One Project A Day...

Liam Van

2011-04-20T23:35:00.000-05:00

This post is a little belated...can't believe this project is nearly 2 weeks old. So, this little guy & an out of state move have been keeping me pretty busy. I may post a few things here and there, but for the most part, all of my creative tools are packed away in storage until the end of May. And that's okay...cause I just want to love on him all day long.

Airplane Art Binder

2011-02-18T07:20:00.000-06:00

Or church art binder. Or doctor's appointment art binder. Or road trip art binder. Why limit ourselves!? How about just, "Art Binder." You can find the tutorial here.

I finally get to take something off of my "to do list" on the side bar. I let Kai pick out the fabrics & though there are a few things I would do better next time (don't look closely at my binding!!), he's 5 and will love it.

Thanks HEBuddy for the free twistable crayons!

Now to make one for T. Without skulls and flames.

Hand Towels

2011-02-16T07:04:00.000-06:00

I hit target clearance when these dish towels were 50% off. Then found more at 75% off & go the price adjustment. This will be my new birthday gift for the year (I sort of bought a bunch). Inspired by this. Though, I made a tube & turned the fabric, otherwise, the ruffle is the same. I was going to do two ruffles, but I think one keeps it nice and simple. I've got a lot more to make!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T06:55:00.000-06:00

Inspired by this and used the tutorial from here. Darn, I wish that this Valentine wasn't all over blog world this year! Hopefully, Texas moms are not quite craft-blog followers. We found the idea last year, so this is Kai's second year of this Valentine...it won't be his last!

Shrinky Dinks

2011-02-10T06:57:00.000-06:00

So Friday was a snow day...minus snow. I didn't have anything planned, but knew I needed to kill time somehow (not like you really want to go to the zoo on a snow day). So we spent some time doing crafts--we made bouncy balls (out of a kit--could never replicate without), and shrinky dinks. Shrinky dinks were the biggest hit of all.

This little guy loved them. And yes, he's in his ninja outfit. Our biggest bargaining chip has now become shrinky dink time.

Cinderella loved them too.

My kids have gotten much better at the whole coloring concept. I've always been one to "let them color as they will" with a blank sheet of paper. But, since Kai has been in Kindergarten, he's learned about coloring in the lines & it's quite impressive. T is following suit. I was SO impressed with her little flower!

If you want to make some of your own out of recycled plastic, you can see a tutorial here. We found our kit on clearance at Target, but if they don't have more paper at Hobby Lobby, I'm going Green (actually, I have some #6 plastic ready to try out, whether or not they have more shrinky dink paper at hobby lobby!).

An I Spy Book

2011-02-02T12:26:00.006-06:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Well...I didn't actually intend to post this. But, since google reader doesn't give you ANY room for error, why delete it! So here you go :) I did something! A little Eye Spy Book. Not sure if I'm totally done or not. I got the idea from here. Thought it might be fun for little ones!

The Quilt

2011-01-08T14:37:00.000-06:00

Ever have a present that you wanted to keep for yourself? This was mine. After it was pieced, quilted, washed and dried, I wasn't sure I could part with it. But it was less than a week before we were leaving for my parents and what else would I get them? So gift it, I did.

Here's the front. It was supposed to be this quilt. But I switched it up a bit. I used an old bundle of fat quarters that I got on clearance. I love them. But that was also part of the reason I hated to give it away...it's not like I can go out and buy more fabric to replicate this quilt! It's a one of a kind for sure.

Thanks to my friend Diana, who JUST started quilting (crazy mad woman made 3 quilts in about a month!), I had to add a cute strip to the back. Extra work, but I love it!

It got plenty of use this trip. Especially because it was winter. And we got snowed in. And lost power. It really was fun, but I sure was grateful for any extra blankets :)

And I still think it would look awefully nice in my house.

Oops

2011-01-08T14:35:00.000-06:00

I forgot to post this. Guess I was enjoying whisking my kids off for a surprise ski trip & failed to click post. But here it is anyway, albeit 2 weeks late!

Merry Christmas!

Love designing my own holiday cards. Love Vistaprint sales. Love how cute my little girl's flower girl dress turned out. And LOVE this picture of my darling kiddos. Hope you all had a great Christmas!

Scrapbook Paper Ball Ornament

2010-12-16T12:13:00.000-06:00

I'm actually surprised that I have "followers" besides my friends and family. But I do. Just a couple, but they are out there :) And I went to one of their blogs the other day & found this on their front page.

Last year at Hobby Lobby, I bought a few glass ornament packs on clearance. Not that they are expensive to start with, but at 90% off, why not? So, I need to now do something with the & this just seemed perfect for me. Next time I'll add some more paper, but I think they turned out super cute. Thanks for the idea!

Luggage Tags

2010-12-15T10:29:00.000-06:00

We have some good friends moving to the land down under next week. Our family is so sad, but at the same time, so excited about all of the great adventures they will have! Their girls have been big sisters to my kids & Teagan sometimes even prefers "That Daddy" to her own (and old term...now she just calls him Adam). No offense to Ryan...it's just that Adam is a package deal that includes three fun girls and a dog. What's not to love?!

So, since they're travelling during the holidays, and hopefully doing lots more travelling once they arrive in Australia, I thought I'd make them something to help them out during their trip(s). Luggage Tags!

I used the tutorial at Skip to my Lou. I used ribbon instead of fabric...less steps, just as cute.

Hopefully, this will make their bags easy to find as they sit waiting at the baggage claim. No lifting huge bags just to find they belong to someone else!

My Mantle

2010-12-10T07:40:00.000-06:00

Ta da! Here's my finished mantle. I made a total of six stockings...just in case. Four will work splendidly for this year! The two other stockings I had to tuck back into storage before I could take pictures... Teagan was dragging them around the house and stashing things in them. Cute...but I'd like them to be useable for the next 20 years at least?!

I love adding to my Santa collection, or should I say, my mom likes adding to my Santa collection & I'm grateful that she does! One of those is even hand made by a childhood friend's grandma!

Now if only I'd found the motivation last January to make a tree skirt & advent caledar...

Hourglass Stocking

2010-12-09T08:27:00.000-06:00

There's a tutorial for an hourglass quilt here. I'm pretty sure that's NOT how I did mine, but at least you have something to go by. Since I couldn't clame the Ticker Tape as my own, this one will have to do as "my" stocking.

Scrappy Stocking

2010-12-08T07:36:00.000-06:00

Inspired by this. This one was chosen by Teagan for Ryan. It actually drives me a bit nuts that the cuff is so like the color scrap right below it, so I might have to switch it out!

Ticker Tape Stocking

2010-12-07T07:43:00.000-06:00

Inspired by this. The ticker tape quilt MIGHT be one of my favorite designs...or not a design, but you know. This one was Teagan's pick. I was a little jealous, though...I was hoping to save this one for myself!

