Creative Spaces

winner!

2012-01-18T09:17:00.001-05:00

and we have our winner! thanks to all that entered but the winner is randi. i've emailed you all the instructions. thanks everyone!

oh and guess what? i've actually crafted- just a little bit- this week. i'll be posted some fun stuff soon... once its finished!

My Memories Suite GIVEAWAY!

2012-01-03T15:27:00.000-05:00

Happy New Year! Wow... it's been awhile since I've checked in. But there is a reason!

Yep! Thats right! Our family is growing again. Baby 3 is due next summer and as I'm now entering the 2nd trimester, I'm slowly beginning to feel human again! So I will try to check in more frequently but as life is still on the crazy side, no promises!!

But what do you say we start the new year off with a bang? How about a giveaway?!

I have had the My Memories Suite for a bit now and have loved playing with it! You are able to do all of the scrapbooking, photo cards, and such as you can with the bigger programs but its much much cheaper and so easy to use! 1 feature that I love about it is that all the downloads you buy (or even the free downloads) from their website, are right there in your program! It is so easy to access your papers, embellishments, etc. right there in the program. No trying to remember where they were saved to. And I need all the help I can get with remembering these days!

So do you want to try it out for your self? Well we will have 1 lucky winner who wins there own My Memories Suite. Sweet! If not, you can still choose to buy it for yourself with this code (STMMMS49041) that will give you $10 off of the MyMemories Suite and a $10 credit for downloads. Awesome!

So a few ways to enter...

1- mandatory- Go check out their website and then come back leaving me a comment on your favorite digital pack- paper, embellishments, etc.

2- check them out on facebook and leave me a comment letting me know you liked them.

3- check out their blog and then leave me a comment letting me know you are a follower.

4- and then just for fun, leave me a comment with your favorite part about the past holidays! treats, gifts, games, etc...

This giveaway will run until January 15th and I'll announce the winner soon after! Good luck!!

b family pictures

2011-11-21T12:08:00.001-05:00

so this past weekend, i was lucky enough to do a photoshoot with one of my favorite families. seriously love them. i could just eat these boys up! and hello- gorgeous mama!! and she is as beautiful inside as she it out. thanks b fam!

party like it's your birthday!

2011-11-14T14:13:00.001-05:00

party party!! so a couple weeks before m's birthday, i asked her what she wanted to do for her party. she told me she wanted- friends, cupcakes, and balloons. well sweet! i assumed she'd want something princess but i took the balloon theme and just ran with it. she was so excited!!

the polka dot themed food:

oreo lollipops

cheese circles and crackers- to try and counter balance the sugar :)

marshmallows, grapes, and donut holes- from our favorite local donut shop

cupcakes with lollipops for the dots

for drinks, i labeled the waterbottles so that names could easily be written onto the the paper so they didn't get confused with who's was who's

l was so content just chilling and taking it all in...

now for the games:

as they came, they got to make candy necklaces! they ended up being more bracelets because it was a little harder than i anticipated but they still loved it.

pin the dot on the crown

a pinata that my awesome friend leah helped me make. and this was great because all the halloween candy is gone from the house! well except for what i wanted to keep :)

then came the balloons! my hubby was so sweet and helped me blow up every balloon out of a bag of 72 the night before. and he blew up more than i did and they were way bigger than mine! ha! so the plan was to tape and hang them up all around outside for the decorations but it was a little windy and for every 3 i would hang up, 2 would pop. and this was before it even started! so i just left them inside and was going to bring them all out to let the kids pop them in the yard but again- it was windy and didn't want the balloons to just blow everywhere into our neighbors yards. so for the last game, the kids just came into our front room and popped all the balloons inside!

it got really noisy really quick so we didn't pop quite all of them...

we then sang happy birthday and tried to light a candle and ate food!

it was a fun party, pretty simple and low-key, and i'm so grateful for all our friends here that came and helped us celebrate m's birthday. i still can't believe she is 3!

happy halloween!

2011-10-31T09:39:00.000-04:00

Hope you have a fun and safe holiday! Happy Halloween!!

yummy mummy pizza!

2011-10-28T11:17:00.000-04:00

Ok wow- I'm a lame blogger lately! We've been busy and traveling (we made it out of Cancun just before the hurricane hit and they shut down the airport. So glad to be home with my babies!) and just busy enjoying life! But here is a fun little Halloween treat I wanted to share with ya'll. I made these a couple of weeks ago for M and her friends. They were a huge hit! And super easy for me :) Now the eyes are supposed to be olives but I didn't have any... so I improvised and used chocolate chips. I think the girls loved those even more. Check it out here and have a fun weekend!

snow white!

2011-10-14T15:16:00.002-04:00

a couple weeks ago, m wanted to be cinderella for halloween. and then nana sent her a BYU cheerleader costume so she then wanted to be that. then she wanted me to make her a belle dress. and then i went out of town. when i flew into the orlando airport, there was a statue of snow white. i took a picture next to it and emailed it to my husband to show m while i was gone. this was it:

after that, m changed her mind again and wanted to be snow white. so thinking she would change her mind, i asked her again the next day what she wanted to be. she told me, "mom, i tell you other day. i want be snow white." before making the costume yesterday afternoon, i asked her again. she told me then, "mom. i tell you five times. i want be snow white!" well there you have it folks. i guess this girl really wants to be snow white!

so when thinking about her costume, i decided that i wanted something easy, comfortable, wearable, and machine washable. so i used some knits that i had on hand- the red and blue are old t-shirts of mine actually. i have a feeling this will be worn alot!!

(and in case you were wondering, yes that is a little black eye. she tripped over a big bucket of toys while playing with some friends... so my daughter!)

costume change!

2011-10-13T15:02:00.001-04:00

we've had a request for a different halloween costume around here from little miss m. any guesses what i'm working on this afternoon?

glazed pumpkin pull apart bread

2011-10-04T11:33:00.004-04:00

Hey everyone! So remember last week when I said that I'd be back with some delish fall recipes? Well it's time! I made a delish Glazed Pumpkin Pull Apart Bread this past weekend and oh.my. So if you would like to see it- go check out my guest post over at Crafty Critique. Now I'm off for a girls trip with my sisters and mom so I'll see ya'll back here next week!

(I do have lots of tutorials and recipes and fun projects to share... next week I'll start catching up- promise!)

swagbucks extravaganza

2011-10-01T12:20:00.001-04:00

oh my. can anyone else believe that its really already october?! wow. this year is going to fast! and that means my baby is growing to fast too :)

so i have some really yummy posts for you next week... oh delish pumpkin fall foods... but for today- i'm popping in to see if you've signed up for swagbucks yet? if not- do it today! first you get swagbucks just for signing up. but mostly because on monday, its swagbucks extravaganza! there are lots of ways to get extra swagbucks. and i'm not kidding. i already have $15 in my amazon acct- just from using swagbucks since a few days before i posted about it here. talk about easy and free money!

so go check it out, get signed up, and get ready to get some awesome swagbucks on monday!!

cinderella tutu!

2011-09-30T06:00:00.000-04:00

So this little miss is obsessed with princesses. She loves them! And a few weeks ago, we were watching a princess movie and she looked at me and oh so sweetly asked, "Mommy. You make me princess dress please?" Ok so how could I turn that sweet request down?? But since we are dealing with a 2 yr with frequent mind changes, I decide to keep her first princess dress simple- easy, fast, and cheap. So I remembered this tutorial here and whipped this up for her. And the smile on her face- so worth it! I still want to finish the front with a bow or flower and make her a headband and necklace to go with it but for now, we have a very happy and very twirly singing princess.

beach ready!

2011-09-27T06:30:00.000-04:00

I know that the summer is coming to an end but I have been meaning to post this for a few weeks now. I'm just behind! (surpise surprise) But I have seen a few versions of this floating around the web and there is even a great pattern being sold but after seeing them, I decide to just take a stab at making one. This was also my first time trying to do a hood. I was pretty pleased with how it turned out though. And I purposely tried to make it a little big to work for next year but it has come in so handy this year! I have loved taking her swimming next door at our neighbors because she wears it over and I don't have to carry a towel or try and help her stay wrapped up walking home. I love it! Oh but yay for Fall coming... its been a hot Texas summer.

free coldstone ice cream!

2011-09-26T15:23:00.000-04:00

Hey ya'll! Just popping in to make sure everyone knows about the free ice cream (but accepting all donations) at coldstone tomorrow night. The flavor looks delish! I know where M and I will be tomorrow night :)

no heat hair curls

2011-09-19T21:57:00.000-04:00

Ok so I love to wear my hair curly. It's easy, looks nice, and I feel as though I am put together. But I don't like the heat damage to my hair and that it sometimes takes awhile. So... here comes a tutorial that will revolutionize hairstyling. Seriously- I watched the video (its long so it took me a long time before finally watching it but trust me, its worth it!), tried it, and now loooove it! I wore my hair like this last week and then did it again for Sunday. But the back of my hair didn't curl very much on Sunday and I was really hot so I pulled it into a low side ponytail and wow- loved it. The curl was just right. This tutorial is seriously awesome! Anyone else tried it yet? And if not- go try it and come back and tell me how you like it. :)

swagbucks- awesome!!

2011-09-10T08:30:00.000-04:00

So lately I've been into couponing. And honestly- I love it!! It is amazing to me how many awesome deals there are and just how relatively easy it is. I love it and if you are interested at all in couponing, please ask me any questions you have! ... right now with my life, I don't coupon for everything all the time. My goal is to get amazing deals on the non-food items we use and then big stock up sales or freebies. I don't spend a ton of time on couponing thanks to some favorite websites that make it all so easy. I love it!

And my older sister is into couponing too. So I've enjoyed calling and talking to her about it and sharing my finds. So the other day, I was talking to her about it and throughout our conversation, she mentioned swagbucks. I remembered that I had signed up ages ago but then had forgotten about it. So I asked her if it really was worth it and if she ever earned rewards? Well guess what? She earns a $5 amazon gift card almost every month! And thats just from doing her normal google searches through swagbucks instead. Love it!

So how it all works- you sign up for swagbucks and then just start searching through its searchbar instead of what you used before. It works the same as google and you can search images or the web etc. But as you search, you win swagbucks which accumulate in your acct. Then you redeem those points for things such as amazon gift cards. Oh and when she wins them, she instantly puts them into her amazon.com acct and lets them add up. Seriously- awesome! Basically its free money and c'mon, who doesn't love free money?? :) I've been using it for a few days now and they really do add up quick! I can't wait to earn some rewards. I really want to buy me one of these waterbottles... I've heard they're great for sippy cups too. So go check it out and tell me what you think!!

2011-09-09T12:06:00.003-04:00

Ok so I finally took the plunge- I joined Pinterest! And oh.my.amazing! I love it. So I'm still new and forcing myself to leave the site for a bit but if you haven't checked it out yet- do it! Trust me, you will loooove it.

a skirt slip- genius!

2011-09-06T16:08:00.000-04:00

Ok so I love knee length skirts. But I don't love wearing them with little ones! I feel like I am constantly pulling it down, stressing about showing leg, and adjusting it some more. So when I saw this tutorial the other day, I knew that it was for me. I don't think I've ever seen a tutorial and then made it so quick! (and it helped that I had just put aside 2 longer length slips for the thrift store since I never ever wear them. So glad I still had them!!) I bought the lace trim on Thursday and then didn't get a chance to make it before Sunday morning. But as I got dressed Sunday morning, I knew that it would work perfect under the skirt I was planning on wearing. So in a mad rush, I whipped up my skirt slip! It seriously didn't take very long (we have 9am church and we were on time!) and I was shocked at just how often I kept seeing that lace trim throughout church.

