Darning Diva

Eye Candy

2011-04-07T18:29:00.000-05:00

This little pile of yum arrived at my doorstep today. Fresh piles of fabric turn me giddy! I have plans of turning these into camera straps for my shop - which have been selling like hotcakes lately. I can't wait to get started!

apologies for the crappy photo - I was using the camera on my phone.

A Tangled Celebration

2011-03-31T15:57:00.000-05:00

Just popping in to share some pics of my daughter's fourth birthday party. I kept it a little more simple this year, with my focus being on the cake and her birthday shirt. Inspiration for the party came from here. Enjoy!

It wouldn't be a Rapunzel Party without a tower cake!

And 48 cupcakes...

Here you can see a small glimpse of her birthday shirt. I used freezer paper to stencil the sun logo used throughout the movie with the number four in the middle. You can also see how the tower started to sag from the weight of the muffins. Oh well. It didn't seem to change the yum factor one bit!

On her actual birthday we took her to get her ears pierced. She'd been asking for earring for *months* She cried a bit, but really loved them in the end.

We also celebrated her birthday at school by bringing 25 candy covered marshmallows. If you're never tried these, you must! I never really liked un-roasted marshmallows until trying this. They really were yummy!

Thanks for stopping by. Hope you're all having a great week!

My Newest Endeavor

2011-03-06T11:24:00.000-06:00

I'm starting to realize that the reason I've been feeling so overwhelmed is because I have a severe case of attention deficit crafting disorder. There are so many things I want to try, my head is often left spinning, not knowing which direction I'm headed.

It's exhausting. But, I think it's engraved in my DNA, so I think I'm just going to have to learn to live with it.

Anyway, my latest interest has been graphic design. You see, I have two little people to take care of at home. The hubs and I came to an understanding that once they're of school age I would have to go find a job. Well, being at home for 4+ years makes me really dread the idea of ever working for someone else again. While I do have my etsy shop, I'm not sure it will ever be successful enough to generate an income large enough to really contribute. I'd really like to be able to work from home, though, so I can go on school field trips with my kids and be there without question when they're sick and need to come home, etc.

Enter graphic design. I feel like this will be something I can do freelance from home and {hopefully} make a decent income at the same time. So, I downloaded a free trial version of Adobe Illustrator and completely fell in love. I mean, head-over-heels. In. Love.

So, I've been scouring the web, practicing, and playing {I've even looked into taking classes.} While I was at it, I figured I would create a fun little printable for St. Patrick's Day. I put together a sheet of twelve 2 inch round graphics perfect for cupcake toppers, stickers, hang tags or whatever your heart desires.

click image to download

I also created a new blog for the soul purpose of designing and tweaking the html. I don't know if I'll ever do anything with it, but it sure was fun designing. And of course, I couldn't stop there, so I gave my mom's blog a face lift too. It's addicting, really.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the printable. Oh, and if there are white lines on the sheet, please know that they won't show up on the printed copy. I just don't know how to get rid of them yet. :)

Have a great week!

It's been fun...

2011-02-17T22:36:00.000-06:00

But it's time for a breather. I'm probably going to be pretty scarce around here for a while. I've been feeling kind of burnt out lately and have been putting a lot of undue pressure on myself, so it's time to simplify things. I'm not calling it quits, just re-prioritizing.

I'll definitely pop in every now and then to say hello and post photos of whatever projects I've been working on. Until then...

Who's Up For A Giveaway? {Ended}

2011-02-08T09:52:00.001-06:00

How would you like to win a cute little coffee cozy made with these pretty fabrics?

All you have to do is go to my facebook fan page, become a fan, vote in my poll and leave a comment letting me know you did so. Ready? Go!

Wordless Wednesday {Snowed In}

2011-02-02T08:51:00.000-06:00

All in a Weeks Work

2011-01-25T15:57:00.000-06:00

It was my mom's birthday this last Saturday {Happy Birthday, Mom!} On Monday I decided that I wanted to make a warm cozy lap blanket for her {eek!} I fell in love with this pattern so, I bought 12 balls of Homespun yarn {in Tudor} and a size K crochet hook and got to work.

It took about 24 hours of crochet, but I got it done by the time she came to visit on Monday. Yep, 7 short days to make an approximately 50 inch square blanket. I think I saw smoke coming from my fingers a few times. It was worth it though.

It's such a warm, snuggley blanket. I actually miss sitting under it while I worked. Looks like I have more yarn to buy...

Seasonal Wall Art

2011-01-24T14:29:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday everyone!

Today, I thought I would share an inexpensive way to spice up a large wall with big impact. I actually put this together a few years ago with different paper, but decided to change it up a bit for Valentine's Day.

With a collection of 12 x12 frames {bought at Hobby Lobby on sale for 50% off} and various coordinating prints of pretty scrap book paper {as well a hammer, some nails and a level} The hubs and I put this together in under an hour

The thing I love most about this? It can be changed up in a matter of minutes to match the season or holiday and you can store the out of season paper in the back, so there's nothing to put in storage.

Don't you just love the subway art Valentine's Day paper? I found it at Joann's and knew I had to have it!

I would love to hear if you try this. I know you'll love it. Everyone who walks in my house is dumbfounded by 1.} the fact that I did it myself 2.} how amazing it looks on a large wall 3.} how inexpensive it was to make such a huge impact.

Craft Show

2011-01-16T22:14:00.001-06:00

So. I just realized that I completely forgot to share the details of my craft show with you guys. Oops! Better late then never? I guess that's what having two little ones tugging on your shirt tails does to a girl.

The show was a huge success in my opinion, an opinion that's based on three previous craft shows where I managed to just barely break even. But, I was selling different wares and the economy was in a very different place when I did those shows. Of course, I gained a lot of experience with those shows and gave myself ample time to prepare this time around.

Anyway, on to the details.

As mentioned in previous posts, I spent hours upon hours preparing for the show. I searched the web endlessly for inspiration for displays, shopped till I could shop no more {who am I kidding, I thoroughly enjoyed that part} and of course sewed and sewed and sewed {yeah, I enjoyed that part too.}

And the result of all of those Months of hard work and preparation? I booth that I was extremely proud of.

Here is a photo showing the entire booth. The bare spot on the right is where I processed purchases and wrapped and bagged product.

Here's a closer shot showing my sanitizer keychain display, coffee cozies, zippered pouches, camera straps and some card wallets off in the left corner

Here's the other side of my booth showing some purses, wristlets, key fobs and bookmarks.

Here, you can see the purses a little better as well as some of the zippered pouches and wristlets. You can also see how I modeled a camera strap on the dress form. Cool vintage camera huh?

And, just because I think this was a pretty clever display, here are the bookmarks that sold like hotcakes. I filled a dollar store bowl with polly pellets to help the book marks stand up on their own and allow people to be able to handle them without having to constantly adjust the display. Clever, huh?

I found these cool ornament holders at Hobby Lobby to display my sanitizer keychains. They couldn't have been more perfect!

I really, really enjoyed this show, and am actually thinking about doing another one in March. We'll see though. I'm still a little burnt out from all of that sewing and have tons to list in my shop. Also, I've been working on another craft lately, but I'll have to save that for another post, since I need to keep it a secret for now. :)

Hope you have a great week!

Dollar Store Valentine's Day Decor

2011-01-14T12:00:00.002-06:00

Now that all of the Christmas decorations have been put away, my house has been left looking cold and bare. And that left me yearning to decorate for Valentine's Day! As a lot of us are these days, we're on a pretty tight budget around here, so I hit up the dollar store for a quick V-Day craft.

In my haste to put this project together and add some pink and red to my house, I forgot to take some photos along the way. I'm sure you can figure it out though. :)

I'm definitely not the first one to come up with this idea, but it was time I jumped on the bandwagon. So, I went to the dollar store and bought a glass candlestick and hurricane. Then I mated those two long lost love birds with E6000 to create create this pretty little combination.

While at the Dollar Store I also picked up some {four bags} hearts on sticks. I can't remember what they called them. Some sort of Pick I think.

The hearts are made of styrofoam so the sticks pulled right out. Once I freed all of my hearts I ~~plopped~~ strategically placed them in my new hurricane.

And scene!

Five minutes {if you don't count drying time} and six dollars. That's my kind of craft!

Have a great weekend!

Oh, and yes I know I still owe you part two of Christmas in California. I promise to have that up next week.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-01-05T14:39:00.000-06:00

I finally started making bags for my shop. Hooray!

Christmas in California {Part 1}

2011-01-04T15:01:00.002-06:00

We're finally back to somewhat of a normal routine around here. Somewhat. Is there ever really a routine when you have children?

Anyway, now that things are back to normal, I figured I'd share our Christmas adventure with you. After all, I did promise.

My brother, who lives in California with his Beautiful wife, had never met my little guy Kainen. Since he's 18 months already (woah, really?!) I decided it was time we rectified that problem. We packed our car and headed for the open road. From Illinois. That's 36 hours in the car. One. Way.

We started off at night to knock out a good portion of the trip while the kids were sleeping. With travel pillows in place, they were sure to be comfy for the long ride.

Ok, so this photo was really taken during the day, for those of you who caught me!

We drove, and drove and drove. Then we stopped to take some pictures just to prove that we'd been there.

It's seems the photographer may have a problem with her equilibrium. :)

After 24 hours of driving, it was time to turn in for the night. So we got a hotel. In New Mexico.

The next morning, we drove some more...

The sights were stunning, and the kids were in good spirits. It was a good trip. After only (ha!) 12 more hours of driving, we finally arrived and were greeted by this handsome fellow.

This is Max. Seriously the sweetest dog you'll ever meet.

I'll pick up next time with details of all of the fun thing we did in California.

Hope you're having a great week!

Home Sweet Home

2010-12-30T15:36:00.001-06:00

As I briefly mentioned here, we took a road trip to California for Christmas. And in case you weren't sure, we live in a suburb of Chicago so that meant about 36 hours of driving. One. way. Whew!