Zig Zag Stocking

2010-12-06T11:51:00.000-06:00

Inspired by this. A zig zag quilt was on my to-do list...I think maybe this project will take it off my to-do list for a while. This one was Kai's choice.

Happy Owling

2010-11-30T16:02:00.001-06:00

I had grand ideas to make these for neighbors and friends. But if you're my neighbor or close-by friend...don't expect one of these on your doorstep. I think I'll max out at the 4 I've already cut! But they sure are cute!

Hmm...and I stuffed mine a bit more than she did. Not sure which one I like better. And mine aren't hanging from a tree yet either. Maybe this weekend?

I am working...I promise

2010-11-05T08:38:00.001-05:00

But no pictures to show for it. A family has hired me to help them with their adoption profile, and since that's pretty confidential, well...that's that.

Can I just say what a fun experience this has been?! I really have loved being a part of this & seeing everything come together. They already had great pictures and a sweet letter, but needed a little help in putting it all together. I hope they are pleased when it's all finished. More importantly, I hope they are quickly blessed with the baby they so desire! I feel invested in them now & really hope this helps.

I should wrap this up soon...and then on to finish the quilt.

A finished Quilt...Top

2010-11-04T08:49:00.000-05:00

My quilt along quilt was supposed to look like this, but I was worried it would be too busy. So now it resembles more of a coin quilt. But I love it just the way it is. And I may never quilt with velvet again.

Happy Halloween

2010-10-31T14:21:00.000-05:00

From the Monster's Inc crew--Sully & Boo

About 8 years ago, I saw a little boy at the grocery store at Halloween wearing this Sully costume & he was adorable! I knew I had to have one for myself, so when I saw one listed on ebay for not very much, I jumped on it (it was off season of course!). Better yet, when the seller went to mail it, she realized there was a little hole in the horn, so she refunded me the cost of the costume & just had me pay shipping. Gosh...that was really unfortunate because a little thread fixed it up perfectly ;o) Kai couldn't fit into it until now (even though it's a 2-4T Costume!). And even though we purchased an Iron Man costume for him this year, once we pulled this out, it was over. Luckily it was cool enough to wear it too (just barely).

Of course, if I have a Sully, I have to have a Boo!

Here's my cute girl as Boo! She was totally on board with being Boo instead of a princess...until the day of our Trunk or Treat. And then she told Ryan (repeatedly) "I DO NOT WANT TO BE BOO." So, since I'd already made the costume, Ryan told her she couldn't get candy if she wasn't Boo...she quickly decided she was more than happy to wear her princess dresses around the house & Boo at our Trunk or Treat.

I was going to do a zipper or velcro down the back, but when I watched the movie, I realized the monsters just clipped her shut! So, here you have it...binder clips :)

They got lots of attention all night. This little boy went RUNNING up to Sully. So cute. Even a Mom asked if she could "pet" Kai. A little weird, but I guess it was just cause he looks (and was) awfully soft.

Happy Halloween to all of you!

bummer

2010-10-20T12:42:00.001-05:00

Did I tell you that Ryan broke my camera lens? I don't think I did. And taking pictures with my kit lens is just not as fun. The good thing about someone else braking your treasured item is that they have to replace it...before Christmas!

Did I tell you that then I broke something of Ryan's? Only his was more expensive. So now we're even. And I'm trying to get some motivation up to take pictures again. Without my little lens that won't be replaced until Christmas. Bummer.

Not much going on in the craft world here, but I'll hopefully get something done soon! I am working on my quilt a long quilt that I started this summer. I should have the quilt top pieced tomorrow :). Then I'll have a photo to post.

Oh, and Chloe is finally going home. Hopefully today!! The first surgery did not work & they had to redo the process the following Tuesday. To say I was stressed last week was an understatement. And I am not even her mother! She did look adorable in the gowns.

I'm working with the pattern creator to start a non profit together. I even talked to the cardio Child Life Specialist while I visited Chloe & I'm feeling pretty positive that we may have found our first donation location. Now, to register for a non-profit & to come up with a name! Then you can all get to work making gowns & have a tax write off for them too! Think 2011 :)

Bright & Cheery #2 & #3

2010-10-07T16:28:00.000-05:00

Today, I made two of these:

Hospital gown front

Hospital gown back
(with a few pieces of velcro to avoid that embarassing bum shot!)

What kid wants to wear a drab blue hospital gown while they are recovering from surgery? I imagine this will make Chloe's stay a little more colorful!

The pattern is thanks to my friend Tammy. She had gone to the hospital with a mutual friend of ours whose son was going through cancer treatments. When they gave him his gown, he threw a fit--he did NOT want to wear a baby gown with teddy bears and balloons on it. So...creative & thoughtful Tammy "borrowed" one of those said gowns, took it apart, copied it, put it back together & returned it, with a bunch of other "BIG BOY" gowns with it...just for Ethan. She is truly thoughtful if you ask me. Now that we've both revisited this pattern, we are both thinking about ways to get these to other kids. And when we have it figured out, you might be the first to know (or the first to get asked to help!).

No news on Chloe's surgery yet. I'm anxiously waiting by my computer & phone for a text or an email...

Bright & Cheery for a Hospital Stay

2010-10-06T12:59:00.001-05:00

Our friend's daughter is going into the hospital tomorrow to have open-heart surgery. Yes, she's four. And saying open-heart surgery at any age is scary, but especially so for a four year old! She'll be in the hospital for 10-14 days afterwards, so Kai and I have been trying to come up with things to do for her. We got her a care package with candy, snacks, a craft kit from hobby lobby, etc. But, I felt like she needed a little bit of color in her hospital room. So, here's part one of bright and cheery.

A butterfly pillowcase. I followed Dana's tutorial here. So easy & fun. I can see why she made 10 donate! I know she'll bring one from home too, but this way, her mom can wash one and still have another at the hospital.

Part two of bright and cheery will make it's debut tomorrow. Or maybe Friday, depending on when I finish!

As for now, my house is clean (except for the "catch all the junk" room that is my craft room). So, I'm going to go clean my craft room. And then I'll be able to walk through it enough to make Bright & Cheery #2!

Say a little prayer for little Chloe that all goes well tomorrow!

A Clutch...variation

2010-10-01T05:43:00.000-05:00

So, I tried something new. I originally thought it needed 3 ruffles, but when I was sewing them on, it seemed like too much. I'm waivering back to three. Maybe it'd be cuter if the ruffle fabric contrasted just a little bit more? What do you think, compared to the gathered clutches?

Already gifted to my friend Andrea...albeit four (or maybe five) days after her birthday. She's still my friend though, I think :)

Next variation? A clutch that's just big enough to fit a size 4 diaper...would that still be a clutch? Unless my project next week is to really get my girl potty trained. And that would be my most dreaded and hated project ever.

