best dress

I made a dress yesterday and now I want to wear it every day. Ha! I got this awesome knit at Denver Fabrics and just love it so much! It's sort of a sweatshirt knit, but without the fuzzy underlayer ... if that makes sense. And the design has subtle hearts in it! What's not to love? I picked up New Look 6097 because of the great photos on patternreview.com. I never would have bought this based on the cover photo, I think that dress is terrible.

Instead of the fitted skirt, I went with a more casual everyday gathered skirt for mine and I love the results!

I think this bodice is superbly drafted. Reviewers said mixed things--some thought the bodice gaped or had to safety pin it shut and some thought the sleeves were too wide. Others said the bodice had too much ease all the way around, but I made my usual size and it's perfect. The coverage of mine is perfect too, there is no gaping and the sleeves are fine for my arms, which are admittedly on the buff side ;) I will definitely be making this again!  It's so comfortable and flattering for my everyday life.

Once again, I relied on my six-year-old photographer and she is getting quite into the directing side of her skills, haha!

What a cutie patootie.

I am anxiously waiting for Casey to get home so I can go hit the sale at JoAnn. I super hope they have the new McCall's patterns since they're on sale and I have quite the list!

I'm linking up for the first time on Make it, Wear it Thursdays! Pretty fun to see what others are making each week :)

bath time

Bathing is my newest hobby. Ha! I love baths. I take one every couple days, in the evening after dinner is cleaned up and no one needs me for about half an hour. I started this ritual while we were preparing to move from our old house because my body would get so achy by the end of the day and I knew that Epsom salts soothe sore muscles and joints. Did you know that Epson salts are pure magnesium sulfate? Did you know that most people are magnesium deficient? Did you know that magnesium has a ridiculously long list of health benefits? Just google it. If you find yourself tired, moody, achy or hormonal, try a magnesium supplement!

Unfortunately, I have yet to find a magnesium supplement that is gentle enough on my stomach, but that's okay because there are magnesium oils and homemade body butters I can try! For now, I am loving my Epsom salt baths. Any store with a bath and beauty department sells bags of Epsom salts, either plain or "flavored". Currently, I have a eucalyptus mint variety and a lavender vanilla, which have essential oils added to them. You need to use a lot, between 2 and 4 cups to get the most relaxing results and just pour it into your bath water and mix it in with your feet 'til it dissolves.

Another reason I got into baths is because my friend took my to Lush before we moved! I bought a Buffy Bar. And it was amazing. I just finally used it up a few weeks ago, boo! The good news is, I found a recipe to make my own. The even better news is, while I wait on those ingredients from Amazon, I found a coconut oil sugar scrub recipe, using ingredients I already had in my kitchen (except for the essential oils, which I just skipped this time), yay!

Scrubs with oils are the best, because they moisturize while you use them and you don't have to lotion up after your bath. Just rub it in at the end of your shower or bath and rinse off. You'll stay so soft afterward! I used this one last night and loved it so much.

I cannot wait to try some of the other things I've pinned on my "Make Your Own" Pinterest board. I have some ingredients in my Amazon shopping cart right now! Hopefully they will work out and I can give some of these things as gifts :)

The added bonus of taking baths is that my bathroom always smells like a spa, haha! Even my towel smells so good.

DIY spa recipe links or ideas are welcome in the comments!!

some dresses I never blogged

I never blogged this dress because I only wore it once ... because Casey did not like it! Grr. I really liked it, but his lack of enthusiasm had me rethinking it and I put it in the mending basket to maybe make something else from it. But, every time I looked at it, I still just really liked it! So I wore it yesterday and guess what? Casey liked it and couldn't remember ever seeing it before, as far as I could tell. Stinker!! I should have known. 

The pattern is McCall's 6744 and although it's a pattern for knits, I made this one out of a woven by cutting the bodice front on the bias. It worked great, although next time I'll go down a size on top. 

Here it is, worn three ways. (By the way, Layla took ALL these pictures. She does awesome, my little budding photographer, even if she thinks it's hilarious to get a close-up rear end shot every single time, haha).

Yesterday I wore it with a black cardigan:

 This is the dress just plain.

 You can see the top is a little baggy, which is why I'll go down a size next time. I always have this issue with patterns for knits that are Small, Medium, Large sizes. I always make a Medium and I always need to make a Small!!! Think I'd know by now.

 I do love a nice racerback!!

I then went digging in my closet for other things I could pair this dress with and remembered my pink wrap cardigan I made last Fall. In this pic I'm telling Layla to turn the camera long ways...

 ...then she got this. Ha!

A nice collection of cardigans in different colors and styles is the absolute best way to stretch your Summer wardrobe into the other seasons, in my opinion! 

This is another dress I made last Summer and surprise, surprise, was just too big (McCall's 6754, another pattern sized for knits!) I loved the colors of the stripes in this rayon knit fabric, though, so I didn't want to give up on it. I took it in and up and liked it better then, but mostly wanted to see what I could do with it in Fall. So I pulled it out and tried it with a knotted tee on top...