I'm happy to say, we all made it back in one piece with nary a complaint from anyone. Well, maybe one or two. After all, 36 hours in a car is a lot to ask of someone, especially children. But we made it. We had a blast and I have lots to share with you.

I'm still working on getting back into a normal routine, so for now I'll leave you with a cute photo of my kids dressed in their Christmas pajamas. I promise a detailed account of our trip soon.

Hoping you all had a wonderful holiday and that Santa made all of your wishes come true!

Toddler Travel Pillow Tutorial

2010-12-14T14:31:00.001-06:00

Try to say that 10 times fast!

Aaanyway...we're going to be taking off to California for Christmas soon and I decided to make my kids some travel neck pillows to help keep them comfortable for the loooong car ride. Yes. We're driving. I know, we must be nuts. Please say a prayer for us.

yes, she's still in pajamas. That's how we roll around here!

I had a hard time finding a good tutorial online, so I thought I would walk you through how I made mine. It's a very straight forward pattern and took maybe 30 minutes to make, with the most time consuming parts being cutting and stuffing (and of course pinning - I hate pinning!)

Materials needed:
- Fabric of your choice. I used quilting cotton on top and minkee on the bottom - hence the pinning.
- polyfil - or stuffing of your choice
- pins
- thread
- scissors
- needle for hand sewing opening shut
- sewing machine
- chopstick or knitting needle for stuffing and poking

Here's how I made my pattern. I made the back part thinner so it wouldn't push my kids heads forward.

After you make your pattern and cut it out, cut two pieces from your fabric.

Pin your two pieces together all the way around, right sides facing. Be sure to leave a gap for turning on one of the straight ends. I like to mark the opening with two pins on either side so I don't forget as I'm sewing along.

Sew your pieces together with a 1/2 inch seam allowance, making sure to remove the pins as you go. I like to sew the outside edge first, then the inside circle and finish with the straight ends.

Once you've sewn all the way around, trim your corners and seam allowances to reduce bulk. Also, snip the inside circle and notch the outside to make everything lay nice and flat without puckering. Be careful not to snip through your stitches. That would be bad. I may or may not speak from experience.

After you're done snipping, it's time to turn it right side out through the opening that you left.

Gently poke out your corners with a chopstick or knitting needle.

Here's what we have so far - an empty shell all ready to be stuffed.

Ok, time to stuff it! You'll want to use small pieces of stuffing to keep it from getting lumpy. Use your chopstick or the back end of your knitting needle to cram it all the way down into the corners. Stuff it nice and firm so it really provides good support for your precious child's neck.

Once you have it nice and firm, hand stitch it closed with your preferred stitch. I like to use a ladder stitch for a nice clean finish. I'm a bad blogger and forgot to take a photo of this step. Shame shame!

Look at that! You're done. Sit back and admire your handy work. :)

Finished dimensions - 9 x 9 with 3.5 inch diameter neck opening.

Let me know if you try this pattern and how it turns out! Also, be sure to let me know if you have any questions or if anything is unclear. Happy Sewing! :)

Oh yeah, and apologies for the different fabrics used. I forgot to take some photos along the way and filled in with the second one I made. :)

ETA: I feel the need to add that this pattern is for personal use only and is not to be sold or used to make things to be sold. Thank you for respecting that. :)

Treasury Tuesday

2010-12-07T10:53:00.000-06:00

Welcome to the third edition of Treasury Tuesday! I found this treasury just seconds into my search and there was no question that this would be the one I would feature today. Aqua and pink is such a beautiful color combination and I love the items that the curator chose to highlight here. Enjoy!

'Pimky!' by ClementinesJewelry

Goldfilled Pastel Bloss... lonkoosh $26.00	Buy 2 get 1 for free - ... shimrita $5.99	Vintage Shabby Chic Han... happybdaytome $12.00
Charming (5x7 Unframed ... yvetteinufio $15.00	The English Rose knit c... Happiknits $50.00	Lisa / Paper doll vinta... babytogo $12.00
Light blue Butterfly - ... noadesign $18.00	Coral Rose/ Fabric rose... StudioElenus $18.50	Bubblegum Pink Dangling... sugarpinkbouti... $2.99
Reserved for inkoehtdes... eelisab $13.00	SALE A Moment in Time 5... LolasRoom $8.00	Anna Brooch - Handmade ... yalipaz $15.00
space invaders soap latikasoap $4.90	Sweet Pink And Blue Ele... ToddDesign $4.95	Cute as a button soap s... LoveLeeSoaps $4.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

Six Days

2010-12-06T13:41:00.000-06:00

I'm taking a lot of deep breaths today as I try to keep my composure. There are only 6 days until the craft show I'm participating in. This means I'm running around like a mad woman trying to tie up all of the loose ends and make sure I have everything I need to make this show a success.

I've sewed and sewed and sewed some more for the past few months and finally have an inventory that I'm quite proud of. Now that I'm decently comfortable with how many items I have to offer at the show, I'm moving on to presentation type details. I sent about 100 lunch bags through my printer today to end up with 45 acceptable bags to package small items in. I've spent countless hours in Photoshop creating artwork for signs and tags and now I'm gathering all of my display props, clerical necessities, and behind the scenes type stuff.

I hope with every fiber of my being that all of this hard work and preparation is not in vain. But even if it is, I'll at least have a boat load of new items to add to my etsy shop, Rhyah Papaya.

Here is the flier I created with all of the information for the show. If you're in the greater Chicago-land area, I'd love it if you came by to say hello!

Wordless Wednesday - Christmasifying

2010-12-01T10:37:00.000-06:00

Treasury Tuesday

2010-11-30T05:00:00.010-06:00

Welcome to the second edition of Treasury Tuesday! I had originally planned on curating all of the featured treasuries myself, but time is just not on my side lately. So, I browsed the treasuries already curated and found this little gem. Isn't it beautiful? Enjoy!

'Last Night I Dreamed of Winter...' by rhan

All things magical and mystical from winter time.

First Snow on Two Trees... lucysnowephoto... $35.00	Single Strap TuTu Gown-... TingBridal $458.00	Adult Size Snowy Owl Ma... SundriesAndPlu... $65.00
Vintage Cream White Woo... grungefarmer $48.00	Snow Kissed Branch Neck... PiperBlue $28.00	Gourmet French Vanilla ... tetoncocoacomp... $14.00
Falling - Fine Art Phot... AbbyBlaine $9.45	Confectionary - Shimmer... TheCopperBee $6.50	Double Chimney Miniatur... saysthetree $25.00
Wispy Tree Digital Coll... petitepaperie $2.95	Rose Mini Bath Bombs - ... ElegantRoseBou... $4.50	Sterling Silver Lotus N... MarKhed $73.00
Vintage Taxidermy Deer ... FQMercantile $249.00	Theo Bear. Limited Edit... OhHelloMagpie $32.00	Aluminum Can Snowflake ... CraftyPA $8.50

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

Lots and Lots of Sewing

2010-11-29T14:09:00.001-06:00

With only two weeks left, we're down to the wire with craft show preparations. I feel like I have been doing nothing but sewing for the past few months. I'm sure my husband and kids will be so relieved when the show is over so I can become and active participant in our family again.

I have lots of new things to offer in the show, which will be added to my shop after the holidays. Along with my typical card wallets, coffee cozies and sanitizer key chains (my three best sellers) I started making wristlets, zippered pouches, purses and camera straps. Oh my! Yes I've been busy!

As promised here are some photos of what I've been up to:

A yummy soft, slouchy tote measuring 12 x 11.5

A gathered wristlet - this picture really does the gathers no justice.

A linen zippered pouch with gathered detail

And my favorite yet, a nice sturdy, stylish camera strap.

Just to give you an idea of exactly how busy I've been, I've made about 30 card wallets, 50 coffee cozies, 30 sanitizer key chains, 20 camera straps and multiples upon multiples of everything else. I think I'm going to sleep for a week after this show is over.

Ok, back to sewing! Hope you have a great week!

Treasury Tuesday

2010-11-23T05:00:00.009-06:00

I thought I would try starting another series around here called "Treasury Tuesday." I love supporting handmade artists and there's so much talent on etsy, I thought this would be a nice way to recognize some of the incredible talent out there. Enjoy!

Chocolate Covered Raspberries

Family Branches 5X7 soulfuse $15.00	Comfy Cozy Cocoon onestinkinpetu... $15.00	cranberry harvest - han... julieandco $55.00
Folk Art Linen Pincushi... CherieWheeler $8.00	Rose Freckle - SALE - A... sqwish $15.00	4 Vintage Quiche Tart T... LillyQueenBead... $10.20
Vintage Taupe Leather P... rakshniyavinta... $30.00	1960s Vintage Tooled Le... starletvintage $44.00	Victoria jenmarie0324 $7.00
2011 Marie Antoinette A... papernosh $18.99	PINK Glory ring gold fo... thepinklocket $22.00	Fresh Grapefruit - Earr... PetitPlat $15.00
Maharaja Magic....Rust ... southindiabaza... $23.95	7 728 Copper Head......... ChristinaRomeo $136.00	14 Vintage Brown Faux L... penorus $5.00

Generated using Treasury HTML code generator by Whale Shark Websites.

New Business Cards

2010-11-17T15:07:00.001-06:00

Things are finally starting to come together for the craft show I'll be doing in December. I'm finally starting to feel like I'll have enough items to have a well stocked booth, but I still have a ton of sewing to do. I've figured out that I need to get in a solid three hours of sewing each day to meet my goals. Yeah, I went all organized with it and made a spread sheet and everything. I'll tell ya what though, it's been one of the best things I've done yet. It has really kept me on track with production. But I digress.

The other best thing I did? Ordering business cards instead of trying to go all DIY like I usually do. I decided to cut myself a break and ordered them from Overnight Prints. And let me tell ya, they are gorgeous!

See? I told you they were pretty. :) I designed them myself with my handy-dandy Photoshop Elements software and uploaded them right to their site. I ordered premium cards with UV coating to make them nice and shiny. And shiny they are. I feel like such a big girl now!