I may truly never buy bread again.

2010-09-29T17:21:00.000-05:00

I made this. Yup. All by myself. New sewing or mod podge required. You can too with the directions here. I have a feeling my midsection is going to hate me for this, but my tastebuds sure love me. And I'm looking forward to many future variations (roasted garlic, olive oil & rosemary, etc.). So easy...even a non-bread maker can do it. In fact, it was my friend Lisa, who is a self-proclaimed non-bread maker, who turned me on to this. Thanks Lisa!

My Little Flower Girl

2010-09-26T20:54:00.000-05:00

Isn't she adorable? She even performed well...sort of. She took her assignment of dropping petals VERY seriously. She dropped maybe 2 petals as she walked down the aisle and at the end she stood there dropping pile after pile of petals. And once her basket was empty, she was done. Michelle had a nice pile of petals to stand on during the ceremony!

And this isn't my favorite picture of the bunch, but I'll save my favorite for my Christmas Card (probably at least...we had family pictures taken while we were in Utah, but my kids looked so adorable at the wedding, I'm not sure I can resist!). Hey, both of these are my main projects in the making, so they count, right?

After we finally get unpacked, groceries bought, house cleaned & kids back to normal, I MAY actually work on some new projects! Anyone have any great ideas?

Flower Girl Headband

2010-09-15T11:43:00.000-05:00

This matches her basket & the pin on her dress. She is going to be adorable I tell you! Final product pictures will follow :)

Flower Girl Basket

2010-09-14T08:18:00.000-05:00

A little basket, spray painted black and flowers hot glued on. Cute!

Asking for help

2010-09-13T08:28:00.000-05:00

I don't like to ask for help very often...but sometimes I get desperate. And I'm sorry, but when the pattern for your daughter's flower girl dress is written in a foreign language (well, not all of it was foreign, just the parts I couldn't undertand), it's time to get desperate. So my friend Amie's sister Beth came to my rescue (did you get that? Yes, my genius sewing friend who moved to Colorado called her sister for me!). Thank you Beth (and Amie for making the call!). She taught how to make these adorable puffed sleeves:

And talked me through finishing the dress. Except the zipper--her response to the zipper was, "call my mom and she'll do it for you!" And I'm sure she would too! They are those types of people :). Today, I am getting more help from another friend (thanks Looli!) and will be installing the zipper this morning (if all goes well!). I, seriously, am so grateful for so many talented people in my life.

PS--I'll be trimming all those loose strands, don't worry. But my goodness, taffeta frays like mad!

Doll Friends

2010-09-09T07:43:00.000-05:00

More Black Apple Dolls. They've already arrived in LA--man, the USPS is fast!

These girls are always just so darned cute.

PS--If you follow her tutorial, do not hand stitch her together in the head! They end up looking so wonky that way. Leave the opening to flip her right side out on the side under her arm. It's pretty discreet and it doesn't matter how straight it is. Oh, and if you're a perfectionist, sew her head together with the same color thread as her hair. Then switch to a neutral to do the body. It looks SO much better that way!

Flower Clips

2010-09-07T08:39:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am the best sister in the world. You're welcome Becky.

Kindergarten Book Bags

2010-09-02T12:23:00.000-05:00

At our curriculum night, Kai's kindergarten teacher asked if anyone "crafty, or good at that type of stuff" would be willing to write the kids names on their book bags. Ryan nudged me...I think he was hoping that by volunteering, I would get "in" with the teacher. I, of course, was up to proving my craftiness. I decided to freezer paper the names on (against the advice of two friends!). I had to do the paint pretty thick to get it to show up on the black, so it did seep through a bit, and they are definitely not perfect. But, black sharpie works wonders, I tell you!

The question is, does it need anything else? A blue star underneath? Or should I just call it good & be glad that they are done. All 22 of them.

Oh, and as a word of advice on freezer paper stencils:

--You do not have to trace onto the freezer paper first. The paper is sheer enough that you can use your exacto directly over what you are tracing. It eliminates a step.
--Rulersare a great help for keeping straight edges straight.
--For some reason, the freezer paper left residue where I had ironed it on some of the bags. Just be forewarned that this could happen to you on dark surfaces (again, thanks black sharpie!)
--Use a Cricut to cut out your design! (finally wishing I had one)

By the time I do this again, I hope I have a silhouette instead. Then I could just heat transfer the letters. Hmmm...I need to win one of those give aways.

Jam Jars "cutification"

2010-08-31T17:24:00.000-05:00

Can I just tell you how grateful I am that this is my only job in regards to jam & bread? I made the labels & cut the burlap...and they are now in the hands of the USPS on their way to Utah.

My sweet mother is making 70+ mini loaves of bread and 70+ mini jars of jam. She is a saint.

The best thing about these labels is that I was JUST talking to my mom about how we could make the jam jars cute when Amy at The Idea Room posted a link to a bunch of printable jam labels. Hooray! Perfect timing Amy! I chose these because the wedding's at Sundance so the brown seemed to fit, and, well, she had mixed berry all ready to go! I took her file into photoshop & got rid of the stuff I didn't want & added the stuff I did.

I think the guests will be thrilled to find homemade bread and jam in their rooms when they arrive. Mmm...I know I would!

PS--did you know that Costco's frozen mixed berries make fantastic mixed berry jam. Yum.

Birthday Banner

2010-08-26T06:53:00.002-05:00

Last fall, I made this beauty.

Unfortunately, though I have had a few opportunities to use it, I have failed to do so. Finally, I remembered to pull it out for some special days in our family this month. We loosely followed this tutorial. But sometimes, simple feels so good!

Oh, and if you want to see MUCH prettier pictures of the finished product? Here is my friend Sarah's post about it. The colors in our homes are very similar so it was easy to join forces on our fabric purchases. Plus, isn't always more fun to have someone to create with? She can capture things much better than I (still hoping for a photography tutorial Sarah!), and yes...it was almost a year ago.

Silly Putty

2010-08-24T14:41:00.000-05:00

We made Silly Putty the other day during T's nap. Ours was a little hard, which makes me think we maybe used too much Borax? We had tried her recipe for slime before, so this was a simple variation.

I like the slime better. Just don't let your son sneak it out of the fridge and leave it on your hand made quilt until it "melts." Granted, it all came out. But I was not a happy mama. This time, when were done with the slime, it found it's way to the trash can.

Summer Reading

2010-08-05T08:10:00.000-05:00

Lets just be honest. Summers are MEANT for reading. So instead of whipping out my sewing machine in my spare time, I'm getting sucked into other people's creative minds. Sorry for the sporadic postings. But until school starts, I'm going to spend my time with my cute kiddos and my new friends like Katniss, Emma, and Melanie. I'm especially into easy reads...any suggestions?

Oh, and here's a pic of my cuties at Grandma's house.

