Fancy That

Altering a too tight waistband

2012-01-31T16:31:00.001-07:00

Okay, I'm about to expose a flaw. I think I'm a little thicker around the waist than most people my size, because I often run into the too-tight-waistband-but-fits-great-everywhere-else type of problem with store bought pants. And, since nobody likes a muffin top, I have finally mastered the way to fix this issue.

I recently bought some pants at Old Navy that I loved. They were on super clearance--I paid $4 (the original price was $42!) and they fit so great except for that waistband! I bought them anyway, determined to find a solution because I really do need some dress pants in my wardrobe.

Here's what I did. The back of the pants had darts sewn in below the waistband, so I just cut those babies open. (Please excuse the terrible pictures!)

Then, I bought some of the widest black elastic I could find. I think it's about 3" wide, but if you need wider, you could do this same thing with a knit fabric. I spread the darts out about and inch and a half each and sewed the elastic behind it, first with a straight stitch, then with a satin stitch to cover the raw edges. It looks like this:

Trim the elastic on the back:

And do the other dart! Here's what mine look like now:

Tada!
Some super comfortable dress pants! For four bucks. Score.

I hope this helps some of my thick-waisted friends out there :) I know a lot of women have the opposite problem--many pear shaped gals I know really hate the huge gap they get in the back of their waistband. The solution there is to simply sew two darts into the back, centered over the pockets.

Collaborative Quilting

2012-01-26T16:09:00.000-07:00

Jenn and I have been working on a quilt. Or, I should say, two quilts! Almost identical, but not quite. These blocks are starting to look pretty awesome together, so it's time to share!

Here's how it works. We will each make 12 wonky log cabin blocks, but we make two of each one. So we're making 6 different blocks, but two at a time. Does that make sense? Because we decided on 16" blocks and we are using only scraps, it's difficult to make them exactly the same, but the small differences add to the fun! Then, we mail one of each set to the other person, as we finish them. When we each have 12, we'll each be able to make an awesome quilt, made by both of us! So fun!!!

Here's a few of what I have so far:

That was before I made some more last month. Here's one of two that I meant to put in Jenn's birthday box and just realized yesterday that I forgot. Whoops.

See? Almost the same, but not quite.

The process is such a fun mess :)

Ah, yes, that huge tub is completely crammed with my small scraps. I'm working on it, though! I started a quilt for Kelby that will hopefully help make a dent in it :)

So, there ya go, our version of collaborative quilting. Find a sewing buddy and hop to it! ... if you want ;)

More Jenn

2012-01-25T09:45:00.000-07:00

No fancy intro here, but CHECK OUT WHAT JENN MADE ME FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

ACK! Isn't it beautiful????? Does she get me, or what? The linen. Those colors. The yellow polka dot binding. *sigh*

The kids already know, this is "Mommy's special quilt". Ha! I let them use it too ... under my watchful eye ;)

I dug around and found the picture of the quilt I made Jenn a long time ago. Three Christmases ago? Or four? Can't remember.

Just this past week, Jenn thought they might have to evacuate their home because of a fire headed their way. She texted me a pic of her pile of stuff to take with them and this quilt was in that pile, right along with her sewing machines and other most special things. Made me happy.

One more day of Jenn week!! See ya tomorrow :)

Time for Tea

2012-01-24T09:25:00.000-07:00

So, this week, all the blog posts I have to write happen to be about my friend, Jenn. Ha! I didn't plan to dedicate a whole blogging week to her, but many of the crafty/sewy things going in and out of here lately involve her, so there ya go.

I know I've written a little about our friendship in the past, but in case you missed it, Jenn and I met while living in Georgia, just before both our husbands deployed to the war in Iraq in 2003. There is no doubt in either of our minds, that God orchestrated this friendship. As a 20-year-old new wife, I don't know how I would have gotten through that deployment without her!

At the time, Jenn found out I was a sewer and she knew the basics and had a machine and really wanted to learn more. So, we got busy. We spent hours, days even, sewing together, working on sooooo many projects, from copying designer skirts to slipcovering her furniture (while her AC was out! In the Summer! In GEORGIA!) Good times. Anyway, sewing is a HUGE part of the history of our friendship. We've lived in different states for many years now, but still sew for each other a lot and talk about sewing a lot!

Without further ado, let Jenn week commence!! (Haha! I can hear you laughing at this, Jenn!)

Jenn has recently gotten into tea. I love tea too, but even more so since I got one of these before Christmas:

It's an Oster electric kettle (Target, 40 bucks) and I use it constantly, no exaggeration! I boil water in the morning, use it for my french press coffee, maybe for the kids' oatmeal and for tea throughout the day. It's awesome. I told Jenn about it and she got one too :)

So, for her birthday, I bought her this:

It's from Anthropologie, of course :)

AND, I made her this!

It's a little mini quilt/tea mat. The tea cup and letters are from the book, Out of the Box with Easy Blocks

It was soooo much fun to free piece all of that! (even though my tea cup handle needs work, I know). I can't wait to make more from this book. There's a princess cow that's calling my name ;)

While I was dwelling on the tea subject, I started noticing how many tea sets and tea pots I have. Should I be embarrassed that it's a lot??

My parents brought me this one last time my Dad was in the states!! I love it. The kids and I use it and feel very fancy :)

That tea cup tray in the background is from IKEA, in case you're wondering.

Stay tuned, because tomorrow I'm going to show you what Jenn made me for Christmas!!!! It's AMAZING!

January.

2012-01-17T13:42:00.001-07:00

January. Blah. I always get the blues in January! It's dumb. But, sewing perks me up :) So does cleaning. But, I'm going to blog about sewing, then I'll go clean, okie doke?

Like I said before, I needed more tops in my winter wardrobe, since I'm forced to wear pants more. In the Summer I wear dresses almost every day! When's groundhog day again? I'm ready! But, anyway, I made this top last week and have already worn it twice. I wore it under a cardigan because it's chilly, but still, I love it!

I've had this knit fabric for awhile, but I have to be in the mood to sew knits, so when I get in the knit groove, I make several things at once! In fact, I've made three knit tops and two knit dresses over the last several weeks!

This pattern is Butterick 5237 and you can read my review here.

As you can see, mine looks a little different. I was too ~~lazy~~ busy to sew all those little pleats in the neckline by hand in three places, so I gathered it up and sewed a ribbon to the underside instead. But, I love ruffles, so it works for me! This is an easy going top, quick to make, fun to wear and I'd recommend this pattern. I don't love the other views though.

Then, I made this top:

It's actually the same fabric as the purple top, but in brown. Looking at this picture, I'm not sure this is a flattering as I thought it was, but maybe after I wash it, that bias hem will ruffle less. I dunno.

This is Simplicity 2369 and I'm not going to bother reviewing it because it's already been reviewed a bazillion times on patternreview.com.

I still need to share those two dresses! One of these days, I'll dress up and get on it, but today...it's too cold outside :)

Cheers!

Whew!

2012-01-12T14:43:00.000-07:00

Remember how I said that whenever Casey goes out of town, something dramatic happens?? Last time it was the heater. The time Kelby puked on my computer? He was out of town then too. This time (he's been gone all week), Kelby shoved a play tent poll down his throat and punctured a tonsil. I loaded all three kids up to go to the ER, only to spend the night there with Kelby while my blessed family members picked up my girls and stayed with them at home. Kelby's fine now, but it was really painful for him for a few days.

That night, though, I kept thinking how blessed I am to have healthy children. My heart goes out to the few moms in my acquaintance for whom hospital stays are simply a part of life. I've been saying extra prayers for those parents and their precious children since Monday.

In other news, I have some good homeschooling books and ideas to share with you today! The first is a book I picked up at a thrift store for about a dollar and it's turned out to be a good one!

We do one lesson a week. We read the story during circle time in the morning then talk about the discussion questions. Then, there are activities and drawing activities you can do too. The girls each have a notebook to draw in.

Next, and probably the most brilliant, is the Mom Bucks Store!!! This was in no way my idea. I got it from my sister, who I think may have gotten it from someone else, so credit does not belong here, but boy do I have to pass this idea along! The kids get Mom Bucks for a number of things throughout the week. I give out lots. Especially for things that it is usually difficult to motivate Natalie to do. Like putting on her glasses for school without complaining, doing her best at handwriting, etc... Even Kelby gets Mom Bucks for things like going potty, being a good boy during school and helping with little jobs. I found this printable and printed a bunch.

THEN, on Friday, after school and after we clean the kids' rooms (for which they get more Mom Bucks for helping with a happy heart), they get to go shopping at my Mom Bucks Store!

It's loaded with stuff from the Dollar Spot at Target, and several little treats. Hot chocolate packets, Pop Tarts, erasers, pencils, silly straws. And also, coupons for 30 minutes of computer time or time on my Nook. The girls love the dress up games on Barbie.com. I don't take Mom Bucks away for "bad behavior". That's no fun.

This has been a huge hit and highly motivating for all the kids. It's something to work towards, which is very important to Natalie especially :)

Third, I discovered this book recently:

It's kinda funny because I had ordered it before going to visit my sister in December, but for some reason my order never went through. Then, my sister pulled it out and said, "here, I thought you might like this". Ha! We LOVE it! Natalie actually asks to do more activities from this book and the girls continue the activities even after school time is over. There are all kinds of games and activities for all ages and all areas of math. We are loving it. We can all do it together (even Kelby!) and it takes little to no preparation for most things. It makes math fun!

Lastly, I got this idea from somewhere online, but I can't remember where, so I can't take credit for this either. We have prayer time before we start school each day, but Natalie was reluctant to pray and Layla prayed for the same basic things every day. So, we got a pail and some big popsicle sticks and created a Prayer Pail.

Since these are the kids' own ideas of what to pray for, they really enjoy choosing three each day and praying out loud for them. Their prayers are basic and adorable. I think God must just love prayers from little ones :)

Well, Casey's on his way home from Nebraska, so my single parenting will end until next time. Can't wait to see what adventures await the next time he leaves town, ha!

knits and picks

2012-01-07T09:41:00.000-07:00

I've made some things this week that happen to all be knits! I made a really fabulous dress (maybe the best dress I've ever made for myself!) but I don't have a picture of me in it yet, so that will have to wait a few days.

BUT, I did try a knit top pattern! I think it turned out pretty well:

It may not be the best shape on me, but I love the fabric and tops are seriously lacking in my wardrobe, while I have a lot of dresses (which just don't get worn as much in the Winter because I find tights so uncomfortable. If you can recommend and brand of tights that doesn't feel like a rubber band is around your waist, I will love you forever). But, anyway, the pattern for this is Butterick 5709 and you can read my review here.

While I had a stretch needle in my machine, I refashioned a top that I didn't like so much. I didn't take a before picture, but this was a top I got at Kohl's awhile back, but only wore a few times because I felt a little matronly in it. It was too floaty for my taste and the sleeves were seriously full flutter sleeves. Not my favorite, I felt like they widened my shoulders a lot. But, I like the print and it's very soft, so I thought I'd try to fix it. Here's how it looks now:

Nothin' like a headless photo to show you what you really look like in skinny jeans, huh? I think the jury's still out for me--my fashion consultant moved across the country. But, back to the shirt. I took in the side seams and added gathers and elastic to the sleeves. I really like it now! Glad I could give it a second life :)

The new Spring lines are out for both McCall's and Simplicity! I'm excited about a few of them. Here are my picks:

M5603. I like both the views with ruffles. Surprise, surprise ;)

M6507. I don't usually go for cowls, but the rest of the bodice is fitted enough and the back is really pretty, so I'll give this one a try. I love that print on the model too!

M6518. This is just cute. Although, I don't know how many occasions I would have to wear it. We'll see.

M6514. I don't even have close to the body type to pull these off, but don't they look comfy!? I like the view on the model on the right, but I would have to seriously start kicking my butt with my kettlebell to even attempt wearing these, hahahaha!

M6498. For the girls, of course. But not those funky pants. The rest of it is super cute, though.

I like this jacket and the pants. I think a lightweight denim for that jacket would make it less businessy and more fitting for my lifestyle.

That's it for Simplicity, actually, but McCall's is a winner this time around!

Layla's FIVE!!

2012-01-04T19:35:00.003-07:00

That's right, my sweet Layla Jane turned 5 today!!! At 7:45 this morning, to be exact :) As is my custom, I took some special birthday pictures of her. This one's my favorite:

I made her a special dress (with matching purse) for her birthday. She really loves it and looks adorable!

This girl is turning into to such a wonderful person. She is already so sensitive to the needs and feelings of others, she's generous beyond her years (tonight, just before taking the last piece of cheese pizza, her favorite, she stopped and said she wanted to Daddy to have that piece, because it's his favorite too) and is a budding peacemaker for sure. Most importantly, she is so eager to please God and truly sensitive to things of the Lord. What a gal! I'm so thankful for her.

By the way, the dress and purse pattern is this one and I recommend it, but only with a shirt underneath. It's a little too gapey to go shirtless, I'm afraid. Great pattern, though, I love the apron!

New Year Ponderings

2012-01-02T19:36:00.002-07:00

It is SO much fun reading everyone's thoughts and goals for the new year on blogs and Facebook! So now, It's my turn :)

I have some practical intentions too, but I've really been praying about what God wants for me in this new year and since I really like the "one word" idea, I was trying to seek out a word from Him. I tossed a few around and then yesterday it came to me clearly--faithfulness. I need to strive for faithfulness in my day-to-day. To have joy in the mundane and persevere through what seems tough right now (homeschooling two very different learners while dealing with an, ahem, busy three-year-old, all while Casey is out of town more often than I would like.) To not strive for something big, meaningful and spectacular that will get me noticed, but to be faithful and happily content with the tasks God has given me, even if no one notices but Him.

Some more encouragement along these lines came from Nancy Wilson's post on contentment here.

And the lyrics to Andrew Peterson's song, All the Way Home were SO inspiring to me yesterday:

By the grace of God
I'll walk in the rain of His mercy
Let it soak me down to the bone
And splash in its puddles
And dance in its streams as I go
And, Lord, I'll walk in the rain of Your mercy
All the way home.

SO, on to my practical intentions (isn't that a nicer world than resolutions??)

There are a couple of quilts I want to finish in the coming months. One is Kelby's. This is the pattern and I've done exactly one block.

They're time consuming! But, it will be worth it :)

Another is my birdie stitches quilt, which was a 2011 block of the month from this lovely lady. I got to April, but May is on the hoop now! It's going to be cute!

Also, in the fitness department, I bought a kettlebell! I'm excited to try it.

Annnnnd, I printed off a chronological Bible reading plan and started that yesterday. I'm excited about that too! It's not essential to me that I finish in a year. It might take two :)

I'd love to hear your intentions for the new year!!

Today I've been...

2011-12-29T14:34:00.000-07:00

Rearranging furniture. Because sometimes a girl just needs a change of scenery :)

Drinking coffee while reading:

And quilting. More on this project later :)

When I put this all in blog form, it looks like such a peaceful little day! But, in reality, this was all done in the midst of post-Christmas arguing kids, a mess of new toys, one kid chasing the others with his new toy gun, while screaming and running around and around the kitchen/family room/living room/dining room in a circle over and over and over.

Good thing I have some new music to listen to in the midst of all the chaos. Have you heard of Audrey Assad?? I am realllly loving her music!

I dig her glasses. I really need new glasses. I've had the same pair since I was preggie with Kelby. But anyway, I bought her album and love the whole thing. My cousin and I gave each other iTunes gift cards for Christmas--same amount and everything, ha! Kinda funny :)

What have you done today?? Is the end of Christmas break looming for you like it is for me??

Collaboration

2011-12-27T21:38:00.000-07:00

My friend Jenn and I worked together on Christmas gifts for each of our girls this year (she has two, I have two). Actually, her part was more involved than mine because she made these amazing dolls and I just made the clothes!

Aren't these amazing???? Natalie had spotted this pattern online once while I was browsing and I already had this pattern and had been wanting to make it for Layla for awhile. My to-do list was so crazy long before Christmas, though, that I knew I wouldn't have time. SO, Jenn said she'd make the dolls if I'd make the clothes for her girls and mine and since I love making cute little doll clothes, I agreed!

Natalie's doll in the Raggedy Ann pattern, but with brown hair to match her own:

And Layla's is this one, although, you'll notice Jenn used the hair idea from the above pattern to add hair to this baby doll so she looks like more of a kid doll. Brilliant!

I'm thinking maybe the pets and some more clothes for birthdays this year would by fun!