Ok so the only thing I did differently than the tutorial, was that I added a second row of trim- double layered it for more height. I did this for a wrap dress that I have- I am really adjusting and worrying nonstop in it!! Now I think I'll make a black one next... because I'm pretty sure I'll be wearing a skirt slip almost every Sunday from now on!!

i'm back!

2011-08-31T22:53:00.001-04:00

ok ok, i haven't posted in almost a whole month! what?! well i've been crafting and organizing (after moving) and cleaning and mothering and just enjoying our summer. what else can i say??? but i'm trying to get back and need to catch up on sharing what i've been doing! so to start, let me share our new key holder.

the hubs and i have always said that we wanted to do something with our plates but were always unsure what. so when i saw this super cute idea- i knew that thats what i wanted to do! it was so nice having my hubby's help to hang them up and screw the bolts in. super easy, fast, and such a fun personal way to hang up our keys!!

i'm really going to try and get back to regular posting now that we are getting back onto a regular routine around here... :)

flower belt in action.

2011-08-01T15:44:00.000-04:00

So a few weeks ago, I wore the flower belt with my party skirt. I loved it! That will definitely be repeated again soon. :) (I just need to drop a few more pounds...)

But then I wore the flower belt again about a week ago with shorts and a button up top and loved that combo too! I love the versatile options it gives my limited closet these days. Ha!

So if you haven't made one yet- try it! Its fun.

2011-07-18T16:36:00.000-04:00

Oh I just can't resist kissing this sweet little boy all day...

But I have been crafting again! I just need to start posting again now too...

it's time to PAR-TEE!!

2011-07-13T13:00:00.000-04:00

Ok ok, I know its been awhile since I posted. Life has been a little crazy! So after having L, we also bought our first house and then moved- all when he was 2 weeks old!! Craziness. Chaos. But wonderful! So life is slowly getting back to normal and we are slowly get back to a routine. We have loved having the grandparents come visit and we are enjoying summertime- swimming, swimming lessons, friends, and naps. :)

Another fun part of the summer- my hubby's birthday! So a couple months ago, I thought it'd be fun to throw a birthday bash for him. I got all excited and started searching for fun golf themed ideas. (he loves golf!) But then L was born, we moved, and I was just very tired from these 2 kiddos. So we did cake with his parents when they were here and I was going to call it good at that. But then on Sunday, I started thinking about it and I thought, Oh, well, we'll invite a few friends over just for cookies or something. And then it went from that to this- a pulled together in 1 day golf PAR-TEE...

(So I wanted to do some fun decorations but having to clean, grocery shop, set up the food, make it all, and feed a 2 yr old and newborn- it just didn't happen! Oh and most of the ideas came from here. Super cute stuff!)

the spread of treats:

simple decorations... just used what I could find in his golf bag :)

super fun cupcakes! idea from here.

I love that there are 18 holes and a few sand traps...

oh my. These cake balls are my favorite! The recipe is from my friend and she has made them for me a few times and I knew that I had to make some for the party!! Check out the recipe here. Oh.my.delish!

And I loved this water! I wanted some water to have available with the pop but didn't want just plain water. So I remembered seeing this post and knew that I had to try it. I loved it! It was a nice hint of flavor without being too strong.

And there you have it! Now if he were a kid (and I'd had more time), it would have been fun to have some games and contests and such but instead, we had the homerun derby on and just enjoyed visiting with friends. Perfect evening!

2011-07-01T23:41:00.001-04:00

We are loving life around here with L. He is such a little sweetie and M is loving having him here to kiss and snuggle. I am just popping in though to let you know that I will be back to crafting soon! We have moved and I just got my sewing room almost all unpacked today. These past few weeks have kind of been a little crazy and chaotic but it's good. And here are a few pics I took back on his 1 week mark. Love love love these 2!! Thanks for reading and I promise- I will be back soon. Life is slowly calming down and I'm feeling a little saner :)

introducing...

2011-06-12T16:37:00.001-04:00

Mr. L joined our family this week! He was born Thursday morning. We are so grateful to have him here with us and to finally all be home together! Posts may be a little slower for the next few weeks... life is a bit crazy but I do have at least 1 or 2 tutorials coming. I just need to finish them up! But for now, I'm off to go kiss some nice squishy cheeks...

summer skirt- ruffled take 2

2011-06-10T08:34:00.001-04:00

Talk about pregnancy brain! I made this skirt for M months ago and forgot to share. And now because I'm so exhausted these days, you get cell phone pics. Sorry! Not great but you'll get the idea- right?

This is the Summer Skirt tutorial but with just a small ruffle twist to it. When I was cutting the skirt, I cut 2 pieces instead of 1. The bottom half I cut larger than my pattern by a few inches and then attached creating a ruffle in the middle. Make sense?

This is still M's favorite skirt and mine as well as those shorts underneath help keep her park ready!

So why don't you whip up a pair for your little miss and then head over to your park (or in our case- go on a nice long walk) and enjoy some sunshine! Love love love me some summertime.

delish cookies.

2011-06-07T09:56:00.000-04:00

Well no baby yet :) As much as I was told that I'd be having a May baby, apparently this little guy is just content in there. So no news yet!

But I do have to share this delish recipe just in case you haven't seen it. Now let me preface by saying that when it comes to cookies, I am particular! I've been spoiled by my hubby's oh so good cookie baking skills. I really hardly ever make cookies anymore- he is the cookie baker. (my favorite part of Mother's Day was when he and M baked me cookies) But I did try out this recipe from Made and was very happy with it! And the best part is just how big the batch is so I have made them once but have had cookies to take to our church Memorial Day picnic, a friends baby blessing, a small plate for us, and I still have 2 frozen loafs!! Now thats my kind of cooking. So if you haven't already, go check out these cookies. So good! Now we are off to enjoy the pool again...

moving away friend gift

2011-06-02T07:41:00.000-04:00

I have a great friend who is moving away soon. sniffle sniffle. I wanted to give her something but was running short on time, energy, and the freedom to be up and about alot. :) So I quickly whipped up a little necklace for her. (tutorial found here) Quick, simple, and made just for her. Now if only she didn't have to move...

flower belt

2011-05-31T07:16:00.000-04:00

Ok so I owe all the inspiration for my latest project to this great blog- The Pleated Poppy. She has great stuff! And when I saw her bloom belt, I fell in love instantly. So since I'm being told to take it as easy as possible, I figured this was a good project that I could do while taking it easy. Just gathering of scraps, a little cutting, and 1 nice hot glue gun. I love how it turned out! Wearing it being so pregnant, I felt a little like a wrapped up present but I can't wait until I can wear it after the baby comes. I want to make this tunic in white to wear with the flower belt and some skinny jeans. I think that'd be cute!

I also can't wait to wear it with my party skirt:

(The smaller flower is from scraps from M's Pint Sized Party Skirt. I can't wait to wear our skirts together again!)

I loved the pop of red with the blue material. I think the middle red flower is a little too big and puffy but I'm seeing what I think as I wear it because I am just too lazy to redo it! :)

I made it a slip on and off accessory so that I can change up where I tie the bow or slip it onto the tie for my party skirt.

It was cute as I was wearing it because M walked up to me and pulled on the ribbon. She looked up at me and said, Mommy- pretty flower! So pretty! I love that little sweetheart.

4th of July dress

2011-05-26T09:16:00.001-04:00

So I have the 4th of July on my brain today. Maybe because its already Memorial Day weekend and almost June- crazy! Maybe because life will be a little less crazy then. Maybe because I know I'll be kissing baby brother's cheeks then. Or maybe I just want an excuse to party and enjoy some good summer food! I don't know why but I do.

Ok so I thought that I would share with ya'll a dress that I actually made last year for Miss M thinking it would be the perfect 4th of July dress. But I just guessed her size and guessed a yr too big! (skinny minnie) So she didn't wear it last year. She wore this dress... well top instead:

(which funny enough was her 4th of July dress from the year before when she was 8 months old- just threw some shorts on underneath!). But I knew that the other dress would be perfect for this year. So I pulled it out this week to see how it fit her. And I love it! Well... she did too!

The fantastic pattern is available for free from Made here.

I really think I'll be making her another one soon. I love this dress! And for free? Perfect. Who doesn't love a little repurposing?!

I think my favorite part though is the big bow on the shoulder. Seriously- love it! Now I just can't wait until the 4th of July to party and enjoy some good BBQ, ice cream, and snuggle baby boy!!

daddy gift bag

2011-05-23T02:06:00.000-04:00

I am 36 weeks today. Hopefully (and most likely) this baby boy will be making his debut any day now. I am ready! Literally. I have our bags packed and waiting. I have baby-sitting lined up. I have the camera charged. We are ready. Now we just need a name for him...

But after the past long 9 months, I wanted to do a little something nice for my hubby. Now last time around with M, we brought some snacks to the hospital but not enough. So I knew that I wanted to plan more and have more food there this time. So when I saw this cute idea, I figured why not do that while packing more food for the hubs! But for me, instead of putting it in a basket, I thought I'd pack it all up nice and easy for him to carry. Because lets be honest, judging from the pic above, there is already enough stuff for him to be worrying about! So M and I made a trip to the grocery store, bought all of his favorite treats, drinks, crackers, etc; and then loaded up his backpack with a few notes and a letter for him. I don't know who will be enjoying the treats more- my hubby or Miss M! She was so excited to be buying treats. :)

And like they said in their post, this idea isn't just for new dads. It'd be great for birthdays, Fathers Day, and just because he is the best day. I'll keep you posted about baby and thanks for reading!

braided bangs how to

2011-05-20T07:29:00.000-04:00

Ok so I am all about ease these days, complete ease. I wear concealer (gotta hide those bags under my eyes!), mascara, and a touch of blush. Thats it. (and I just barely added the blush to my daily norm and love it! Its the Maybelline Dream Mousse in Pink Frosting. Seriously- love it!)

Now my hair- thats gotta be easy too. I absolutely love Sauve's Dry Shampoo- it works amazing, super cheap (only 2.50 a bottle), and makes it so I don't have to wash my hair everyday- love that. But I get tired of the same old hair styles everyday. Most of the time, its just down straight the first day and then pulled back somehow the next. But thanks to this video (there are so many if you just search it on youtube. This was just the one I used), now I can spice things up with the braided bangs. It is super easy to do and the more I've done it, the faster and tighter my braid gets. I seriously love it and think you should go try it! You might just find yourself wearing the lace braid more often than not- I know I am! I love wearing the lace braid and then pulling my hair back into a messy bun/ponytail- perfect way to mix up the same old ponytail.

10 days of deals

2011-05-17T08:28:00.000-04:00

So um, who doesn't love redbox? I know I do! So easy, convenient, and the perfect cheap date night.

Well now its gotten just a little better. My little sister emailed me about this deal and am so glad she did! For the next 10 days (well until the 25th), if you text DEALS to 727272 (just in case you don't know, text messaging rates will apply :)), then they'll text you back a promo code for a discount. This discount will vary from 10 cents to $1.50 and its different for everyone! Just this morning, I got a $1 off code and my hubby got 25 cents off. I think I'll be choosing a chick flick for our free movie...

Just wanted to share- it's kind of fun not knowing what coupon you're gonna get!

organization- i need it!

2011-05-06T19:04:00.000-04:00

Hey y'all! Just popping in to say hi. Is everyone else blown away that it's already a week into May? I can't believe it! Where is this year going??? So with this new baby coming soon (well I'm not due until June 20th but its looking like I'll go a few weeks early...) and me having to lay down and rest as much as possible, my posting will be a little sporadic this next month or so. I'll try to pop in still but I won't be posting much sewing or tutorials... as my daughter would say- bummer! But don't give up on me- I'll still be stopping in with a little of this and a little of that.