I have plans to make this pattern again, but the view with sleeves and maybe with a half circle skirt instead of full. 

I do have a trick for knotting a tee that doesn't have a lot of fabric to play with--just use a hair tie in the same color. It makes it easy and doesn't twist up and stretch out your shirt :) 

Maymont Park

Some gals from our church here invited the kids and I to meet them at Maymont Park yesterday, which I learned is quite a Richmond "thing to do" if you live here. It was amazing. I loved it and can't wait to go back. It's absolutely huge and we got to pet some goats, see some animals, see some amazing trees and pick up some nature treasures to bring home and study. There's also a mansion to tour, gardens to walk through, a nature center (we will be going there soon, for Layla, my little science lover). I would love to schedule some family photo shoots there--would it be weird if I just started offering photo shoots to families I barely know?

Anyway, I took a lot of pics. It was fun :)

 Layla took this one:

 Then Kelby wanted to take some:

He keeps taking them as I'm coming to get the camera from him...

 He thinks this is just hilarious...

 He's belly laughing by now...

 You might notice, I got my hair cut! My friend Becky did it and it's awesome, I love it :) I hadn't had my hair cut by a pro since she moved to VA from CO three years ago. It was time!

 I think the goats were my favorite part. They are just so funny! And photogenic, obviously ;)

 Hahaha!

 Our treasures--things we've never seen in Colorado! We got all excited when we found our first acorn outside the library last week. I don't know that I've ever seen one in person before! The green thing is a walnut! And the spiky thing feel from a Magnolia tree! Cool.

It was great to get outside and be with other women and kiddos. We can't wait to go back there and maybe even branch out to Richmond more often. (I guess it's really not that far ;) And driving downtown in Richmond is way easier than getting around downtown Denver!

On a somewhat related (to these photos, not to their subject) note, I downloaded the free trial of Adobe Lightroom 5. I've been feeling limited by iPhoto for awhile and while I think PicMonkey is so fun, it's a one-at-a-time type of editing program and that's not practical for all my photos.

My thoughts on Lightroom 5 so far:

• It is definitely more user friendly than Photoshop. I got the free trial of that and it wasn't long before I said "forget it". I can see why Lightroom is what people seem to be going to. 
• The price is right. Quite a chunk less than Photoshop and doable for me. I have a birthday coming up in a couple weeks :)
• There is still some "lingo" that I find annoying. They have terms for stuff that if they would call something normal, I wouldn't have to stop and look up what that means in the help section. 
• The help section is unhelpful. Ha! I found bloggers more helpful.
• I love, love, love the editing much more than I've been loving iPhoto! Since I started shooting in RAW files, I found that iPhoto wanted to cool my photos way down, it was weird. It was increasingly difficult to get the colors how I wanted them because minor adjustments are hard--it's major adjustments or nothing. The colors and presets in Lightroom are just beautiful. 
• I can't wait to learn more! I think a book is necessary, though. 

What are your thoughts, if you use Lightroom?

Rachael Ray

When we first got to Virginia, I bought the October edition of Every Day with Rachael Ray. I've long been a semi-fan and have used her recipes many times, but I always thought she was pretty heavy on the cheesey, breaded, fried, sugary food that I just don't eat. The magazine is still so much fun, though, that I took a chance on it and was very surprised at the change! I can eat so many of the yummy recipes in this edition, even being (mostly) Paleo! There's even a sweet potato shepherd's pie (no bread!) and some super yummy popcorn recipes, including PB&J and Lemon Poppy-corn (my kids will love these). I ear marked a bunch of things and have tried several.

She had a carrot raisin salad recipe that I made to take to a potluck at church on Sunday. (I actually couldn't find my magazine anywhere that weekend so I looked it up online). I received a nice compliment on it as I was packing it up to leave :)

I served the leftovers with egg salad for dinner the following night and then the next day, I used up what was left in some yummy wraps with deli turkey for my lunch. They were soooo goood!

I think this slaw would also be tasty on bbq pulled pork sandwiches--or in my case, a pile of bbq pulled pork, haha! Here is the recipe I used. Next time, I'll use less brown sugar. I think it does need a few tablespoons, but not a whole fourth of a cup. I also shredded my own carrots, a much cheaper way than buying bagged. Let me know if you try it! Also, any other ideas for your favorite lettuce wraps would be very welcome in the comments!

As for the magazine, I'm it's newest subscriber :)

winter pattern picks

Is it weird that I stalk the sites of the big 4 pattern companies waiting for the season's latest patterns to come up? Not that JoAnn actually gets them for another month and usually the day after they are on sale, but I just love making my list anyway.

After I finish my last Halloween costume, I hope to squeeze some clothing sewing in between Christmas sewing projects (I'm excited about my Christmas sewing this year, I have some good stuff planned!)

Natalie's Renaissance princess costume is in progress...