The Wedding Invites

2010-08-04T06:40:00.000-05:00

One of my big projects.

Designed. Printed. Cut. Addressed. Stuffed. Stamped. Mailed. Done.

Congratulations Matt & Michelle. We can't wait for Michelle to join our family!

The Bachelorette!

2010-08-03T07:14:00.001-05:00

{Spoiler Alert}

Last night was my traditional Bachelorette Finale Party. I love watching the show with a bunch of my friends every week...especially when there are characters like Jonathan and Kasey to admire and love.

Thanks to the dollar store, I was able to make some cute party favors. Decorated with some Valentine's Stickers I've had for five years :) Stuffed with wedding cake bubbles & ring pops to celebrate the pending marriage of Ali & Roberto.

Now, does anyone want to make any bets as to whether or not that actually happens?

A Baby Quilt

2010-07-08T07:34:00.000-05:00

Remember this? Well, after Max's backpack arrived, his mom asked if I'd be willing to make him a quilt. She'd bought a bumper for him, but the pediatrian told her that was a no-no...so, what better to do with a bumper than to make it into a quilt. The bumper fabric is the stripe I used for the binding...I totally get why she loved it. It's super cute!

Here it is finished, but before washing it. It was my first time doing a meander stitch for the quilting. It was so much nicer than doing swirls! I did have to unpick about 1/4 after I realized that my tension was WAY off. But worth it in the end for a nice finished project.

And here it is nice and crinckled. Fresh out of the dryer. With minky on the back (which is totally easy to work with for a quilt backing & I take back every bad thing I've ever said about it!).

The Monsters

2010-07-07T07:57:00.000-05:00

I love that my children were the recipents of these adorable cupcakes made by T & Kai's "big sisters". The monsters with the eyelashes were picked out specifically for T (cause they're girly, of course!)...and the cyclopse for Kai...and they both devoured them. Aren't they delicious? (In SO many ways!)

I can only hope to someday take my baking to this level!!!

Spy Party

2010-07-06T01:21:00.000-05:00

In case you are wondering, I actually have been working on stuff. In fact, I've been working on A LOT. They are all just huge projects in some level of completion...just not complete (wedding invitations, quilts, etc). But Kai's birthday party invites? They are complete...and awesome. Just for a couple of his friends ("his spies"). Now onto the party planning...

PS...the top secret memo IS encrypted. It's not just backwards accidentally.

I Love Clearance Sales

2010-06-28T16:04:00.000-05:00

I have a hard time resisting price tags that look like this:

Teagan should be able to wear this pair until she's like 5! With my skinny girl (and capris being cool), we can get away with wearing jeans ---> capris for a LONG time.

They had this adorable flower at the bottom of both legs. It is a super cute flower, but not quite my style & it limits what she can wear them with. Luckily, thanks to blog land, I now thing outside the box, and bought them in two sizes.

A few pokes with my seam ripper & they now look like this. Much more versatile, huh? Oh, and I'm holding onto those flowers...you may seem them on a onesie someday...or maybe on a hair clip. I have four to play with, so they'll definitely resurface.

Wow...I actually did something

2010-06-23T09:56:00.001-05:00

I had a burst of motivation & finally did something creative!. I had this old #10 can sitting in my office...it's now been "cutified" and for the time being is storing my sewing notions. Just some paper and ribbon. No mod podge involved! (Oh, and the motivation was actually to clean...and my office is now spotless. And since my office was looking so good, I couldn't just leave this can looking, well, like a can.)

PS--to those of you who know me...NO, I am not pregnant. I promise!

hiCard

2010-06-14T07:52:00.001-05:00

Ryan was out of town last week & I couldn't do a thing. I just sat on my computer and watched TV. I may be having "crafters block" -- that's my version of writer's block. That said, we are having to update our Apple application, hicard, for the new 4G phones. So...I did make some invites (after he came home of course). I know some of you are users...watch for the update in the next couple of weeks. Here's one of my favorites:

PS--not sure if that's even the right link to hiCard...I don't have iTunes installed on my computer to test it really. shh...don't tell.

T's Room

2010-06-11T07:33:00.000-05:00

It's done! Teagan's room inspired by Just a Girl's room (well, I still have curtains to add, but that's no biggy).
The bed is now under the tree and against the wall...not as convenient for our "guest room" but much better for our two-year old.

Here's the view from the door (she loves the birdies!)

And the finished dresser (now that the bed's not there, but butterflies seem a bit high, but they'll work for now)

And the nightstand

T wanted to sleep in there Sunday night, so we tried it out. I said good night, turned out the light, closed the door, & five minutes later she was knocking at the door, "I thirsty!" Hmm...not sure how she got out of the bed. A very high bed. With a bed rail up. In the dark. With no night light. That was the end of the butterfly room for now. She was asleep in her crib ten minutes later, and I'm okay with that. I'm not sure I'm ready for my baby to grow up anyway.

Dresser Refinished

2010-06-09T06:49:00.000-05:00

So I bought a dresser, nightstand, bed, tall dresser and a mirror at a garage sale a few weeks ago. I paid $70 for the set. I really only wanted this dresser, but she didn't want to separate the set...so I bought it all...with the hopes that I'd be able to sell the rest on craigslist. And I did. But I only sold two pieces. The tall dresser and the bed. And I sold them for $60. So...in essence, I spent $10 on this dresser, the nightstand (previous post...you can see why I couldn't get rid of it!), and a mirror for above the dreser that I know I'll use someday.

And I transformed this:

into this:

Cute, huh? It wasn't all wood, so I decided to spray paint it using the suggestions from here. Because spray paint is a bit more expensive, I ended up spending about $50 to refinish it all. Still, $60 for a dresser, nightstand & mirror? Not too shabby! Completed room pics coming up next.

Nightstand part 2

2010-06-07T14:28:00.000-05:00

Remember this? Well...it's now found a better home in my office (I always need more storage for my ever-increasing fabric stash). And this one is taking it's place. Hmm...I really want to spray paint that frame pink.

The Really Big Bib (aka Smock)

2010-06-04T06:53:00.000-05:00

A couple of years ago, I picked up a smock at a garage sale for a dime. A dime! It was awesome. T was still little, so we (I) felt it was better put to use as a bib. A really big bib. It was my favorite diaper bag bib--the material is thin, mostly waterproof, it rolls up really small & it covers almost her whole body, so I didn't have to worry about a change of clothing in addition to her bib. Originally, I wanted to try this smock, but why mess with a good thing? When I finally found a similar fabric at IKEA, I knew it was time to just replicate it!

And I replicated it in two different sizes...I wanted to have one a little smaller to give as a baby gift.

So here's my smaller version. I now need a baby to try it on to see if my pattern actually works (it looks a little narrow on T, but I think that's okay since a one year old should be narrower than her). I also made the bias tape for the first time too...that may not be my favorite thing to do.