Anyways, organization is something I always need help with. I love having things organized but at times like this I can start feeling behind and would love to have some help catching back up on it all! So I was sent this link and after reading about it, I downloaded my free copy. I'm excited to read through it and start some organizing! Maybe after the baby comes though. :) Well, thanks for reading and commenting and understanding why my posting is getting a little more spread out. Crazy that this baby boy is going to be here soon!!

a skirt for all seasons

2011-05-01T18:00:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I snapped this picture with my phone just to document this pregnancy. The countdown to baby boy is on! But I as I was looking at it, I realized I was wearing a skirt that I had made a long time ago and wanted to post about it. This skirt is seriously fantastic- I live in it when I'm not pregnant and it has also been great to wear while pregnant and I will definitely be wearing it alot this summer. It is a great beginning project or a quickie to whip up for those a little more experienced. Check out the original post here (and the post with M's coordinating dress here). Yay for summer and baby boy!

boot camp.

2011-04-29T15:03:00.001-04:00

Ok so I have this super awesome friend named Leah. Seriously, super awesome. :) Last fall before my pregnancy, I was part of her boot camp and wow- she can work and whip you into shape! It was a bummer I didn't get to finish but at least I started the pregnancy fit, right?

And now, next month- she's at it again. Since I won't be able to be part of it, you know, being due with a baby in June and all... if you live near the Dallas area, you should definitely check it out. Let me know if you want more details! Check out her blog below-

Back to Your Prime

Bow Top Tutorial

2011-04-27T16:28:00.000-04:00

Ok I am so sorry about how long this has taken me to get posted! First I was too busy enjoying our family time and then it's just been a rough couple of days with some contractions and kidney stones... but baby boy will be here before we know it! Oh I can't wait to kiss on his chubby cheeks...

Anyways, back to the Bow Top. So like I said, after watching the Sound of Music a few times, I fell in love with the Baroness' wardrobe. This piece in particular jumped out at me and I knew that it was something that I could and wanted re-create for my preggo belly. I love her red though.

So here is my version of her top:

Lets get started!! First, I bought I think 2 yards of material from Hobby Lobby. I just bought plain white knit because I wanted something stretchy to fit my ever growing belly and I love unfinished seams with knit tops- and so easy! But wash and dry it first. So throw on a shirt that you like the fit of and mark where you want your seam to be:

Now lay your top folded in half on your material. I double layered my knit so that I was cutting out 2 pieces at the same time. Make sense? Then cut your neckline out and remember- you can always cut it bigger but can't make it smaller:

(oh and make sure that you feel where the stretch is. You want your material to stretch from side seam to side seam)

Then with those scraps, fold the pieces again and cut out your sleeves on the fold:

So at this point, you should have your top 2 main body pieces:

And your 2 sleeves:

Now pin and sew the top shoulder seams connecting your front and back together:

Then pin your sleeves on and sew. Just a tip I've learned, start pinning at the underarm seams in front and back and work your way into the middle shoulder point. Any excess at the top will create a little ruffle so I purposely bring it to the shoulder:

Now sew from the end of the sleeves, through the armpits, and down the side seams:

Turn inside out and this is what you should have:

Now to make your belly portion. And like I said, this doesn't have to made maternity but for ease, I'll just keep referring to it as the belly portion. First layout your material again finding the stretch. You want your fabric to stretch from side seam to side seam. I left my pieces the entire length of the fabric for a bigger bow:

Then this is where it will be tricky to explain but just stay with me. Measure how wide you want your side seams to be. Pin at that length from the top to about halfway down the material pieces:

Now just cut out that square piece. Your piece should look kind of like an L. Now sew down both side seams- the one side should be the full length of the material piece. The other side seam is half of that length. When you sew that shorter side, reinforce the end of your seam. You don't want it to split as you tie and untie that big bow:

Last step! Attach the top piece you made earlier to that bottom piece- you can choose which side you want your bow on. Sew wrong sides together:

And ta-da! You're done!! So let me know if you have any questions or if you make a top- I would absolutely love to hear from you and see your tops!

Easter treats.

2011-04-22T07:17:00.001-04:00

So the other day I was scrolling through my google reader when I saw a picture of some really cute Easter cookies. They were no bake cookies with pastel colored peanut M&M's smooshed into the top to look like birds nest. I instantly fell in love with the idea. Sadly I can't remember now where I saw it! pregnant brain... So I can't take credit for the idea of these treats but I also can't direct you to where it's from! So sorry!! But I will share with you my favorite no-bake cookie recipe. Oh yum. These are definitely a family favorite! Especially on rainy days like today...

No Bake Cookie Recipe:

(before starting to heat the mixed ingredients in the pan, be sure to get the other ingredients out, measured and ready. Otherwise your heated mix will cool. Oh and have your wax paper laid out on the counter too. Same problem- trust me, I've learned!)

Mix together in a stove-top pan:

2 c sugar

1/2 c milk

3 tb cocoa

1/2 cube butter

pinch of salt

Heat and then boil for 1 minute. Then add:

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c peanut butter

3 c oats

Mix thoroughly, spread on wax paper to cool and enjoy!

And then to turn these yummy cookies into fun kid Easter treats, use either pastel peanut M&M's or in my case- jelly beans (we had those on hand and didn't want to run to the store in the rain) and smoosh a couple into each cookie to resemble an egg's nest. Now just sit back, listen to the repetitive counting and enjoy!!

Not sure if more jelly beans were placed on the cookies or eaten by Miss M!!

The Bow Top

2011-04-20T06:56:00.001-04:00

So I received the Sound of Music for my birthday and I have loved watching it! (I think Miss M has loved watching with me too- she loves all the music and dancing!!) But one day as we were watching it together, I started noticing the Baronesses clothing. I love it! And for some reason this shirt really jumped out at me and I couldn't help but start thinking of a way to copy it and make it work for a 31 week baby belly. So here is the inspiration:

And here is my version- maternity style:

(with less than 9 weeks to go!!)

And I'm excited because it's Spring Top Sewalong 2011 over at Made by Rae so I'll be entering my top into that contest. I always love seeing the tops that are made by so many creative gals!! Check it out and hopefully enter your own top. Let me know if you enter a top- I'd love to see it!

Oh and a tutorial is coming for this shirt (and it doesn't have to be maternity). It's just a slow process... I'll be posting it soon. Stay tuned and thanks for reading!

another easy hair fix

2011-04-15T06:36:00.000-04:00

Awhile back I saw this great tutorial for the t-shirt headband and since I'm all about ease these days, I had to make one. And I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I had to make it smaller (after making it) because it stretches so much but its nice because I just let me hair air dry and then pull it back in a low or messy ponytail, throw on the headband, and voila! Done. Perfect for days of running errands, to the park, or this day- to a drs. appt. Check it out- I think I need to make a few more.

hair tutorials

2011-04-14T06:29:00.001-04:00

Thank you for your suggestions and ideas for storing M's headbands- love it! I love getting feedback from y'all- it totally makes my day. I definitely will be working on something for them now.

Ok so recently I stumbled on this great blog- a cup of jo. And there she has some great hair tutorials. (and trust me- I need them!!) And when I first read about the triple buns, I thought- um, no thank you. But after seeing hers and then trying it- I love it! I've now done it a few times. Its just a nice variation to the ponytail on days that I just want to pull my hair back and up- and will be great in the heat this summer too. But I probably should've taken this picture before I took a nap... oh well! So what do you think? Think you'll try it out?

simple bow holder

2011-04-11T09:13:00.001-04:00

So something that I've found with girls- accessory accumulation starts early! I used to keep all of M's hair bows in a cookie jar but was amazed when it got too full. Thats my fault though- I love making bows for Miss M and love learning new ones from friends. But after this last round of hair bow making- I knew I needed a different way to store some of our favorite bows and clips... in addition to the cookie jar. So I was going to make a cute wall hanging thing for her bows but since we're in a rental, I don't like hanging stuff up and was debating what to do when it just hit me. I bought this black piece of wood at Ikea for $0.19 months and months ago. Seriously- 19 cents! When I bought this plain cupboard door, I didn't know what I was going to do with it. I'd thought that I would put some vinyl saying on it or something but never did and it has just been patiently waiting in my craft room to be used. And so the other day, it came to me that this cupboard door would be perfect for bows! It just rests on her counter and was a perfect 5 minute solution for bow storage.

All you need is a hot glue gun and some grosgrain ribbon. (I found these at the dollar store and loved the color. And added bonus- it matches the bathroom decor perfectly!) I started in the middle, glued down one end of the ribbon, then wrapped it around, cut, and glued it on the other side. You can see my rows aren't perfectly straight- thats what happens when you don't measure at all. :) But once the glue dries, just clip your favorite bows on and ta-da! A quick, simple, and very cheap bow holder. Now I just need to figure out how to store headbands...

So the satin flower clips are my latest bow addiction. I love how those turned out. (Apparently so- multiple big ones and then multiple small pairs...) Maybe I can work on a tutorial for those... I do need to make a couple more big tiffany blue ones!

winner winner!!

2011-04-07T07:45:00.002-04:00

Ok so first off- thank you to everyone who entered! I loved reading each of the comments and seeing what everyone would choose and I loved all the fun birthday wish lists! I think I want everything you each said too. :) But now for our winner!! So from random.org- the winner is:

The numbers generated by this widget come from RANDOM.ORG's true random number generator.

Lucky #191-

whitney b. said...

I am a follower!

MARCH 24, 2011 3:14 PM

Yay for you Whitney!! Looks like you get your birthday wish- new clothes! I've emailed you the details and such so watch for that email. Thanks again everyone and thank you DownEast for this awesome giveaway!! Stay tuned- I've been working on some fun tutorials and such lately!

just a reminder...

2011-04-06T02:06:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder that if you haven't entered for the DownEast Basics giveaway yet- it ends tonight at 10 pm CST. I mean seriously, who wouldn't want this Resort Dress or the Round and Round Top or the Rosy Cheeks Skirt? Go enter here if you haven't already!!

big girl bed!

2011-04-04T08:55:00.000-04:00

I can't believe it but somehow my little baby is old enough for a big girl bed. Crazy! I have been so excited though for this move... mostly because of her cute bedding. :) I've had the sheets and the quilt forever it seems but knew that she would need a duvet too. (Thats how I like to sleep so why wouldn't she??) I found a great duvet on clearance at TJ Maxx and it came down to just needing a duvet cover. But I couldn't bring myself to pay more for the duvet cover than for the duvet itself! So after checking around on the internet and finding this tutorial (modified by using ties instead of a zipper) and then this tutorial (still need to do it... it'll help keep it in place!), I decided to just make my own duvet cover. I found this adorable full size sheet set (again on clearance for a ripped package!) at Target and instantly fell in love with it. It was just what we needed to complete the bedding. I am so glad that I used a full size sheet set though (for a twin size duvet). Look at how much of the sheet I needed. I had to use the pillow case to finish off the corners:

And let me tell you- this girl loves her big girl bed!! She has done so good with it and now having that crib ready for baby is just one more thing I can check off my "get ready for baby" checklist!

Oh and since she was moving into a big girl bed, I did decide to add a few simple decorations to her otherwise very boring room. (We're renting so we keep things simple right now... someday!) I hung up the bunting I made way back then. And then added just a few tissue pom poms too. Super easy and super cheap! She loves the big girl bed and I think loves having a little decor too...