On to patterns!
I thought the Simplicity and New Look offerings were pretty disappointing, but I thought the same about Simplicity's Fall line. What's with so many pajama patterns? I will grab one or two, but they seem p.j. heavy lately.

But, the McCall's are great! Here are the ones I'll get:

This is M6846. I like all views except the long one, that one's not my style. Love the cute details on the other views, though!

Next up, M6844. I love the peplum take on the drapey cardigan and I have the perfect sweater knit in my stash that will be great for this. 

Next, 6839. Hate this print, but like the back detail options for a knit top.

I will probably also get the p.j. pattern 6848, but I will not be making the romper--I think Casey would laugh at me, haha! This pattern is for wovens, not knits, which is why it stood out to me. I think I need some silk pajamas, for sure ;)

I won't get this one, but it is flippin' adorable.

And 6854. Natalie wants one of these.

As for Simplicity, I will probably only get 1501. What can I say, I really like making pajamas! Although, have you noticed how all pajama bottom pattern for kids and adults alike, are like Urkel pants?? On the pattern I use for the kids, I fold the top down two inches before I cut. And on the last pair I made for myself, I chopped 4 inches off the top!! And they still hit at my belly button! Weird.
I can't copy the image URL's on their site. Sorry.

What are your choices??

food, styled

I have a love/hate relationship with cooking. I'm good at cooking. And I do love food! I actually think I enjoy flavors and trying new things more since I eliminated dairy, gluten and refined sugar and added in more healthy fats and veggies. I've experimented more than ever with unknown ingredients and meats and spices. But the food prep and clean-up sure can be exhausting, am I right? I fall in and out of love with cooking pretty often. Having ever-hungry little people compounds the kitchen weariness too, I think. But, I've been making an effort to fall in love with the kitchen again and make it stick. I have prayed that I would enjoy it more, since it is an unavoidable part of my life (just like I pray about homeschooling!) and I know the Lord is faithful.

Thus, I've decided to start a little food photography challenge for myself! Because taking pictures of things always makes me like them more :) I was on Pinterest last night and typed in "food photography" and oh boy, can food be beautiful, or what? I think I bought the cookbook Gather, just because the pictures are so gorgeous! So I started playing with some food styling and it was really fun yesterday.

Also, since we've been here in Virginia, we have finally been able to begin a consistent family dinner. Before, when my kids were all really young and I was in survival mode, it just was not happening. Then, in Denver, Casey's work hours were very unpredictable, which made consistently dining together hard. We did it when we could, but it was a challenge. Things are different here, though, and we are really enjoying the time together at 6 p.m. every night more and more. I think this photo challenge will help me really me make an effort to make these meals pretty and special.

Don't worry, I will try and include recipes when I can too!

Last night I made egg salad. One of the easiest dinners ever, but also one of Casey's favorite things ever.

 I have an old recipe from a book I got when I was first married called, Help, My Family's Hungry. I have since passed that book along, but this is still our favorite egg salad recipe. I made bacon for the side and also had leftover of Rachael Ray's carrot salad. Kids loved it all.

Egg Salad Sandwich Filling

This makes enough for 4-5 sandwiches, but I usually double or even triple it for my family and to have leftovers. 

4 hard-cooked eggs

1/4 cup mayo

2 tsp Dijon or yellow mustard

2 Tbl pickle relish, dill or sweet, your choice

1 Tbl white or cider vinegar

1/2 tsp dried dill weed

salt and pepper to taste

I usually just put all these ingredients in my food processor and pulse, but I have made it by chopping the eggs myself also. If you do that, just chop your eggs and stir in the other ingredients by hand. Enjoy! 

Since I'm talking about eggs, I should also share this morning's breakfast with you, cause it was so good! I enjoy cooking breakfast least of all. It takes me awhile to wake up in the mornings and the last thing I want to do is make a big mess and be on top of my cooking game. I usually give the kids something simple like yogurt and granola and then if they want eggs when I'm cooking my breakfast I add some for them. But, I need a big breakfast, complete with plenty of fat or veggies--filling things. I decided to allow the mornings to be slower and start school a little later to accommodate for this because trying to wake up earlier was not working out, haha!  It's been great, I have time to drink my coffee and read my Bible and generally take my time. 

Anyway, this morning I tried the avocado boat idea I've seen floating around Pinterest! It was pretty tasty. I topped mine with bacon leftover from dinner last night and I think that made the dish. It added crunch and salty flavor. Mmmmmm. 

 I cut my avocado in half, scooped out a bit to make more room for the eggs, then cracked an egg into each half. I salted and peppered the tops and baked them at 425 for about 15 or 20 minutes, I think.

It was really tasty! And, I didn't have to stand over the stove and actually cook anything--best part ;) I had coffee and read some blogs while I waited.

What do you think about food photography, or do you notice it at all? Or maybe you just notice when it's bad and looks unappetizing, haha. These days, when we get so much cooking inspiration online, I definitely think the photo can sell the recipe!