The girls really like these. Natalie said it was her favorite present and they both brought their dolls to church on Sunday. Thanks, Jenn :)

Making Merry

2011-12-26T11:38:00.000-07:00

Christmas Eve, 6 p.m:

Christmas Day, 3 p.m:

And LOTS of merriment in between :)

Hope your Christmas was as great as ours!!

Christmasy things

2011-12-21T19:44:00.000-07:00

There are a few Christmas things I'm enjoying this week! So, I wanted to share a little list :) It might also be because I haven't taken many pictures lately, so this is a way I can post photos from around the web without having to take my own, ha!

First off, my sister got me a gift set of Harney & Sons Christmas teas for my birthday. I LOVE it. My new favorite, by a long shot. I'll miss it when I'm out and jump to buy some when it comes out next Christmas!

You can buy Harney & Sons tea at Barnes and Noble.

Next, this quickly became a daily read after I bought it about a month ago:

Who doesn't love a book you can sing?? Kelby's favorite, he loves it. But, I knew he would because he also loves Ten in the Bed :)

Third, I absolutely must give a shout out to my friend Jennica, of Bow-Crazy Hairbows!!! She makes SO many great things. I can't resist these things. She brought me over my Christmas bow order today. (I stole these photos from the Bow-Crazy Facebook page, which you should visit and like right now!) I got a few of these snowmen, but mine are girls--they have bows :)

And, some Christmas trees:

And...... who could resist these as stocking stuffers for little girls???

Irresistable, I'm tellin' ya.

Oh, and just for Kelby (don't worry, it's not a bow, it's a pin), she made Buzz...

SO CUTE! Send some business her way, okie doke?? You can't go wrong, they're all adorable. By the way, there are plenty of bow-shaped bows and curly cue bows, in all colors and all sizes. I have a huge collection to prove it, ha!

Ok, last but not least, have you heard of the Piano Guys?? They're so much fun to watch and listen to. The kids and I have watched this one over and over lately:

Cheers!

quick beaded Christmas necklace tutorial

2011-12-17T17:33:00.000-07:00

Have you learned by now, that when I say I will post something "tomorrow", I almost always mean to say, "in a day or two"? Well, now ya know.

My mom very generously bought all of her grandkids Christmas outfits while we were in Washington last week! We found some great things at Crazy 8 and while we were there I saw some pretty cute necklaces that I wanted to try to replicate for my girls. These are them:

So, I bought some beads and got to work. Making the bow and making it look nice and making it stay, however, proved to be more difficult than I expected, so I decided to just use ribbon and do my own thing. I think they turned out pretty cute!

So, here's what you need:

I got a little thing of the string beads at JoAnn for 2.50. It was more than enough for two necklaces and looked like this:

Cut three strands of beads about 36" each. Then, double it over and pinch the ends, making 14 or 15 inch long necklace. It needs to be big enough to fit over the child's head, obviously. Then, take a piece of thread, double it and use it to secure the strands together, like so:

Pretty simple. Trim those thread ends close and then cut some pieces of ribbon, long enough to have some extra to play with. Layer them and lay them under your knot. Put a dot of hot glue on the bottom of the beads to secure them to the ribbon.

Go ahead and tie your bow after this. After I got it how I wanted it, I used the glue gun on a few spots to make sure it stayed put.

Trim your bead ends when you're done. One last step: To keep the strands from getting messy and tangled, pinch the strands at the top of the necklace and wrap a small piece of ribbon around it, hot gluing it in place.

You're done! Enjoy :)

While I was on Crazy 8's site to get the link, I saw this necklace too:

So cute! Maybe I'll try this one next :)

when the mess is just too much ... take pictures of it!

2011-12-15T17:45:00.002-07:00

So, it didn't take long after our vacation to get back to frantic reality. Today was pretty relaxing, thankfully, because I refused to let myself believe I needed to go anywhere. I folded laundry, had a friend over, worked on my Christmas list for Casey (Amazon makes this oh, so easy) and made the girls some fun necklaces to match their Christmas dresses.

Yesterday was not so relaxing. I was really letting the mess get to me. There are a few things that snap me out of a foul mood, though! One of them is taking pictures :) So, rather than whine about the mess, I took pictures of it. And, you know what?? Through a camera lens, it looks like quite a happy mess, don't you agree??

When I'm standing in the middle of it, all I can see is the work involved in cleaning it up. But, when I really put it in perspective, these are the messes that make our home a happy one--Natalie has created paintings (and wrapped them) for every family member five times over. Kelby and Layla have been playing together a lot lately (hence, the mess of cars up there) and the laughter is soooo much fun to listen to. And, who doesn't love the mess that comes with making Christmas gifts for little ones?? A happy mess, indeed.

Tomorrow, I'll have a little tutorial for those necklaces I mentioned. Here's a sneak preview:

Alrighty, I'm about to go do some Christmas shopping and then make a huge mess of wrapping paper and ribbon! Gonna be fun :)

Home Again!

2011-12-12T17:52:00.004-07:00

We spent last week in Washington state with my sister and bro-in-law, their five kiddos and my parents. It was SO much fun and, as it turns out, just what we needed. This was our first major road trip with three kids and it went surprising well. We spent 7 nights in a hotel room and that went well too! But, what makes vacations even better, is that it's always so nice to come home. After a week away, I am re-inspired in so many ways.

I'll have plenty to share in the coming days, but for now, until I get my pictures straightened out and stuff, I'll leave you with this:

Ah, the strange things you see at gas stations in the Middle-of-Nowhere, Wyoming. Does anyone else feel like Wyoming is pretty much ALL the middle of nowhere??? Just me????

When Casey's out of town...

2011-12-02T21:10:00.001-07:00

...something always seems to go hilariously wrong. Here's my facebook status from about an hour ago:

So. After unrolling (another) entire roll of TP in the bathroom, Kelby locked the door, closed it behind him and went back to bed. I CANNOT GET IT OPEN! I've removed the doorknob and still can't open it. Then, when I came down to look up more info on how to open a locked door, I went back upstairs to discover him locked in MY room! He was helping himself to my lotion and contact solution. ARGH! I know this will be funny someday. Right!?

I tell ya, this kid takes mischievous to a whole new level! And, in case you're wondering ... the bathroom is still locked and without a doorknob. For once, Google did not give me what I needed, ha! Casey will have to deal with that when he gets back tomorrow--the kids will need baths, after all :)

In other news, I bought this song on iTunes today, after seeing the video:

Annnnd, THIS is my new favorite Christmas post ever. I've noticed ~~an inadvertent eye roll~~ feelings of inadequacy on my part lately when I read other bloggers' fabulous Christmasy crafts/doings/handmade advents/over-the-top cookie-making. And then, someone is willing to show us reality and remind us to embrace ours! Thank you!

The stockings were hung

2011-11-29T09:15:00.001-07:00

I read on someone's blog some advice this morning: Make your Christmas to-do list and then ... slash it in half. GREAT advice. I came to the same epiphany last week. I was putting a whole lot of expectations on myself (especially gift making) and while they were all good intentions, I was becoming a stressed-out mess. That is certainly not what this season is about! So, I gave myself a break. There are a few gifts that are not going to get made this year, but that's okay, there's always next year :) For now, I'm only going to do the things that bring me and my family joy this Christmas! I want to have my family over and cook Christmas dinner (on Christmas Eve). That brings me joy! I'm working on some doll clothes and I love making little cute, scrappy doll clothes! Kelby needs a super cape, for sure. Picturing him running around in it definitely brings me joy. I want to focus on the advent and truly teach the kids the Christmas story and about God's grace. That will bring the most joy of all, for sure! (They are very into "the Jesus story" right now. I've caught them playing shepherds and such several times in recent weeks). Everything else can be skipped.

Anyway, we decorated for Christmas on Saturday. We have a new little tree and it was Kelby's turn to put the star on. He talked about it for days :)

What fun is a new Christmas tree if you don't make an airplane out of the box??

It's so much fun to see my stockings and Christmas quilt again! This may be the coziest quilt I've ever made. It's huge and backed with soft, heavy-weight gingham, I think that's why. It sure does make me happy :)

Kelby's out with my dad to see some big tractors today! Can't wait to hear all about it :) Then, later, I'll be toting the kids to the Christmas choir practice (for our homeschool co-op). I'll be using the time to knock out some hand sewing.

Annnnnd, the rough housing upstairs has turned to crying, so I'm out :) Cheers!

Crochet, patterns, books and my famous dad

2011-11-23T09:00:00.001-07:00

Oh, my goodness, there have been so many things I want to blog about and as much as I would love to be a daily blogger, let's face it--it's a busy time of year! So, I'm going to combine it all in one post :)

First off, it's been awhile since I've crocheted anything, it seems, but now that I am in that phase of life where I occasionally cart kids someplace only to sit until practice or class is over (no complaining about the sitting, I love it. I rarely get to sit :), I started this project and toted it along to work on whenever I could. Before long, I had this...

It's an infinity scarf. One big loop, so you can wear it like a cowl. It's mine, not Natalie's, but since she had it on, I let her model it for the picture--she's a beautiful model, too :) And now, she wants one too. A yellow one. And because she wants one, Layla wants one. Guess i have something to do on our coming road trip! Oh, I used this pattern and it was just lovely.

My JoAnn finally got the new McCall's patterns and since my mom was going while they were on sale this week, I asked her to pick up these three for me:

How fabulous is that Denise Schmidt quilt!? So excited. And, can you see the top right view on the apron pattern? It has a tool belt. I want to make all three kids aprons for Christmas and I have a great girlie apron pattern, but this one is perfect for Kelby. The skirt pattern is going to be great, I think. I do not like the saddle bag view--I don't know who would want to add ten pounds to each hip, but whatev.

Next up, did you know that thrift stores and consignment stores are the absolute best place to get kids' books?? Well, it's true. My consignment store has a book club--I get one free book per month per kid! Last time, I walked away with 8 books for $6. Not bad. Last night, I went to Savers, my favorite thrift store and came home with quite a load...

This isn't all. There are four more that were in the hands and laps of little ones when I took this picture :) The Children's Books of Virtues and the Children's book of Faith are in new condition. So are some of the others. And, how awesome is the 1970 edition of the Richard Scary Mother Goose book?? Savers has kids books from .79-$1.99. Plus, for every 4, you get one free. AND, I had a 20% off coupon from a previous donation. Good deal. I see lots of homeschooling unit study and read aloud possibilities in this stack :)

Finally and probably the coolest part of this post!!! My Dad is in a video on Youtube!!! I love this video! It is SO much fun to see where he lives and works in Mongolia and to see him in action. Start looking for him right at 2 minutes. He's in a classroom and in front of an overhead screen. He's in it again towards the end and it's easy to spot him because I think he may be the only American face in there. And if you have little boys, they will love this, it's crammed full of tractors :)

HAVE A WONDERFUL AND GRATITUDE-FILLED THANKSGIVING!!!!

Well, Hello, Pretty Ladies

2011-11-18T07:42:00.001-07:00

I am done with my ornaments with time to spare! We are spending Thanksgiving with Casey's family a few hours away and I really wanted to take all their Christmas gifts with me. Then, we are traveling to spend a week with my family 18 hours away in the beginning of December, so I really needed to be done with my Christmas shopping and sewing early this year! Let me tell ya, it feels good!! But, anyway, I am SO HAPPY with how these little Matryoskas turned out!! They look so adorable staring up at me from their box :)

This is the one I'm keeping...

I've ordered pictures and bought wrapping paper. Now all I have to do is having my little wrapping party!! One of my favorite parts, for sure :) After our trip in December, I get to sew a few things for my own kidds--doll clothes, Barbie clothes and a super cape is on the list. Plus an apron for each if there's time!

Chocolate Peppermint Thumbprints

2011-11-14T20:30:00.001-07:00

My lovely Aunt Teddi has subscribed me to Everyday Food for my birthday again this year. My favorite food magazine by far and also my most used recipe collection! My Christmas edition arrived last week and as I was perusing it yesterday, I came upon this recipe, thought it looked good, noticed I had all the ingredients on hand and tried it out!

This is a keeper! Casey really loves these cookies and he is a picky cookie-lover. Consistency is everything to him and he think these are perfect. Also, many chocolate-chocolate cookies are soooo overly sweet, but these are not like that! Here's the recipe:

Chocolate-peppermint thumbprints

Makes 4 dozen

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

5 ounces semisweet chocolate chips (3/4 cup)

1/2 teaspoon pure peppermint extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in upper and lower thirds. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup each butter and sugar on medium-high until light and fluffy, 3 minutes. Add egg and vanilla; beat to combine. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture and beat to combine.
Place 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, then roll in sugar to coat. Place balls, 1 inch apart, on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake 5 minutes. Remove sheets from oven; with the small end of a melon baller or the bottom of a small round measuring spoon make an indentation in center of each cookie.
Bake until cookies are just set but still look moist, 4 minutes (do not overbake). Let cool on sheets on wire racks.
In a microwave-safe bowl, microwave chocolate chips and 1/4 cup butter in 10-second increments until melted; stir in peppermint extract. Let cool until thick enough to pipe, 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a large zip-top bag; snip 1/4-inch hole in one corner. Pipe chocolate into cookie indentations. Store in airtight containers, up to 1 week.

Enjoy!

Cynthia Rowley succeeds again

2011-11-13T13:56:00.001-07:00

I made this dress at least a month ago and it's been sitting in my closet ever since! I wasn't sure I loved it, but I pulled it out and tried it on this morning and decided it's a keeper after all! I was hesitant about the higher neckline, but I really love the cute details on the sleeves and the tie in the back. I'm a sucker for a cute back :)

Here's the pattern envelope:

This is the third success I've had with the Cynthia Rowley pattern line. Then again, I did have one major flop (it was this pattern and I would NOT recommend it unless you want to construct the most ridiculously complicated dress you've ever made only to find out the bodice lining piece was drafted WRONG!) For the most part, though, I think I can trust the lines of her dresses to look good on my body type. I think I might try the flutter sleeve version of this in the summer. I don't know about the long sleeved, though. I think with the high neckline, there would just be too much coverage and may swallow me up. You can check my patternreview.com site (link in the sidebar) later for the review if you want. Surely I'll have a chance to write it today ;)

What to do with candy

2011-11-11T08:23:00.001-07:00

A few years ago, I went through a period of completely eliminating sugar. It was beneficial in ways I can't even begin to tell you in one blog post! The women in my family are prone to hypoglycemia and later in life, diabetes, and my daughter Natalie and I are particularly sensitive to sugar. However, over the last year, I have loosened up a little bit in this area. In the spirit of practicing moderation in all things, I think it's fine and even good to enjoy sweet treats! Also, the older the kids get, the more difficult it is to take control of what they receive at certain places (like at church, for holidays, etc...) and the less likely they are to forget about it once it's in the house!

So, rather than make myself crazy trying to keep sugar completely out, I decided to let it go in some ways. Add this to the list of reasons why I'm glad we homeschool! We can eat very healthfully here at home! And, when we eat sugar, it can be on purpose, because I can make sure it's not a secret ingredient in our salad dressing, our canned fruit, our bread, etc...! We can keep only milk and water around and eat actual fruit instead of juice from concentrate!

Okay, that was a long intro into what I really wanted to share :) This is what I did with our Halloween candy from our church party this year:

I've been trying to teach Natalie about money, so I divided up the candy into three tubs, each with a different price tag and opened Mommy's Candy Store. Every day after lunch, we have a "10 minute tidy", then each kid gets five pennies. This is enough for two small things or one big thing. (Notice I didn't make a 1 cent tub--I didn't want anyone to have 5 pieces at one time!) They are lovin' this. I think I'll stock up on dollar store items and more healthy treats and then I'll be able to teach some of the larger coins too. This could turn into quite a little store :)

Change of subject, but that brown bookshelf up there was given to me recently for more of our books and homeschool stuff (thank you Maggie!) and it's begging me daily for a makeover.
I'm thinking something like this...

(Repinned from Miranda Giles on Pinterest).

Watcha think?

Can one really have too much fabric?

2011-11-06T15:59:00.000-07:00

I had a very successful trip to JoAnn today! I have to be cryptic because most of the fabrics I bought are for gifts, so I'm not going to share. This week's ad had a killer coupon, though. All the cottons are already on sale and Simplicity patterns are only 99 cents, PLUS there is a 25% off your entire purchase coupon! That expires today, but this week is also military appreciation week, so the military gets 20% off everything! Yay!

Last week, I bought some beautiful clearance fabrics and this one just screams Fall, so I had to make this up before getting a move on with the Christmas sewing. I made a simple dress out of it with Butterick 5438, my standby basic dress pattern.