2011-03-30T10:00:00.001-04:00

I liked this article. It actually made me laugh out loud a little when I read it (found on this blog.) It was nice hearing it out loud, by someone else, what my day usually entails. Somedays I feel like I look back on the day and feel as though I can't even say what I did besides wipe a runny nose and clean up toys and answer requests! And I know that it is just going to get busier and harder when June comes but I do love my little sweetheart and love spending my day with her.

a weekend away

2011-03-28T15:25:00.000-04:00

This past weekend, our team- the BYU Cougars- played in New Orleans against Florida. And since we love our Cougars, we took a roadtrip over to see them. We loved the sunshine and getting away together!

Yep- we're Jimmer fans!

And then we were able to spend a couple more days together sight seeing and walking around New Orleans. We stopped at a little cafe for breakfast and just look at how big these pancakes were! They made them with yellow cake batter too- they were surprisingly delish! I might have to try that...

(and yep- thats my DownEast dress. It was perfect for this weekend trip! So nice and comfy and cool to walk around in. And as we were leaving the House of Blues after lunch, a guy (who looked into fashion and such) even stopped me to tell me what a fantastic dress it was. Seriously- I love this dress! If you haven't already entered, go enter the giveaway!!)

And then we walked around the French Quarter and I loved all of the architecture.

a random all blue man walking around:

there were so many bikes everywhere. I loved the old casual feel...

these street musicians were so good. It was a nice break to sit and listen to them for a bit. I loved this guys instrument the best. He was good too!

And of course we had to go hang out down by the River Walk. M loved running, chasing birds, and watching the ferries. I enjoyed the sunshine and time together. But now we're back and for those of you that emailed me questions- I'm not ignoring you! I have been away from my email all weekend so I will get back to you as soon as I can. And a huge thank you to all of you that have entered the giveaway so far! I love seeing just how excited you all are about DownEast too!!

c is for cookie

2011-03-25T12:24:00.016-04:00

What is a fun activity when you have lots of little bodies (thank you Spring Break) and its rainy outside? Sugar Cookie Decorating! It is fun and entertaining and I just loved watching M decorate cookies with her friends. And the cookies were pretty good too... yum!

Need a yummy and easy Sugar Cookie recipe? Well I've got one! Go check out this yummy recipe here. And I know that you can make your own frosting (they even have a recipe there for ya) but due to how many little bodies were waiting impatiently and my lack of prep ahead of time- I just pulled out store bought frosting, separated it into multiple bowls, added a few drops of food coloring, and let the fun begin!

DownEast Basics GIVEAWAY!

2011-03-23T09:22:00.001-04:00

So I don't think I can even begin to tell you how excited I am about the giveaway today. Wahoo! And why am I so excited? Because it's a giveaway for one of my favorite brands- DownEast Basics.

I absolutely love DownEast Basics clothing. It started quite a few years ago when I was talking to a friend in Philly and I was telling her that I was going to be going back to Utah for a couple days to visit family. She asked me if I would stop and pick up a few shirts for her while I was there. I said yes and of course while stopping to buy a few for her, I ended up buying a few for myself. I have loved and lived in DownEast Basics clothing since! Every summer (and fall) I treat myself to a few new tops. Seriously- the quality, fit, and price just can't be beat. I love all of the clothing they put out. So fresh and cute.

Anyways... for todays giveaway, I was sent their new fresh flowers maxi dress in baja blue to review. Oh my. I fell in love with this dress the instant I got it! The color is gorgeous. I love the vibrant blue- perfect for Spring and Summer days out. The material is so soft and the fit is just right. Even with my preggo belly- I still love it! ...and that can be rare these days :) And it will be just as fantastic to wear after the baby comes. Oh and also with this dress, I love the detail at the neck. The flowers are just the perfect little detail to mix up the basic maxi dress.

This dress is such an easy style. I've loved wearing it. It was perfect for an afternoon out for shopping and dinner with my hubby and Miss M. It was also perfect for an outing to the park with M.

It is just so comfortable but still so stylish. I've loved wearing it with flip flops or dressed up a little with some jewelry and cute sandals or flats.

Ok ok so enough about how much I love this dress (and enough pics of me). Onto the giveaway! 1 lucky winner will win 1 item of their choice from the New Arrivals over at DownEast Basics. Yay for one of you!! Maybe you'll pick your own Fresh Flowers Maxi Dress or choose one of my other many favorites like the Sunday Best Dress or the Petite Ruffle Cardigan or the Spring Splash Top. So many cute choices!

There are a few ways to enter this giveaway-

Mandatory entries-

- Head over to DownEast Basics New Arrivals and come back telling me what you would want if you won. It's a tough choice!

- Become a follower (over on the sidebar) of this blog OR if you are already are- thank you! Just let me know.

Now for a few extra entries... just because I love when I can enter giveaways more than once. It makes me feel like I have a better chance of winning.

- Follow DownEast Basics on Twitter- http://twitter.com/downeastbasics

- Like DownEast Basics on Facebook- www.facebook.com/downeastbasics

- And just for fun since this Sunday is my birthday- tell me one thing that is on your birthday wish list.

Wow- thats 5 ways to enter!! Please leave a comment for each entry. Be sure that I can contact you too! Either through an email or your blog profile (make sure its public folks). Oh and to enter- you must have a shipping address in the US. You have until 10pm CST on Wednesday April 6th to enter and then I'll announce the winner Thursday morning. Good luck friends!

maternity skirt refashion

2011-03-20T16:22:00.000-04:00

I can't believe I forgot to take this pic and post this skirt! I have a bad case of preggo brain. I still have to take a pic of M's skirt that I made with the left overs but here is finally a pic of my maternity skirt. I found a great pair of pants from the thrift store that were just a couple of dollars. I loved the material- it is kind of a striped gray and white with a tiny silver stripe and it is almost a seersucker fabric. I love it! It is so soft and stretchy. So using those pants, I used the same tutorial as here and turned them into this skirt:

And then after asking my hubby to take that picture, I wanted him to take a belly pic of me at 27 weeks along... have to document! But after looking at it, I wanted to share it because you can see the skirt material so much better than the above pic.

This skirt was so comfy to wear today! I do need to re-do the waist band though. I didn't do it tight enough so you can see it bunching under my sweater and I was fussing and readjusting all day today at church. But it was so easy (and cheap!) taking those thrift store pants and turning them into a nice maternity skirt. I love refashioning.

happy green day!

2011-03-17T09:22:00.000-04:00

Ok ok- I know that serving a green breakfast is nothing original on St. Patricks day. But I tell ya, I love these waffles and will pretty much find any excuse to make them these days! And adding a little green food coloring just made it all that more fun for Miss M to eat. So today just have fun. Go whip up your favorite breakfast and add a few drops of green food coloring...

Watch them eat and drink it up...

(and if you're kids are like M, they'll drink/eat more because it's green! She thought her milk was super yummy today... we can usually barely get her to drink plain milk)

And then snap some quick shots (regardless of how horrible the lighting is) of those cute green milk mustaches and smiles.

Our Favorite Waffle Recipe:

Ingredients:

4 c flour

1 1/2 tsp salt

2 Tbl baking powder

3 Tbl sugar

3 c milk

3/4 c oil

6 eggs separated- egg whites in a mixing bowl

Directions:

Combine milk, oil, and yolks and mix well. Add all dry ingredients and mix. Then beat egg whites until fluffy (really fluffy- this makes the waffles!) and fold into mix.

receiving blanket cupcake

2011-03-14T09:13:00.000-04:00

So these days, I have quite a few friends (and sis and sis-in-law!) that are expecting. I love it! I'm so excited that our little guy will have so many friends and cousins his age. But with all these pregnancies, come lots of baby showers and baby gifts! When I'm not pregnant, I love making stuff for baby showers. But then somedays, I just can't get something made (or its just way easier to pick something cute up from the store). But I still like to add a personal touch to the gift. And when I saw this tutorial for a receiving blanket cupcake- I fell in love! These are so quick and easy and still add a nice homemade personal touch.

And even better- when the gift you are giving is a 5 piece set, you can use the blanket for the cupcake and it matches the outfit perfectly! I just made a little tulle pouch for the cupcake and hung it from the bag. A perfect little touch!

Ok and I have some fun big posts coming in the next couple of weeks. My posting is going to be slowing down a little but I'm still going to try and check in and keep you posted with what we're doing around here. I'm now 26 weeks along (due mid-late June) and this pregnancy is different from my first in that I have to have downtime and resting- drs. orders. :) So I'm still making and doing but not as much as I'd like to be. Between chasing Miss M and keeping up with our house/life- I'm just not able to craft as much as I'd like to. But I do have some fun stuff coming up that I'm working on- all my projects just take a little longer these days! Thanks for hanging in there with me and be sure to keep checking for some upcoming posts- including a super giveaway in a couple of weeks!!

summer skirt tutorial

2011-03-08T05:26:00.000-05:00

Ok so I promised a pink tutorial and here it is! So a little background first on how this project came to be. My daughter M loves wearing skirts! If she had it her way, she would wear a skirt every day, all day. But I don't love her wearing skirts- especially since she is potty trained- when we are headed to the park or to play outside. I know she's little but modesty is still modesty. But she does have 2 skirts (one re-fashioned from a 5T and one found on clearance at Kohls and I can't find another one) that have shorts attached underneath and I have found that those 2 skirts are both of our favorites! It is a good comprise. She gets a skirt and I get modesty. But like I said, she only has two and so I am doing laundry alot for her to wear them. Then one day while I was stain treating one of the skirts, I started thinking that this doesn't look that hard. I'm sure I could just make her one similar to this. So the next day I ran to Hobby Lobby, found this cute knit material in the remnant bin, and that night- whipped out a new skirt. Thus the easy, fast, simple, modest Summer Skirt.

And let me just say this right now too. The pictures here are not great quality. I made this skirt after she went to bed and the lighting in my sewing room is awful! So the pics don't look good but they do help to explain the steps. And the first time is the hardest making this skirt because you have to come up with the pattern pieces (don't worry- I try to help with that.) but after making those, these should just whip out quick and easy. So maybe just read through this once and then email me if you have any questions.

Lets begin!

Materials:

- knit fabric. I bought just under a yard but didn't use it all- probably not even half of it! But it all depends on the size you are making. This doesn't take much though... sorry it's not more exact.

- thread

- elastic. I prefer the non-roll stuff. Saves many a headaches later!

Oh and let me just throw this out there right now too. I did not finish any of my seams. Meaning, I didn't hem at all! Thats the beauty of sewing with knits is that it rolls as it is washed and since I love that look (and I can't stand hemming knits), I didn't hem anything. That makes this sewing project lots quicker! You are more than welcome to hem but I did not include it in this tutorial since I chose not to hem.

Ok so first off we are going to make the shorts that attach underneath. To make this pattern, I traced the shorts from her skirt I was copying. But to do it again (without this skirt), I would grab a pair of leggings, fold them in half, and trace around those. I didn't want her shorts very long but I think next time I'll make a little longer. They kind of turned out like booty shorts. Oh and capris would be cute too! But back to the pics. Make your pattern on paper and then having folded your material over in half- so your doubling it up- trace your pattern.

Then flip your pattern over and trace again. You will end up with 4 pieces. Each tracing is a side of the short:

So know we are going to sew your 2 pieces together at the inseam. So basically you just want to flip those pieces that you just cut out together so that right sides are facing. But keep them paired up the way that you cut them out. Does that make sense? Then pin the inseam and sew.

**to make this easier, just fold your material right sides together when tracing. That way you would just cut and sew without having to flip or move any material. Just thought of that!

