There were a whole ton in there.
Ben was talking to them saying "What? Too much food for ya? Gettin' stuffed and want out?" Lol! I got a good laugh from that.
We released those ones outside, then put it back in it's spot and caught probably 8 more. Guess what? I haven't seen one since. YAY!!!

Now I have the jitters just from writing about these nasty buggers. I keep feeling like something is crawling on me. You know the feeling?

Anyway, flies be-gone. May they never return!

Projects...

New house. More room. Loving it all!

But there are still boxes to be unpacked/sorted :(

Lately my motivation has been that I want a crafting/decor-creating room, which will actually be in the guest bedroom. Of course, for now I will gladly share. But where are all the boxes right now? Bum, bum, bum....hiding in the guest bedroom. Darn.

To solidify my motivation I have determined that I will do NO creating/sewing/crafting 'till the boxes are all empty, or put in the proper place.

Here is my TO DO list before getting my "Creating Room" (that just fits me better than crafting room) all put together.

-Unpack boxes
-Sort through junk and add it to the growing pile of yard sale boxes.
-Have a yard sale
-Put up pictures and decorations (even if they're in temporary places)
-...And by now the dishes probably need to be done again, so we'll do that....THEN we can get a table for my sewing machine/creative work-table, and get going!!!

What's the first thing I'm gonna work on, or make once I've got my new space?? Well, here's the list so far:

-Make a new skirt that actually fits my large, pregnant bottom.
-New bed spread/duvet
-Clean the very large painting I salvaged from the trash (a real beauty of Paris)
-Make curtains
-Paint and glaze the little side table I got to put by the couch
-New throw pillows for the couch
-Possible window treatments

Then, I also have a folder of web-page bookmarks of lots of other stuff that I've seen around blogland that I want to make. Goodness...I better get unpacking. Wish me luck!

I don't wanna grow up...

Let me guess what just came in your head... "I'm a Toys R Us kid!" 

Am I right?

Well, guess what? I'm still a Toys R Us kid!

I think I've gotten a little lost in this grown-up world. Trying to figure out who I'm supposed to be.

I'm supposed to like certain kinds of elegant decor. 

I'm supposed to act like a very grown-up, put-together Mother.

I'm supposed to put away my funky, fun clothes and buy cardigans and slacks.

No one really says these things, but they're implied. In blogs, magazines, shows, even church and grocery stores sometimes. I'm not saying cardigans and slacks are a bad thing, I like them too. 

But when is it that we put away our childish ruffles, and colorful pictures?

Why can't we dance all day if we want to? Sing and climb trees? 

Of course we can! And I'm going to!

If you've known me for quite a while, you know that I used to be crazy and spontaneous.
 I've been a little less lately...but no longer. I'm getting my "Muchness" back. (see the new Alice in Wonderland for reference)

"Never lose your childish innocence. It's the most important thing. "

-Under the Tuscan Sun (great movie!)

This was always one of my favorite quotes to live by.

I realized that I'd lost my childish enthusiasm/innocence at some point in the last few years. 

This wonderful, colorful blog helped inspire me to get it back!

Colormekatie.blogspot.com

Katie is a freelance photographer in Brooklyn. And she is insanely creative!

Check out her pictures in her blog. Everything is so colorful.

I've been in this rut about our apartment we live in 'cause I don't know how I want to decorate it. It doesn't really feel like a complete home. It's more like storage with a few pictures up. I've been stuck on mostly black/brown furniture 'cause it goes with a lot...well, that was my theory. And it's grow-up colors. But I think it gets boring in our home. 

Then I found Katie's blog, and looking at her apartment it's so full of life and color! If you've taken a look... can you just imagine growing up in a place like that? How magical it would be??

When I saw it, I immediately thought "That's exactly what I want to do!"

And maybe some of you reading this are thinking I'm crazy for loving it, but that's ok. I'm just so glad that I found it!

And next time you come to my apartment it will be lit up with color!

(don't worry, I'll be posting pictures)

 And I've been inspired to take more pictures too. And wear more color ;)

For a long time I thought that I shouldn't want to be in lots of pictures, or ask people to take them of me, 'cause they'd think I was being vain or something. But Katie takes a lot of pictures of herself for fun, and it's not vain at ALL! So, I figure it's okay if I take them of myself to :)

And I like her concept of using pictures to portray how she feels.

So, from one kid to another...don't grow up. Not all the way. ;)

And thanks Katie! You've been an incredible creative inspiration, more than you could know.

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Also, if you wanna know more about the green shrug I'm wearing in that picture above. Just go to Crafty-Mamacita.