I took this picture before church. After church, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and realized I wasn't wearing any mascara. ACK!

I saw this fabric on someone else's blog this last week:

This is just too adorable, I can't stand it! We love matroyshkas! I must have this! My JoAnn didn't have it, but it's on sale online for pretty cheap, so I will absolutely be ordering a couple yards. Have no idea what I'll do with it.

Some more fabrics you can be sure I'll buy some of -- Ed Emberly!!!!

We have several of his drawing books (the thumbprint one might be our fave) and I just love these fabrics!!! Due out in February, I believe, from Cloud9 Fabrics. Can't wait!

speaking of organizing things...

2011-11-03T14:32:00.001-06:00

...check out what I made for our school supplies!

It's made out of an ice cream bucket! Clever, right? The pattern is this one...

I'm pretty sure this pattern has been in the catalog almost my entire life. I actually remember it as a kid, but it gets overlooked because the styling is a bit dated :) The view on the top left is out of a five gallon bucket! If you adjusted the pockets, don't you think that could make an awesome Barbie case? Each doll gets a pocket and all the clothes go in the bucket! And, easy to carry around too.

Now that I've made one and we are already finding it so handy, the possibilities are endless. So far, keeping all the supplies in one place is really easing the after school or random card-making mess. And it's pretty enough to remain a permanent fixture in the middle of our big table :) I even toted it to our homeschool co op today because we are always needing more scissors, glue and markers in my little ancient history and crafts class.

I thought about making a few for gifts too, but then I realized how much ice cream we would need to eat in the next several weeks. Ha!

Home organization progress

2011-11-02T16:01:00.000-06:00

A while back, I posted a desperate plea for housekeeping ideas and many of you came through! I did find it interesting, however, that the only people who posted tips were ones who have either zero children or one very small child. Why do you think that is? OH, of course, it's because no one with more than that actually has housekeeping down to a science, hahahaha! Good to know I'm not alone, I guess.

Well, I have made some progress, so I thought I'd share a little update.

One realization I came to its that its very easy to keep the accumulation of stuff from taking control in two places--my kitchen and my closet. This is because I don't have an abundance of space in those two areas. My kitchen is on the small side. It's sufficient space, but not huge, so it's easy for me to clean out when I can't close a drawer and it's easy to resist buying more kitchen gadgets that I know I don't have a spot for.

Likewise, I do not have a walk-in closet. Casey and I have two standard-sized closets in our room and we each have a dresser, so when I can't close drawers, or I run out of hangers, or things are falling onto the closet floor because it's over-stuffed, it's time to clean out and I do it pretty often.

ON THE OTHER HAND, the rest of our house has ample space for everything! It's not huge by 2011 standards, but it's on the big end of houses circa 1969 :) We have a basement, I have two linen closets, three bathrooms with storage space, a garage, a dining room and eat-in kitchen, a living room and a den. Because there truly is a place for everything, more and more things sneak into the house without much monitoring.

Don't get me wrong, we weed out pretty often and take a bunch of stuff to Savers at least once a month (it's how I get my 20% off coupons, ha!) Anyway, a few weeks ago, my mother-in-law was here and I started the oven on fire. So we cleaned it. Which led to her helping me clean out some kitchen drawers too. Which took me later that week to the pantry, the basement toy storage, the coat closet, the kids' rooms and my fabric stash. After that, Casey took a huge car-load to Savers to donate and boy, did it feel good!!!! I estimate that I got rid of at least a third of the kids' toys, stuffed animals and dress-up clothes. Then, they helped me organize the remaining toys into our clear plastic tubs in the basement.

The following week, I got sick. I had laryngitis and tried to simply keep on top of the basic mess. AND BOY, WAS I SURPRISED! At the end of the week, I realized how much easier staying on top of clutter had been because there was simply less stuff to deal with! As an added bonus, the kids can actually find their things and so they are actually playing with their things. It's nice. Ever since, I've been very careful in my shopping and Christmas planning, because I really don't want a huge amount of toys coming in over Christmas and our two winter birthdays.

So, as a homeschooling, stay-at-home family, we probably still have more "stuff" than the average family might (not to mention our hobbies!), but I think it's more under control now than it's been in awhile. I did come across this site, Organizing Made Fun, which is quite inspirational! I found her tips and photos and ideas pretty helpful through my clean-out process.

Now I feel that I need to work out a cleaning schedule for myself. You know, bathrooms, floors, etc... What does your schedule look like? If you don't have a cleaning schedule, do you do something else that works? How much time do you budget for cleaning each day? Right now, I kinda just look around, see what needs done and do it within a day or two. I'd love more ideas!

Costumes are sooo much fun!!

2011-11-01T20:07:00.002-06:00

I love making costumes. They are a chance to do over-the-top sewing and they sure do make the kids super happy :) We went to our church harvest party last night and loaded up on fun and treats. I was glad when it was finally time, because the kids pestered the heck out of me all day long about putting on their costumes and going to the party! So, I let them wear them a few hours early so we could have a little photo shoot.

Natalie was Silvermist from the Tinkerbell movies...

Layla wanted to be an angel. Not much of a leap for her because she is such a sweetie :)

And, one of the most awesome costumes I've ever made:

Kelby looked SO cool. This was a no sew project (actually, I did sew the Velcro onto the back of his shirt--the jet pack had matching stick-on Velcro). I just bought white sweats and a bunch of felt, then made a huge, fun mess studying a Buzz toy, cutting out the pieces and hot gluing them on. For the hat I used the hood on a batman pattern and the jet pack is a piece of foam core. See?

And check it out, our little friend Jamie showed up as Woody! So cute!

I wasn't going to be anything because I didn't think I had time (I wanted to make a poodle skirt), but on Sunday, I thought, "Well, I could throw on my apron, at least". That turned into a quick search for a chef hat tutorial, which I found here, and I whipped one up Monday morning.

That's my mom as "Super Granny" and Casey is three-hole-punch Jim. If you are a fan of The Office, you will get it :)

bring it on!

2011-10-26T19:03:00.001-06:00

Anyone want to guess what the adult form of croup is? It's laryngitis. I bet you can guess how I know that, right? I have it and it is NO fun. On the up side, I have learned how much my kids actually do hear me when I'm talking quietly. And how, when they're yelling for me from another floor of the house and I can't answer, they will actually come and find me to ask their question face to face, which is so much nicer than being yelled at :)

Today we woke up to a winter wonderland outside! Yesterday was beautiful. The kids played outside with no jackets yesterday morning. Then, today, there's this out my front window:

It seems fitting, then, that my Christmas shopping and sewing has officially begun. The first of my ordered gifts arrived today and I have been plugging away on this year's ornaments! I decided on Matryoshka dolls this time and they are turning out super cute.

It's fun looking back on ornaments from past years.

The sea horses of 2011 (definitely one of my faves):

Boots from 2010:

Cupcakes from 2009:

And the birdies that started it all:

I'm getting excited to get them all out again!! First things first, though, I know. Halloween on Monday, yay! We will be going to our church's Harvest Festival and then handing out all the candy we get there to the trick or treaters back here. I know, tricky Mommy ;) I can't wait to show you how the costumes turned out. I think Buzz, especially, is going to be spectacular :)

family pics and random videos

2011-10-23T09:17:00.000-06:00

We got it together enough yesterday to take some pictures of ourselves with my self timer. I really wanted this to happen before all the leaves go away! So, I quickly gathered some outfits and did everyone's hair and out we went. I am semi-happy with how they turned out. The only thing is, something small is wrong about pretty much all of them. Someone's not smiling, or someone's eyes are half shut, or someone is hiding behind someone else. But, that's okay :)

I'll start with my fave...

I super love this one!!! And, my MOM took it!!! Nice work, Mom :)

And, just for fun...

So, if you'd like to help me pick a favorite family photo, I'd love the help :)

Change of subject, but I'm a little excited about this!

Looks like it could be good!! Can it be, a non-teen-soap fro ABC?! Shocker!

Also, I'm loving the lyrics of this song lately. What a great reminder! Do it all for His glory.

And, my latest favorite song (Shane and Shane's new album is GREAT!)

Another plunker

2011-10-21T09:59:00.000-06:00

I was looking through the new McCall's patterns online last night because they're on sale this week at JoAnn and just HAD to share this one!

Just in case the humor here is unclear, here's the line drawing photo...

See!? You mean, I can make matching footie P.J.'s for my WHOLE FAMILY!!!! GET OUT!!!!!!!!!! BAHAHAHAHA!!!!

I feel seriously bad for the man on the pattern envelope. He must have felt like a complete idiot wearing that. Can you get any less masculine than man-sized toddler p.j.'s? Just picturing Casey in a set of these has me dissolving into giggles.

On a not-so-funny note, my kids have croup. Booo. We ended up in the ER with all three of them last night. We got home at 1a.m. Double boooo. But, they were treated and are still sleeping--double YAY! Poor babies :(

Adventures of the Rookie Homeschooler! Online Resources

2011-10-18T11:42:00.001-06:00

I do have more actual book-in-hand resources to share, but I have also found some really great free online resources that I've found some very helpful things on, so I want to take a minute to share the wealth with you today :)

First up, this blog is written for children and explores some of the most unique and interesting of God's creatures. It's called I Spy Animals and the kids and I have spent lots of time there reading fun facts and looking at the amazing photographs. Just today, we were glued to this Jellyfish post. Isn't this AMAZING!?

What a great reason to talk about God's creativity!

Another great online resource is the free downloads page at Teacherspayteachers.com. This is a site where teachers everywhere can design and post all kinds of printable materials. You can find anything and everything on this site. Just today I downloaded this Pumpkins on a vine activity and enjoyed making the little book with the girls.

Which brings me #3: The pumpkin activity was created by Musing of Me, whose blog I subscribe to because of all her amazing printables! Some are free and some are for sale, but not expensive for a whole unit study on a fun subject.

Another great blog I subscribe to for the same reason is Crazy for First Grade. This is a school teacher, but most of her resources are very homeschool friendly.

Pinterest has provided some great ideas too! You can find and follow my "Homeschooling" board here.

I pinned this jackolantern craft there a few days ago, after I saw them on Deep Space Sparkle Art lessons for kids (a great resource for art projects with basic supplies and searchable by grade). I can't wait to make these next week!

That's all for now! All this linking takes a lot of time :)

But I'll post more as I find them.

Cheers!

Baby Bedding phase 1 complete!!!

2011-10-17T12:44:00.000-06:00

I finished the pink bedding for my friend's baby girl, Valentina. I think it turned out really beautiful!

Think she likes it??

Elizabeth picked all the fabrics. She has beautiful taste, this is seriously a bed fit for a princess!

I'm going to get started on the blue set right away, for her little brother. Isn't he PRECIOUS!?

But first, I'm working up a storm on Kelby's Buzz costume. Literally, it looks like a felt tornado hit my dining room table. It's SO much fun, though! :)

Better late than never

2011-10-13T15:11:00.001-06:00

So, not everything I make works out. Some things end up in the thrift store bag, after sitting in my closet for awhile because I'm not willing to admit that my hard work just doesn't look great on me :) But, I have a small closet, so the things I don't wear or don't love just have to go.

I made this several months ago and until today, I thought it was going to be one of those things.

(Side note, how do I manage to get sun flare like that in my photo when I'm NOT trying??)

I wasn't in love with this top and there are still a few things I'm not thrilled with, but I had this awesome Ann Taylor skirt (a thrift store find) hanging in my closet with no top to go with it and so I put these two things together this morning with a cute tan cardigan over it all and ya know what? I think it's a keeper after all! Actually, I think I might try this pattern again, but the version with sleeves...and a lower bust line...and in a knit :)

The pattern is Simplicity 2409 and you can read my review of it here.

I made a Cynthia Rowley dress recently (this one) that I plan on wearing this weekend maybe. I've been holding off because I have my eye on some great black boots that are finally on sale and for which I finally received a coupon in my inbox :)

Speaking of Cynthia Rowley's patterns, am I the only person that thinks this latest design is a total fail??

I haven't seen anything this dowdy looking in a really long time. The top part could be okay, especially that sleeveless version, but the skirt! WHAT? I don't think I know anyone who could pull this off. Heck, the model isn't even pulling it off. She looks like she's headed to a prairie days festival. And, does any woman really want to emphasize her GUT like this??

I just don't get it. Am I wrong? What do you think?? Do designers sometimes forget to keep what the the average woman wants to wear in mind? Do I sound like Nina Garcia now?? Ha!

Adventures of the Rookie Homeschooler

2011-10-11T19:03:00.004-06:00

I think I need a logo for that title--something along the lines of a mom in a super cape, hands on hips and awesome goggles. Yeah? I'll get Casey right on that. Because this won't be my first Rookie Homeschooler post, I plan on making this a series as I learn :)

Some of you have followed my homeschooling journey a little bit and know that I chose My Father's World curriculum this year. About a month into it, I ditched it almost completely. I have a 1st grader who is very resistant to text books, repetitive book work and anything that feels purposeless. Added to that, I found the teachers manuals for both grades to be super confusing. I felt like everything they were actually learning and enjoying were the things I was doing outside of the curriculum and so I prayed for guidance for about a week before reaching an epiphany--my feelings of fear (of failure if I branched out on my own) and guilt (for spending money on a curriculum and then ditching it) were driving my determination to keep using it and those were not good enough reasons to continue making everyone miserable.

So, the moment I told Natalie to put away her handwriting sheet and help me make a party supply list instead (for our first day of Fall party) was the moment everything changed! For several weeks now, she's been getting excited about school, she writes letters, lists and ideas willingly and she loves to read where there's incentive involved. We came up with fun ways to practice math too. I can expand more later on some of the things that have worked in the motivation/attitude department, but for now, I want to share a few books and resources that I am really loving!

First off, the Core Knowledge series, or other similar books are essential (in my opinion) for the homeschooler who decides not to follow a curriculum or all-inclusive program. Following the guidelines in this book gives me the much-needed reassurance that I am not going to miss something. It also has great read-aloud stories and activity ideas for every subject.

Next is something my sister told me about and I almost immediately ordered, called Literature Pockets. We got the Nursery Rhymes one, but there are all kinds for all grades and there are even History Pockets, which I really want to try next year.

These are SO much fun! Each week, you study a different nursery rhyme and make a pocket by folding a 9x16 piece of construction paper into a pocket and filling it with the various activities that go along with that nursery rhyme. I try to run with these themes as much as possible too--like when we were on "Little Miss Muffet", we also studied spiders that week, with pictures, facts and videos. The coloring activities are great during read-aloud time.

I have to cook dinner, but I have more favorite resources to share ... Next time, on Adventures of the Rookie Homeschooler!!!! (I hope you read that in your best superhero narrator voice).

Satin fever

2011-10-09T16:43:00.003-06:00

Oh, boy, I finished two of three Halloween costumes this week and I am now officially sick of satin!!! What a pain! It doesn't press, it ravels like crazy and doesn't take well to pinking shears. But, at least I will have one happy little angel and one happy little fairy :) Also, it's annoying that some costume patterns skimp on finishing. My kids wear these things way more than just on Halloween, so I take extra care with finishing and preventing raveling!

Kelby wants to be Buzz. No problem. Sweats, felt and hot glue, here I come. No more satin, yes!

In the midst of all this and all the baby bedding that I am plugging away at, I am itching to sew myself some Fall clothes! I got some great fabrics last weekend, but in the mean time, I'm trying to make my Summer things into Fall things. Here's what I wore to church today:

I made this skirt over the Summer with some vintage cotton. The pattern is Simplicity 2258. The ruffle tee is J.Crew, via Savers, my favorite thrift store :) The reason I showed you this pic is because I recently found this look on Pinterest...

(From stylebible.ph via Melissa Koster on Pinterest)

...and I think I could make the above skirt pattern work for this too. If I widen the sides a little to give it a looser look and add a ruffle at the top with some belt loops? And, how about this pattern (which I already own) for the shirt? Add a cute cardigan and there ya go.

As for Mad Men, there were some good points made in its favor in the comments after my last post :) I just don't think I'm a drama girl. Except for maybe Gilmore Girls, which I loved. But then again, the last two seasons annoyed me a lot. So, give me comedy please and throw in a few fun reality shows like Project Runway or American Pickers (which has me entranced on Netflix almost every night) and just keep the dramatic life lessons away, hahaha!

Mad Men

2011-10-03T14:37:00.000-06:00

I noticed Mad Men had arrived on Netflix' watch instantly list and so I gave it a shot the other night. I hated it. I think they meant to title the show Adultry because that seemed to be the main premise. I turned it off at the strip club, but not before I noticed with elation that the women in this show are NORMAL! They are curvy and busty and beautiful and even the stripper was probably a size 10 or 12! It reminded me that this obsession with being scrawny is still a rather new one. Maybe having meat on our bones will be back in style soon, huh? Fingers crossed.