Now matching those inseams together, pin your material right sides together and sew the front and back middle seam. (this is the shorter, curved side. It is the seam that will go from the waist band to the inseam)

Now matching that seam together, pin and sew your side seams.

Are you seeing how these are coming together as shorts?? I'll be honest, it took me awhile to figure this part out...

Now flip them out and ta-da! You should have a pair of little shorts

So now onto the skirt. First off- double your material and then double it again. You want 4 layers here to cut out your skirt piece.

And to make the skirt, you can either go trace an existing skirt or just simply draw up your own pattern. Since I wanted some movement to it but still just a simple fit, I made it like this. This is going to sound tricky but its not. I promise- hang in there with me. You may want to read this once or twice before starting. I tried explaining the best that I could.

First start with a square:

The horizontal lines are 1/4 of the final waist measurement (mine is 5 inches long. Her waist measures 20 inches)

The vertical sides of the square are the final length you want (mine is 7 inches long)

Now on 1 vertical side of your square, draw a dot 5 1/2 inches away from the bottom of the line (so where the hem or bottom of the skirt will be).

Then from the bottom of the skirt (but against where your fold will be so on the opposite side of the square as that last dot) draw a dot 4 inches down.

Now just eyeball a curved line connecting those 2 dots.

Then eyeball a curved line connecting the side seam dot and the top of the waist band. What you should end up with is a half of the front of the skirt looking similar to this:

Now cut that out and since you 4 times your material, when you open them up- you should have the front and back of the skirt. 2 pieces that bell out. How you doing? Did that make sense ok? Tricky part is over- promise. So now lay your two skirt pieces right sides together and sew up the side seams.

So now we are just going to simply cut the waist band. This should be the waist measurement (20 inches in my case) and then for the width- make it 2 1/2 times the width of your elastic. Now sew that short seam so that you have a circle piece. After sewing that side seam, fold your waist band in half- wrong sides together.

And now its time to put all your layers together! Put your shorts inside of your skirt lining those top waistbands up. Now put your waistband around your skirt/short combo with the folded edge down so that the cut edges are lining up with the waistband of the skirt and shorts. Pin all 4 layers leaving a 1-2 inch gap to thread your elastic through:

Sew all the way around being sure to catch all 4 layers. Thread your elastic into the waistband. Once all the way through, making sure not to have rolled your elastic, sew the 2 ends together. Zig zag back and forth a few times to make it real strong. Now just sew that gap closed and you're done!

You have just finished a brand new Summer Skirt! Once you have your pattern pieces made up, it should be real easy to just whip these babies out. Now get out there and enjoy watching your little lady play on slides, swings, bikes, and just run free modestly!

Or get caught in a gust of wind and still be covered...

carseat canopy

2011-03-04T08:40:00.000-05:00

What? 2 boy projects in a week?! I am on a roll! Ok, ok- I know that both of these projects could be made for boy or girl but I made them for our little boy so I'm counting them. :) But not to worry- last night I sewed something pink again and can't wait to share it! I'm working on a tutorial now for it. Thats all I'll say so check back next week! I'm really excited about it. And I do have to apologize for my absence the last few weeks... I thought that the morning sickness had passed but it lingered for awhile longer and then we were hit with the flu, sinus infections, and I've just been trying to catch up on the house and such. But I've now hit that 2nd trimester energy so I'm back!! Thanks for hanging in there with me these past few months. Its crazy just what it takes to get these babies here!

Anyways- back to the carseat canopy. So can I just say that I think these are genius? I didn't make one for M. I just used a blanket and I remember being so frustrated when the wind would blow it off, or once she was moving she would just pull it off, and I always worried about it being to close to her face. I love how these velcro up to the handles so 1- it doesn't ever blow or get pulled off and 2- its up higher away from the face. Love that!

So I've been waiting to make for a long time but haven't since I couldn't decide what fabric I wanted. I know, it sounds silly but I've kind of been stressing over it. I wanted something dark so it would work like a black out curtain so our little man can sleep whether we're at the pool, park, church, etc. But I didn't want a dark color because with this Texas heat, I didn't want him to get super hot under it. So I needed a light color. And I couldn't decide on the pattern. I wanted something boy but that I didn't mind carrying and I didn't want a tiny pattern or anything to crazy underneath so that he was overwhelmed by the crazy pattern while under the canopy. Then it hit me just yesterday that duh! I have this awesome heavy weight material in green from Ikea that I used for the playroom table cloth. I love this fabric and have been waiting to use it for the perfect project and this was definitely it. So before M's nap yesterday, I quickly ran to Hobby Lobby to find a complimentary fabric. I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to find anything and would have to drive a little further away to Hancock or Jo-Anns or something. But we walked back to the material and this just jumped out right away. I love it! The greens match perfectly, its light in color, and it doesn't clash with the carseat. (I know- I'm weird that I worry about that!)

So I put M down for her nap, threw the material into the washer on the express cycle, and started cutting the green material. (I only tell you that because I had this finished before she woke up from her nap. Super fast easy project!!) At first I was just going to make up my own tutorial and post it but then I remembered this tutorial here from Sutton Grace and figured, if thats exactly what I was going to do, then why reinvent the wheel? So check out her tutorial- its great! The only difference I made was my size. I did mine a 36" by 36" square. (I had already cut my fabric before looking at her tutorial) I did this purposely though because I do plan on spending time at the pool with M (as much as I'm not looking forward to the swimsuit!!) so that she still gets out and has some fun this summer. And I don't want the corners dragging on the ground and getting wet at all. That would drive me crazy! So basically I would recommend just folding and pinning your material to the size you're thinking of cutting it and checking it to see how it fits. Thats what I did and was happy with it a little shorter but left the sides wider so that there wouldn't be any sunshine or nosy stranger hands peeking in there. :)

Ok so don't forget- something pink next week. Come on back to see the tutorial!

crinkle toy- boy style tutorial.

2011-03-02T20:15:00.000-05:00

Well I have made I think my first boy item. Ah! No ruffles? No pink? Nope. Not one. And in place of ruffles- a baseball.

So I remember when M was a baby, she loved it when I would hang either a taggie blanket or her noisy crinkle doll from her carseat. Well, since I don't think the hubs would like seeing his rough and tough little boy playing with Princess Sophie, I decided I'd better make something to take its place. :) Thus the crinkle toy- boy style came about. The crinkle toy and taggie blanket combined into one:

First cut your 2 squares out. I wanted mine a smaller taggie so I made it to be 5x5 inches but you can choose the size. And then cut out 2 noise makers the same size. I used (thanks to preggo cravings) a reese's pieces bag but you could also use a refill pack of wipes, a chip bag- especially the uber-noisy sun chips, or even a cereal bag. Whatever you have handy and makes the noise you wish to hear- it'll work!

The next thing I did was sew one noise maker and one square together:

Next step was to make the baseball. Cut out a felt circle (so you don't have to worry about frayed edges) and then using an erasable fabric marker, draw your lines and stitches. Then sew in those stitches. I used embroidery thread but I think embroidery floss would be super cute. I just didn't have any so I used what I had...

Then sew your baseball on! 2 things:

1- try not to get the noisy layer underneath so that it crinkles freely

2- make your stitches small so that the batting doesn't come out. I wish I knew what the stitch was called that I did but the best way I could describe it is that I would go forward like you see in the pic, then go back to where the thread before came out. It is kind of like I back stitched or double backed so that there weren't any gaps. Sorry if that doesn't make sense! I can't think of a better way to describe it...

Leave a small gap and fill with poly-fill batting and then sew it shut

Now since I'm a Phillies girl (and we're counting down til Phillies season starts! So happy that Cliff Lee is back in Philly), I decided to sew their P logo on the other side- just for fun. Not necessary but super easy and fun. So choose your logo, find it on the internet, print it and cut it out. Then trace it (again using the disappearing fabric marker) onto your felt and cut that out.

Now pin and sew your logo onto your material. After sewing the logo on, then again sew your noise maker to that material.

Now choose your taggies! I used an assortment of what I had on hand: webbing, a shoe lace, silky ribbon, and different width grosgrain. I wish that I had made my loops a little smaller but oh well. And I'm sorry I didn't measure, just eye ball what looks good to you. I also made each loop a different length for more variety. So pin those on but make sure that your pins aren't to close to the top because when you're sewing, you won't see the ribbons and pins and you don't want to break a needle!

So pin your two pieces together- right sides facing each other. Your noise makers should be seen on each side. And make sure that your baseball and the logo are both facing the same direction.

Now just sew around the entire thing (leaving a big gap on one side! I completely forgot to do this so I had to do some unpicking... blah.). I went around mine twice just to make sure that those taggies were secure.

Now clip those corners and flip it inside out! This can be tricky because its bulky and all of those pins in your ribbon so just be careful and take it slow- but it is doable. Now pin your side shut (pinning those ribbon loops where you want them) and top stitch around the entire thing one more time. (I also went down the side that I had just closed an extra time backstitching over the ribbon loops)

And ta-da! Your done.

You've got a brand new crinkle taggie ready for use.

Yay for my first boy sewing item! I can't wait to get going on some little boy pants, ties, and some oh so cute shoes. Oh and I can't wait until he's here for me to kiss! Let me know if you have any questions on anything though. And... go Phillies!!

maternity skirt

2011-02-24T08:56:00.000-05:00

Ok so I don't like buying maternity clothes and I just don't have very many skirts. So when I saw this tutorial from Homemade by Jill last year, I saved it planning on using it someday. Well last week I finally did and it was so easy! I had been given some jeans quite sometime ago but they were slightly to big and just not quite my style. So I started cutting away and turned them into this:

an awesome maternity skirt! I also cut the waist line down a little in the middle- you can see that dip- just because I don't like anything rough against my belly these days. But seriously- this tutorial was so easy! I can see why she recommends straight leg jeans and not bootcut- can you see how my side seams come forward a little? Oh well- the jeans were free :) I've since turned another pair of cute thrift store pants into a skirt but just haven't gotten around to taking a pic yet. And even better- I turned the left over legs portion into a skirt for M! That'll be another post though as soon as I can take some pics (and wash those little finger and hand print smudges off my mirror!). Happy Thursday ya'll!

celebrate the BOY month

2011-02-11T16:45:00.000-05:00

Yay for Celebrate the Boy month over at Made and Made by Rae! Now that we're having a boy, I really need to make more boy stuff... we're a house full of ruffles and pink! I can't wait to see what projects they share.

2011-02-07T14:15:00.000-05:00

Ok so like I said, my brain just isn't itself these days! :) But I was so happy when I received my canvas print! Remember when I posted way this back when? Well it came and instantly went onto our fireplace mantle. Not sure if it'll stay there as I'm working on decorating our family room right now and am still in the thinking and designing process... but for now- I love it! The quality was really impressive, the colors look great, and I would definitely order from them again. Ok, we'll see if I've forgotten anything else now... ha!

pint sized Party Skirt tutorial

2011-02-07T14:04:00.000-05:00

Wow so apparently, I have really bad preggo brain!! A few things were brought to my attention today. One- I never posted my canvas print! I'm getting right on that. Promise. And then two, I was reminded after seeing my Party Skirt posted on Homemade by Jill that I never shared the mini version here! I had guest posted the tutorial on UCreate and then when the time came to share it here, I was in the midst of morning sickness and this blog got very neglected. (ok so really I'm still dealing with morning sickness but not as horrible as it was and I'm starting to catch up and craft again) Sorry! So here it is. I had originally envisioned a skirt for me but after making my Party Skirt, I knew that I had to have one for Miss M but pint sized. So that's what this is- a tutorial for a mini sized Party Skirt!