I'll be back in a few days to share all kinds of yummy photos of my stock. Hope you're having a great week!

Happy Veterans Day

2010-11-11T09:26:00.000-06:00

...to my brother {middle} and all of the other men and women who have, are and will selflessly serve our county.

Thank you!

Wordless Wednesday - New Hat

2010-11-10T13:13:00.000-06:00

A Wizardly Halloween

2010-11-04T15:48:00.001-05:00

Hello, hello? Is anyone out there? So sorry for the recent silence around here! I have been sewing my fingers to the bone to prepare for a holiday craft show. The show is only six weeks out, so I've been taking every spare moment {like I have a lot of those, with two little people under foot} to crank out as many products for the show as possible. More on that later though, this post is about Halloween.

Sharing our Halloween photos with you all was something that just couldn't be put off. My daughter is in love with the Wizard of Oz and even puts on little shows for us by singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow and can often be seen skipping around singing We're Off to See the Wizard.

So, her costume was a no-brainer this year. She would be Dorothy. I made her costume for a total of I think $3. I didn't have the time to make a lion costume for my son, so his was a Target special. Mine and my husbands costumes were thrown together at the last minute with poster board, burlap and felt. Everyone we encountered loved our costumes, but most importantly, the kids had a blast! Enjoy!

Hope you all had a fantastic Halloween! I'll try not to be so scarce this month! :)

Photo Friday

2010-10-01T10:05:00.000-05:00

This photo was taken after our picnic in the park on my birthday. This is one of our favorite games to play. One of us is the monster and has to chase the other. I love that we have a graduated train thing going on here. This one just makes me smile!

Under Construction

2010-09-25T18:29:00.000-05:00

I've been making a few changes to the ol' blog over the past few days - as I'm sure you've noticed. I felt like my little bloggy home needed a bit of remodeling. So, I spent a few hours designing a new header and button and also added a navigation bar underneath the header. I haven't quite finished adding all of the content to those links, but I'm hoping they will help streamline things and make it easier to navigate once everything is finished.

In the mean time, feel free to grab my button:

Just copy the code located under my button in the left side bar and paste it into an html gadget on your blog, rearrange to your liking, and voila!

So, what do you think? Do you love the new look? I would love to hear any feedback you might have as well as any suggestions for content or design. Thanks for sticking with me while I put on the finishing touches. You guys rock! :)

New Skirt or Your Selvage is Showing

2010-09-24T14:45:00.000-05:00

Well, it's official. I'm 30. And oddly enough, I don't feel a tad bit older.

For my birthday I decided I would knock out some of the things on my thirty before thirty list, which has now become my thirty while thirty list. Ha. Maybe I should make it thirty one and add "learn to stop procrastinating."

Aaanyway, I wanted to dress up a bit so I decided it was high time to make a skirt (and wear it.) I decided on a wrap skirt and used this really simple tutorial posted on craftster. I used a lovely pale aqua print that I found at Joanns and lined it with a solid black broadcloth. I also used the solid black for the ties, which I think adds a nice touch of contrast.

I just adore the way this skirt came out, and love that it's actually two skirts in one since it's reversible. I did make one tiny mistake though. If you look really close at the bottom of the skirt, you'll notice that the selvage is showing. Oops! This print had a particularly wide selvage and I completely overlooked it before cutting and sewing. I haven't decided how I want to fix it yet, so for now I'll just act as a walking billboard for Joanns. :)

Just one note about the tutorial if you're math challenged like me - the formula needs to be broken down to r = l/pi where l is your waist measurement plus 1/3. It took me a while to wrap my brain around it, so I figured I would spell it out for anyone else who may have trouble with that kind of stuff. Once you have your value for the radius, it's pretty straightforward from there.

Happy Sewing and Happy Friday! Hope you all have a good weekend!

Clothespin Bag Re-Do

2010-09-14T11:59:00.000-05:00

We inherited this lovely lady with our old house, and while I absolutely adore her vintage charm, she was a bit dingy. (dingey?) Hmm. Dingy is a bit of an understatement. She was down right dirty and worn out!

So, as any sewist would do, I fashioned a new bag out of some super cute quilting cotton. With only two seams and a hem, I was done in no time at all. Now if only I had paid attention to how the frame came apart, I could have easily kept this project well under an hour. I think it took about 45 minutes including cutting and reassembly. I swear I fumbled with that silly frame for 20 minutes though!

All fumbling aside, I now have a pretty little place to keep my clothes pins. I just love the smell of line dried laundry, and now I have one more excuse to hang my linens in the sun. As if I really needed an excuse, hanging laundry on the line is almost therapeutic. Don't you agree?

Photo Friday

2010-09-03T08:50:00.000-05:00

I found this guy, a sachum skipper butterfly, on my butterfly bush yesterday. He (or she) was kind enough to let me take a few pictures. These are my favorites. I love the way you can see his proboscis curling up in the second picture. Enjoy and have a great weekend everyone!

Thanks to Rita at Coffee Shop Photography for the free Orton action that I used to enhance these photos. I think it makes them pop very nicely.

First Day of Preschool or Mama has Attachment Issues

2010-08-26T10:17:00.001-05:00

As promised, here are a few photos of my big girl on her first day of preschool. It went pretty well minus the minor emergency involving her favorite toy that couldn't be found this morning. Yeesh! Thankfully my husband came to the rescue and found it in T minus 2 minutes!

She looks ecstatic, doesn't she?

Heading up the stairs

Gosh, she looks so grown up!

Waiting to go inside. Now we're starting to look excited!

Things went pretty smooth when I dropped her off. I only choked up once! My husband was there, talking me down though. We'll see how I do by myself next Tuesday.

Toddler Backpack

2010-08-24T08:52:00.000-05:00

From the first time I saw Made by Rae's Toddler Backpack, I knew I would make it for my daughter when she started school. I finished it up yesterday, just in time, as her first day of preschool is today. It'll have to wait to be broken in though, since she'll be missing her first day due to a nasty virus that has taken over our house. I'm not bitter though.

Anyway, if you have a little one entering preschool this year and would like to try your hand at making a special backpack for him/her, I definitely recommend trying her pattern. It was very easy to follow and I just adore the outcome. I don't have photos of my daughter wearing it yet but will be sure to share once she's over this cold and can make a fashionably late entrance.

I used corduroy (the floral) and twill (the green) and interfaced both. I used a lightweight interfacing and wish it was just a tad sturdier but it'll work just fine.

It's hard to tell, but the entire floral portion on the front is a slip pocket. This is not included in the pattern, but very easy to add.

I also added an elasticized side pocket to hold a sippy cup. Also not in the pattern, but very easy to add. I'd be happy to write up a tutorial if there is enough interest.

I love the way the bright green contrasts with the pinks and maroons. I must be really partial to this color combination because these are the same colors I used in her bedroom! :)

T Shirt to Shirred Dress

2010-08-13T13:54:00.002-05:00

Gosh, I feel like it's been ages since I've posted a sewing project. I think I lost my mojo for a bit, but I think it's making a come back. More on that later though.

I recently came across this tutorial from Obsessively Stitching and knew right away what I would do. I have a few tee shirts from my pre-baby days that I have no business wearing anymore, so I turned one of them into a dress. I'm not convinced that it's really long enough to be a dress, so I might have to add some lace trim at the bottom or something, but I'm really loving the way it turned out so far!

I think the whole thing took me about ten minutes, and the hardest part was winding the bobbin! That's my kind of project! Especially with two little ones under foot.

Anyway, apologies for the headless model. My daughter has severe reactions to mosquito bites and the poor thing looks like she has mumps right now her face is so swollen - from one measly mosquito. :(

On a brighter note, I hope you're all staying cool and enjoying your summer! Have a great weekend!

Playing with Photoshop

2010-08-12T10:30:00.000-05:00

I recently learned how to use actions in Photoshop Elements and I have to say, I'm addicted. I spent countless hours ~~ignoring my kids~~ enhancing photos yesterday. Rita over at Coffeeshop Photography couldn't make it easier! She creates the actions and includes the directions for how to implement them and she even has instructions for how to install them! Did I mention that she does all of this for free?! What a gem! Here are a few of the photos that I enhanced using her Baby Powder Room and Powder Room 2 actions:

Before: Dark and off centered

After: Brighter, centered, skin smoothed and added vignette

Before: dark, uneven skin

After: bright, defined eyes, powdery smooth skin and added vignette

Before: too far away, dark

After: cropped closer, brightened, smoothed skin and added vignette.

If you love photography and love enhancing your photos in photoshop, head on over to Coffeeshop Photography. You won't regret it!

P.S. I'm not receiving any endorsements for this post. I just love her blog that much!

Red Velvet Cake Balls

2010-08-03T14:33:00.000-05:00

I whipped up these little balls of heaven over the weekend to bring to our family reunion picnic. If you haven't tried them yet, stop what you're doing right now and head on over to Bakerella for a step by step demonstration on how to make these delicious little treats! They're so easy and so worth it!

Stawberries and Lavender

2010-07-29T09:05:00.000-05:00

Well, not together, but they're both on my thirty before thirty list.

I scored a bunch of strawberry plants from a very generous free-cycler this spring and now that they're healthy and lush I thought I would share a few photos.

I think my main motivation for wanting to grow strawberries was to try my hand at making freezer jam. It just sounds so delicious! Unfortunately we won't be harvesting any strawberries this year, but I'm hoping for a plentiful crop next year!

Another thing I've always wanted to grow is lavender. The heavenly scent of those beautiful purple flowers sucks me in every time. I can't help but stop and take a whiff every time I pass them- even the foliage smells wonderful!

And as long as we're on the topic of gardening, I thought I would share a few photos of some of the veggies that we planted this year. We've been enjoying a lot of fresh salads this summer with tender leaf lettuce, fresh tomatoes right off the vine and giant cucumbers. Yum!

I hope your summer is going well. What simple pleasures have you been indulging yourself in?