The reason I bring this up is because Mad Men seems to have taken the fashion world by storm. Along with Kate Middleton, the show has managed to bring classy back a little bit and I am lovin' it. In fact, Banana Republic had a limited edition Mad Men collection. This was my favorite dress:

I don't know what the price was, but it doesn't matter. I'm going to try to make it :)

Speaking of making things, I finally got to go to Denver Fabrics today! I went because I was going to buy fabric for my military ball dress. Then I had a bit of a reality check. I couldn't decide on fabrics or patterns, there wasn't quite enough of the few fabrics I loved, I don't really know how to work with stretch lace over an underlining and ... well, there's just not enough time. The ball is in a month and among the baby bedding, Halloween sewing and Christmas sewing, I don't have time to make a muslin and a gown. So, I let myself off the hook. I will buy a dress this year and next year I'll start thinking about it MUCH earlier!

I did get some pretty fabulous knits today, though :) I've been seeing a lot of lace skirts around, like this one:

(source: http://elleapparel.blogspot.com/2010/11/lace-for-days-skirt.html)

And this one:

(source: http://www.shopruche.com/ambracia-crochet-skirt-p-7815.html?zenid36=a50ab7d1dcabb9285a4a6fa4222ff02b)

When I found this fabric, I knew it would be perfect!

This photo makes it look kinda gray, but it's actually the same color as skirts in those photos :) And mine will only cost about 8 bucks, ha!

I also got this knit:

I love this one so much! I'm going to make a long dress with it. I can't wait.

I got some others, but I won't bore you with so many fabrics until they are actually made into something. Which might be sometime next year, ha!

Practicing

2011-09-27T19:36:00.002-06:00

I've been asked to take some year book pictures for a teenager friend tomorrow. I am in serious doubt of my abilities in the "portrait" area! But I want them to turn out good so I practiced on my kids today :) I never managed to take pictures of Kelby on his 3rd birthday, but it's better late than never and so he was a natural choice for a ginny pig :) Turns out, he's quite a ham...

Here are some of my faves!

I have to tell you, I almost made him change out of those boots into more photo-friendly shoes. I'm so glad I didn't because this was all about the person he is right now, at age three and these photos truly capture that! He loves his overalls, his bike and those darn light-up Spiderman boots!

There was no way the girls weren't going to get their turn to ham it up! Layla was especially photogenic today!

I got some good ones of Natalie too, of course. My favorites are when she's laughing :)

Ah, taking pictures is SO much fun. It's one of those things that can snap any bad mood in two. Kinda like dancing in the kitchen and a homemade latte :)

A long overdue tutorial.

2011-09-26T14:07:00.003-06:00

I'm pretty sure I've made somewhere in the ballpark of 50 of these blankets over the years since I made Layla's when she was 6 months old. When I whipped up two more for baby gifts this past weekend, I thought it was about time I shared the how-to with you all here!

I know many of you could figure this out on your own, but sometimes it's nice to have the measurements and instructions done for you, right? Also, I'm trying to make this pretty beginner-friendly, so if you're more advanced, I'm not trying to insult your intelligence :)

Without further ado, you will need:

1 yard each of two different flannel fabrics.
1 yard each of 4 coordinating ribbons--I use 1 1/4" wide ribbons from Hobby Lobby

First, cut your flannel pieces to measure 33 x 33. To make this easy, I press my fabric in half and in half the other way. Then I place a folded edge on the zero line and cut at 16.5 inches. Turn it to the other folded side and do the same thing. This will make a perfect square! But, do it however ya want :)

Also, cut your ribbons into 4" pieces. You'll need 8 of each. A yard makes exactly 8, so if you're worried about mess-ups, buy a little extra. Here are my ready-to-go fabrics and ribbons:

Next, we pin the ribbons to the main fabric. To start, place your ruler at the edge of your fabric and pin a ribbon (folded in half) at the 1" mark, like this:

Then, move your ruler to the right, so the pin in the middle of your ribbon is at the edge of your ruler, like this:

After that, start pinning your ribbons every four inches, centering the pin on each 4" mark. Like this:

When you get to the end, the pin in your last ribbon will be about 3 inches from the end. After that, turn your fabric and do the next side the same way. Your corner will look like this:

When they're all pinned, baste all the edges, 3/8" from the edge (I like to baste inside my seam allowance so I don't have to bother ripping out the basting later.)

Now you're ready to pin the back piece on. With right sides together, pin your main fabric to your backing fabric. (Tip--Each fabric has two stretchier sides and two that aren't so stretchy. It's helpful to pin the stretchier side of your main fabric to the stretchier side of your backing--it's just easier to sew them together nicely when the grains are the same way). Leave a 5 or 6 inch opening for turning and sew them together in a 1/2" seam.
Trim your corners like so:

Then, turn it right side out through your opening. Poke the corners gently with a chopstick, ahem, point turner ;) and press your edges nice and neat:

Don't worry about hand sewing that hole up--if you press neatly, the top stitching will take care of it.

Last step! Top stitch around the edges, about 1/8" from the edge.

Done and done!

FYI: The company, Taggies, has a patent on anything with two or more looped ribbons. Because of this, we can make these for ourselves or for gifts, but we are not allowed to sell them. If you try selling them on Etsy, you will be discovered and they will remove your listings and you will be bummed out. I know this from experience :)

Sew Simple

2011-09-20T11:31:00.000-06:00

I gave Simplicity's "Sew Simple" line a try recently. I had a beautiful piece of brushed cotton (I think?) that was given to me in the last batch of fabrics from my elderly friend at church and I wanted a Fall dress out of it. I decided on Simplicity 2017 and I like how it turned out a lot...

I wore it to church on Sunday and was super comfortable the whole day! I was also able to use a vintage trim, given to me a long time ago by another elderly friend at church. I tell ya, once these ladies find out there's a young crafter/sewer in their midst, they are so generous with their stockpiles of wonderful things!!

If you want to read my review of this pattern, you can find it here. This new Sew Simple line is pretty great in that there's only one view on each pattern and there are lots of tips geared toward beginner clothing sewers that aren't usually included in patterns. Plus, having only one view simplifies the cutting process! No searching for all the right pieces--just use them all :)

Annnndd, guess what, this line of patterns is on sale at Walmart this week for only 97 cents each! Yay! I haven't been to Walmart in ages (I live super close to a Target and let's admit it, Target's just prettier ;) but this little sale might drive me there this week!

While I was taking a picture of this dress with my self-timer, the kids just had to jump in on one and of course, they needed Daddy in it too :) If only Casey had already been in his church clothes, this totally would have worked for our Christmas cards this year! Ah, well....

fundies

2011-09-19T08:27:00.000-06:00

Lately, my kids think the word undies is just sooooooo funny. While playing "I spy", everything suddenly has undies on it and everyone is suddenly dissolved into fits of giggles, including me, because really, it is so funny :)

A few nights ago, we were sitting around just after Casey got home from work and I grabbed a pair of Kelby's clean undies and put them on his head. Ha! Then the girls put some on their heads and great fun was had by all.

See, potty training is just hilarious! HA!

sewing, sewing, sewing

2011-09-16T19:54:00.000-06:00

For starters, thanks for all the ideas about my military ball dress!! I'm excited to get started. Of course, this is one of the few times that Simplicity patterns aren't on sale.

It may appear that I have not sewn much lately. Although there were a few frantic first weeks of homeschooling when I thought I might as well put my machine away because I was never going to have time to sew again, I got through that and actually have managed to produce a few things :)

When it was still summery out, I picked up this plaid fabric to make this Lisette jacket out of:

Yesterday, I saw the first few yellow leaves on my tree, so it's fitting that I finished it today!

I've made the dress on this pattern a couple of times now and love it, so it's fitting that I really love this pattern too. You can read my review on Patternreview.com here.

Beyond that, though, I have been commissioned to make two sets of crib bedding for a friend. She has fancy taste and so these are fabrics I may never have gotten to work with if not for her beautiful vision of the nursery she wants!
At first I was feeling overwhelmed (not helped by those few frantic weeks), but I decided to sew one piece a week and then use the rest of the week to work on my own personal sewing list and still finish the bedding in six weeks. Somehow that made it all much more fun :) I finished one quilt this week...

As you can imagine, these are not straightforward fabrics to work with. I had the fabrics for a couple weeks before even getting started because I had to ponder how this was going to work; the main fabric (what do you call this, picot?) almost needs gathered onto the batting. Then, to sew that onto a pretty stretchy backing (although the softest backing ever). Whew! The tricks I came up with worked amazingly!! I'd be happy to share IF anyone cares or plans on using this fabric someday :) I have some ideas for the bumper pads next!

formal gowns? anyone?

2011-09-15T17:06:00.002-06:00

I decided a few months ago, I am going to attempt sewing my military ball gown this year. The ball is every November and last year, it was difficult to find many choices at that time of year. I got a great black dress that fit really well, but this year I want to make something fabulous instead! I've been perusing patterns online for months now and have determined that it's the fabric choice that matters maybe more than the pattern.

This one is a major contender:

I like the white version, the one on the model, but what is the trim on there?? I know this is a style that I could easily pull off and would be comfortable sitting for several hours (because that's what you do at these things. How they're allowed to call them "balls", I will never know!)

Slightly more risky, but another that I'm seriously considering is this one:

I say more risky, because I really don't know how this style will look on me, with the gathering at the side. I really like the view on the top left. Come to think of it, actually, it's possible my gown from last year had those side gathers. Hmmm, I'll have to go check it out.

Okay, until a few days ago, I was almost sure I was going this route:

Obviously, this is not a formal gown, but I would adapt it to be floor length (I noticed short is a kind of unspoken no-no for this event) and in a formal fabric, I think it would work and could be really great. The little satin belt makes me happy and I know this would flatter me just fine. I went ahead and picked up this pattern last week when Vogue went on sale for 3.99.

BUT, a few nights ago, while watching How I Met Your Mother, with Casey, I shouted "Oh, my goodness, Casey, look what Robin's wearing!" He had no idea what I was going on about, but check this out!

This is the dress! However, I am not lovin' the fit of the bodice here at all--look how it's pulling at the waist and it's also way too low cut for me to feel comfortable. Not at all how it looks on the pattern envelope. So, now I'm having second thoughts. I do already have the pattern and I'm sure I can dig up some fabric to make a muslin, so I might as well just see.

I'm rather surprised that I can't seem to find many photos or reviews of formal gown patterns. I guess I'll be pioneering :)

In any case, what would YOU do????

Chalkboard paint

2011-09-12T16:35:00.001-06:00

I bought a huge frame at a garage sale last summer and finally, before we started our current school year, got around to giving it new life as a chalkboard! Whenever Casey and I undertake a new house project, big or small, we tend to bounce a LOT of ideas around before jumping in. In this case, we decided to buy a piece of plywood, have it cut the right size, paint it, then screw it right into the wall, screwing the frame on over it. I didn't want it hung like a regular picture because I need it to stay put while in use! Here's how it turned out:

So, now that I've used the stuff, here are my tips for successfully using chalkboard paint:

Buy the roll-on kind. I tried the spray paint first and even though I primed my wood first, I had a hard time getting an even coverage. I used the whole can over several coats and it still looked spotty. Plus, it didn't erase at all.
Let it cure for 3 or 4 DAYS! Don't use it at all until it's been that long!
Before using it, rub a piece of sideways chalk all over it in a circular motion, so it gets in all the tiny cracks. Then, rub that in with your eraser, also in a circular motion. After that, wipe down with a warm rag and you're good to go!
Don't use colored chalk! It does not wipe off. The white chalk comes off fine with a wet rag, but the colored stuff stays.

Although not the same as a real chalkboard, this is working for me! Just don't expect it to erase very well with just the eraser. Every couple days, I just take the wet rag to it and it looks like new :)

Brilliant!

2011-09-08T19:48:00.000-06:00

Now that we are getting into the swing of things, I am finding a few tricks that work for my homeschooling organization. I read this idea somewhere and it is brilliant, so I had to share. For awhile, I kept the books and things that we used daily during circle time in a little plastic tub. The tub would start with us in the living room for circle time, move to the table for school work, then maybe to the kitchen if I read out loud during lunch. But, the books just kinda get piled up in there and I got tired of digging through books. The solution? A dish drainer!!

It is segmented perfectly for books, so I can flip through them so easily. Plus, the silverware caddy is convenient for the smaller things we use daily during circle time.

Now, I gave you a good idea, so it's your turn :) Will you be my sounding board for a sec??

First off, I cannot believe how busy I feel now that school is in full swing. I feel like I never sit down!! There is so much that needs done and school only adds to the home maintenance! I have only sewn one seam in an entire week, which kinda bums me out, but obviously those expectations need to change too. A few things I'm working on to improve things where housework is concerned:

Lowering my standard. A family that is home all day cannot have the same standard of "tidy" as a family who works and goes to school. We are here all the time, so I need to be ok with some degree of mess.
I have not required enough of the kids. I'm working on this. The little things they are capable of doing could really add up and help me out a lot. I'm wondering, though; do you have any tips for motivating your kids to help out with a good attitude?
There are a few things I feel like I have under control. One is the laundry, the other is the kitchen. I think if I can maintain these two areas, plus have the family room generally picked up by the end of the night, I'll be happy with that.

What are YOUR tricks for keeping up????? Please, I really want to know!!

Ode to Colorado

2011-09-06T17:34:00.000-06:00

Every time I leave the city and enter the nearby more mountainous parts of my lovely state, I am always so in awe of God's wonders. He didn't have to make everything so beautiful, ya know, but aren't we glad He did? It always reminds me that our creative desires and love for beauty is a result of being created in His very image.

We escaped home and spent the night with Casey's parents in Colorado City last weekend. While there we witnessed a sideways-blowing crazy rain storm, which resulted in this amazing rainbow!

Amazing!
I can never get enough of the views from their yard down there, even though it seems the camera never quite captures it like real life!

8 grandkids on this side of the fam. 5 boys, 3 girls. These are the girls :)

Love this one of Natalie!

It occurred to us recently that we have never taken the kids to Bishop's Castle, which is only minutes from my in-laws house. This place is the result of one guy and his father before him, I think, over several decades. It's crazy and ridiculous and awe-inspiring and a death-trap all rolled into one :)

Natalie and Kelby were FEARLESS! It was freaking me out. This is NOT a safe place. Layla, on the other hand was absolutely terrified. In her defense, I was not thrilled about the initial super-steep staircase either ;)
Can you see it in her face?? hahaha!

While I'm on Colorado and its merits, love this oldie from good ol' Five Iron Frenzy:

It's true, ya know :)

first sewing lessons

2011-08-31T21:19:00.000-06:00

Hmm, the new Blogger is different, huh?

I've had my eye on this book for quite awhile and when I got a good coupon in my inbox for Barnes & Noble, I snapped it up!

Natalie especially is so excited to try something; she was practically in my sewing chair after flipping through it once, ha! I told her we'll be starting with some hand sewing :) Before we try something from the book, I thought I'd have the girls give embroidery a go. It was so much fun, they loved it.

I tried to show Natalie how to make smaller stitches, but she kept saying, "Yeah, ok, I think I have the hang of this now". Too cute :)

Happily, I also have a new grown-up sewing student! I'm going to start teaching my friend Maggie how to sew and she is super excited, she said she wants to sew everything and be just like me and I said, "You want to be a 50's housewife like me!?"

God is the Ruler yet

2011-08-28T17:55:00.000-06:00

I have been absolutely loving the old hymn, This is my Father's World. We sang it in church today because I requested it of our music minister and because he's married to me, he obliged ;) The lyrics are wonderful, but my favorite is the final verse:

This is my Father's world,

Oh, let me never forget

That though the wrong seems often so strong,

God is the ruler yet.

This is my Father's world,

The battle is not done.

Jesus who died will be satisfied

And earth and Heaven be one.

A short while back, I fell in love with Jadon Lavik's version (the whole album is very good, actually):

And, what do ya know, this song is part of our homeschooling curriculum (which is called My Father's World) so it looks like I'll be dwelling on these words lots :)

Seasons come and seasons go

2011-08-24T19:07:00.000-06:00

Welp, we have officially begun our school year as of Monday and although I'm sure I'll feel out of my element for the first few weeks (months?) of every new year that we homeschool, things are going well :) I am enjoying the My Father's World curriculum--very hands-on, which is great for us creative types!