Let's just jump right in! What you'll
need:
* Fabric- this can be linen (like used
in the adult version) or cotton. And the amount is based on your model.
Oh and wash and dry it first. You'd hate to have your brand new skirt
shrink after the first time it's worn!
* Elastic* Thread* Scissors* Sewing machine (and serger if you have one. If not- just zig zag your
edges)* Iron and ironing board* And of course a cute little model to
measure!
You'll want to measure around
the waist and the length you want it to be.My daughter's waist is 16" and I wanted the length to be 9"(yes- she is a peanut!)

This is what I used for the elastic. I prefer the non-roll in a nice wide width

Alright so lets going!

The main portion of the skirt:
the length you measured with 2 inches added by her waist measurement 2
1/2 times. Make sense? No. So for example- my piece was 11
inches wide (I wanted the final length to be 9) and 40 inches long (16+16+8=40).
The waist band: the length is 1 1/2 times your models waist and for width- it'll be about an inch extra to double the width of your elastic. Again- my piece was 24 inches long (16+8=24) and 4 inches wide (1 1/2+1 1/2+1=4).
Elastic: I wanted mine to come out to be 16 inches exactly so it barely fits her now. So I cut the elastic 8 inches- or half of your waist measurement.

This is what you should have:

This is your skirt and all of the material you'll need.

So we'll start by making the waistband first. It is the most time consuming
part! First serge your long edges. It is easier to do this now instead
of later I found out! Then we're gong to fold it in half and iron a crease.
To do this, I tucked the elastic inside the fold and then if you're sewing a
striped material, carefully match those stripes up so that they will be straight once
finished.

After ironing a small area, go ahead and just slip that elastic out and iron a nice solid
crease in the whole waistband.

We're now going to topstitch just as close to the edge as possible down the length of
the whole piece to keep that crease there.

Now measure down half of your original waist measurement, add about 1/2 inch for
the side seam, and pin.

You're now just going to sew straight seams that length. (so from the end to
your pin) This will be the front of the skirts waistband. I wanted it to
lay flat and the seams will help with it keeping its shape when washed.

Once you've finished, we're going to sew in the elastic! Tuck it right up
snug in that crease/top stitching and push it as close to the seam ends as possible.
Sew it horizontal now. I sewed 3 seams on the blue stripes to help
keep it in place and strong against being pulled at.

Now with your elastic inside, sew a casing down the rest of the material staying
pretty close to the edge of the elastic.

Oh but wait! Before you sew your whole casing, attach a safety pin through
the end of the elastic and hook a ribbon (this just happened to be right nearby)
through the pin. This will help you in the next step.

So after sewing the casing all the way down, we're gonna pull that elastic through.
This is where the ribbon comes in handy! Now don't just try and pull
that ribbon because trust me I learned, the safety pin will pop off. :) It
will still work, it is just trickier threading that elastic through the casing. So
instead, use it like a handle and just gently pull the material back on the elastic,
pushing it back. Once you've reached the end of your elastic, sew it in place
again as you did on the other end. But leave about a 1/2 inch or so for the
side seam. Your waistband should look like this:

Now that the hard part is over, let's
whip the rest of this skirt up! What'd ya say?

Take the main portion of your skirt and serge all edges. This isn't neccessary
but it sure does give it a nice finished look when your done.

Gather the top. If you haven't ruffled before, it's easy! Lengthen
your stitch to the longest setting. Loosen your bobbin. And don't
backstitch! Now you're just going to sew along the top edge and then pull just
one side of the strings (either your top thread or the bobbin- not both!) to gather it
into a nice ruffle. One tip- break your skirt up into portions. That way
if a thread breaks, it's not the whole skirt that has to be redone. You can see
this in the picture below:

Now your going to pin your skirt
portion to your waistband. Now this gets a little tricky. First pin the
flat portion of the waistband to the ruffled skirt portion. Now when you pin
the elastic portion, stretch it out! This will make your material not as ruffled
as the front so that when the elastic scrunches back up, the material scrunches.
And when the elastic is stretched out, the material will still look slightly
ruffled. Does that make sense? Hope so!

Now sew those two pieces together where you have just pinned.

Now just iron that seam flat and iron in those ruffles a bit. Not much, just a
little to help it lay nicely.

This is a great time now to check for your ruffling thread. If you see some, no
biggie! Just carefully unpick it.

You're almost done!! All we have left is to sew your side seam, press that
open, and then hem the skirt bottom. Yay- you have just made an adorable
party skirt!

But if you want to add on the cute bow in front, don't leave me just yet. When
I made my party skirt, I made a detachable sash. But that would be tricky to
keep in place on a crazy little runner and dancer! So instead, I made a half of
sash and attached it. We're going to first make 2 sashes. You'll want
to cut these double the width of your waist band and as long as the entire waist
measurement. So my two pieces: they were each about 3 inches side
and 16 inches long.

Now fold each in half with the right
sides together, iron this crease, and cut one end at a slight angle.

Sew around three of the sides creating a long tube. Snip your corners and flip
it right side out.

Iron these again keeping those seams nice and flat.

Now just tuck in the one end to close it off and topstitch around the entire sash.
I chose to finish these off with my double needle but that was just for style.
Any regular topstitch would work great!

Now you should have 2 little sashes (and check your angles at this point to make
sure they are laying correctly). Lay these wrong side out and pin just inside
or in front of the sides. Sew back and forth a few different times on each
side.

Now tie into a bow and voila! You know have a mini Party Skirt- complete
with a big bow!

I love the finished look!! And with that elastic back, it'll be sure to last for
quite sometime!

Front: Flat fitted look with a gorgeous big bow!

Back: nice and stretchy for easy on and off and to adjust for growth!

It is the perfect little complimentary skirt to the fitted (with a zipper)
adult Party Skirt! And if you have any questions
at all about this tutorial, please don't hesitate to email me or leave a comment. I
would love to hear from you and help you out the best I can!

free paint!

2011-02-06T10:05:00.000-05:00

Just a heads up about a great deal- click here to get your free started paint kit from Valspar paint. It includes a sample of paint, the mini roller and tray, and a coupon. Sweet! Just ordered mine in Top Banana- remember how gorgeous the yellow was in this room? I would love to use this color in M's room once we switch to her big girl bedding. Maybe I'll refinish a dresser or toy kitchen in it... What color will you choice? Good luck!

daily deal websites

2011-02-02T08:39:00.000-05:00

So within the last few months, I have started signing up for different daily deal website emails. At first, I thought they were kind of annoying and just deleted them without looking... but I've started checking them out now and have found that you can get some really great deals on these websites! They'll have great deals on golf passes for the hubs, I've gotten a great spa deal, and they've also had great gift certificate deals to. (we haven't bought from all of these websites but I now check out the deals everyday) So I wanted to share just in case anyone else was interested in signing up. I love watching for fun date night ideas for new dates that are also a great deal! These are the websites I've recently signed up for: (the area may come up for dallas but you can change the locations on all of these)

And I'm not trying to sell you on these and I don't think I even get anything if you sign up but just wanted to share these websites as I'm sure all of us are always looking for deals, gift ideas, and cheap date nights! So do you have a deal website that you check out? If so, I'd love to hear about it!

his and her aprons

2011-01-29T09:01:00.000-05:00

I know this is late... as in very late... but I finally finished my parents Christmas present! Due to the morning sickness and such before Christmas, I knew that I wasn't going to get it done on time. So I called my parents and just told them that I wanted to celebrate Christmas when they came in February. :) Ha! Well, this week I decided it was time to whip these babies out and I love how they turned out. I'm kind of thinking that maybe instead of giving my Mom's to her, I'll just keep it... think she'd notice? It's already this late!! Or maybe I'll just have to make me one now too... So go check out the tutorial over here at Make It and Love It. Super easy but so cute!!

stamped necklace how-to

2011-01-28T16:15:00.000-05:00

Ok so after making my necklace the other day, I got so excited with how it turned out that I kind of forgot to explain how to make one! Sorry!! So here is how to make your own stamped necklace...

Here is everything I use:

-stamping set of letters

- hammer

- a napkin (the letters are greasy so I like to have a paper towel or napkin on hand to wipe my fingers off on. You'll also need it after using the marker)

- a black permanent marker

- a piece of metal (I don't have a nice big piece of metal like I was taught to use so I just instead use my old gross cookie that I no longer bake on. It was just used to catch drippings and spills but now it doubles as my stamping sheet!) You'll need this so that you don't hammer letters into whatever you're hammering on or hammer in the indents of the cement onto your disc :) (if you look closely at my cookie sheet now, you can see all the letters)

- and the jewelry discs

I found my letter set at Harbor Freight Tools and I think they were only like $5 or something. The punctuation marks and other sets are available online but much more expensive. So for now- I just have the alphabet in caps and the numbers 0-9...

So these are the discs that I used this time around. I found this pack at Hobby Lobby and went while they were on sale 50% off. You can make 3 different necklaces for only $1!

So I couldn't really take pics of the next couple steps so I'm going to try and explain. If you have any questions at all- leave a comment or email me. I'll try do explain it the best I can!

So I like to get all my letters out and line them up on the napkin before starting. I then start with the middle letter and work my way out just to make sure it ends up close to being centered. And just put your letter on and hammer a few times. Now at first, I was scared to hammer to hard but don't be. It's a tricky balance- you don't want it to be too hard because then you'll bend your disc. But if it's not hard enough, it won't show up or only part of your letter will. And make sure you hold your letter stamp straight and hit it straight on to ensure you get the whole letter. And like I said, I start in the middle and work my out to either end.

Then after stamping your letters, wipe it off and then color in the letters with the permanent marker. Then right after, wipe that marker back off of the disc with that paper towel/napkin. This will make your letters slightly darker so they stand out better and just give it a nice look. And there you have it! You're done! And the beauty of doing it yourself is the freedom it gives you. There are so many possibilities you could put on your disc. Get creative and have fun with it!

Now if you want to add a bead to it, thats our next step. I just buy the cheap pack of pearl looking beads from Jo-Anns (or anywhere) but there are also alot of great bead options from bead stores. Again- personal preference. And then you'll need to buy these pin looking things. I wish I could remember what they are called but I can't so I'll just describe it. (blame it on the pregnant brain and the fact that I bought these over a year ago!!) They basically just look like long straight pins. One end will have a tiny ball or flat head to it so the bead stays on. (and I meant to take pics here but my sister called and I got chatting and forgot too. Sorry!) Then using your needle nose pliers- hold it just above the bead a little bit, wrap it around the pliers creating a loop, and then twist the rest of the pin around that space between the loop and the top of the bead. (look at the picture below this one of the finished necklace- it'll help it make sense!)

Now just add jump rings (again bought in the jewelry section of any craft store) onto each piece, slide them onto your favorite chain (I again bought mine at Hobby Lobby while on sale so it was only $1.25!), and enjoy! You've just made yourself a gorgeous and personalized necklace. And you'll find they are so easy, you'll want to make more for yourself and for gifts! So again- if you have any questions at all please just leave a comment or email me and I'll try to help you out. And if you do make one, let me know! I'd love to see them!

blessed

2011-01-25T19:00:00.000-05:00

So I am in love with jewelry. Not crazy jewelry, but I love basic and gorgeous pieces that can be worn mostly on a daily basis. So today, I stopped by Hobby Lobby while the jewelry making things were all 50% off and then this afternoon while M napped, I made myself a new necklace. And I love it! I do feel very blessed. Now I think I should head back over and pick up more while on sale for gifts!! Easy, fast, and super cheap. My kind of project these days :)

gathered heart pillow

2011-01-21T07:56:00.001-05:00

This was such a fabulous, fast, super easy, and super cute project! Since the morning sickness and bedrest and just more sicknesses, I have not sewn much- at all. So when I saw this tutorial the other day, I knew I had to make it. It was fast and I loved sewing again!! So go check out the tutorial, pull out your scraps and make one. I can't believe that Valentines Day is coming... time is just flying by so fast!

check!