A Little Something for Myself

2010-07-27T14:19:00.000-05:00

I don't use pins very often when I sew - yeah, I'm daring like that. So, I keep my pincushion up high on a shelf to keep it out of reach of curious little hands. Since those little hands are generally very close by while I'm sewing, I just reach up to grab a pin or two when I need them.

After today, I'll reach no more. I whipped up a cute little flower pin cushion with the help of this tutorial to keep just a few pins nearby. I added a ribbon so I can hang it on my spool rack, so it's still out of reach for my kids but very accessible to me. Yay!

Murphy's Sewing Laws

2010-07-26T07:20:00.006-05:00

I ran across these the other day via this link and thought I would share, since thy are all so true! Enjoy!

Murphy's sewing laws

Fusible interfacings always fuse to the iron
The serge only eats the customer's garment
If you need 6 buttons, you will find 5 in your button box
The seam you meant to rip out is invariably the other one
When you are in a hurry, the needle eye is always too small
The fabric you forgot to pre-shrink will always shrink the most
The pattern you wanted to make again will have one key piece missing
If you drop something out of your sewing basket, it will be your box of pins, with the cover off
Whenever the construction process is going well, the bobbin thread runs out
The magnitude of the goof is in direct proportion to the cost of the fabric
Your lost needle will be found by your son, husband or brother-in-law, while walking around barefoot
Facings tend to be sewn to the wrong side (Opposite sides attract)
Collar points don't match, and you've trimmed all the seams
The iron never scorches the garment until its final pressing
The steam iron only burps rusty water on light silk fabric
The sewing machine light usually burns out on Sunday
Pinking shears get dull just by looking at them
Gathering threads always break in the middle
The scissors cut easiest past the buttonhole
Matching edges don't
You will spill your pin box once per garment.
As yee sew, so shall ye rip

Wordless Wednesday - Camping on Grandma's Farm - AKA TBT #8 (extremely image heavy)

2010-07-14T08:43:00.000-05:00

What a magical weekend!

Happy Birthday Kainen!

2010-06-28T10:45:00.001-05:00

One year ago today, after a very easy labor and near perfect homebirth, we welcomed our sweet little guy into the world. My heart doubled in size that day. Happy Birthday, Kainen Alexandar! You're such a blessing in our life!

To celebrate his first year, we threw a party in true Darning Diva form with a custom shirt, coordinating decorations and a homemade cake. Here are a few shots from his party:

I appliqued his shirt with rib knit to match the party decorations

A toy dump truck filled will tool shaped cookies to give to the kids as favors. We applied masking tape to our table to make them look like roads and finished them off with orange cones. :)

I purchased printable decorations from Dimple Prints - Seriously, instant party!

And of course, what would a party be without balloons?

Please ignore the tinfoil on the backs of the couches.

We use it to keep the cat from smooshing the cusions. :)

Of course, You can't have a birthday party without cake!

This one was quite time consuming to make, but I love the way it turned out!

I think he liked it!

Gosh, I can't believe it's been a year already. Time sure does fly when you're having fun! It may be time to start thinking about having another little bundle. Maybe. :)

Weekend Festivities

2010-06-14T08:54:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I'm not too keen on posting a lot of photos of myself, but I had to take this opportunity to show you the adorable ensemble I put together for my family this weekend.

Over the weekend, this beautiful couple was responsible for giving me reason to run rampant...

...to put together these wonderfully coordinated outfits for their wedding. I was really hoping they would have a photographer taking photos of the guests on a backdrop so we could sneak in a family portrait. But, since they didn't, you'll have to settle for this less than professional snap shot.

Notice the matching red shoes and my son's little red bow-tie peeking out from behind his chubby little hand? I fashioned his bow-tie from this tutorial. Cute, no?

Oh yeah, please disregard the candy that my daughter is so thoroughly enjoying. It's near impossible to get all four of us looking good all at the same time!

And just so you can soak in the cute factor of our matching outfits a little more, here are a few more photos for you to enjoy

Isn't he just so handsome in his pinstripes?!

These two were non-stop all night long!

Of course, the night wouldn't have been

complete without a dance with my daughter

Oh yes, and before I forget, I also made the red belt that I'm wearing. The dress came with a black in white belt that disappeared into the background, so I spiced it up by sticking a frayed fabric rosette onto a belt that I fashioned out of the same fabric from my son's bow-tie.

Maybe I can ~~coerce everyone~~ ask everyone nicely to get dressed up again so we can have some professional photos taken.

Pouch Sling for a Doll

2010-06-10T10:30:00.000-05:00

If you have a little girl, you probably know how much they adore playing with dolls. My daughter takes hers everywhere. I mean everywhere. The world stops if she leaves her behind. Anyway, like any other little girl, she loves to imitate me taking care of her little brother. This means breast feeding, rocking, and occasionally reminding her not to bite! Seriously, if there's ever a time that I need to watch my actions, it's now. That girl does everything I do!

Seeing how much she loves to care for her baby, I thought I'd complete the package and make her a sling of her very own to carry her baby in. I found this tutorial over at Chasing Cheerios. The only thing that I changed was that I used a french seam instead of the method that she used to sew the ends together.

My daughter is an average sized three year old and this sling fits her perfectly, so you may have to add and inch or so for older children. I just love the way this turned out, and I'm pretty sure my daughter does too!

Photo Friday

2010-05-28T10:37:00.000-05:00

As I was out spraying my spirea for aphids this morning (I used a simple solution of soap and water - no nasty chemicals here), I noticed that I had a helper ridding my plants of those little green pests. He looked so pretty perched on the bright green leaves, I hurried to grab my camera so I could share his beauty. Isn't he just purty? This totally made my morning!

Weight Loss Wednesday

2010-05-26T09:17:00.000-05:00

Well, my weight loss plan has been going ok so far. I've only lost two pounds, but I'm trying to keep my chin up and keep telling myself that at least it's something. I've been sticking to my workouts, but to be honest I've really been struggling with the diet part.

You see, I have this nagging sweet tooth that gets me every time, not to mention I'm a die hard carb-aholic. For the most part, I try to keep sweets and less desirable snacks out of the house, but it can be difficult sometimes with kids at home.

On a positive note, we've been doing a ton of biking lately which I've really been enjoying. Since I have a bike trailer to put the kids in I don't have to plan my cardio workouts around their naps, which is a life saver. As an added bonus, they love riding in the trailer and are completely content and whine free for the duration of the ride. It really doesn't get much better than that - it's really easy to stay motivated to exercise when it's so enjoyable. :)

On a side note, I've added a weight loss ticker on the right side bar to keep you updated and hopefully keep me in check. Anyway, I hope you're all having a great week, and if you're following along, I would love to hear how you're doing so far.

Freshly Sliced

2010-05-24T16:29:00.002-05:00

I've decided that I have three loves in life (besides my hubby and children): Sewing/Crafting, Baking and Gardening. The weather in these parts, a suburb of Chicago, has improved drastically lately, so I have been spending much of my days planting, digging and pruning. Life. is. good. I did take a break on one of the less desirable days to do some long awaited baking, though.

I've been wanting to try my hand at making my own bread for a few years now, and since it's on my thirty before thirty list, I finally decided to make it happen. Thanks to Sarah over at Come and See the Seitz I had the perfect recipe to start with.

My bread turned out a bit different than hers, but it was still very tasty. It was very dense with great flavor and a nice thick crust. It was great for a beginner too, since there are only 4 ingredients and no kneading is required. So, if you're thinking about trying your hand at making home made bread, I highly recommend trying this recipe. You won't be disappointed.

Giveaway Day Winner!

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

So, have you all been anxiously awaiting for Friday to come to see if you won anything? I know I have! I always have so much fun on Giveaway Day, but I'm glad it's over. My family was feeling a bit neglected as I checked out each and every entry. Click by click. I think my neck is relived that it's over too! It has a bit of a crick in it from staring at the computer for so long. Ha!

Before I get to announcing the winner, I first want to say Thank You! Thank you for all of your participation, thank you for you wonderful comments, and thank you for following my blog! I mean, really 205 comments? You guys really know how to make a girl feel good about her craft!

So, onto the winner! I used random.org to generate # 185, which is Stacy who said:

"I love this hanging dry earase board! So pretty too! Thanks for giving!"

Congratulations Stacy!! I'll be emailing you shortly for your address so I can get your dry erase board in the mail.

Thanks again to everyone who entered! I love participating in giveaway day. If I have my act together come December, I'll be sure to enter again!

Hooray! It's Giveaway Day! (Ended)

2010-05-17T07:58:00.004-05:00

I really think Sew, Mama, Sew's Giveaway Day should be deemed a holiday, don't you? I mean, really, when else do you get to enter into so many giveaways from so many talented people all in one place? I actually almost missed it this time around, but thankfully another blogger was on top of her game and had written a post about it. Whew!

Anyway, on to the goods. I've decided to giveaway my newest creation - my hanging dry erase board that I wrote about here. These are such a nice change to the boring office supplies version. They're made out of ceramic and have been painted with special paint and then baked to make the image permanent. These are perfect for planning your menu for the week, leaving notes to your family or jotting down a quick to do list - all while being cute. Win!

All you have to do to enter to win this beauty is head on over to my etsy shop and leave a comment telling me which item is you favorite. For another entry, become a follower and leave a comment telling me that you did so. That's it. Easy right?

This giveaway is open internationally, so come one, come all! You have until May 20th to submit your comments, so hurry up, what are you waiting for? Oh yeah, and tell your friends so they can join the fun too!

I'll announce the winner on May 21st, so be sure to check back! If for some reason I can't get a hold of the winner I will choose another one.

(ETA: Please don't leave a comment saying that you're following unless you actually do so. It's only fair)

TBT # 6 - Upcycle Something

2010-05-14T11:30:00.002-05:00

So, after finishing the very yummy contents inside this container, I decided that it needed to be given a new life.

But what? It sat for a few weeks on my craft table just waiting for the right opportunity to present itself. Then, this morning I decided to decoupage it with some pretty fabric.