Last week, as a last hurrah for summer sewing, I pulled out a piece of vintage cotton that I was recently given and gave Simplicity 2591 another whirl:

I reviewed the pattern right here, if you're interested in reading that. I wore it today and really like it :) The fabric makes me smile and it makes me feel a bit like a 50's housewife. Those fab pockets can't be beat!

But before that, I pulled out a little p.j. pattern and some flannel pieces and made each of the kids some Fall p.j. pants. I'm still deciding if I will buy sleep shirts or make them, but they were all thrilled about the pants, even though I put them downstairs in the cold weather tub for now :)

In order to tell the back from the front, I like to put little tags in them, like this...

Kinda makes me want to make some for myself!

This pile is about a third of the last batch of fabrics that my dear older friend at church gave me (this is Kelby's idea of helping me fold it)

Rosemarie, who gives me all this wonderful fabric, made Kelby this little man shirt for his birthday!!

SO sweet, he loves it :) It has his name embroidered on the tag, which he things is pretty cool.

My Sewing Nook

2011-08-19T09:25:00.000-06:00

Remember me telling you how a spider had babies in my sewing room?? That actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise :) Because of that little incident, I spent about a week doing all my sewing on our dining room table. I loved it. I got so much more sewing time in because I didn't have to wait until the kids were busy or down for bed to go hole up and sew! Because of this, I decided to move my sewing downstairs.

I am lucky enough to have both a living room and a family room, a dining room and an eat-in kitchen. I took one end of the living room, brought an unused desk over from my Mom's (which I had actually painted years ago, in a color that I still love, thankfully) and had Casey drag up a shelf from the basement that was left here when we moved in. Then, after that, I had him drag it outside and cut the legs shorter and then drag it back in. What a guy :)

Anyway, here's where I'm sewing now...

I opted for the window on the end that isn't the first thing you see from the front door and where the couch sort of separates things from the living room. I think it looks so pretty! Who says a living room workspace has to be an eyesore???

My little spot has some of my favorite special things in it: A washboard that was my grandmother's, vintage drawing books that were my Mom's when she was a kid, an old shoe pin cushion that was my other grandmother's, a tile my friend Jenn made me that I use as a pattern weight, a china bowl Casey brought home from Iraq, the Matroyshka doll my Dad got me in Russia and some inspiring little Mary Engelbreit prints (still miss her magazine!)

My fabric, patterns and many supplies are still stored up in the guest room and the spiders have been taken care of thanks to my trusty Terminix guy, in case you're wondering. While I was moving furniture, I went ahead and painted that room. I did it with no taping, in a room full of furniture and three kids in the room with me and it took me about 2 hours. That's how you know you've painted an entire house from top to bottom. I now consider myself a pro :)

I snapped this picture of Kelby's room after we tidied it yesterday. Now that he has his new bed, he really seems to own his room. Before it was just a place to sleep, but now he arranges his toys, sweet-talks the girls into making his bed just how he likes it, etc...

The Big Boy

2011-08-17T19:45:00.002-06:00

So, my little guy turned 3 last weekend! For some reason, I am having a rough time with him growing up! I almost cried when Casey took apart the crib for the very last time (although it's a major pain, so I'm sure Casey was inwardly filled with glee) to make room for his big boy bed.
He looks soooo cute in his new bed, though :)

That awesome dinosaur is one of the things I made him for his birthday! He really loves him, he wouldn't stop hugging him all day and he even pretended to share his breakfast with him, with slurpy noises and everything.

Someone gave me this old pattern a few years ago and every time Kelby would wander into my sewing room, he would dig it out and carry it around for the rest of the day. So, I finally made him one :)

I also made him these peg dolls! This is not my original idea, I found it on Pinterest and it came from this site. Mr. Incredible was my own addition and he's my fave :) It occurred to me after I made them, I don't know who the yellow guy is. The best guess we've gotten so far is Ironman, but I dunno.

While I was at it, I made our little family, which you can see in my header up there. These were a big hit with all the kids!

Kelby put his own little guy in his shirt pocket and carried him around that way for a few hours, it was too cute.
I think I might try these Star Wars ones for Christmas!

We had a pretty low-key birthday, which was nice. We didn't have a big party, but we did take the kids to a little water park that we have here called Pirate's Cove, which was crazy, but super fun :) I didn't take any pictures there, I was too nervous about all that water and my camera!

I made some pirate cupcakes (printed the toppers for free from here).

Grandma and P-Paw were there, my lovely cousin Jordan and my Aunt and Uncle. It was fabulous :)

Aaaaaaaargh!!!

Happy Birthday, Big Boy!!!

Currently reading...

2011-08-11T20:25:00.001-06:00

I would love to share a current reading list with you :) Now that I'm doing less mandatory reading for school, I have more time to read for pleasure; not that I wasn't squeezing some of that in anyway!

I started Vanity Fair a few months ago, right after reading Great Expectations. These are two whoppers of classic literature, but I am reallllly liking Vanity Fair. Today I passed up page 600, out of 850, so the end is in sight and I am excited to find out what happens! Then I'll watch the movie, I suppose, but I know it won't do it justice. We'll see.

After this doozy, I'm going to read The Help....because I need something shorter and everyone says it's wonderful...and because I like to read the book before I see the movie of anything!

Next up, I ordered My ABC Bible Verses for the kiddos because I'd read some good things about it. We love this book!! I read one story and verse to the kids every several days and then we review the verses we've learned. Not only do they remember the verses (when I say, "does anyone remember the A verse, the B verse, etc..."), but the verses are very applicable to the life of a child and so I can say, "Was that a kind answer or a harsh one? What kind of answer turns away anger??" Good lessons for mommies too ;) Highly recommend.

Thirdly, a friend let me borrow Things That Can Not Be Shaken and I am working my way through it slowly and thoughtfully. It really confronts doubt in a Christian's life and so far, it is a very worthwhile read. The subtitle reads, "Holding fast to your faith in a relativistic world".

The same friend (thanks, Amanda :) told me about the On-the-Go devotional series. I started with the contentment one because for some reason, this one was much cheaper for my Nook than the others. I really like it with my morning coffee :)

Last but not least, and back to the classics--sometime around February or March, I heard there was a new Jane Eyre movie coming to theaters. I think I remember reading the book in high school, but I wanted to read it again and boy, did I love it! You can read my review of the book on Goodreads right here. I never made it to the movie, but it finally came out for rent last weekend and I rented it. It was SO good and SO true to the story!!!! I always love it when that happens :)

Happy reading!

Last Hurrah

2011-08-10T20:03:00.002-06:00

Guess what, in case you didn't already know, I FINISHED MY DEGREE ON MONDAY!!!!! Yep, that's right, I'm a college graduate, the first in my family line, actually, so I am proud and more than an little relieved that it's over!

We don't start homeschooling for another couple of weeks, so I signed the kids up for swimming lessons--four days this week and four days next. And let me tell, ya, after only 3 days, my kids have been replaced by three little fish; they would swim all day!

I have also made no less than three dresses for myself recently and one for each of the girls. I guess I'm a bit behind on posting them! Here's one, though, the only one I've taken a pic of so far...

Sheesh, I coulda smiled, right? This is a combination of two patterns. The bodice is Simplicity 2209, the Lisette passport dress which I've made once already...

And I used the skirt from Simplicity 2177, also a dress I've made once and love...

I originally started to make the Lisette dress, but because of that great nautical-looking border on my fabric, I needed a skirt that was cut straight and the Lisette dress has a curved hem. These two patterns are very similar in cut and style, but I like the fit of the Lisette bodice a bit better, so I measured carefully and it turned out the straight skirt would fit the Lisette bodice perfectly! And, I went with it :) I like the dress, but I'm actually picturing it styled for a Fall look--with a red or yellow cardi, maybe and a skinny belt, I think.

Anyway, it seems I finally figured out how to get in-focus pictures with my self-timer, so maybe I'll get the other dress photographed pretty soon!!! While we were at it, the kids and I took this one:

Do we do blue eyes, or WHAT!? :)

And, my leggy Layla girl. When did she lose her baby legs???? So sweet...

Afternoon Tea

2011-08-08T20:45:00.000-06:00

I have a new afternoon drink. Does anyone else have a mason jar fetish?? I just loooove mason jars. I have way too many. But, I do use them. See?

They're great for all the bulk foods I buy at Sprouts! Especially with these self-sealing plastic lids (because the metal ones tend to rust in the dishwasher).

When I saw this idea on Pinterest, I knew I'd found my new favorite use.

Mmmmm, iced tea in a jar. Here's how I make it: I put water in a big mason jar, leaving room for ice, with two tea bags (so far, Celestial Seasonings Blueberry is my favorite), microwave it for two minutes and let it steep for about 10 minutes. Fill 'er up with ice (remove the tea bags first if you want) and add a lemon slice or two. Yum! This lasts me all afternoon and did you know that herbal tea (unsweetened) counts toward your daily water? Bonus :) Mango tea with orange slices sounds yummy too!

Life Events

2011-08-06T21:15:00.000-06:00

So sorry for the radio silence this last week! In my defense, we are busy around here, celebrating some major life events! First off, Casey and I celebrated our tenth anniversary a couple days ago! Second, I am officially graduating college on Monday, with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication and third, our little dude turns 3 next Sunday. Whew! Oh, and in a few months, I will be turning 30, so 2011 is a big year for me :)

I really don't like not blogging for a whole week because now I have too many bloggy thoughts rolling around in my head. I have to start somewhere, though, so I will show you some pics of Beautiful Colorado, where you can drive a few hours and find yourself in wine country, in a gorgeous hotel next to a mountainside and on a carriage tour escorting you from winery to meadery to distillery, where you can get a grand wine education. That's what we did for our big 10th. It was our first ever anniversary trip and we are thankful for the Grandmas who made our absence possible and worry free for a couple days :)

hehehe.

This is Mt. Garfield, a massive mesa that was literally right next to the Wine Country Inn, where we were staying!

This was our tour guide, Heidi and her sidekick, Millie :) Oh, and that's Clyde up front.

Casey picked these for me. Aw :)

I'm excited to show you all some things I've been working on! I've tried some great recipes, I've started on some Fall sewing for the girls and I've discovered some pretty good books, movies and music! Can't wait to share!

Cheers :)

'ello, me lady

2011-07-28T20:52:00.000-06:00

So, we went to the Renaissance Festival and it's safe to say that I totally underestimated the beast in terms of traffic, parking, sheer size, bawdy humor, number of crazy-in-your-face bosoms, and the boldness of oversized people in undersized fairy tutus. And it was hot. We spent $25 collectively on water and did not have to pee, if that tells you anything.

It was fun. But, when we got in the car, I said, "I don't think I want to do that again next year," and Casey said, "Uh, or ever?" We agreed that now that we've been there, we don't need to go there again, ha! I got some fun pics, though :)

We were on team Roderick. That's him in the black. Mom and I agreed he was the cutest one ;)

Those two extra kiddos are my niece and nephew, in case you were wondering :)

Men and their swords...

Casey and his bro. I took this for their mama :)

Fair thee well.

June Cleaver

2011-07-25T19:15:00.000-06:00

One of the prizes from the Spring Top contest was two Lisette patterns of my choice. I've been itching to make this one ever since! I had some pretty white eyelet (also a Spring Top prize!), but didn't really want an entire dress out of it. So, I picked up some really pretty swiss dot at JoAnn while it was half off and put my dress together.
Here's how it turned out...

Casey really likes this one; he said I look polished, like June Cleaver, ha! He meant that in a good way :) You can read my review of this pattern here.

I lined this whole dress using this awesome tutorial on lining a sleeveless bodice without hand sewing and it is pure magic! So, I just had to share :)

I plan on making the jacket on this pattern too. I never would have given it a second glance going by the pattern envelope, but I saw this version on Flickr and could envision it all kinds of ways! I already found the perfect fabric too :) Maybe I'm just barely starting to be ready for Fall, but it can hold off for quite awhile longer, if you ask me!

Catching Up!

2011-07-22T21:15:00.000-06:00

I have taken lots of pictures of random goings on this week! I recently started a little list of things I want to blog about, but I realize now that just picking one of those things per post will put me behind pretty quickly. Sooo, I'm going to share a whole week with you, ha!

For starters, check out my first Dahlia! It was well worth the wait and there are several more big ol' buds waiting to bloom. Wowzers, it is huge and so beautiful!!!!

I think I jumped the gun on sharing my couch makeover because the very next day, I turned some embroidered tea towels, of which I only had Sunday and Monday, into some quilted pillows. The vintage ball fringe is something I got at a yard sale several years ago and have been waiting for the right project to come around. Turns out, this was it :)

I got my carpet, rug and couches cleaned this week and boy do they look better! If I had taken this picture on Monday, I would have been too embarrassed of the yucky carpet to post it, but not today...

This is my boy trying on some of the girls' stuff. Don't tell Daddy :)

Gotta love that cute little plumber's crack, right?

Last night we had a movie night! Some friends of ours found The Lion King on VHS and they brought it over (along with their VHS player because we're losers and don't have one) and we cuddled up to watch. Granny came...

Love that pic! :)

For dinner, I made some pizza bites. I found these on Pinterest and I must link the recipe because they are FABULOUS! You bake them in muffin tins and dip them in pizza sauce. I've made them twice now and they are my new/easier version of pizza and movie night. So much fun. You can find the recipe here. Instead of chopping pepperoni, I use the new mini pepperonis which make it even easier. Yum. Double it because they go fast :)

I have lots more good recipes waiting to be tried on my Pinterest "Yum" board!

Tomorrow we are going to the Renassaince Festival! We have never been before so we are super excited. I'm sure I'll have lots of pictures to share :)

I made over my couch!

2011-07-19T19:27:00.001-06:00

We bought this little couch long before we had kids. It wasn't the wisest, most forward-thinking fabric choice. Not only does is stain easily, the kids wallered the cushions until they were lumpy and squat and it was becoming less and less comfortable. Sooooo, I recently brainstormed for a solution. Here's what it looked like before:

I found a four yard chunk of this beautiful fabric in the Hobby Lobby remnant bin for only ten dollars and after another ten dollars for batting and a few afternoons' work, I had this...

You can't see the quilting in the picture, but I did use batting behind the fabric and quilted some basic diagonal lines. The quilting gives them more structure and avoids the lumpiness that happens when you make pillows out of cotton like this. I reused the stuffing from the previous cushions, so this makeover (unless you count what I paid to have the couch cleaned and Scotch Guarded today) was very inexpensive!

The fabric wasn't enough for all the backs, so I mixed and matched some fabrics from my stash. It looks pretty from the back :)

Casey was thrilled at how much more comfy it is now. He said, "Aw, you saved the couch!" Haha.

Quick change of subject, but I thought you might like to know that a spider had babies in my sewing room. Dreams of spiders kept me up all night and I felt itchy everywhere, like they were crawling all over me. EW! Our Terminix guy is coming tomorrow.

In the mean time, my sewing has migrated to the dining room, where I managed to remedy this little mess...

...into this...

Much better :)

The best kiddie pool ever!

2011-07-16T10:50:00.000-06:00

My friend Angela invited us to her community pool and it has an awesome kiddie pool. We stayed for three hours, it was SO much fun!

Snack time. Kelby may or may not have spit out a mouthful of pepperoni into the pool. I'll never tell. If he did do that, though, and if I did have to pick it up and put it in the trash...it was a little gross.

Aw. These two have always had a special bond :)

This is Carsten. He's a cool dude.

This is not my kid, obviously, but we had a good laugh over him standing over the little fountain like he was peeing--for at least 15 minutes. Soooooo funny!

There were also lots of mamas in itty bitty bikinis, stretch marks and all. Oh, and one Dad with a very feminine tattoo, hahaha! People watching at the kiddie pool is rather fun, it turns out :)

So, I am going to sign all the kids up for swim lessons in August. Hopefully whatever they learn there sticks until next Summer.

Big finish

2011-07-12T14:46:00.000-06:00

The monster nine patch is done!!!!

What I love about scrap quilts is the memories that all the various fabric hold! In this quilt I can see things I made for my babies, gifts I made for friends, projects made in Georgia while my husband was deployed, in my friend Jenn's living room watching the Disney Channel and cracking up over homemade pizza dough. Good times :) Scrap quilts are so personal, which is what makes them great!

The inspiration for this quilt is here. A few years ago there was a related sew-along. Obviously, I got behind, ha! I left off the border because I was using 3" squares instead of 2.5" ones and so it was quite large already. I decided on a white border so that the scraps and squares themselves would remain the focus. The white looks quite striking on the back, though, of which I did not take a picture. Sorry.