And here's the big girl smock with packaged bias tape. T rarely wears a bib, so I'm pretty sure I'll hold onto this one for a smock.

Easily tied in the back so little ones can't yank it off.

Now a question. Do any of you know what this fabric is called? It's thinner than Oil Cloth (it's thickness is similar to regular fabric), but still has a shiny/plasticy feel on one side & cotton on the other. I've heard about laminated fabric, but haven't gotten my hands on any yet. This could be it? Help?

Pillow #3

2010-06-03T06:51:00.000-05:00

Inspired by this. A simplified version, because Ryan likes simple (yes, he cares!).

Pillow #2

2010-06-02T06:55:00.000-05:00

Inspired by this.

Pillow #1

2010-06-01T07:46:00.001-05:00

Let me preface this post with the fact that I maybe spent 1 hour on projects last week. Well, maybe 2, but it sure wasn't a lot. So...now you really know my secret. I don't craft every day. In fact if I hadn't finished one of my pillows last week & touched up my newly refinished dresser, I wouldn't have crafted at all. And I'm okay with that.

I'm also okay with telling you that while May was awesome, I'm not sure I'll ever have such a productive month again! I now have to work on some bigger projects--my brother's wedding invitations, a couple of quilts, & fully enjoying this summer with my kiddos. For now, I have a weeks worth of posts waiting (yes, I could post 3 pillows at once, but what's the point?!). And then it may be a drought for a while. We'll see.

Here is pillow #1. For Teagan's room. Don't mind that the ruffles are crooked. I didn't.

Inspired by this.

Self-Binding Blanket

2010-05-28T07:09:00.000-05:00

I swore I would never make a blanket like this again. I've made my fair share and none of them have turned out perfectly. In fact, my mom made some the other day--I warned her not to, but she proceeded anyway & had to live with the frustration. Perhaps it's because we make them with minky. And minky is NOT fun to work with.

The other day I dragged T to ThreadArt (perhaps for the 5th time in a two week period). She always grabs things--purses, lunch bags, buttons, etc & carries them around the store--my new friend there, Claudia, is so nice and patient with her (and with me because I always put her "toys" back in the wrong places). This time, T immediately grabbed this hot pink piece of minky, plopped herself down on the ground & started saying, "blanket, blanket...[insert me trying to take it away] MY BLANKET!!!" It was only $4 for the precut yard...what could I do? Especially when they had this cute flannel to go with it!?

I pinned it like mad and it actually turned out nicely. Perhaps the pictures in the tutorial helped...or maybe I'm getting to be a better seamstress...or maybe both. It's still not perfect, but it's a vast improvement from my previous attempts two years ago.

And she loves it. And that's all that matters. And yes, she has bed head.

Stylin' on Sunday

2010-05-27T07:34:00.000-05:00

I made this back in January, and just shipped it off to a friends new baby this weekend. I love this Amy Butler stripe for the tie! I followed Crap's tutorial here. I've seen a lot of these ties & I think her pattern is the best!

Photo Book

2010-05-26T11:19:00.000-05:00

So...thanks to the quick USPS, this is already in Becky's hands. But, I had to post it anyway...photobooks may not be instant gratification, but they're still a project. And I love them.

And aren't our boys delicious!?

Girls like capes too.

2010-05-25T07:14:00.001-05:00

It seems that every little girl wants to be just like her big brother. So capes for the boys and capes for the girls. Two shipped off to DC & two that have made their comfortable home here.

Teagan says she's a "Princess Superman" ... from her it sounds like "I pea-cess, me-man" but I interpreted it for you.

Obama!

2010-05-24T07:29:00.003-05:00

I have a special bond with Kai's friend Gavin...perhaps it's because he loves Obama. I really wanted to finish this next project before the kids and I ventured to DC...alas, I did not. But can you imagine this picture with the boys in Obama capes? Fantastic! (No, they are not holding hands, just running)

Gavin lives in Virginia now, so he'll enjoy plenty of adventures to DC. This will have to do for the next time he heads to The White House:

Flip it over? He's Superman. Loved the tutorial here.

I used cotton fabric instead of felt & appliqued like normal. And yes, as soon as I finished this one for Gav, I had to scurry off and make one for Kai. But he wanted Batman instead of Obama. The shame.

Fabric Key Chain

2010-05-21T07:55:00.000-05:00

You saw my lanyard. Well, I did make the keychain too...and I can find my keys so much easier now. It took me maybe 15 minutes to follow this tutorial.

E.A.T.

2010-05-20T07:49:00.002-05:00

Anyone watch Cougartown? My guilty pleasure--I love the show & I love Jules' house! Sort of pathetic these days that I can't watch TV without noticing fabric, colors, furniture, etc. Maybe it's a good thing, but Ryan *might* be a bit tired of me yelling, "PAUSE-PAUSE-PAUSE--look at how they framed those..."

Courtney Cox (Jules) has these adorable letters in her kitchen that spell E-A-T. Bright, colorful, and from Anthropology. For $14 each. So I made my own. For $1 each. Different, cheaper, but they essentially do the same thing. Now, to decide if I can put them in the perfect spot, which is currently the home to our wall clock. Not sure I can give that up.

PS--This is just scrapbook paper mod podged on chipboard letters from Hobby Lobby. Oh, and sorry to those of you who got a sneak peak of this in your google reader. My secret's out. I worked on this project over a week ago & accidently hit Publish when it was sitting in my drafts. Not cool...I can't afford to make more than one post a day!

A Matching T-shirt

2010-05-19T06:39:00.000-05:00

I couldn't resist this little elephant. He's just too cute. You can learn more about applique here.

Packaged together with the Toddler Backpack and on its way to baby Max.

A Toddler Backpack

2010-05-18T07:23:00.001-05:00

I made this adorable Toddler Backpack for a friends baby. It was super easy because there's no closure on the back--it's just a flap, which makes it manageable for toddler and baby hands.

Because she modeled it, she believes it belongs to her. Hmm...I may have to make a second. In pink.

I personalized it with an "M" for Max.

And yes, Teagan is wearing her completed Market Skirt. Luckily, I've convinced her it's a "princess dress." Otherwise, it wouldn't see the light of day (like all of the shorts, capris, pants and T-shirt in her dresser).

ID Badge Lanyard

2010-05-17T07:31:00.000-05:00

On my to-do list of creativity is this fabric key chain. It's so cute and has made me think about all of the other strappy things you could make along those lines. My mind has been on teacher gifts lately, and I realized that a cute ID Badge Lanyard just might be perfect. Cute, huh?