2011-01-19T13:49:00.000-05:00

So one of the things on my "baby to-do list" was a nursing cover. I borrowed one of these with M and loved it! But then today I got an email letting me know that you can get one for free (just pay shipping and handling) from UdderCovers. Sweet! There is now 1 check off my list! Check out the site here and just enter the promo code family2011 if interested.

Oh and we just found out this morning we are having a BOY!! Yay! So for those of you that have asked for more boy projects, more will now be coming!! :)

where have I been?

2010-12-31T15:39:00.001-05:00

Baby #2 due June 20!

I have so many fun projects in mind that I want to do for this new little baby! Good thing I'm starting to feel good again!! In the next few weeks, I'll get started on some fun new little baby projects and share them all along the way! Happy New Year!

Oh and how cool is this New Year goals print out?! I love that it has the different categories. Print one out and get thinking... I did and lots of those baby projects are on my sheet!

new quiet book finally!

2010-12-21T18:41:00.000-05:00

I have finally finished M's new quiet book! We swapped our pages back on the 6th and I just got them finished today finally. Just in time for Christmas! It was so fun seeing everyone's pages and how they put theirs together. I love the new book! So I snapped a quick pic of all the pages today and then I need to go wrap it up to put under our tree. Oh and all these pages were made on muslin and then I finished them by just sewing them to a stiff felt and then sewed button holes before sticking them into a binder. So a quick shot at each page...

the cute telephone with velcro numbers

adorable vase with button on flowers

a race car page- the mom brilliantly tied the car to a string so it won't get lost!

magnetic shape match ups

mr. potato head- with removable parts and the body is the pocket- smart!

ice cream cone with a pocket truck

tic tac toe board-

the game board is the pocket again with lots of x's and o's

picnic table with a pocket basket

the notes and coloring page- my page!

the top packet has 5 crayons in it and then the bottom pocket was made to fit just standard computer paper cut in half

and then a mailbox to send those fun notes in

and then these next 2 pages I just added today. M is into letters these days (loves pretending to sing the alphabet and pretends to reads...) so I made velcro pieces of each letter of the alphabet and then the numbers 0-9. So for now she can pull letters out and we'll practice the sound but as she gets older, we can put letters together to practice reading. Yes- I plan on having this book for quite some time!

and the pocket to hold them all

I also added a folder at the back of the binder to hold some coloring pages too. These were all found for free online at these 1, 2, 3 websites. Hopefully this helps keep Miss M quiet for church and our long airplane ride coming up!!

fabric rosettes

2010-12-20T10:50:00.000-05:00

So I have made rosettes before but a couple days ago I came across this photo (but sadly missed the sale!) and decided to try rosettes again. So I googled a tutorial, came across this one, and they were so much easier when you start with a knot- brilliant!! So, I whipped up a couple rosettes to make a few rings, a clip for M, and a new headband for me. I'll definitely be making some more soon... maybe a few late Christmas presents!

marker roll-up

2010-12-18T14:53:00.000-05:00

So Miss M loves 2 things right now. Minnie Mouse and coloring. So basically most of her Christmas gifts are kind of based around these 2 things. (and I'll let her color all day long- I love how long she'll sit and focus on it!) So on Black Friday, we bought her some of the Color Wonder packs at Wal-Mart to give her for Christmas. But when I went to wrap them up, I realized that her markers were going to need a little home. So going with the Minnie theme, I made her a Color Wonder marker roll-up!

I followed the tutorial basically found here on Make It and Love It for a crayon roll-up but had to change the measurements. Sadly I didn't calculate the heighth right because look how sad it looks just a little short! But oh well- maybe some day I'll make a new one and turn this one into a crayon roll-up or something. But for now I'm short on patience, fabric, and time since I've still got a few more things I want to finish up before Christmas. It'll have to do for now but I think Miss M will still love it!

Oh and just in case you want to make one for markers too, I'll add my measurements. And remember- mine came out to short (as if you could forget- look how bad that looks!) so I'd definitely add some inches to the height. (all measurements are in inches)

markers were spaced 1 1/2 inches apart

length: 15 + seam allowances

outer fabric heighth: 6 + seam allowances

inner fabric heighth: 3 1/2 + seam allowances

lamp shade make-over

2010-12-14T10:12:00.000-05:00

Ok so I have not gotten near as many Christmas crafts, projects, and parties done as I had wanted to this year! Ok, I haven't really gotten any done... but we're doing what we can around here! (and that includes my quiet book pages that I'll show once I have the whole book finished and put together- hopefully for Christmas)

So yesterday was a craft day for me. I've been wanting to make this lamp for M's room for a long time now- ever since seeing this one on the Pottery Barn Kids website like months ago. I just love it and it will go so good with the new big girl bedding when we make that switch. So to make her lamp, instead of spending oodles of money, M and I made weekly visits to our local thrift shop until we found the perfect lamp. The shade was well, a vinyl cross stitch type Christmas pattern with trees, hearts, and reindeer. But nothing a little muslin and spray adhesive couldn't take care of! I then added pink bias tape around the top and bottom to help give it a finished look. And then I just started hot glueing all those daisies on!

a little closer look at the whole lamp shade overall-

(I think next time I would maybe draw lines or maybe some spacer dots to try and keep my lines a little straighter. I got better at it as I went but my first row or two aren't exactly perfectly straight...)

a close up of the bottom bias tape finish-

It was a pretty simple project, done in just one naptime, much cheaper than the original ($5 for the lamp base and shade, bias tape, 1/2 yd muslin, spray adhesive, and the daisies which quite often go on sale), and both M and I love the end result! I can't wait to see it paired up with her new bedding- next year!

delicious pumpkin pancakes...

2010-11-20T20:53:00.000-05:00

Can you believe that the holidays are here? Wow- I still can't. But today, I embraced the season and made pumpkin pancakes for us. (I mean, if we're not going to have traditional Fall weather to help get us in the mood, at least we can have some seasonal food!) Seriously, they were delish! My hubby found the recipe a few days ago and we have been looking forward to this breakfast all week! And I'm happy to say that this recipe did not disappoint. So if you need a little something to help get you into the mood of Thanksgiving, try these out!

(recipe found from here)

Pumpkin Pancakes Ingredients

Mix in one bowl:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon table salt

Mix in another bowl:

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 egg

1 1/2 cups milk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Combine and make pumpkin pancakes!

2010-11-09T09:48:00.000-05:00

I am still here. I am still sewing, just slowly and repetitively. I'm working on a few different projects right now and hopefully by late next week I'll be done with it all! I've got a quiet book page exchange, Madilyn's birthday, and her birthday party! I still can't believe she's gonna be 2 this week... oh and I'm starting to get going on her Christmas presents too! I'll try to keep checking in though as I'm going with it all. What are you planning on making for Christmas gifts this year? I would love to hear what ya'll are working on!

But for now, we're headed back outside to enjoy some of our sunshine!

toy story 3

2010-11-02T14:51:00.000-04:00

Just wanted to share this great coupon for those of you going out and buying Toy Story 3 today- $8 off!! Check it out here. Sweet!

Minnie Mouse

2010-10-29T10:06:00.000-04:00

So little Miss M is obsessed with Minnie Mouse these days. And I mean seriously loves Minnie! So what else besides Minnie could I make for her costume? She is so excited when she gets to wear her costume and asks to wear all day every day. Holidays are so much more fun with kiddos!!

Dana's Circle Skirt tutorial was the perfect solution for a quick and easy skirt. And I love that after Halloween, she can still just wear this costume as a cute play skirt! Sweet.

When I started thinking about the ears, I just googled how to make minnie mouse ears in google blogs and the best and easiest tutorial came up. Perfect!

But I think the bows are what top this outfit off and bring it all together. My sweet friend Leah made them for me and they seriously just made this costume. Gotta love good creative friends!!

Where's Minnie?

There she is!

I hope everyone has a fantastic Halloween!! Enjoy lots of treats this weekend- I know I'll be rummaging through little Miss M's bag for the good chocolate! :)

yummy healthy smoothie shake

2010-10-23T11:58:00.000-04:00

This shake/smoothie recipe is so delicious! And its healthy. Love it. My friend Leah posted it on her blog as part of her healthy snacks post and it is my new favorite! And for my berries, I just bought a bag of frozen mixed berries at Wal-Mart. So easy, so healthy, and so delish!! Enjoy!

So taken from her blog, here is what she said about it and the recipe:

Fruit Smoothies with small amount of milk, ice, and desired fruit. I put cottage cheese in my smoothies and extra flavoring (crystal light) and it adds a TON of protein and you can't tell it's in there. And believe me, I am picky.

1 cup of berries.

1/2 of individual packet of crystal light (or 1/2 -1 tsp of sugar free jello)

1 cup of ice

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup cottage cheese

love this skirt tutorial!

2010-10-21T18:19:00.000-04:00

I love the Circle Skirt tutorial over at Made! It is so amazingly simple and fun and gives a fantastic end result! Seriously, if you haven't tried it yet- do.it.soon! This took all of probably 15 minutes (if that!) since I already had the pattern made and it was just the pick me up we needed and it was perfect for singing ring-around-the-rosies and racing in. Now I just need to get my serger needle fixed so that it will be even faster!

free canvas print!

2010-10-17T20:48:00.000-04:00

So after I saw this posting, I just had to click on the link and create my own canvas print! I can't wait to see this photo in a gorgeous 11x14 canvas print soon!! I'll share as soon as it's here- I can't wait!

quick ideas for fall craziness.

2010-10-12T11:25:00.000-04:00

Ok so can you believe how close the holidays are?! I feel like this past week it has hit me just how busy we are getting with birthdays, parties, holiday preps... Phew! So instead of posting what I've been making (I don't want anyone to happen to see Christmas or birthday gifts early!), I'll instead showing you a few of my favorite tutorials for party favors, gifts, decor, and making sure your camera is ready for any party too! So hopefully these may help you in your gift giving and party planning craziness!

These first 3 of are from one of my all time favorite blogs- Made. Seriously- everything is amazing! And then 2 more from another favorite- Kevin and Amanda Blog. Her photos are so yummy looking.

So do you have any favorites that are your fall back ideas for when your in a pinch?

speaking of costumes...

2010-10-04T07:39:00.001-04:00

Ok so one of my favorite blogs is Made. Dana is amazing and is always inspiring! Last year she made the cutest costume. And this year- she is giving it away! You should definitely go check it out and enter yourself. How I would love me some Dr. Suess!

Oh and while you're there, definitely go check out her tutorials. This one just made M's costume a whole lot easier and cuter! More pics to come- during our costume parade!

chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes

2010-10-03T09:13:00.000-04:00

So these cupcakes were absolutely ridicul-ishisly good! They are cupcakes filled with actual cookie dough- made without eggs and then frosted with chocolate chip cookie dough frosting! Oh my. You have to check out the recipe and her yummy photos here. The only thing I did differently was that I just used the golden vanilla cake box instead making mine from scratch. So tasty!

October??!!

2010-10-01T18:24:00.001-04:00

Ok wow- where did the summer go?! I cannot believe it is October! And you know what that means right??? Time for costumes! I absolutely love Halloween now because it is so fun being able to dress up my darlin... with an excuse! But you know what I love even more? Seeing everyone else's creative costumes. I love the Halloween parades the elementary schools do. Seriously- so cute. So, how would you guys like to do an online Halloween blog parade? I was thinking that we could just do a little costume round up and see what you guys have or are all making. Sounds fun, right?