The next quilt on my to-do list is this Cog and Wheel one by Denise Schmidt:

I've had this pattern for awhile and I have also had a little pile of car fabrics for awhile. I'm going to make this for the little guy because he'll be in a big boy bed soon. It's a full size bed, though, so this one might be a doozy! I can handle it. Right?...Right???

Kid Stuff

2011-07-10T17:21:00.001-06:00

I have a "kid stuff" board on Pinterest and in the last few weeks, I've put some of the good ideas I've pinned there to use!

A few weeks ago, I invited my play group gals over to paint my driveway with sidewalk chalk paint and it was super fun and my house was so colorful until Casey cleaned it off a few days later :)

Here's what you do: Mix equal parts water and corn starch in muffin tins and add food coloring. That's all! Foam brushes work the best, but even still, it takes a minute for it to dry a bit and show up on the sidewalk. My kids requested more and more after all the fun they had that day.

The moms wasted no time in picking through the beautiful hair bows made by my friend Jennica of Bow-Crazy Hair Bows, which you can find here.

At our July 4th party, I put together some mega bubble wand things that I found in Family Fun magazine. After two different brands of store-bought bubble solution, though, we still had no luck. But then I found a recipe for homemade giant bubble solution and tried again for a party we hosted yesterday and it worked and it was AWESOME!! It was so much fun for the kids...and for me, I couldn't seem to stay away, haha :)

Here's the recipe:

(Source)

I would highly recommend trying this--it's fun for all ages.

It took some practice for the kids, but they all got the hang of it after a few tries.

We also tried some pipe cleaner wands like these (also courtesy of Pinterest).

(Source)

The parents at yesterday's party got pretty creative with these; I'm pretty sure I saw a pipe cleaner super hero wandering around :)

Next up, I would really love to make a few of these super hero peg dolls for Kelby's birthday. I'm hoping Casey will help me 'cause he's artsy fartsy and all:

(Source)

Speaking of super heroes, I love this photo of my friend's son Ethan. He wore the cape I made him for his birthday to our sidewalk painting party :)

This is why I love sewing for the little ones in my life!

You can find/follow my "Kid Stuff" board on Pinterest here.

I Support the Tea Party...

2011-07-06T20:26:00.000-06:00

of this variety, of course:

Sometimes a guy just wants to have some water...out of a Princess tea cup...with a spoon...

Does anyone else still have one of these?

Yep, a Light Bright. It was Casey's. His mom keeps stuff :) We have all the black papers too. One of them says "Fraggle Rock", hahaha!

Speaking of Light Brights, have you seen this??

Cool, right!?

As promised, I posted a review for my July 4th dress on patternreview.com and you can find it here. From now on, you can click on the little sidebar widget to read all my reviews! I'm not planning on going back and reviewing all the stuff I've made up until now, but those are all here on my blog anyway :)

Cheers!

Patriotic and Proud

2011-07-05T16:45:00.000-06:00

Independence Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. There is a spirit of camaraderie in the air on July 4th, don't you think? I have read a few blog posts recently on Christians and patriotism. Should we celebrate America when God shows no partiality? One pastor whose blog I read believes that patriotism in the form of hymns and such should be kept completely out of the church. I disagree!! Consider these lyrics:

America, America, God shed His grace on Thee!

God Bless America! Stand beside her and guide her...

He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never call retreat,
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgement seat.
Oh, be swift my soul to answer Him, be jubilant my feet,
Our God is marching on.

And my favorite perhaps:
In the beauty of the lillies Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me.
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on!

Why should we not praise God for this mighty blessing of being American and even more, of being free. Don't we as Christians have more freedom to celebrate than anyone else? We have freedom in Christ! So, let's celebrate!!!

I come from a strong military history, so this may be where my strong patriotism gets it's roots. My husband is celebrating 11 years in the Army, my Dad was a marine, both my grandpas and both of Casey's were in the military too and his dad is a Vietnam War veteran. My mom's dad was a World War II vet. My husband is an Iraq War vet. We know what freedom costs and we're a proud bunch. Let us all try to imagine what a lack of freedom looks like whenever we start to feel less than proud to be an American, shall we?

Anyway, moving on :)

We had such a wonderful holiday weekend. We had a potluck after church on Sunday, true to Baptist form :) I had made the girls some skirts and appliqued some t-shirts to match. I made myself a festive dress after finding some perfect fabric at Denver Fabrics recently.

I scored the red belt at a thrift store and the lovely pearls were a gift from a precious friend when her grandmother passed away and she inherited more jewelry than she knew what to do with :) I cherish them, Jenn, thank you!

I have decided to start recording my pattern reviews on patternreview.com so those interested can read them and those who don't care don't have to, ha! I'll post a link to this dress review when I get that going!

Yesterday (July 4th) was a full day, but so much fun, from beginning to end. We started out at a park, while a bunch of guys from our church and some other churches got together to play baseball. Casey's been wanting to do this for awhile, so he was very excited. It was HOT, but really fun. (I didn't play, I'm sports-impaired, but I did play blob-tag, freeze-tag, London Bridges and ran races with all the kiddos :)

Later we had some people over and look what the girls and I made!

I found this idea on Pinterest and you can find the simple instructions here. Ours aren't nearly as tidy as the ones in the picture, but we had a lot of messy fun making them :)

There are lots of dessert-in-a-jar recipes around the ol' Internet these days and I can now speak from experience that they are great crowd-pleasers!

The kids watched as the men shot off some fireworks. Fire makes me a nervous wreck, so when they moved to the front yard, I did not follow and observe. I told myself that a bunch of military men know what they are doing with dangerous things like that, haha.

After that, we played Sequence. What a fun game, I guess I had forgotten! This version is now on my wish list, as I was told it is also super fun (and educational).

We are lucky enough to live very close to where they shoot off the fireworks for the huge Firework Spectacular in our city, so a huge group took off to the Highline Canal trail about a block away to get a good view. Kelby was asleep, so my friend Liz and I watched the show through a clearing in the trees from my neighbor's driveway.

It was beautiful :) God, bless America!

Incentive

2011-06-28T13:42:00.000-06:00

Kelby is a lazy potty trainer. Yesterday I realized he needs some better incentive than just a Gummi Octopus (yes, it's exactly what it sounds like and they are a little squiggly going down) so I made him a potty chart. When he gets a sticker in every square, we will go see Cars 2--if it's still in theaters by then!

While I was at it, I decided to make Natalie one for reading, hoping to give a her a little nudge to even want to try reading. And, whadayaknow, it is totally working!! She has read 6 books already and I got a bunch more at the library last night! This is big, because she is super smart, but has been a rather reticent reader, so I am very happy, as one who can't imagine not loving to read!

When she fills up her chart, we will go to the Disney Store. If I'd known she would fill it up so quickly, I probably would have put more than 14 squares ;)

Well, the girls think the chart making is pretty cool, so they proceeded to make Layla one and me a "Sewing Chart". When I finish something, I get a sticker.

Aw, adorable. But, that's a lot of squares, I don't think I'll be earning my prize anytime soon. Although, they let me put a sticker on for finishing half the quilting on this baby:

I finished the horizontal lines yesterday and hope to finish the rest in the next couple of days because I have lots I want to sew and I refuse to start anything new until this monster is quilted!!

Here's what I decided on for the back:

The red is a huge piece of vintage cotton from the lady at church. It wasn't quite big enough so I had to supplement with a couple of Denise Schmidt prints from my stash. I think it will look very cool folded down on a bed :) Casey is super happy about this quilt because it's longer than he is--finally one he can stretch out under!

Inspired

2011-06-26T20:21:00.001-06:00

I feel myself coming out of a bit of a fog. Maybe because it's Summer, maybe because I am almost done with my degree (whew!), but whatever the case, I am so inspired lately! I suddenly want to resume cooking good food while dancing with the kids to good music, I want to cut flowers for the table every time something new sprouts up, I've been reading to the kids on the front lawn with our picnic quilt under the tree and I'm eager to collect ideas for my sewing room. I'm just thankful for the ease of my schoolwork and the ease of my mind and for the time to enjoy my days again, without the anxiety of deadlines and change and the inevitable, but still hard fluidity of friendships.

Here are some things that have been a bit inspiring to me. I hope they inspire you too!

Mollie Makes magazine.

I spotted this magazine for the first time in Barnes & Noble yesterday and snatched it right up. It's European, so a bit pricier than most, but it is rich in quality! I want to read every page and try lots of the ideas!

Thrifting! I went to my favorite thrift shop today for some time out alone and found some great treasures. Kids books at Savers are only 69 cents, so I got a great stack of those (I find myself avoiding Disney stories, when it comes to books these days. Anyone else? Have we had enough?) I also found this awesome globe from the 60's. Well the cashier said 70's, but it looks 60's to me.

I also scored those dry-erase boards. There was a huge stack of them, so I bought four. And the binder will be my new home notebook :)

AND, this vintage cotton fabric:

It feels very similar to the vintage cotton I made this skirt out of, of which I promised a picture :)

Fresh food!!! Fresh homemade pizza, specifically :) Have you ever made pizza in cast iron? Because it's fabulous AND the crust cooks so much more easily! Last night my friend Amanda and I put this concoction together and I just enjoyed the leftovers an hour ago. Yummmmmm.

Ingredients: Butter/garlic sauce, tomatoes, feta, onions, cilantro, roasted red peppers and salt and pepper.

Finally, how can this guy not be inspiring?? He keeps my creative juices flowing in a very different way, ha!

What's inspiring YOU lately??

weekending

2011-06-25T13:07:00.003-06:00

Casey has been off for a few days! And, our friend Amanda, who is expecting her first baby very soon is staying with us while her hubby is out of town, so we have been have some fun in the sun the last few days.
Yesterday we went to the Zoo! We bought a membership this year and we've been several times already so it's paid for itself twice over by now. Yesterday I took just the girls and went with Amanda another friend Maggie with her adorable baby, Jonathan. It was hot! But fun :)

I love this picture of me and my girls! See that cute little sewing machine necklace I'm wearing? That was one of my winnings from the Spring Top contest and I really love it.

Ice cream was a must!

In case you're feeling bad for Kelby, don't worry--Casey and I will take just him to the zoo one day soon while the girls have a day with Granny! Oh, and we did bring him home a pet snake--a stuffed one, of course ;)

Shortly after that, we went to my Mom's for dinner and a swim! Needless to say, the kids fell asleep super fast last night, ha!

Completely unrelated, but I was reminded of this while watching cartoons with the kids this morning. Is it just me, or does Dora yell all the time??

Comedy Central's Jokes.com
Tags: Jokes,Joke of the Day,Funny Jokes

More on knits

2011-06-23T11:11:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I wore a dress I made last week and felt fabulous in it all day! I got Casey to take some pictures and even though he was standing downhill from me, which doesn't get my most flattering angle, I am posting them anyway ;)

This is a Cynthia Rowley pattern, Simplicity 2443, which I've actually made before. The first time, though, I made it too big so even though I loved the fabric, I just didn't feel great in it. This time, I made the right size, left out the interfacing and the zipper, both things I feel are unnecessary in an easy summer knit dress! I especially love the racer back:

Again, not the greatest angle, but I've recently read some posts about fashion blogging and body image which have impacted my thoughts about what I look like in pictures! If you're interested, you can find these posts, here, and here.

More on sewing with knits, though: I do not have a serger, so i would like you to know that knits can be sewn with a regular machine! I have discovered that both a stretch/ballpoint needle and a walking foot make all the difference. Also, I use double-stitched seams for a finished look. Just sew your seam and sew again a 1/4" inside the seam, then trim. Very nice :) This also prevents pesky rolling problems on your seam allowances.

In other news, my little girl is officially a big girl because she now has a big girl bike! Recently Layla learned to ride Natalie's bike and so I found her one of her own on Craigslist.

Such a pretty little thing :) I'm taking this one out on a date today, I can't wait!

Basics

2011-06-21T16:38:00.001-06:00

I have been sewing some very versatile pieces lately and guess what... they're not dresses, ha! Annnnnd, I'm happy to say, I am no longer afraid of knits. I ain't skeered!

First off, I tried on a white version of a little cardigan like this at a store which shall remain nameless. It was $40 though, so I was very hesitant to buy it until I noticed a tiny hole under the arm (which I could fix easily). So, I thought, YAY! they'll give me a damage discount! (It was the only one left in that size). But, no! She said she wasn't allowed to sell damaged merchandise, but I could buy it for regular price. Dumb! But, it's okay, because shortly thereafter, I found this pattern:

I found this super-soft pink knit at Denver fabrics and made this!

I did make a couple of changes--rather than hemming the front band piece that acts as a sort of scarf around it, I folded it in half length-wise and sewed it on that way instead. I thought doing a narrow hem would look homemade and I also didn't really want a huge scarf around my neck on a summer cardi. Also, I added some ties to the sides because that's what I loved so much about the one I tried on in the store. It just gave it more shape than others I've seen in this style. Above, they're tied behind, but they can also tie in the front:

It's wrinkled because I took it off when I was sewing the other day and then sat on it for about an hour, haha.

A few months ago, I was at a thrift store and while picking through the bagged fabrics, I came across a nice piece of stretch denim, tossed in with an unknown black piece. I've yet to use the stretch denim, but the black turned out to be a fabulous heavier-weight knit, which I turned into a very cute and very goes-with-everything-or-for-any-occasion skirt! (I think Casey might be tired of taking pics of me on the front porch, so sorry for the hanger pictures ;)

This is not a pattern, I just winged it. Basically, use your hip measurement as a guide. I loooove the yoga style waste band. This piece of wide elastic started out in a pair of maternity pants, was repurposed in a maternity skirt that I made and now is still surviving inside this skirt! I can see myself getting a LOT of use out of this one!

I also discovered a perfect and very versatile pencil skirt pattern that I'm sure to use a lot in the future! It's Simplicity 2258 and I used a vintage cotton that reminds me of I-Love-Lucy, which I got from the blessed older lady at church :)

This picture doesn't do it much justice, but I'll try to have Casey take a pic when I'm wearing it soon. I love the pockets!

I'll definitely be making more versions of this--may be a good use for the aforementioned stretch denim! The fit is perfect on me, so the possibilities are endless. I really want to make some cute around-the-house pants out of view D.

P.S. I did add a little length (3 inches), as the skirt in the photo is a bit short for hanging with the kids purposes :)

Hope you're all having a fabulous week! :)

Whoa

2011-06-19T17:27:00.000-06:00

I have been to the CHEC homeschooling conference. I was only there half the day on Thursday and most of the day on Saturday, but I was overwhelmed after just the first talk I attended. Now that I've had a day to think on it, I feel better equipped to post some thoughts :)

The world of homeschooling is vast, to say the very least! I was prepared for the endless array of curriculum choices, but I should have been better prepared for the wide range of lifestyles and opinions within the Christian homeschooling community. Sometimes these types of things and even certain Christian books make me feel like I need to overhaul my entire life to be a godly woman (or successful homeschooler) and this is simply not the case. I was fighting feelings of inadequacy the entire weekend. After praying for wisdom and asking God to separate the lies from the truth, I was able to gain some perspective, I am thankful to say. I do not need to get rid of my TV and I don't need 14 children to be a successful Christian homeschool mom!!!

So, while I was all set to order Sonlight curriculum, I have decided to go with My Father's World (MFW) instead and here is why:

My kids are not quite close enough in age to share a Sonlight "core" in the future and with the demanding amount of reading aloud involved in each core, I was concerned doing two at once would get to be too much. MFW integrates ages in a much easier way, in my opinion.
MFW is a fraction of the cost of Sonlight, which means I can afford to get Layla started on the Kindergarten program (she is only four, but as she sat in on Natalie and I last year, she is ready to get going. I plan on taking two years to do the K curriculum.)
Natalie despises text books and MFW is a very hands-on approach and seems geared toward creative/visual types, while focusing on godly character. Very few text books involved and everything is very colorful and story-oriented, which I think is what she will thrive on.
MFW balances the Charlotte Mason, Classical and unit study methods in a way that really appeals to me.
Sonlight requires you to find your own math and science programs, while MFW integrates those subjects in.
We get to build an ant farm! Nuff said.