I did mine a bit differently than The Idea Room's key chain--if you look at her tutorial, see where she folds over her fabric 1/4" and presses? I tend to steam my fingers when I do that (ouch). So, I switched it up a bit. Here's what you will need:

Two strips of coordinating fabric "cut to 1.5" x 40"
Two strips of interfacing 3/4" x 20"
One strip of 5/8" or 7/8" ribbon about 3-3.5" long
One rotating clip (I found these at JoAnns in a two pack)
Other clips will work, this is just what I had on hand. If you use different clips, make sure that the finished width of your strip will fit

Iron the interfacing onto the "wrong" side of one of your fabrics. Where one strip ends is where I start ironing the second strip. You can see that I didn't iron the interfacing perfectly straight. Just do your best. Then sew your two fabrics together with right sides together. I tend to sew with a seem allowance just bigger than 1/4", which works perfectly for my clip because I wanted its width to be a bit smaller than 1" finished. (Note: If you are really good at doing a 1/4" seam, you can start out with your strips at 1.25" instead of 1.5".)

Turn it right side out--I use a safety pin. Press it so it looks nice and clean and even and then top stitch down both sides to give it a finished look.

At this point, slip the hook onto your lanyard and line up the unfinished ends to overlap by about 1/4". You do not want it to be a perfect loop. Instead, there should be ONE twist (is it a half twist?) in the lanyard. When you have your fabrics connecting at the unfinished edges, one end will have fabric "A" face up and the other end will have fabric "B" face up (where my pin is up at the top in the picture). This will allow the lanyard to sit nicely when worn.

Sew the 1/4" overlap with a zig zag. I did the zig zag stitch 2-3 times.

Now take your 3" of ribbon. You can seal the edges carefully with a lighter (or cut it with a woodburner, it's safer!). Position the buckle next to the zig zag seem. You are going to cover the seam with the ribbon. Tuck both ends into the middle of the two pieces of the lanyard and pin (I pinned the top and bottom of the lanyard so the ribbon wouldn't slide). Sew the top and bottom of the ribbon--horizontal across the lanyard (make sure to back stitch so that it doesn't come apart).

Voila! A finished lanyard. The perfect accessory for your favorite teacher/accountant/social worker/nurse, etc. When I was at school, people wore their dorm keys on these. Does that still happen? If so, maybe it's even a good graduation gift. Oh, and trust me...mind mind is flying on all of the ways to accessorize these--ruffles, patchwork, etc. So fun. Good luck crafting!

More Clutches

2010-05-14T07:22:00.002-05:00

Did I ever tell you I am compulsive? I did tell you I was going to disappear because I'd be making these, and I did. Plus I have 6 more with fabric and zippers picked out too. i LOVE them.

Covered Button Clips

2010-05-13T11:49:00.001-05:00

I love teeny, tiny hair accessories for my teeny, tiny girl. I didn't follow a tutorial, but I found one here for you. If you do the small buttons like I did, it takes some fiddling to get the button covered with the snap clip attached. Don't give up and hot glue it (like I wanted to do--it might just be a choking hazard!). Just attach the button a little looser to the clip and have a little patience...it does work.

Don't mind the banana on her chin. Bananas make my girl happy.

Jolly Roger

2010-05-12T07:23:00.002-05:00

My foray into freezer paper crafting. I'm hooked. Oh, and I love skulls on baby boys. Hopefully his mom will too!

Gathered Clutch

2010-05-11T07:38:00.003-05:00

The best project for using scraps. Ever. I love this clutch from Noodlehead. If I disappear over the next few weeks, it's because I'm making these. Lots of these. For birthday presents, and Christmas presents, and teacher gifts, and for anytime I need a quick little present for someone. It takes hardly any fabric at all, and though it requires a zipper, if I can do it, so can you...and in about an hour, too.

Hobby Lobby only carries 7" and 9" zippers. The pattern calls for an 8" zipper so I bought 7" zippers. On my first clutch, I cut the fabric to 8" instead of 9" so that it would fit the 7" zipper. Bad idea. As you can see in the picture below, my zipper end covers on the pink clutch don't show much. In fact, they were a pain. On my second clutch, I just made the zipper end covers longer (4.5" x 1.5") and let them take the place of the extra length of the zipper. That was a much easier process and looks so much nicer. Hopefully on number three, I'll be able to center the zipper too!

These are for Kai's preschool teachers who are graduating this year. Stuffed with a few little treats.

An Apron

2010-05-10T07:22:00.000-05:00

I'm not a big apron wearer...but after getting all those pesky holes in my shirt, I'm trying to wear one when working in the kitchen. I liked this pattern online because it serves the purpose of simply covering my midsection. I've seen much cuter patterns, but this one is super simple and fast. And that's always good for me.

Has anyone found a solution to the holes in the shirts? Are they from our zippers? Is it my button rubbing on the counter? I know I'm not alone in this problem.

A Butterfly Pillow

2010-05-07T11:01:00.000-05:00

I feel like this was meant for Teagan's room. Maybe not in felt though. Something is telling me that I should probably use washable fabric in her room...

Steel Stamps

2010-05-06T08:43:00.002-05:00

First, an apology to my friends to whom I said, "Let's steel stamp together!" I had to get these shipped for Mother's day & at least now I've gotten through the trial and error bit...I'm still up for an evening of steel stamping.

I saw this about inital necklaces & knew I had to try it. After MANY failed necklaces (those charms are CHEAP in all ways), this is the best I could come up with (shipped off to my SIL who had a new baby yesterday):

So, I decided to try these (I had grabbed them to experiment with). They say "Made with Love" on the front, but the back is solid. Hmm...

So much better. Sure, if your necklace flips, it doesn't look as nice, but 10 tags for $1.24 (50% off right now at HL), you really can't go wrong. And until I really decide to invest in good supplies at Beaducation, it will do.

Felt Roses

2010-05-05T07:23:00.001-05:00

Felt Roses -- They are a bit time consuming, but I think they might be worth it. Wool felt is pretty difficult to get around here, so I found it online here.

Holes...

2010-05-04T12:51:00.001-05:00

I hate them--the holes I get at the bottom of my shirt. This shirt was practically brand new when the first hole appeared...and I've continued to wear it--bringing back the grungy look. I finally tried to cover them:

Good, not great. In fact, Ryan said "dumb." (Admittedly, it sort of is). But it's a start. I have another shirt just like it & maybe I'll try an applique instead. It beats sending it to goodwill though, right? Very soon on the agenda is an apron...so that I stop getting holes in the first place (yes, I do believe it's from my counters in the kitchen).

Woo Hoo! I won.

2010-05-03T13:24:00.000-05:00

Anyone who follows Crap I've Made, remember this? Well, it was MY submission that WON. I perused the Internet for ideas because I really wanted that camera strap, & I figured I had a better chance giving a suggestion than just doing a random giveaway. So now the camera strap is off my to-do list & once I can get it back from Kai (he may like it more than me...straps=handcuffs), my camera will look just adorable! Thanks Char! I LOVE it.

Oh, and wouldn't a bent objects party be a ton of fun?