What's in it you ask? Home made deodorant of course. What? That wasn't obvious?

My friend, Monica over at Deliberately Domestic wrote this post on the recipe she used to make her own deodorant. I've made home made deodorant before, but I wasn't really happy with the way it turned out. So, after reading Monica's post on the subject I decided to give it another go with the recipe that she used. I'm hoping that this recipe will work out better for me, since there are an awful lot of nasty ingredients in the store bought varieties.

ETA: So, I guess linking to a post with a link was a bit confusing, so in case you're having trouble finding it, here's the direct link for the deodorant recipe. Also, I should add that I used cornstarch instead of arrow root because it's what I had on hand. I also added tea tree oil and lavender essential oil both for fragrance and antibacterial qualities. So far this recipe has worked really well for me, and I feel so much better about putting it on my body because it's all natural. I would love to hear if you try it yourself!

Have you made your own deodorant before? If so, would you be so kind as to share your recipe in the comments section?

On Teaching Compassion ~or~ It Made My Day

2010-05-13T15:23:00.000-05:00

Due to Mother Nature's need to dump rain on us all night via a violent storm, I found myself awake bright and early because the power was out and our basement was filling with water. I quickly packed both kids in the car and headed to my mom's house to pick up our generator to power the sump.

After a pleasant (albeit short) visit with my mom we headed back home to deal with the sogginess in our basement. We were about halfway home and I noticed what appeared to be a robin all hunkered down in the middle of the road. It was definitely alive, but not phased one bit by the passing cars. Strange.

While I watched all of the other cars drive right by, probably not even noticing the little guy, I made a quick decision to pull over and even back up in the middle of traffic to rescue his fluffiness. I jumped out of the car, scooped him up in my sweatshirt and gently placed him in the grass on the side of the road.

I imagine he bonked his noggin on a passing car just moments before and was left a bit stunned. He didn't appear to have any injuries, so I'm hoping he was able to rest a bit before getting his bearings back and flying off home - at least that's how it played out in my head.

{source}

When I got back in the car I took the opportunity to explain to my screaming daughter why I had left her in the car. It went something like this, "There was a birdie in the road who may have been injured. I got out of the car to help him because he may have been hurt. It's our job to take care of others in times of need whenever we are able." I love that she was part of that and really hope that she turns out to be the kind of person that would also stop traffic to help a defenseless animal.

This message brought to you by years of witnessing similar acts of compassion carried out by my own mother. Thanks mom! I hope one day my daughter will grow up to be kind and compassionate as a result of witnessing such acts as well.

Also, I do believe this falls into the random act of kindness category. A win-win I might say, because I do believe I just knocked out TBT #7. :)

Prettying up Dry Erase

2010-05-11T12:07:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the silence lately. I've been feverishly working on a new project for my etsy shop. I love dry erase boards for their convenience and organizational qualities but am not so fond of their appearance. They're just so, well, drab.

So, I took it upon myself to create a pretty dry erase board that any savy lady would be proud to hang in her home. I hope to be offering this design along with a few others in my shop next week. What do you think? Are you in love? I know I am!

Weight Loss Wednesday

2010-05-05T10:20:00.002-05:00

Well, we've reached the one week mark since I started really working to get this baby weight off. I've been staying(ish) on track with my diet so far, but have had a few weak moments. I tend to reach for treats when I'm stressed and this week has been quite a challenge with the kiddos. But, I digress. I'm not here to whine, I'm here to give you an update and share my workout plan.

So, last week I started at 153 lbs and lost 1 lb which leaves me at 152 lbs. It's not much, but it's a start. And anyone who knows anything about healthy weight loss will tell you that slow and steady wins the race. The general rule is to lose 1/2 lb to 2 pounds a week but not much more than that. I'd say I'm right on track with that theory.

Anyway, onto the goods. As mentioned last week, I'll be following the Body for Life plans by Bill Phillips. Here is an excerpt taken from the Body for Life site:

Official Body-for-LIFE Weight-Training Plan

Weight train intensely, three times per week on alternating days with aerobic exercise three times per week. Make sure to hit your "high points" during your workout.
Alternate training the major muscles of the upper and lower body.
Perform two exercises for each major muscle group of the upper body.
Select one exercise and conduct five sets with it, starting with a set of 12 reps, then increasing the weight and doing 10 reps, adding more weight and doing 8 reps, adding more weight for 6 reps. Then reduce the weight and do 12 reps. Immediately perform another set of 12 reps for that muscle group using the second selected exercise.
For each muscle group, rest for one minute between the first four sets. Then complete the final two sets with no rest in between, wait two minutes before moving on to your next muscle group, complete this pattern five times for the upper body training experience and four times for the lower body training experience.
Always plan your training before hand.
Record all your weightlifting exercised in a journal indicating the exercise selected and weight lifted.

Daily Training Guide

Download the Exercise Guide

Day 1	Upper Body	Chest/Shoulders/Triceps/Back/Biceps
Day 2	Cardiovascular
Day 3	Lower Body	Quads/Hamstrings/Calves/Abdominals
Day 4	Cardiovascular
Day 5	Upper Body	Chest/Shoulders/Triceps/Back/Biceps
Day 6	Cardiovascular
Day 7	Rest

Make sure to alternate doing two days of upper body one week with two days of lower body the next.

I love this program because it's straight forward and doesn't take a lot of time to complete. My workouts usually last 30 minutes or so - something that can easily be accomplished during nap time, or before work. So, no excuses! Let's get to it! I'll be back next week with more tips.

The best thing about doing physical activity to get healthy? It really boosts your mood and confidence in the meantime. If you are following along, how did your first week go?

Weight Loss Wednesday

2010-04-28T09:46:00.000-05:00

Good morning everyone! Are you ready to shed pounds with me? I'm so excited to be hosting a series on weight loss! As mentioned in my last post, I will be posting tips, recipes, workout plans and my progress which will hopefully translate to motivation for anyone who'd like to join in.

First, I feel the need to mention that there will be no talk of any type of fad diet here. Sure, you might get fast results with a fad diet, but the second you stop following said diet all of your hard work goes straight out the window.

How do I know this? I tried the Atkins diet before my wedding to shed those last few pounds so I could be a skinny mini in my dress. Big mistake! For one, I ended up losing too much weight and was pulling my dress up all night. Thank goodness it laced up in the back so we could get it as tight as possible. It also wreaked havoc on my digestive system. As you probably know, the Atkins diet requires cutting out all carbs for two weeks. That means no veggies, no bread, no sugar, nothing. Well, without veggies and grains, you get no fiber. You can imagine where that left me. Lastly, your body needs all of the vitamins and nutrients that can only be found in veggies. Sure, I lost those last few pounds, but I encountered problems along the way and the weight was back the second I put a carb in my mouth. So. not. worth. it!

With that said, the plan that I follow is one by Bill Phillips. He has two amazing books called Body for Life and Eating for Life. They are geared around a sustainable way of eating healthy and working out. The recipes are delicious and the work outs are quick and easy to follow. The diet is even great for breast feeding moms since you're not eliminating anything except junk food!

How do I know this plan works? I followed it in my early 20's right about the time that I met my husband. I was in the best shape of my life. I highly recommend checking out these books. They're super motivating and just make sense! What's more is Bill Phillips hosts a challenge where you can win $100,000 for transforming your body. Double win! You have to check it out!

Today I thought I would touch on the basic principles of his diet plan since diet is so incredibly important if you want to lose weight and keep it off.

The Eating for Life plan revolves around five small, high protein meals Monday through Saturday and taking Sunday off to eat whatever you want. Here's how it works - if you diet every day of the week, your body goes into "starvation mode" and actually starts retaining fat to keep from starving. When you give yourself one day to eat anything (and I mean anything) it wards off "starvation mode" and helps your body keep shedding fat.

Here's what a sample of my diet will look like:
Breakfast: 2 eggs, two slices of peanut butter toast and a glass of Kefir
Snack: cup of lowfat yogurt
Lunch: grilled chicken salad with lowfat dressing and water
Snack: Apple wedges with peanut butter
Dinner: Chicken breast, veggies, brown rice and water

The above is a very basic example of what I might eat throughout the day. The recipes in the Eating for Life book really are delicious. Check out a few of them at this website to see for yourself. Also, I feel the need to mention how important portion sizes are. You can eat as healthy as you want, but if you eat too much of it, you won't lose weight. As a general rule, portions should be about the size of your fist.

So, if you've stuck with me this far, what are you waiting for? Let's get our diets on track so we can start shedding the pounds! Good luck to everyone! I'll be posting workout plans next week.

Tackling TBT #1 - Weight Loss

2010-04-27T11:15:00.001-05:00

First on foremost on the list of things I want to accomplish before I turn 30 is losing this dag gone baby weight. I've sat depressed and worn baggy clothes for far too long. This is something I want to do for myself so I can feel like me again. I'm just not comfortable at my current weight.

Before my daughter was born I weighed in at 135 and at my heaviest during my pregnancy with her I was 198. Wow. I lost most of the weight before getting pregnant with my son but ballooned back up to 189. Now I'm stuck at 153.

And just for visual effect, here is a photo of me and my Maid of Honor before I got pregnant with my daughter

And here I am a few weeks after my daughter was born

And here is the most recent photo I have of myself

Not flattering at all, but I don't allow many pictures these days.

While I have lost a decent amount of weight, it's just not enough. I refuse to buy new clothes to fit my current weight, so aside from the few outfits I've bought for special occasions, I'm stuck wearing t-shirts and sweat pants. Boring!

Why am I doing it on a public forum you ask? Because I find myself more motivated when I have others holding me accountable. So, every Wednesday I'll be posting tips on weight loss, recipes and ideas along with my progress.

If you're like me and work better under pressure or in the public eye, feel free to tag along in the comments sections with recipes, ideas and progress. Let's do this together! Stay tuned for tomorrow's first Weight Loss Wednesday!