So, email me (creativespacesblog@gmail.com) a picture of a costume you (or someone else made for you) either this year or it could even be from last year. Send these too me by October 25th and then I'll put them all together and we'll have a little blog parade of costumes. Sound good? Email me or leave me a comment and let me know if you want to participate and then send me your pictures along with a link back to your blog (if you so choose) and I'll include it. Thank you and I can't wait to see what everyone has come up with! Just to start with a little taste, I'll re-post what I made M last year:

I can't wait for her costume this year! She is going to LOVE it!! I'm thinking I may work on it this weekend... And I know, I know, I said I was taking a break. But basically, I haven't been able to stay away from my machine any more and I love checking in with ya'll! Hope you guys are as excited as I am about this and can't wait to see some fun costumes!

FREE amy butler bag pattern!

2010-09-30T17:33:00.000-04:00

How gorgeous is this bag? And the pattern is downloadable for free over at this site! Love it!! I know what I'll be buying fabric for next time... just one more project to add to my ever growing list!

(picture taken from Sew Mama Sew! blog)

2010-09-29T12:32:00.000-04:00

Alright. Time to be real for a minute. I have not crafted (besides in my head!) for over a week now. First we were out of town. And then almost a week ago we took away M's binkie! She is doing good with it except for waking up super early now and not really napping anymore! So, I have not had time or the energy to craft. Just being honest! I do have lots of projects that I need to get going on so not sure how much excitement will be going on here in the next few weeks. Just warning ya! But don't give up on me. I'll be checking in and posting but for now, I'm taking a small break to get Miss M sleeping and me caught back up on things!! Still can't believe just how old my darling is getting! Her second birthday is coming up in November!!

winner winner!!

2010-09-23T19:07:00.000-04:00

Ok first of all, I want to say a huge thank you to everyone for stopping by and for entering into the giveaway! I've loved reading each of your comments. Seriously, thank you so much!

And now onto the winner!! It was lucky #25. And who is that? Brittany!

Thanks again and hopefully we can do some more giveaways in the future- this was fun! And if you make your own Party Skirt- whether big or small- be sure to let me know. I love seeing pics of your finished products!

don't forget!

2010-09-21T15:15:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder that the mini sized Party Skirt giveaway ends tomorrow! If you haven't already become a follower and left me a comment on THIS post- be sure to do so!! Good luck!

one kings lane

2010-09-16T06:14:00.002-04:00

Ok I know I said I was off for the weekend but I had to pop in find to share this! I just recently found through a favorite blog this great place called One Kings Lane. They sell all sorts of great home stuff for deep discounts. And they have this great deal going on right now. You sign up for an acct and you receive a $15 credit. You enter your referral email address- you both get a $15 credit. Everyone wins! So go check out all the cute stuff and sign up and get yourself some credit! They have alot of cute stuff. I can't wait to put that credit to good use! It's good for 6 months... I'm thinking maybe table linens? Or maybe a gorgeous serving bowl? Or maybe this cool serving set- just $1 and shipping!

quick and spicy tomato soup

2010-09-15T09:29:00.000-04:00

I love fall. And I can slowly feel it coming... not weather wise here in Texas! But I saw pumpkins for sale in Wal-Mart today and as I'm starting to begin thinking about Halloween costumes and M's 2nd b-day party (wow- sad day that my baby is gonna be that old!), I'm realizing that it is going to be here before I know it! And then sadly Fall will fly by too fast and the Holiday season will be here and wow, I just need to slow down. Breathe a moment. Phew!

So, for those of you starting to feel some gorgeous fall weather, here is one of our fall favorites. This is a super easy and fast but oh so delish soup! It also makes for great meals to deliver when a friend is sick or something. It is especially delicious with warm bread served on the side. And now tomorrow we are off for the weekend as a family so I'll check back in on Monday! Bon Appetite!

Quick and Spicy Tomato Soup

(recipe from Giada D Laurentiis- Food Network)

Ingredients:

3 Tbls olive oil

2 carrots- peeled and chopped

1 small onion- chopped

1 clove garlic- minced

1 (26 oz) jar marinara sauce

2 (14 oz) cans chicken broth

1 (15 oz) can cannellini beans- drained and rinsed

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 cup pastina pasta- or any small pasta. (our personal favorite- Malfada noodles. They look like mini lasagna noodles and we put in about 1/2 box)

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Directions:

Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over med-high heat. Add the carrots, onion, and garlic and saute until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the jar of marinara sauce, chicken broth, cannellini beans, red pepper flakes, pasta, salt and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes (or however long your noodles take). Ladle into bowls and serve.

sorry!

2010-09-14T10:25:00.000-04:00

Alright, well I am so sorry that none of my pictures have been showing up! I guess my photobucket account just couldn't handle the load!! :) I think that I have fixed the problem but if I missed one, just let me know. Sorry and thanks for hanging in there with me!!

mini sized Party Skirt GIVEAWAY!

2010-09-13T13:55:00.004-04:00

Hello everyone! Wow- thanks for the great response to the Party Skirt tutorials! I'm so glad everyone liked them. So I thought since so many of you liked it, let's have a giveaway! I will make a
pint sized Party Skirt to giveaway
to one lucky reader in the same material as Miss M's!!

Want to win? Just one easy way to enter. Become a follower and leave me a comment (on this post) letting me know OR if you are already a follower, leave me a comment (again on this post) telling me so!! That easy! (open to anyone in the US) Let's leave it open until
Wednesday September 22.
I'll wait to make the skirt until I can talk to the winner so we can possibly custom fit it or they can choose M's 18-24 month size. Good luck!!

UCreate Guest Post!

2010-09-10T08:56:00.000-04:00

I was asked by Kari to guest post over at UCreate today and I am so excited! I can hardly contain just how excited I am!! I am excited to be sharing a brand new tutorial for the

The Pint Sized Party Skirt

So head on over and check it out!

$1.50 Cake Stand

2010-09-09T19:46:00.000-04:00

Today was a running around day for Miss M and I. We've been out and about doing this errand and that. And of course, one of my first stops was at a little local thrift store that I just found. Oh and its super close to my house so that makes it even better. And man today was a good day- lots of scores! I mean seriously- look at all this cool stuff for just $11:

So my biggest item today was definitely the roller skates. They look brand new though, the wheels don't even look used- for just $5. I don't need roller skates. But for $5- they just might make a fun Halloween costume or something! I don't know. I just couldn't pass them up for only $5!

Then next we have the cute sandal wedges. $3 shoes? I'll take them. Oh and a sweet belt buckle for just a buck. suh-weet!

And then the most exciting find (and what I really went there for!) is the candlestick for $1 and the big clear plate behind for $0.50. This is what I needed them for:

$1.50 Cake Stand!!

I have been wanting to make one of these for awhile and yesterday after talking to a friend who had made one, I decided enough was enough- I was making one! Now I just need to make a cake to go on it. Party chip funfetti (my personal favorite) or chocolate? Oooh- maybe a cherry chip? Yum.

Oh wait. Would you like one too? Well it's beyond super easy to do! Basically just find yourself a candlestick (thrift stores, dollar store, anywhere really!) and a plate- whatever size you want. I chose to go for a bigger one but it would be cute to make a smaller plate to. (and yes, I will be making smaller one too at some point. I think I need more than 1 cake stand!) And then just buy some epoxy glue, glue them together according to the package directions, then clamp or instead- just weight it down with a 10 lb bag of sugar, and voila! You got yourself a sweet (and awfully cheap!) new cake stand. Enjoy!

a much needed little break

2010-09-08T12:22:00.000-04:00

I know. I'm due for a new post. :) And I do have lots of exciting things coming between being busy with some RS stuff and a very exciting tutorial guest post. But instead of posting something new (which those posts are coming really- just not today!), I'll instead share with you a little taste of what I did yesterday when I could just tell that M needed me. Puddle jumping was a blast! Gotta love the Texas rainstorms.

M's time-out mat

2010-09-05T07:48:00.000-04:00

I had forgotten to post about this! And watching Miss M sit on it today reminded me about it. A few months back, I saw a cute time-out mat on a blog somewhere. It was cute and had Park-It on it. I loved the idea! We were just starting to talk about how we wanted to handle discipline. Growing up, I had a rocker to sit in. But we were about to move and play gypsies for the summer. :) I needed something consistent but portable. And this little mat was the perfect solution! I just used scraps of material that I had on hand and came up with this. A terry type bottom to help stop the skidding and just a cotton top for her to sit on. I sewed the target so that the material wouldn't bunch and gather. But this little baby is great! It doesn't take up room or draw attention while just hopefully sitting unused in our family room. But when M is told that she needs to sit in time out, she knows right where to go... until she jumps up to give a big hug and kiss sorry that is!

All it takes to make one:

2 scraps of material the same size cut into a circle. (my circle is roughly 1 1/2 feet)

thread

and a machine.

Sew your wrong sides together leaving a small gap. Turn your material right side out and sew that seam shut. Then just sew circles about 1 1/2 inches apart (just eyeball it) until you just about reach the middle. And voila! Thats it! Easy-peasy.

2010-09-03T07:41:00.001-04:00

Alright, so another slipcover that I picked up while at Ikea was this awesome black and white number. Again- I knew that I wanted it for a bag. More specifically, this library tote bag. So easy! I did stray just a little from the tutorial. Instead of finishing the seams off with bias tape, I just left them on the inside and serged them. I didn't have any bias tape on hand and didn't have time to make the bias tape before having to finish it up. (I was sending it with my parents) I actually made it for my sister-in-law and filled it with a few activity books for her cute boys. I loved the end product so much, I almost didn't want to give it away! But not to worry, I have lots of other fun material that I plan on using to make myself one or two with. :)

I loved the flower on the outside too, just to add a small little embellishment.

Creative Spaces

winner!

My Memories Suite GIVEAWAY!

b family pictures

party like it's your birthday!

happy halloween!

yummy mummy pizza!

snow white!

costume change!

glazed pumpkin pull apart bread

swagbucks extravaganza

cinderella tutu!

beach ready!

free coldstone ice cream!

no heat hair curls

swagbucks- awesome!!

pinterest

a skirt slip- genius!

i'm back!

flower belt in action.

it's time to PAR-TEE!!

introducing...

summer skirt- ruffled take 2

delish cookies.

moving away friend gift

flower belt

4th of July dress

daddy gift bag

braided bangs how to

10 days of deals

organization- i need it!

a skirt for all seasons

boot camp.

Bow Top Tutorial

Easter treats.

The Bow Top

another easy hair fix

hair tutorials

simple bow holder

winner winner!!

just a reminder...

big girl bed!

a weekend away

c is for cookie

DownEast Basics GIVEAWAY!

maternity skirt refashion

happy green day!

receiving blanket cupcake

summer skirt tutorial

carseat canopy

crinkle toy- boy style tutorial.

maternity skirt

celebrate the BOY month

pint sized Party Skirt tutorial

free paint!

daily deal websites

his and her aprons

stamped necklace how-to

blessed

gathered heart pillow

check!

where have I been?

new quiet book finally!

fabric rosettes

marker roll-up

lamp shade make-over

delicious pumpkin pancakes...

toy story 3

Minnie Mouse

yummy healthy smoothie shake

love this skirt tutorial!

free canvas print!

quick ideas for fall craziness.

speaking of costumes...

chocolate chip cookie dough cupcakes

October??!!

FREE amy butler bag pattern!

winner winner!!

don't forget!

one kings lane