My New Stash

2010-05-02T12:15:00.000-05:00

I had fun shopping in Utah. Especially here. I wish there were more fabric stores like this close to me--I felt like a kid in a candy store.

I even picked up my first Japanese Import Fabrics. It's a toss up on my favorites. I love this floral by Lecien, but there's something so cute about these little monkeys!

Buying new fabric also got me to reorganize my craft room hutch...it's a start and now I'm ready for my next shipment from trimweaver (where I may have ordered a bunch of this. I think it will make an adorable backpack for T. Happy Mother's Day to me!).

The (too big) Lamp

2010-05-01T14:51:00.000-05:00

We got this as a hand me down about 10 years ago, and we've never really used it. I wanted a lamp for T's nightstand. It's a bit big, but as the saying goes, "use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without." I made do.

Before

After

It's a bit busier than I envisioned, but I can hardly stand the ribbon on the top and needed to do something different on the bottom. So, little rosettes made of scraps worked perfectly to cover my less-than-perfect lampshade. If you want to recover your own lampshade, I followed this tutorial.

Gift Card Holders

2010-04-22T07:56:00.003-05:00

Thank goodness for scraps because the wedding's tomorrow, and I don't have time for anything else. These are WAY cuter than anything store bought!

A Project Two Years in the Making

2010-04-21T14:47:00.000-05:00

This is the back of me this morning:

and now:

10 inches ready to send to Pantene Beautiful Lengths.

No tangles getting out of the pool this summer for me! I swore I'd never do this again...but maybe one more time before I go too grey. Maybe.

Felt Clips

2010-04-20T13:26:00.002-05:00

Don't mind the crusty look. That's just Teagan.

But at least it's a cute clip, right? I've seen lots of tutorials on line for felt clips, but I couldn't find one that didn't require prescision cutting, tracing, or patterns (I'm sure they're out there though!). So this is how I do mine (the perfect project to do while watching TV. No sewing. No hot glue. Just a needle & embroidery floss).

This is what I started with. I cut white rectangles to cover the clip, pink & white circles, and a green leaf. The floss matches my flower pieces. My flowers are very "Mary Engelbreity-y." Simple is good, right?

I estimate where the top of the clip will be & sew the flower right onto the felt. Make sure you get all 4 pieces of felt in so that the leaf doesn't fall off. I sew it on just like a button (and may try a button next time!).

On the other rectangle,cut a small slit big enough for the bottom part of the snap clip to slide through.

Then sew the two pieces together with a cute running stitch. Stay as close to the clip as possible (you won't be able to see the clip because it's sandwiched between the felt, so I try to make my needle hit the clip on every stitch). Trim off the excess felt, making sure to keep the shape looking cute, and voila:

The plain one is even easier--obviously. And if your lucky, after you get your crusty looks, you might get a smile like this:

The Bow Board

2010-04-19T17:57:00.001-05:00

I finished my bow holder for Teagan. And a slew of new flower clips too. I already have a great bow holder for T's nursery made by my crafty friends Amie & Lisa...but she needed one to match her new room. I did my bow holder a tad different and just covered the glass of the frame so that some day I can use the frame for its intended purpose.

With new clips, I was able to I channel my good friend Becky (check out Laynie's perfect hair), and today Teagan had matching flowers in her piggies.

Found it!

2010-04-17T12:53:00.002-05:00

I found T's dresser today at a garage sale. Girly, yes? When we went to pick it up, Ryan looked at thier driveway and kept going, convinced that it wasn't that dresser that I had purchased...he just doesn't see the vision! So, now begins the process of refinishing...I orignally thought I would do this, but there aren't a lot of nooks and crannies. So maybe I'll just revert to my old ways and spray paint this one. We'll see.

Yes...it's a punch.

2010-04-15T15:01:00.000-05:00

A few people have asked me how I did the butterflies on my wall, so I thought I would do a little explaining (no tutorial needed). Yes, I borrowed a punch from my dear, amazing & talented friend, Kristi. She had this adorable thing just laying around her house (I've seen it at Hobby Lobby, but she's better than Hobby Lobby).

I got a piece of wood at Lowe's -- 1"x12"x48" & had them cut it into 12" squares. (At $.25 per cut after the first cut, I feel a lot better about going here and doing a ton of her projects without my own saw!) I sanded, painted, sanded again & added a hanger. I punched a ton of butterflies out of scraps--make sure to have a good mix of prints & solids--then adhered them to the board with a glue dot. You want to make sure the glue dot is either small or cut it so that is fits on just the body. Then you can bend the wings up like so:

I know...so cute. For the big butterfly, I enlarged one of my punches & used the copy as a stencil. I Mod Podged it onto the board and was done. The hardest part of the whole project was getting the spacing right (2 rulers and a pencil was how I ended up doing it).

I'm temped to put some of these butterflies on T's tree!

Butterflies

2010-04-08T09:08:00.001-05:00

A while back, I found this bow holder tutorial & thought, why on earth would that woman destroy those butterflies to make a bow holder!? In all fairness, her bow holder did turn out cute (and I may make one for T's room in the future), but I hated to see those butterflies go to waste. So, I made my own.

Cute, huh? But I can't put just one above Teagan's bed. So how about three? I love them, and so does she.
Teagan: "They pretty."
Seal of approval, yes?

Thanks Grandpa

2010-04-06T14:56:00.002-05:00

Many years ago, Ryan's grandpa made him this nightstand. He died a while before Ryan and I met, but had I met him, I think I would have liked him. Hello...maybe he would have even taught me to woodwork! It's an awesome nightstand & we've always used it. Though, the finish was never really our style.

So...I finally confirmed (probably 3 times) with Ryan that he didn't care if I painted it. And then I painted it. It took quite a few coats & I'm not sure I did that great, but it looks fantastic in T's room. The Liberty of London box I picked up fits perfectly. If she's anything like her brother, she'll have her fair share of junk to hide away in that box. Which makes me love it (and the lid) even more.

And, I love the little milk glass candlestick that I got a CAM. I flipped it over & voila, what a fun vase! I do have a second (it came in a set) and now I need to find another spot for it.

Diana's Birds

2010-04-01T13:46:00.001-05:00

I love good friends...I could not have done (should I say, would not have done?) nearly as much on my tree mural today if it not for the encouragement from my friend Diana. She is amazing. I would have fretted and contemplated and worried and wondered if every leaf looked perfect and if every branch reached the right location. She helped me to look at the overall picture, adjust things & gave me the confidence to just go for it. And go for it we did! No overhead projector either. We just opened up this page on Ryan's laptop & went to town (chalk first of course).

Diana added these little birds. Aren't they just adorable?!

I'm still going to do a little touch up because I have to get rid of the excess chalk marks, but imagine this with a little dresser (that I WILL soon find on craigslist) in front of it. Once I get that...and the nightstand painted...and the curtains up, I'll take a picture of the whole ensemble. Thank you Diana!