SO, how many homeschooling readers do I have?? I would absolutely love your input on this! Do you have experience with these curriculums? How do you fight the stereotypes? How do you filter out the legalistic messages? How do you fight against comparison with other homeschooling families? And most of all, why do you love homeschooling!? Please share, I'm sure many of us could benefit :)

My little artist, hard at work:

Random Summer Goings-On

2011-06-14T14:45:00.001-06:00

We have been busy doing Summer things--I'm doing more Summer sewing (pics to come!), we are getting our deck redone, we are planning some Summer parties and the kids and I have gone to the zoo a few times and the pool a few times, etc... That's not all, though! I have been SUPER busy with my own school work, since I doubled up on my classes for the Summer so that I can finish this degree before next homeschooling year begins! It has been a lot of work and sometimes what I have to do (researching politicians' Twitter pages) must take precedence over what I want to do. But, as I was reminded by two different people yesterday, this is only for a season. Thankfully, I'll still have a whole month of Summer break to enjoy after I finish my last class in the very beginning of August!

In the meantime, we'll stay close to home :)

Natalie helping Daddy mow...in a Princess dress, of course.

I love mowing days--because the kids go "help" and I get the house to myself. I'm pretty sure it's the only time I get the house to myself!

My baby roses finally bloomed! And then this morning, Layla picked the blooms off. Erg. It's okay, there are lots more buds.

Cheeeeese!

I inherited a few vintage embroidered tea towels this weekend. I think this is HILARIOUS!

How about a pipe with that laundry? HA! So funny.

tired of these yet?

2011-06-09T16:51:00.001-06:00

I know. Can I make anything that's not a dress?? Lately, it doesn't appear so. Although, I bought some awesome knits today and have some shirts in the works. But, what can I say, I loooove dresses in the Summer!

I made this one last week and wore it to church and most of the day on Sunday.

I used Simplicity 2177 and it's a winner, I will likely make it again. Very comfortable and I really like the narrower cut of the shoulders.

The triangular detail on the bodice is pretty cool. Here's a close-up of mine, but I think it would be extra cool in a stripe!

Because I've been making so many clothes lately, I've discovered some great clothing-sewing sites that I want to pass along to you!

Patternreview.com I know this one's been around for a long time, but I only recently discovered its value. Whenever I embark on a project, I can first read and see pics of what other people have made with a pattern. Great resource
Fake it While you Make it This gal's blog has some great show-and-tell clothing projects! I've been inspired by her creations a several times.
Green Apples This lovely lady makes some beautiful things, mostly dresses. See, I'm not the only one ;)
Idle Fancy I literally just discovered this blog today, but I can't wait to explore some more!

Pinterest has been a great inspiration too! What FUN Pinterest is! You can find my small-but-growing style board here.

Happy sewing! :)

Sights of Summer

2011-06-07T20:04:00.002-06:00

Aw, SUMMER!!!! I think I get happier each year to see you. I have been doing lots of yard work. Our yard is big and we bought our house a year ago, after the weeds had already been pulled, the trees already pruned and the rose bushes already cut back. This year I get to do all that myself and I rather like it. Someday if I cease to like it, maybe I'll put one of the many business cards for yard work left on my door all the time to good use, haha. For now, though, I'm enjoying it and wait with great anticipation for all the dozens of rose buds to bloom!!

What to do when you have three kids and only two leftover pancakes???

Cut them up and toss them with some berries, bananas and cinnamon. Add three forks. Brilliant!

My little Cubbies on Awana awards night:

I went grocery shopping today and guess what i didn't buy.........DIAPERS!!!!! Yep, we are potty training our final child and could not be more motivated by the fact that we will be diaper-free for the first time in almost 7 years. WHOOPIE!

Look at the cute tush in those big boy undies. Aw. So far he's doing awesome. Funny story, though:
I was priding myself for the first couple of days about how much more patience I have the third time around...and then I watched my friend's boys for a few hours one day, one of which is a baby. Kelby had a #2 accident and the little baby did not like me to put him down, so he was crying and I was trying to clean up the mess in a hurry and as my stress level rose, it hit me--that's why this is easier this time--because I don't have a baby right now!!!!! Duh.

Anyway, we have almost mastered the #1 issue, but have not had a #2 in the potty yet. Any tips on this would be greatly appreciated! Thanks :)

A work in progress and color tips

2011-06-05T08:37:00.000-06:00

I started this nine patch quilt a super long time ago. I do not usually like to have unfinished things lying around--I am a finisher! But, this one was a little bit different in that I only wanted to use scraps and didn't want to cut into large pieces of fabrics. It took awhile to build up scraps! So, I'd make some squares, put it away, save some more scraps, then make some more squares.

Finally, over a year later (or longer, maybe!) I have a finished quilt top!!!!!!

There are 70 squares and 140 fabrics--all different! I tried not to have repeats. And it's big.

Here are some things I've learned about the scrappy look:

Contrast is very important. Play with fabrics together and try them next to lots of other fabrics before pairing them up.
Color matters, even in a scheme with no scheme. Even if you're going for a completely unplanned, scrappy look, don't pair two colors that just flat don't go.
When choosing a solid to compliment a pattern (this is in any project, really), choose a more muted version of that color so it doesn't take away from the pattern you're trying to compliment.
Only keep scraps that you love! If you have fabrics lying around that you don't really like that much, but you just want to use up, they can ruin your project for you pretty fast.
One more thing and this is true in home decorating as well as sewing. If you want to use an array of colors and don't want to choose just one palette, choose a color or two to leave out. You will be surprised how much this little trick will pull everything together!

Here's an example of this last tip. Layla's quilt is scrappy and although it does have a pastel feel to it, it contains a lot of colors...

If you'll notice, though, there is no orange at all. Every time I chose a scrap that had orange in it, it just seemed to mess up the look. Leaving something out keeps everything looking cohesive in quilts like these. And, like I said, this applies to rooms in your house too!

Alrighty, go color your world :)

Out of the darkness, into the light

2011-05-31T14:15:00.002-06:00

I am ready to show you the kids' bathroom!!!! It was ready yesterday actually, but I had to clean it, ha! This may be one of my favorite room transformations in the house so far, probably because it required more work than some. I know you don't want to hear another 40-year-old wall paper rant, so I'll just get on with it ;)

Remember this?

Here's that very same view now!

Ack! It looks so much better! BOTH of these rooms were completely covered in that dark wallpaper! After it was all off, I gave Layla a bath in there and she said, "why is it so light in here??" Haha!

Here's some more:

In case you're wondering:

The shower curtain came from Target last Summer
The paint colors are Baer Cottonseed and Celery
The stripy rug is from Ross just a few weeks ago and the big blue rug is JCPenney from when we first got married.
I found the Bathing Beauties print several years ago at Hobby Lobby

Some more little touches:

Even this light switch plate had that wallpaper in it!!! I traced the template and replaced it with cute apple paper instead.

My mom has had this old produce box forever and I was determined to find a use for it because I like old stuff :) The bottom was kind of a stained mess, though, so I put some more of the cute apple paper in there. Perfect!

Aw, all my babies.
I have a secret for keeping pictures on the walls from getting all wonky--because kids seem to be able to move objects just by looking at them, right? My pictures were always crooked until I started putting a piece of Sticky-Tack on the bottom of the frame, sticking it to the wall. Now they always stay straight!! There ya go, there's my handymom tip for the day :)

Dressy

2011-05-28T21:01:00.000-06:00

I know I promised a bathroom reveal, um, like two days ago, but I have learned not to make promises like that, because in reality, I probably won't have that bathroom ready until, maybe, Tuesday. But, I do have other stuff to share. Casey has had a 4-day weekend, yay! And, we bought a Denver Zoo membership, so we have had a FUN couple of days!!

Since Casey has actually been home in the daylight, I had him take some pictures of a couple dresses I've made. This is the one I wore to the zoo yesterday:

This pattern is Butterick 5348. Let me tell ya, this dress is soooo comfortable! However, it's a little big for me up top, so next time, I'll make a size smaller and also probably eliminate some of the fullness from the skirt. I originally made this dress floor-length, but with the largeness of the print and because it is slightly too big, I felt like it overwhelmed me a little bit. So I cut it off and now I think I will get a lot of wear out of this this summer! If you are looking for a dress pattern that is sure to fit, I truly think this is one you should try. It ties on the sides to cinch the waist, so I really think it would flatter all body types, including pregnant ones :) OH, and also, I found the zipper unnecessary because there is plenty of ease, so I left it off.

Yesterday in Target, someone complimented my dress and I resisted my usual urge to shout, "Thanks, I made it myself!!!" Very proud.

Next, I bought Butterick 5456 a few months ago and put it aside until I found a decent knit to make it with. I stumbled upon this awesome black leopard print on the clearance table and knew it would be purrrfect (hehe). This dress literally only took a couple of hours from start to finish and I am in LOVE with it!!! Here's the front: (I can't remember what I'm pointing at, ha!)

Pretty cute, but, oh my goodness, check out the back!

I love it and I want to wear it every day, haha! A little note, I added some length because as is, this dress is short--I actually doubled the width of the hem band so that I could fold in half to attach it--this added a little bit of length and it eliminated the need for me to hem it--cause I don't like hemming knits.

So, after the zoo yesterday, since we had to park a bazillion miles away (note to self: don't go on a holiday weekend) and because by the time we got back to the car, my $3 Old Navy flip flops were actually feeling like exactly what they are (cheap flips flops), I determined that I will need to some good walking sandals this summer. I bought these:

Ahhhhh, Tevas, I heart you. So much better.

Have a GREAT long weekend! And, FYI, JoAnn's is giving %20 off to military all weekend long! YES! :)

We have a winner!

2011-05-26T08:26:00.000-06:00

The Random Number Generator has spoken! Comment #11 is our winner so congratulations Jenn, I'll be sending the little purse your way today :)

Would anyone like to know what Kelby does when I'm not looking?

He picks the keys off of my computer.

Tomorrow I am hoping to post a big bathroom makeover reveal!!! So stay tuned :)

Questions Answered

2011-05-24T13:37:00.000-06:00

I have had a few questions asked me in the comments this week and since I typically can't respond via email (unless you leave that in the comments too), I will answer them here! First, though, it appears Blogger is having a commenting problem for some users, so if you have tried to enter the giveaway in the previous post and can't, don't worry! I will leave it open for plenty of time after they fix it :)

1. Where did I get my living room rug?
The rug is Pottery Barn, but I found it on Craigslist for $100, quite a chunk less than the $800 PB price tag!

2. Have I ever sewn Simplicity 3803?
The answer is yes! But it was before I had figured out my pattern size and I believe it turned out way too big for me. I still own it though and plan on giving it another try. Here's a tip, though. Whenever I use a pattern that is very gathered in the front and back skirt, I take out some of the fullness when I cut the pattern (up to 6" in front and back). This greatly helps eliminate the pregnant look on my body type :) I also leave out the interfacing in waistbands like these because I find it unnecessary and it is more comfortable for sitting when the waistband maintains a little flexibility!

3. What pattern and what kind of fabric did I use for my Spring Top entry?
This top was Simplicity 2456 and I used a lightweight cotton. I think with this kind of sleeve, a regular quilting cotton would be a little too stiff and the sleeves might stick out like Judy Jetson, ha!

Since we're on the topic, I am SO flattered that so many of you voted for my Spring top and even though I didn't win first prize, it was amazing to have been voted into the final four!!! So thanks :) I'll be sure and share when I know what I've won.

4. My Easter dress--what pattern is it??

This dress is Simplicity 2591. I used a border print swiss dot and since this pattern is not lined, I cut each piece out of white muslin as well as my main fabric, then simply treated the two layers as one piece. If it weren't white, you could probably get away with no lining, but ya know...

Did I miss any questions?? I hope not, but if I did, let me know :) And don't forget to enter the purse giveaway! When Blogger gets their junk figured out, that is ;)

tutorial AND a giveaway!

2011-05-23T16:39:00.000-06:00

Edit: This giveaway is closed, but please enjoy the tutorial! :)

For Natalie's 5th birthday, I made her some clothes for her Groovy Girl doll and a little purse to put them in. She has used this little quilted purse ever since for all her sweet little treasures and a few months ago, a sweet reader emailed me asking if I had plans to post some instructions for that purse. SO, finally, I made one up, took pictures and without further ado, here is your tutorial! Oh, and if you don't want to make this little purse, but you'd like to win one, scroll to the bottom of this post :)

I have tried to make this somewhat beginner friendly; sorry if its TMI for some of you!

Little Girl's Quilted Purse Tutorial

You will need:

13"x20" piece of your main fabric

11"x18" piece of your lining fabric

a rectangle of cotton batting, an inch or so larger on all sides than your main fabric piece

two 2.25"x18" strips for the handles

a 13" piece of elastic (1/4 or 3/8 wide)

Here are my cut pieces:

First, we will do the quilting on the main panel. Place your main fabric right side up on top of your cotton batting. You do not need a backing fabric to quilt it if you're using cotton batting, but I don't know if this is the case for polyester batting--it may get caught up in your feed dogs.

Put a few quilting pins in it to keep it all together and mark your lines. On Natalie's heart purse, I quilted around the bigger hearts, but on this one, I'm going to quilt diagonal lines, 1.5" apart. Here is my marked piece:

Go ahead and quilt your lines, using a walking foot.

After it's all quilted, you can trim it down to 11"x18", to match the size of your lining piece.

Next, fold your quilted piece in half, hot-dog style (short end to short end). Pin the sides and sew them in a 1/4" seam.

So, you should have a folded bottom, sewn sides, and an open top. Turn it right-side out and set it aside for a minute.

Take your handle pieces and fold them in half length-wise, right sides together and sew a 1/4" seam, leaving the short ends open.

Turn those handles right side out. (I use a Fasturn, but you can also attach a safety pin to one side, then work it through the tube to the other side). Press them flat and topstitch both sides like so:

Pin your handles to either side of your purse, 2.5" from the side seams on each side:

Baste them on there, just inside your seam allowance. Now you should have this:

Okie, dokie, set that aside and grab your lining fabric.

Fold your lining in half just like you did your main panel and make marks on one side, one at 3/4" down from the top and another at 1 1/4" down from the top. Also mark a 3" opening toward the bottom of that same side. So, you'll be sewing the side seam, leaving a 1/2" opening near the top and a 3" opening near the bottom. See where my pins are? I'll leave open between those pins:

Sew the other side all the way up.

Next, slip your lining over your quilted purse. The pieces should be right sides together:

Match up the top edges, lining up the side seams and sew all the way around in a 1/4" seam.

Now you can pull your purse right side out through the 3" opening you left in the lining. Sew up the hole in your lining (by hand or machine), the tuck the lining inside the purse and press that top edge flat.

We are going to make three rows of top stitching. One will be close to the top edge. The next will be 1/2" down from the top and the third will be 1" down from the top. These second and third rows should be on either side of the small gap you left in your side lining seam. It should look like this:

If your gap is a little off from those measurements, that's okay, just adjust the top stitching so your opening is inside the lines.

Finally, to make the ruffle, attach a safety pin to one end of your elastic and work it through the casing you created with the topstitching, through the opening in your lining.

Lap the ends and stitch it good.

Done!

I sure love that little stripe poking out of the top!

If any of this does not make sense, or if I have confused you, please, please, please let me know so I can fix it!!

Now, I thought I was going to make this for Layla, but I remembered too late that I have a cupcake fabric that I think she would like better. Sooooo, I am going to give this one away to one of you!!!!

To enter, all you have to do is leave me a comment on this post! There ya go. Tell your friends :) I'll leave this open for a few days so everyone gets a chance to enter.

some music and some random goings-on

2011-05-21T17:41:00.001-06:00

I have bought some new music over the last few months. It had been awhile since I'd heard anything that I really liked, but I love The Wailin' Jennys' latest. Especially this song:

I've also been on the hunt for quite awhile now for some good Scripture memory music. So much of it seems to lack in melody, ya know? Anyway, I stumbled across Seeds Family Worship and really like their music a lot! And, it's all Scripture. AND, the kids and I both like it!

The kids already wander around singing these songs, which makes me very happy :)

Completely unrelated, but remember the bear carries I made the girls awhile ago? And I said I'd made Kelby one too, but he wanted nothing to do with it? Well, the other day, he dug it out of the toy box and asked me to put his puppy in it! Yay.
So cute. See, its manly enough, right??

Also, guess where we are going for our tenth anniversary!? (I said this post was random, right?)

We are both SO EXCITED! We booked two nights at the Wine Country Inn and a carriage tour of 3 wineries and a vodka distillery. So cool. This is our first ever anniversary trip. We had zero extra money for so long and I was either pregnant or nursing for 5 consecutive years. I remember one year, we went to Fudrucker's for dinner and were gone for one hour. It may sound lame, but when you have two in diapers at home, even that can be heavenly. I bet many of you can relate :)

Thank you to all of you who voted for my Spring Top!! I suppose we'll know the results soon! Really, though, all the finalists' tops are so lovely and I am still very surprised to have been one of them.