Happy Earth Day - TBT # 28

2010-04-22T09:26:00.004-05:00

Yes, ladies, I'm a master multi-tasker I tell ya. I've been wanting to plant a flowering tree in my backyard since we moved in, so I chose this pretty lady - a Zumi Crabapple. And what better day to plant a tree than earth day? Ok, so I didn't actually plant it on earth day, but it was a good excuse, no?

In the mean time, I figured I'd knock out one of my Thirty Before Thirty (TBT) tasks as well. Nothing but efficiency here! Wait, does that mean I can cross off # 21 too? I'm managing my time better already!

Wishing you all a very Happy Earth Day! I'm off to give my tree a hug. :)

Thirty Before Thirty - The List

2010-04-21T13:42:00.002-05:00

Thank you to everyone who commented with ideas for my Thirty Before Thirty list. They really got my creative juices flowing and I even included some of them in my list. I was thinking about shortening the list to a more feasible number, say Fifteen before Thirty? After all, there are only a few short months until September, but once I got going I just couldn't stop.

Some of them are kind of far fetched and may not be possible to accomplish due to money and time constraints, such as #29 and #23. I'm going to try my best to scratch them all off before dooms day though and will document each upon completion. So, without further ado, here's my list:

1. Lose baby weight and gain muscle
2. Learn to knit
3. Quilt something
4. Get a facial
5. Go on a date with my husband
6. Up-cycle something
7. Perform a random act of kindness
8. Take my kids camping
9. Start making purses for my etsy shop
10. Get a pedicure
11. Get a tattoo
12. Make a skirt and wear it!
13. Make bread from scratch
14. Start a compost bin
15. Knit/Crochet something for charity
16. Volunteer
17. Fire a gun
18. Donate Blood
20. Bet on a race horse
21. Learn to manage my time better
22. Read a book from cover to cover
23. Take a pottery class
24. Build a birdhouse
25. Grow Strawberries
26. Grow Lavender
27. Highlight my hair
28. Plant a tree
29. Visit Canada
30. Have a picnic in the park

And there you have it! Wish me luck! I can't wait to get started!

Thirty Before Thirty

2010-04-15T10:39:00.001-05:00

I'm turning 30 in a few months. Yikes. So, I thought it would be fun to come up with a list of thirty things to do before that dreaded date. Ok, maybe not so dreaded. I'm actually kind of looking forward to turning 30 and putting my 20's behind me. I'm having a really hard time coming up with a list though, so I'm enlisting your help.

The only thing I've come up with so far is returning to my pre-baby shape. I've really been struggling with this, so that could be why I'm so stuck with the rest of my list. Who knows, maybe I'll do a series on weight loss and we can do it together. What do you think?

Anyway, back to my point, can you help me come up with a list of thirty or so things to do before I turn 30? It can be anything from thrill seeking to craft challenges. Just leave your ideas in a comment. This is a great time for you lurkers to come out from hiding. :) I'll do another post with the final list and keep you updated on my progress. This should be fun!

And, just so this post isn't without a photo, here is one of me and my husband on our wedding day. This photo was taken in the middle of the intersection of State and Madison in Chicago, the same place my husband proposed. The address at that intersection is "1" and symbolizes our beginning and as my husband put it, "everything goes up from here" {the addresses progressively increase, the further you move from that point.}

Wordless Wednesday - My Favorite Boys

2010-04-14T08:37:00.001-05:00

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T09:04:00.003-05:00

DIY Bird Bath

2010-03-30T10:02:00.005-05:00

I've wanted a bird bath for my yard for as long as I can remember, but could never bring myself to spend the kind of money that retailers want for them. Have you seen how expensive a nice birth bath can be? So, I set out to make one of my own. On a Budget. My frugal side and creative side compliment each other well.

After seeing all of the cute tea cup feeders out there, the light bulb went on and I devised my plan. And, I couldn't very well keep this idea to myself, so I took some photos and put together a tutorial so you can pamper your little birdie friends as well.

Materials:
Serving bowl/platter (round bowls with flat bottoms works best)
1/2 inch threaded cast iron pipe 4ft long
1/2 inch cast iron flange
gorilla glue
scrap wood
rubber mallot (not pictured)
water
Spray paint (optional)

Gather up your materials and prep your work space. I didn't put anything down to protect my cutting mat, but I recommend laying some news paper down just in case.

Following the directions on the Gorilla glue, lightly wet the bottom of your bowl and apply a thin layer of glue to the back of the flange. I used a bit too much glue and it oozed up through all of the holes because it expands. A lot. Making sure to center your flange, press it onto the bottom of your bowl.

Place a heavy object (or a few) on top of the flange to "clamp" it for 1-2 hours.

While you're waiting for your glue to cure, spray paint your pipe taking care not to paint the threads. Of course, you can choose to leave your pipe as is, but mine was a bit chewed up so I used some brown spray paint that I already had to pretty it up a bit.

Once everything has dried/cured for the directed amount of time, it's time to put everything together. After finding a suitable spot for your bird bath, place your scrap wood on top of your pipe (to protect the threads) and pound it into the ground about one foot, making sure it's plum.

Thread your bowl with attached flange onto the pipe, tighten down, fill with water and sit back to enjoy your handy work.

If your bowl is particularly deep, make sure to only put a small amount of water in the bottom so the birds can stand up in it. They won't bathe if they can't touch the bottom. Alternatively you could place a flat rock in the bottom for them to stand on.

The total cost of this project? Approximately $22. You can make it even more budget friendly by finding your bowl at the thrift store, but I fell in love with this one from Target for $12.99. Let me know if you decide to try this or come up with any variations. I'd love to see what you come up with!

Chewy No Bake Granola Bars

2010-03-25T08:11:00.001-05:00

I started looking for a granola bar recipe a few months back when my daughter took a huge liking to the store bought ones. I didn't like all of the nasty ingredients in the store bought ones, not to mention the price tag, so the hunt began.

I tried a few that required baking and turned out more cakey that anything else. They tasted good, but just weren't what I was looking for. Then I came across this recipe and fell in love! I didn't follow the recipe exactly because I didn't have everything on hand, so I changed it up a bit and thought I would share my altered recipe here.

Chewy No Bake Granola Bars

2.5 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 1/4 cups Rice Krispies
3/4 cup sun flower seeds
1 cup dried fruit (I used mango)
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
3 Tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Mix oats, rice krispies, sunflower seeds and dried fruit in a large bowl. Line 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper. Bring brown sugar, honey, butter, vanilla and kosher salt to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Pour mixture over oats and stir to combine well, making sure to evenly coat the oats mixture. Press firmly into parchment paper lined baking pan. Place in the freezer 10 minutes or until firm. Cut and serve.

This recipe is so tasty and I just love that I know exactly what's going into my daughter's tummy. What's even better is that you can switch it up depending on your mood. In the mood for chocolate? Substitute chocolate chips. Like nuts? Toss them in. The possibilities are endless as long as you keep the dry/"wet" ratio the same.

Enjoy!

Nadija's 3rd Birthday AKA Gray Hair Number 253

2010-03-24T15:59:00.006-05:00

So, my princess turned three on Sunday.

I can't tell you how glad I am that the festivities are behind us. Planning her party this year proved to be very taxing regardless of how organized I tried to be. Perhaps it was the 101 trips to every surrounding Target to find enough matching watering cans to give to the kids as favors? (the little baggie is filled with sunflower seeds)

Or the two, yes two cakes that ripped in half while I was removing them from the pan. Thankfully I was able to salvage the second one and made a third to turn into this (don't mind the frosting oozing from the center, not quite sure why that happened)

Or maybe it was the dozen cookies on a stick decorated with royal icing to stick in little buckets full of chocolate cake (dirt) and ice cream, topped with green frosting (grass.) What's that? Oh wait, that means I baked four cakes in one day. Three yellow for the main cake (one of which became lunch) and one chocolate for the kids' flower pot cakes.

Of course, it didn't help that I muttered the phrases "don't touch the cookies" or "no, you may not eat the frosting" about a gazillion times to both my husband and daughter. :)

All in all, the party was a huge success. The kids loved their flower pot cakes (I think the adults were a little jealous.) The buckets served dual purposes, first to serve cake in, then to be filled with dirt to grow their sunflower seeds in. Clever, eh?

And what's a birthday blog post without a photo of the birthday/cheerleader/fairy/biker girl?

Birthday Shirt Tutorial

2010-03-17T14:52:00.004-05:00

I've made it a tradition to make a numbered birthday shirt like this one for my daughter each year. With her birthday fast approaching this Sunday, I thought it was high time I got my butt in gear and make one for her third birthday. While I was at it, I figured I would snap some pictures and put together a quick tutorial for those of you who might be interested in making one too.

Materials:
Blank T-Shirt
Coordinating fabric
Matching thread
Double Sided Fusible Web
Marker
Scotch Tape
Scissors
Iron
Sewing Machine

Once you have all of your materials, find a suitable font on your word processor with the number of your choice. Enlarge the font on the screen to the desired size. The font I used was Hobo set at 600, which measured approximately 3 inches across by 5 1/2 inches tall.

Take a sheet of your doubled sized fusible web and scotch tape it right to your computer screen. With a steady hand, trace your number right onto the fusible web's transfer paper. I find this method much easier than printing a gazillion copies to obtain the desired size and it also saves on paper. Go Green!

After tracing your number, rough cut the fusible web around your number. Do not cut on your trace lines like I did! It's much easier to cut both fabric and fusible web at the same time than to cut the fabric after you've already cut your web. Remove the top layer of transfer paper and lay your number backwards on the wrong side of your fabric and iron according to manufacturer instructions.

Now you can cut your number out on your trace lines and you will end up with a nice iron on applique that looks something like this:

Remove the transfer paper, position your applique on your t-shirt and iron into place according to manufacturer instructions.

Now head on over to your machine and set it to a appealing zig-zag stitch. I think mine was set at 3.5 stitch length and 1.0 spacing. Being very careful not to stretch your shirt as you sew, zig-zag close to the edge all the way around your number.

Remember to secure your stitches at the beginning and end. Snip your loose threads and you're done!