Not so fun

2010-03-30T15:36:00.000-05:00

I've hemmed 3 pairs of Ryan's pants...that may not feel like much, but it's a huge nagging project off of my to-do list. I make him buy things that are too long because they are so cheap (like these pants, which I got an additional 45% off...$9 for a pair of pants for work is not too shabby). I always promise to hem them. Sometimes it just takes me 6 months (or 3 years as was the case the first time I learned to hem).

Today was going to be a "start-drawing-Teagan's-tree-mural" day. That's up next. I think.

A Rainbow Cake

2010-03-24T21:36:00.001-05:00

I woke up this morning with the "guilty mom" feeling. Today was T's 2nd birthday and we had nothing planned. Yes, her presents have been wrapped for months (thank goodness, I was exhausted from our flight yesterday), but nothing else was planned. No party. No cake. No friends. She is only two after all. But I quickly remembered this. And then I decided to be a good mom & make her a cute cake. She even kissed the oven door as it was baking & loved pointing out all of the colors. So cute!

Ready to Fly

2010-03-15T17:52:00.000-05:00

Three more dolls ready to head to DC. Two as gifts for my friends & T's...because you know that two two-year old girls might battle over just one doll. And wouldn't you?

And while running some last minute errands at Target, I saw many pieces of the new Liberty of London stuff. I might be in love, especially with this line that T's new piggy bank is in. I got a cute box in this line too, which fits perfectly into her nightstand. I'm hoping that no one else likes it so that I can buy their bedding set on clearance and cut it up to make my own quilt. Wishful thinking has never hurt anyone.

The Perfect Gift

2010-03-14T19:46:00.002-05:00

That little baby quilt that my mom made for Teagan...made with pinks & light icy blue & browns & all sorts of colors that look great in T's new room. It will definitely be inspiration for good things to come. Now, if I only thought I had time tomorrow, I would work on these two things--Lincoln and Obama. Wouldn't they be perfect for our trip to DC?

Time for Beds

2010-03-13T20:43:00.001-06:00

Today was project day, in a big way. Teagan's room was pastel sage (think ugly mint) is now a pretty, icy blue (thanks in no part to our own efforts mind you...a big thanks to some lovely friends who auctioned off their services!). This bed was black this morning and is now white. Love spray paint. Don't love the cramp in your hand leftover from using six cans. On to the tree mural...and painting the nightstand...and finding a new dresser...and doing something cool with her lamp. I thought about painting it pink, but I might be too boring. I may just do something cool to the lampshade instead.

To repurpose or not...

2010-03-11T17:20:00.001-06:00

I bought this fantastic tablecloth months ago at Target (75% off score!) with the intention of using the fabric for various craft projects. But then I contemplated using it for it's intended purpose. It would be an awfully cute spring time tablecloth...and it would make the most darling Market Skirt. Why on earth didn't I buy two? I'm going to tell myself that it was the only one...it will make me feel better...and it's probably the truth anyway. As much as I need a new tablecloth, I think the cute skirt is maybe going to win.

A New Home for my Netbook

2010-03-09T17:16:00.003-06:00

A little bit of product placement, yes. Because Ryan works for HP. But both of us think his MacBook is far superior. That aside, here is the new home for my netbook from the tutorial found here. I think I'd do it next time more like a diaper clutch or stocking so that the lining inside had more of a finished edge. If I'd noticed the unfinished insides earlier, I may have changed it. But it works for now.

Ryan hopes this little sleeve means I will use my netbook more (instead of commandeering his Mac)...likely, that will not be the case. At least it will be cushioned and accessible on my flight to DC next week!

The Doll Has a Name!

2010-03-07T23:48:00.003-06:00

I feel like I've made it in the world. Not sure if I should be more flattered that I made it to Sarah's blog, or that "Simone" had her own photo shoot. Either way, I feel like I won an Oscar myself tonight.

No projects this weekend. Had too much fun visiting with old friends on Saturday. And enjoyed a Sunday afternoon nap today. Perhaps I'll tackle something tomorrow.

I hired someone today...

2010-03-05T21:57:00.003-06:00

to paint Teagan's bedroom. No picture needed of the huge smile on my face. (Oh, and the money will help send the girls to camp!)

The Toy Bag

2010-03-04T21:58:00.000-06:00

Great idea in theory & such cute fabric from Hobby Lobby. But now that my Mega Bloks are in the bag? Not so user friendly. I believe the blocks will find a nice new home in a basket under our coffee table.

Oh. My. Heavens.

2010-03-03T15:56:00.002-06:00

I just keep saying that...over and over and over again. "Oh. My. Heavens." This is SO cute. It's not perfect (nor finished...need elastic in the bottom)...but I LOVE it. And look at the sleeve! They look professional (well, they are...from the Gap...from the bottom of the shirt that shrunk too short for Ryan's taste).

For a Boy!

2010-03-02T20:26:00.001-06:00

To be clear, this is for someone else's Boy. No bun in the oven here.
I love blogland. I love all of the great ideas out there. I love the idea of re-purposing items in our Goodwill bag. And, I especially love free patterns & tutorials...just like this one.

Define Project?

2010-03-01T17:16:00.000-06:00

I think laundry should count as a project. Especially 5 loads.
*Please don't mind Kai's unmentionables. We sure do go through a lot of those.*

But in case I'm not counting laundry, which I think I do, I did make my first Texas sheet cake (after being in Texas for almost FOUR years now!). It's Pioneer Woman's recipe and Kai "rubbed his tummy" it was that good. This is in celebration of the finale tonight of a beloved show. Who will win? Vienna? Tenley? Only Reality Steve can tell us. And heading to get that link, I see that he had a nearly 2 hour interview with Roz! Perhaps too much Bachelor is getting in the way of my crafty projects. Forgive me.

Flat Stanley

2010-02-28T19:12:00.001-06:00

One, personalized for T, and one not, because I don't really know who it will go to.

T's Big Girl Room

2010-02-27T21:54:00.001-06:00

One step closer. We have a quilt (thank Jill!). I tried to pick out the accent fabrics today, but I think paint needs to come first (learned my lesson on T's nursery). I hope the final product will look something like this.

A Bit of Personalization

2010-02-26T20:25:00.000-06:00

Yes or no?

A Pocket

2010-02-25T19:55:00.001-06:00

Pockets...Buttonholes...Gathering...none of these things make me very happy. Maybe someday they will?

Happy Dance

2010-02-24T16:37:00.002-06:00

It still needs the pockets, but until then, here's a glimpse at what is making me do a happy dance. (And T too!).
A bit big right now, it should fit her perfectly this summer (and maybe next too!). You can find the tutorial here.

She Needs Friends

2010-02-23T20:16:00.001-06:00

I don't think just legs will cut it. It may be a while.