Happy weekend to you all!

I'm a finalist!!!

2011-05-20T08:38:00.000-06:00

My Spring top is now a top-4 finalist!!! You can go vote for your top choice here today!!! Thank you for you sweet comments and voting for my top :) These other final four tops are really beautiful, I would wear any of them!
Again, this is mine:

And you can vote HERE.

Cheers :)

Pretty please...

2011-05-19T07:43:00.001-06:00

So, I entered a top that I made in Made By Rae's Spring Top Sewalong 2011 and my top made it to the voting round! It's on her site TODAY! If you get a chance and IF you really actually like my top, please vote for me :) It's funny because I entered the contest at the last minute and only because the deadline was extended, so I'm honored to have been chosen out of over 300 entries.

This one's mine:

Thank you very much :)

Ladybugs and Butterflies and a tutorial

2011-05-17T08:59:00.000-06:00

It seems a LOT of my friends are having or have had babies recently! (Before you ask, NO it does not give me the bug, I am quite happy to be moving on :) But, it does give me an excuse to throw some fun parties! On Sunday we had a little baby shower for my friend Jennica, who is expecting her second baby, first girl, to be named Rebecca. So cute.

This is Jennica :)

Jennica is going for a lady bug and butterfly theme for Rebecca and so I tried to incorporate that into the party. Melissa made these AMAZING jumbo cupcakes, they were sooooo cute.

I and made a "Rebecca" banner...

I wanted to do a different take on Martha Stewart's tissue poms and turn them into butterflies. I sorta winged it (haha, no pun intended) and didn't know how it would go, but they turned out great! I took pics so that I can post a little tutorial here for YOU! yay.

Each butterfly needs between 3 and 5 sheets of tissue paper and one pipe cleaner. That's all!

First, stack your tissue papers and accordion fold them short-ways (hamburger way) like this:

I made the folds about 1.5 to 2 inches. So then when you have this...

...then take your scissors and round the edges like this:

Next, stand your folded strip on end between your thumb and finger like this...

And pinch it flat in the middle. The folds will look a little messy:

Now, take your pipe cleaner and fold it in half:

And slip it over your messily squished tissue paper like this:

Give a couple of twists to both the bottom stub and the top for the antennae. Add a curly-cue to each antenna and then fan out the wings a bit like so...

Lastly, slide your hand gently between the pieces of tissue paper on each wing to separate the layers a bit so they get nice and fluffy like this:

Then make a whole slew of them like this:

...and hang them from the ceiling! I looped sewing thread through the back of the pipe cleaner and taped the thread to the ceiling. Easy Peasey :)

Natalie has requested some for her next birthday--in a little over 10 months, haha!

Blogger's Quilt Festival

2011-05-13T20:24:00.001-06:00

I love it when the Blogger's Quilt Festival comes around :) I have some more recent quilts that I've finished, but there is one I want to share that I made a little over and year and a half ago because I never managed to get any stellar pictures of it back then and because it's super Springy--perfect for the Spring festival :)

When I set out to make each of my three kids a bed quilt, I decided to start with my middle child ... because, well, she's in the middle and she deserves to be first every now and then, right? This quilt is the Annie's Garden pattern from the book, Material Obsession and it is probably the most time consuming quilt I've ever made.

There is a LOT of applique on this baby. I want it to last a long time, so did it all the long way (sewing each piece right sides together with a piece of muslin, then turning it and using my machine's blanket stitch to sew it on).

The fun part was digging through my scrap buckets trying to pick out all the fabrics. It is very scrappy, but it all "goes" somehow. I made a HUGE mess in the process--and that was back when my sewing space was a corner of our living room :)

I started out hand quilting the whole thing, but as of then, I had never done that before and got intimidated. I ended up machine quilting all the straight lines and hand quilting around all the applique. The hand quilting really made all the flowers and hearts pop out a little bit, so I'm so glad I did that!

This is Layla with her quilt this past January, on her fourth birthday...

I cannot wait to peruse all the entries in the quilt festival!!! Cheers :)

That parenting thing...

2011-05-10T14:48:00.000-06:00

Did you have a good Mother's Day?? I did :) Even though Casey was still out of town with the Army, my parents are here and Dad cooked some awesome steaks after church on Sunday THEN they came over later and watched Tangled with my kids while I went to Jim & Nicks and had dinner all alone while reading my newspaper in peace. It was nice :)

This is my Mom

And this my Dad

Now you know where I get me stunning good looks, hehe.

While on the subject of motherhood...

I stumbled on this blog post by Kevin DeYoung this morning. Read the whole thing--it's super funny, very real and somewhat liberating!

And just a few minutes ago, my sister's Facebook status read: "I'm beginning to think I'm a bi-polar homeschooling mom. Yesterday...'IF HOMESCHOOLING DOESN'T KILL ME, THEN I HOPE IT WILL AT LEAST HAVE MADE ME STRONGER!' Today, 'I LOOOVE homeschooling!'"

Hahaha! So funny. And strangely indicative of my own feelings on various days.

In closing, some pics of my little spit-fire.

Ha! That tongue is hilarious.

Hummus!

2011-05-06T15:20:00.002-06:00

I have enjoyed Clean Eating magazine for some time now, so when I noticed they had a "best of" cookbook coming out, I jumped on it. Today I made this hummus recipe from that book and it is yummy! Hummus is super healthy too :) Enjoy with pita chips or Triscuits (my favorite flavor is Cracked Pepper and Olive Oil).

Yummy Hummus
Ingredients:

1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp sesame seeds
2 Tbsp fresh orange juice
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/8 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
I double the recipe because a can of chickpeas is two cups and it made a perfect amount for my family. Enjoy :)

As for my bathroom progress, it's coming along! Yesterday I gave the girls a bath and Layla said, "why's it so light in here?" Ha! I have to buy more paint though, which stinks! Because paint is overpriced AND because my kids probably annoy the staff at Home Depot by messing with the paint chips every time. In my defense, when they say it will be five minutes and it really takes 30, they shouldn't be surprised that the kids find something to occupy themselves, right?

I do have a different kind of house picture to show you though. I've been prettying up my front porch. We got some rocking chairs on Craigslist and I made some pillows out of outdoor fabric. It looks so pretty now!

I need some hanging flowers for sure. And I need whatever it is trying to burrow under my porch to knock it off! Don't worry, I sprayed it good with animal repellant :) Also while Casey's been gone, I have painted, hung a valance, used his drill, screwed a box onto my bathroom wall and bought Kelby some big-boy undies. Next up, make a new screen for the girls' window. I can do it, right??

The Wallpaper's Demise

2011-05-04T17:52:00.001-06:00

I cannot believe I am saying this, but my best friend (my wallpaper steamer) and I conquered my worst enemy (40-year-old wallpaper) once and for all!!!!! The last wallpapered room in our house has been stripped down to it's beautiful, glue-stained, light and airy self! I cannot believe how much brighter and bigger it looks now!!! I almost forgot to take a before picture, but don't worry, I took an in-progress one:

This is a largish two-room bathroom and every wall was covered in this stuff, even behind the mirror, which Casey took down for me so I could de-wallpaper behind--no lazy homeowners here ;) I have the paint in my possession and this room is getting a serious makeover! I'm so excited! And yes, both the bathtub and the toilet are Harvest Gold, circa 1969. They will be staying for now, along with the marbled counter-top. One thing at a time :)

My kids got some haircuts today! Yes! I was super tired of them looking like Ragamuffins! Layla's is sooooo cute.

And Kelby got a buzz. Handsome dude.

I would show you Natalie's, but she's wearing a mermaid dress and has both dirt and sidewalk chalk on her face. Not helping the anti-ragamuffin efforts :)

Aren't these color-your-own flower pots so cute? The kids did these in the nursery on Sunday.

I noticed last week that two people have "un-followed" my blog. That's okay. It's not a popularity contest, right????? Makes me hope I'm still interesting to some people, though. Ha! I have been praying about how to better use this blog more for God's glory and not for my own. I'm excited to see where He takes that prayer!

I hope you all have a wonderful evening! It's laundry-folding night for me!

Summer Sewing!

2011-04-29T15:51:00.000-06:00

Oh, man, I don't think I've ever been so relieved that summertime is coming! Yesterday we had some truly amazing weather. I actually got a bit of a tan :) Since I've been in such a Summer mood, I've been doing some Summer sewing.

Here's a dress I made Natalie out of some fabrics my friend Jenn gave me. I don't love this pattern--it kinda has that dorky homemade look. But, as my friend Angela reminded me, that look is kinda in right now :) Plus, Natalie really likes it AND it's longer that anything you can find in the stores right now!

As for me, I've sewn lots of things for myself lately, but it's very hard to take pictures of myself wearing them. I did manage this one, though:

I have a white linen skirt exactly like this that I got at Old Navy after Natalie was born--six years ago. I wore that skirt through my next two pregnancies and beyond. I even took 6 inches out of it when I lost 50 pounds a year and a half ago. When I saw this gorgeous linen on clearance at JoAnn for $4 a yard, I had to make myself another one. I copied the white skirt ruffle for ruffle, pleat for pleat. I love it :)

I'll try to have Casey take some pics of me wearing the other things I've made!

Another kind of sewing....

This pot was left here when we moved it. I spray-painted it yellow. Much better :)

Kelby's turn to count! "One.....Free......Two!"

Catching Up

2011-04-27T16:52:00.000-06:00

More scrapbook pages, I know, I know. But, it's what I've been up to so I'm sharing, like it or not :) Well, it's not ALL I've been up to, just what I've been up to while watching TV in the evenings. That is, if I don't have a mountain of laundry to fold like I do tonight, ha!

Other than that...

The kids and I have planted some seedlings! We just couldn't wait :)
We'll be wrapping up Ocean Week (we extended it a week) on Friday. I think we'll move on to a Recycling theme for next week! Should be fun.
I just learned today that my grandmother's first name was Rosina, ha! I had NO idea! Don't know how I missed that one.
My kids have fallen head over heels for the Magic School Bus. That Ms. Frizzle is soooooo funny. Too bad they are not more plentiful at the library!
Will Ferrell on the Office is not that funny. But, I'm no really a fan of his anyway.
I might not watch American Idol tonight *gasp*. My favorite (Paul) got the boot a few weeks ago so now I just don't really care that much. It's easier to spend a few minutes looking up each performance on YouTube the next day. Saves me about an hour and a half.

Annnnnnnd, that's all she wrote :)

Giddy-up

2011-04-26T15:17:00.000-06:00

This is soooooo cute. When I saw this tutorial, I absolutely knew I had to make one for Kelby. He used to ride my broom around the house, ha! But, now he has this guy instead:

He likes it. He cuddles with it while he watches cartoons :)

He's made out of old jeans, some yarn, scraps and a broom handle or dowel. The whole thing cost me $3 and was totally worth it :) Now the girls want some too--the unicorn one of course, but I think one pet horse is enough for now.

Easter Duds

2011-04-24T19:03:00.000-06:00

Okay, I'll admit, this one is mostly for the Grandparents :) My mom took my girls and I to the mall several weeks ago and decked out my kids for Easter. I think the one thing the girls were most excited about today was to finally get to wear their new Easter clothes! Kelby didn't care all that much, true to his all-boy nature, but he sure did look adorable!

I made my dress! More on that later this week :)
Annnnnd, check this out--drum roll please........
Casey wore a tie :)

What I learned from the flu...

2011-04-22T13:07:00.001-06:00

I had a flu bug yesterday. It was ugly. Casey was out of town (he comes home today, yay!) so him staying home was not an option and I could barely get off the couch. We are all well today, praise the Lord! But, I did learn some things from the flu. Here they are:

It is much easier for me to be patient and gentle with the kids when I have zero expectations for myself and my day.
When I am patient and gentle, the kids seem so much more eager to do what I ask with happy hearts!
My kids are able to do much more for themselves than I thought they could!

I am so thankful for the cooperation of my children yesterday. They could not have been more helpful. They required very little from me, understanding that I was sick and they did not argue at all, with me or each other. What treasures I have in them! And, I am thankful that simple things like old magazines keep my girls entertained for hours :)

Before that nasty bug came to visit, I was busy making some things. I can't wait to share them with you next week! Until then, have a wonderful Good Friday and a Happy Resurrection Day!!!

Under the Sea

2011-04-18T15:53:00.003-06:00

We have had a bit of Spring fever lately which makes the temptation to slack off in the home schooling department pretty big. So I decided to reach for the home stretch and plan some theme weeks to make things more fun for all of us! Under the Sea is our first theme. I spent yesterday gathering materials and came up with some pretty fun things, so I thought I'd share :)

First of all, our theme song--(we found a remix Disney CD at the library and the girls just want to listen to this one song over and over again. It is fun, though :)

I will not be showing the girls this video; Layla would surely comment on the immodesty of the blonde girl, ha!

I also dug out all the books I could find on our shelves that had anything to do with the sea. This has been a favorite of ours for a long time:

We also read this one today:

Yes, we know that mermaids are fictional. So, when we watched the following video about sea horses, Natalie said, "I didn't know sea horses were real!" Haha! I guess she had them in the "just pretend" category, along with the mermaids!

We also watched this really cool dolphin one and talked about how cool God's creatures are!

Then the kids made paintings of dolphins and sea horses (and of course, both girls included a mermaid) in their nature journals.

I have so many more great things planned for Under the Sea week! The Magic School Bus is involved--I even downloaded the free interactive app for the Magic School Bus ocean book for Casey's iPad, so that should be fun. I think tomorrow we'll make some popcorn and watch Disney Earth: Oceans (Netflix, watch instantly!) Here's a preview, it looks awesome:

I'd like to take them to the Downtown Aquarium on Friday, but it would be an expense, so we'll see. I was able to get several books from the library to use for the rest of this week too. So, even though we are still doing the basic subjects-math, reading, writing, etc... the theme is definitely making it more fun! What I love about homeschooling is that I get to integrate every subject with the Bible and really point out what an amazing creation God has given us to marvel at! Today I read them the creation story from this book, which was given to me and which I highly recommend!

Some more themes I'm thinking of:

Little House on the Prairie
Plants/Gardening
Recycling
Rainforest
Different Countries

Care to add to my idea list??

scrapping away

2011-04-13T17:15:00.000-06:00

Since my little trip, I've been pulling my scrapbook stuff out in the evenings on the family room floor and making a few pages here and there. I'm still sewing too. I'll prove it to you at the end of this post, but first, here's some pages I've made these last couple of weeks.

I'm finally making some good progress on Kelby's book, obviously!!

But, the girls get their share too:

No the clearest picture. But, I recently made some dresses for the girls out of fabrics that a blessed lady at church gave me--from the 60's! Yes, very cool.

On child rearing...

2011-04-10T20:53:00.000-06:00

I was reminded during this morning's wonderful sermon at church how each and every one of us is born to iniquity. (The sermon was not about child training, but it got me thinking...) We inherited a sin nature from Adam. We have no control over our sinful nature, but for God's amazing grace. We were born to sin and so are our children. So, why are we as parents so surprised when our children sin? Why do we act shocked and hurt when they disobey or act wrongly? Of course they sin! It's what we do! Do we expect to deal with an issue, then never have to deal with that child's sin again?

If parents expect perfect, sinless behavior from children, they will become disappointed, angry and frustrated when they have to discipline them for failure. However, if we anticipate that our children will mess up, we can turn each case into an opportunity to train, to correct, to teach (rather than to punish). The goal is not perfect children--that will never happen; the goal is to teach our children about God's grace and how to govern and correct their own behavior next time they are tempted to sin.

Next time your child sins, take a moment to thank God for the opportunity to direct that child toward Him. A graceless parent cannot very well portray to a child a gracious God. And aren't we all so grateful for His grace and unending patience toward us?

My little scrapbooker

2011-04-07T17:37:00.001-06:00

Natalie made this page today for Kelby (I've been giving her leftover pictures after I make pages) and I had absolutely nothing to do with this, just FYI. I think she's super :)

I am really enjoying having a six-year-old. She thinks much more rationally than my 2-year-old and asks far fewer questions than my 4-year-old :) Natalie is turning out to be such a wonderful person. She is SO good with younger kids--she directs play without bossing and really caters to their "little-ness". She is best buddies with both her little brother and her little sister. She is helpful (most of the time) and has come SO far in regards to keeping a happy heart. Her creativity has always stood out and I do everything I can to foster that in all my children.

Seeing her grow and change makes me so happy and excited to be moving on from the baby and toddler phase into the even-more-fun elementary phase and I hope that I find each passing age more fun than the last--even the teenage years!