Whip up a cute little flower embellishment, hand sew in place and bribe cute little three year old to stand still long enough to take pictures.

Let me know if anything is unclear and I'll do my best to help. If you decide to try this for yourself, I'd love to see photos - just include the link in your comment. Happy Sewing everyone! :)

Kainen's Bedroom Update

2010-03-11T14:03:00.000-06:00

It's been a crazy week around here with birthday preparations for my daughter and an influx of sales in my shop, and by influx I mean more than one sale in a week. Yeah, I get overwhelmed easily. In the midst of everything I was finally able to apply the wall decal that I bought from this shop for Kainen's room.

I had one heck of a time applying it, actually ripping the vinyl at one point, but luckily I was able to salvage it and make the repair look seamless from a distance. I just love the way it looks and the sweet message, because children really are miracles.

I think he likes it.

Oh, and you may have noticed in the first picture that his mattress has been lowered. That's right, people. Within one week of learning to crawl, the boy is starting to pull himself up! And he is into e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g! I thought I was busy before...

New Look

2010-03-08T12:33:00.000-06:00

Out with the old and in with the new! I decided it was time for a little bloggy face lift. I've been wanting a new design for my blog for quite a while and had been thinking about paying someone to design it for me. But being the crafty DIY girl that I am, I decided to give it a go myself.

I'm definitely a photoshop amateur so this was a big undertaking for me. I spent a lot of time googling every aspect of the design and installation process, so you can imagine how long that took! I'm not 100% satisfied yet, as there are quite a few flaws (Does anyone know how to smooth those pixelated stroke lines?) and missing elements. I plan on adding a button and making custom sidebar headers, but a girl can only do so much in one day!

So my lovelies, what do you think of my new look? Do you like this one better? Have any suggestions or ideas? I'd love to hear what you think!

Peasant Tops

2010-03-04T13:37:00.000-06:00

The weather has been slowly improving around here as the temperatures slowly rise, the sun is shining more and more often and the days are getting ever so slightly longer. I can feel Spring in my bones and am so excited to be able to play outside again.

In preparation for warmer weather I decided I would make a few of these peasant tops for my daughter, compliments of the fabulous tutorial over at indietutes. These were a lot of fun to make and went together really quick.

I'm thinking I might try a few more with long sleeves to bridge the gap between spring and summer. I'll also slope the arm hole cut inward a bit more next time so they don't bunch up so much in the chest. I think the turned out really cute, but more importantly my daughter adores them and that's what really matters most! :)

A Quilt in My Future?

2010-02-27T22:46:00.000-06:00

My recent focus on spiffing up my son's room has really put my crafty prowess in overdrive and got me thinking about my daughter's room. We converted her crib to a full size bed just before my son was born and I have been struggling to find bedding to match her room ever since. I'm pretty darn picky when it comes to things matching, so lately I've been thinking that I might just make her bedding. What's that? I think I just heard the seams on my to-do list burst!

Yeah, I'm pretty good at piling too much on my plate, but I'm having a really hard time resisting these gorgeous fabrics

My daughter's room is done in green and pink and I think these fabrics would look beautiful as a modified version of the Oh, Fransson! Simple Modern Baby Quilt. Of course a prerequisite to taking on this project is finishing my son's room first. What do you think? Am I crazy? I've never done a quilt before, so I'm a tad nervous.

Second Child Syndrome

2010-02-16T10:19:00.001-06:00

Ya know how everyone says that you won't take as many pictures of your second child, or fill out the baby book completely and you won't be as particular about some things as you were with your first? I swore up and down that those things would not be true.

But I knew from the second we found out I was pregnant that things would be different. I didn't rush to get his room ready, or fill his dresser, or even put his crib together. Maybe it was because I was now experienced and a lot busier, but it didn't take away the guilt.

One of the areas that most obviously didn't get as much attention is his bedroom. My daughter's room was pain stakingly painted, wall papered and decorated just so. My son's room got a slathering of blue paint and a white shelf hung on the wall above his crib to hold the monitor base. Ugh. Such a sad, bare little shelf.

The other day I decided that the shelf, and my sons room in general needed some love. A few stuffed animals from his baby shower were plopped on the shelf, but it otherwise sat empty. I've been loving the giant letters and symbols that I've seen hung on walls in magazines and all over blog land, so I decided I would join in.

A giant paper mache letter "K" was just what the doctor ordered. I grabbed a paper mache letter from Joanns for $7.99, spray painted it dark brown with paint I already had and perched it proudly in its new home. I probably should have measured before I purchased, because I hadn't realized it would nearly reach the ceiling. I kind of like it though. I think it makes a nice bold statement.

For the other walls I'm thinking vinyl wall decals (and maybe a nice quote under the shelf) and fabric covered frames to bring in some color and absorb some sounds from the rest of the house. Then, maybe a soft shag rug and I might be satisfied. It only took me 7 months, but I'm hoping this room will start looking a little more cozy for my sweet guy very soon.

New Window Treatments for Cheap

2010-02-15T13:58:00.000-06:00

Ever since the hubs and I moved into our home three years ago I've been struggling with what type of window treatments I'd like to hang on our ginormous bay window. I've gone full circle from wanting fancy decorator fabric, breezy white linen, geometric patterns and damask. I simply couldn't make up my mind so, for three whole years our bay window has been bare and drab.

Then out of the blue, one day it hit me like a ton of bricks - Burlap! It's cheap, has lots of texture and character and comes in an array of colors. Off to Joann's I went with my 50% off coupon in tow! I chose an off white-ish burlap called oyster and paid a whopping nine dollars for 5 1/2 yards! I definitely can't complain about that!

I already had a few beskada curtain rods and riktig curtain rings from ikea just waiting for me to decide on a fabric, so all I had left to do was sew them up, hang my rods and enjoy. I made one two inch fold on each end of the burlap, a simple straight stitch across, hung them and called my room transformed. Seriously, these simple (and cheap) little curtains make the room feel so much more cozy and I just love the texture and the way they break up the sea of dark brown.

I absolutely love the way these look in my living room, (this picture really does them no justice) but there are a few things that I should note. 1) these curtains are not wide enough to close, since my window is over 12 feet wide. I'm totally ok with that though, since it's east facing and we don't spend a lot of time in that room anyway. If you have a window this large and would like to try burlap, you might try fagoting two selvages together. Burlap has such an open weave, a seam would be very obvious. 2) burlap has a pretty funky smell to it, so be sure to have some febreeze on hand! I didn't wash mine first because burlap can be kind of finicky and requires hand washing so I just gave them a good spritz to freshen them up.

There you have it! Cheap, easy curtains that add lots of character. Have you come up with a cheap solution for your window treatments? I have a few other windows that need some love, so I'd love to hear your ideas!

Celebrate the Boy

2010-02-04T09:10:00.001-06:00

Have a little boy? Need new ideas and patterns for things to make for boys? Dana and Rae have come to the rescue in a crafting world saturated with girly stuff!

When my daughter was little it was super easy to find fun projects to sew for her, but it's a whole different story having a little boy. Aside from bibs, appliqued shirts and soft soled shoes, what else is there to sew for little boys? Dana and Rae at MADE and Made by Rae have set out to change the way of thinking when it comes to sewing for boys and are sharing ideas and guest posts dedicated solely to the little guys out there! Click the buttons below to visit their blogs and see the crazy cute things they come up with all. month. long! Happy crafting everyone!

Handmade Christmas Part 3

2010-01-17T14:00:00.001-06:00

Yes, dear readers, while the rest of the world has moved on to reflecting on 2009 and moving forward to blogging about Valentine's Day crafts, I'm still stuck on Christmas. The nice thing though, is these gifts aren't limited to Christmas - they also make great house warming gifts.

So, without further hesitation, I bring you Handmade Christmas Part 3 - gifts for friends and family. I gave a trio of gifts with a common theme revolving around hunkering down on a cold winter night in front of a fire.

First, a set of tumbled tile coasters. These were made with tumbled
marble tiles found at Home Depot I stamped them with Staz-on ink
which is completely waterproof and needs no sealing. Stick some cork pads
on the bottom to protect furniture, wrap with a pretty ribbon and your done.
Easy peasy!

Then, to fill the cups resting on the coasters, I made the following
hot chocolate recipe from Little Birdie Secrets packaged in pretty tins

Hot Cocoa Mix Recipe

10 cups dry milk powder
4 3/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups powdered non-dairy creamer (I used Hazel Nut)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Store in a jar or airtight container. Yields 15 cups (enough for 15 of the small jars pictured here). To make the cocoa, stir 3 heaping Tablespoons into 3/4 c. hot water or milk. I always advise topping it off with whipped cream as well, but that's just me (and my sweet tooth).

And of course, I had to add something to munch on so I made the following
candied nuts recipe from Blissfully Domestic , also packaged in pretty tins.

Sugar and Spice Candied Nuts
Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

2 pounds nuts (I used pecans)
2 egg whites, room temperature
2 tbsp water
2/3 cup dark-brown sugar
1 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
3 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper (you could use paprika if you're a scaredy-pants, but the cayenne works well)
2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Add nuts to large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg whites and water until frothy. Pour over nuts and stir to coat all the nuts. In a separate bowl, mix together the sugars, salt, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon. Pour over nuts and stir to coat. Spread nuts in a single layer on a parchment (or wax paper) lined baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from oven and separate nuts if they are stuck together. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container.
If you decide to try out any of these gift ideas, I would love to hear how it they turned out. If you're family is anything like mine, they'll be begging you for the roasted nuts recipe. :)

Wordless Wednesday - The Princess and the Frog

2010-01-13T13:47:00.001-06:00

Handmade Christmas Part 2

2010-01-03T11:32:00.000-06:00

Last week I posted part 1 of our handmade Christmas and promised a part 2 and 3. So, up next are the gifts that I made for my Princess Nadija.

A toddler sized purse just perfect for carrying her own kool-aide flavored
chap stick, travel size lotion and of course a Santa Clause pez dispenser
all tucked inside for her to find on Christmas morning.

A miniature i-spy toy measuring about 5 inches square stuffed with
alphabet and number charms found at hobby lobby and filled with
poly pellets. This is the all time quiet toy - until she gets frustrated,
of course! :)

Ribbon covered barrettes to tame wispy little hairs.

And although this one didn't make it under the tree, I thought it would
be fun to add it here anyway. Here we have Mr. Sock Monkey sans arms,
ears, eyes and mouth. This was a rather simple project, but I have to tell you,
stuffing all of his parts proved to be rather tedious, which is exactly why he didn't
make it under the tree. There are three months until her 3rd birthday.
Maybe I'll finish him by then?

I also made her some leg warmers, but she snatched them up before I could take pictures. I'll be sure to take a few of her wearing them with her tutu - seriously CUTE. Stay tuned for part 3 featuring gifts for friends and family.

Handmade Christmas Part 1

2009-12-27T11:42:00.000-06:00

Whew! Christmas definitely kept me busy this year, but it was worth every second that I stayed up past my bedtime. There's nothing like the joy of making handmade gifts for friends and family for Christmas - especially when they're well received!

As promised, here are some photos of some of the gifts that I made for Christmas. I'm going to break this up into a few different posts to keep them from being too overwhelming so be sure to check back for parts 2 and 3. First up are the gifts that I made for my little Prince, Kainen.

Leg warmers to protect those precious little knees when he starts crawling.
Made from womens knee socks, this was a very practical and economical gift,
not to mention adorable! I'll be sure to snap some photos of him wearing them soon!

A chain of 100% cotton crocheted rings to sooth sore teeth.
(great because they're natural and can be wet down and frozen)
To make these I used a double strand of cotton yarn crocheted
in the round until reaching the desired length, sewed them
together and Voila! A beautiful, safe and eco friendly gift.

An Amish puzzle ball and a block with a rice filled rattle inside. The
puzzle ball is by far the most rewarding thing I've ever made. It was
really time consuming, but I adore the way it turned out and my son
loves it. The high contrast colors grab his attention and the overall
design makes it easy for him to grasp. I'm hoping to get a tutorial up
for this in the near future.

The block is pretty straight forward, but I jazzed it up by placing some
rice inside of two water bottle caps and gluing them together. I nestled
my little Mcgyver rattle inside among the polyfill and now it makes the
sweetest little rattling sound.

Now that the holidays are over, I'm feeling a lot less overwhelmed and am ready to get back into regular crafting and blogging. On that note, Thank you for all of your kind words and patience while I was on hiatus! I can't tell you how much I appreciate each and every one of my readers and how much your kindness means to me! You guys ROCK!

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our Handmade Christmas featuring the gifts that I made for my princess, Nadija.

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-24T11:55:00.000-06:00

The Christmas Crafting is complete, presents are wrapped and we're awaiting Santa's arrival. Tomorrow is sure to be a very busy day, so I'm wishing you all a very Merry Christmas Eve and hoping all of your Christmas dreams come true tomorrow.

I have lots of craftiness to share with you now that the Holiday rush is almost over. Check back in a few days to see what's been keeping me so busy this month.

Wordless Wednesday - Special Delivery

2009-12-23T14:14:00.000-06:00

Burning Both Ends of the Candle

2009-11-18T15:19:00.000-06:00

I had no idea how much having another child would change things around here. We're 4 months into our expanded family, and I'm starting to feel out of control. I forgot how high maintenance little people can be! How naive of me to think that I could continue life the way it was before my son was born, no less start a new business venture and try to nurture my neglected social life.

I fear that I've piled a bit too much on my plate and until now I have just tried to keep on keepin' on. I've been getting further and further behind (and increasingly stressed) in attempt to be super woman. Today was the straw that broke the camels back and made me realize that something has to give.

After working for hours just trying to get both of my children fed and asleep at the same time, I finally sat down to sew up a coffee cozy that needed to be shipped today. I was feeling great, thinking that I was going to be able to pull off "doing it all" today only to realize that I had sewn the cozy backwards and would need to start completely over. I took a break to re-group just in time for my daughter to wake up from her nap. Sewing is not an option when she's awake, so the cozy will have to wait until my hubby comes home and possibly until after the rest of the house is sleeping tonight.

In the midst of trying to run a business, promote, blog, be social and prepare for the holidays, some very important things have been neglected. My house is in shambles, my nerves are fried and my family (including myself) hasn't been getting the attention they deserve.

So, if I'm not around quite as often, I'm hoping you will all understand that I'll be taking a little breather in attempt to gain some balance my life. I'm really hoping you'll stick with me until I find my rhythm. I plan to return with some fresh tutorials and finished projects.

Wordless Wednesday

2009-11-11T15:24:00.000-06:00

Construction Sale

2009-11-09T08:23:00.000-06:00

Since the very first day I opened my etsy shop I've struggled with perfecting my photos and coming up with something unique that looks professional and compliments my products well. While I was decently happy with my outdoor photos, the background poses a problem for the winter months. I was looking for something that was easy to edit, works well with all of the different colored fabrics that I use and had a bit of an organic feel.

Well, I finally figured out some of the functions on my camera, grabbed some gray poster board and threw in some black stone that I had on hand and voila! I finally have a background that I can use year round that meets all of my requirements. I like that the background is less distracting now and that they have a more crisp look. I think they turned out quite nice, no?

Since a lot of the items in my shop are made to order, it's going to take quite some time to update all of the pictures. And since my shop will look a bit disorganized for a while I decided to have a construction sale for as long as it takes me to finish updating. Visit my shop and reference the shop announcement at the top of the page for details on the sale.

Look What I Got!

2009-10-20T22:23:00.000-05:00

There are so many things that I love about fall. The crisp cool air. The colorful leaves. The acorn necklaces. Yep, you read that right, acorn necklaces. I purchased this fabulous necklace from a fellow Etsian, Jen over at Sassy Cheeky Chic. I just adore the way it instantly "falls up" any outfit.

Jen is a super fabulous person and is awesome to work with. The quality of her jewelry is top notch, and the presentation is beautiful. Stroll on over to her shop to take a peek. You're sure to find something you'll love.

Weekend Whip Up

2009-10-17T10:49:00.000-05:00

There's something about fall that makes me want to break out the yarn and crochet hooks. I'm sure it has to do with cool weather and the fact that you can never have too many cute, crocheted beanies. I put his little number together for my little guy last night with delicious, snuggly soft bamboo yarn. Doesn't he look like he's ready to hit the slopes? Well, he may be a bit young for that, but I think he looks adorable - so much that I couldn't resist his chubby little cheeks.

Finished Crib Bedding

2009-10-16T10:51:00.000-05:00

A huge weight was lifted from my shoulders on Monday as I delivered my friend's crib bedding that I posted about here and here. As promised, here are pics of the finished project. I absolutely love the colors she chose and think it went together beautifully. However, the bumper turned out to be slightly bigger than hoped and not quite rigid enough even though I used two layers of the loftiest batting I could find. Anyway, without further ado, here it is:

I'm so proud of how nicely the corners lined up on the skirt!

Another part I'm really proud of - I pleated the center of the skirt to mask the seam where I pieced the fabric together. You can hardly see the seam in the first place, but the pleat makes it even more discreet.

I think my first attempt at piping turned out really nice. Now that know how to do it, I'm dreaming of other projects to add piping to.

Here it is on my sons crib. This picture does it no justice.

Overall, this was a really fun project albeit extremely time consuming. And while I definitely learned a lot, I don't ever wish to make 28 individual ties. ever. again.

Ring Sling

2009-10-04T19:29:00.000-05:00

I finally got around to making a ring sling for my little guy in between other projects. I'd been sporadically using a home made moby wrap, but wanted something that was quicker to put on and adjust. I found a a really great tutorial here and used the hot dog fold. For fabric I used a beautiful European Linen in Robins Egg Blue from fabric.com. Doesn't he look so sweet all snuggled up?

I really like the ring sling for ease of use and adjustment, but it hurts my shoulder after a while, so I still favor my moby wrap. Now I just need to learn to nurse while baby wearing and we'll be unstoppable! :)

Progress!

2009-09-24T11:15:00.000-05:00

Working on large projects without an extra set of hands to help with the kids has been quite the undertaking as of late. It seems that they're ganging up on me, as when one is sleeping the other is awake and needy. So, I enlisted the help of my mom yesterday to occupy at least one of them so I could make some progress on the crib bedding that I posted about here.

With my daughter occupied, I was able to cut all of the batting and attach it to the individual panels for the front of the bumper. The corduroy pieces have all been pieced together and the piping is attached. Now I just need to piece together the damask panels and sew the front to the back and the bumper will be finished. Then it's on to the skirt. The end is definitely near! Here is how it's looking:

Fit for a Gnome - How to Make a Moss Terrarium

2009-09-14T22:22:00.000-05:00

Moss terrariums have been popping up all over the place lately and it was love at first site for me. I've been admiring them from a distance since I first noticed them, and finally decided to make one for myself over the weekend.

This was a super cheap project, since I had all of the materials on hand. I have a gorgeous rock in my yard covered in lush green moss, some sweet vintage apothecary jars that we inherited with our first home, and of course rocks and dirt. Here's how I made my little terrarium:

First I gently peeled some moss from my rock and gathered a few stones for decoration.

Then I laid down a layer of small rocks for drainage

Then some potting soil - not soil from where I got the moss in case there were little bugs in it.

And finally, I arranged my moss in billowy little clumps with a few accent rocks, sprinkled in some water and put on the lid.

Here it is all finished and looking pretty doin' what it does. I could get lost in this little mossy place. Now I just need to add some little mushrooms and it will be fit for even the pickiest of little gnomes!

The whole thing took about 15 minutes to make from the time I gathered my supplies to putting the lid on. So what are you waiting for? Hunting for moss for your terrarium is a great excuse to go for a walk in the woods. I would love to see what you come up with if you decide to make one for yourself. I promise you'll be in love, and if your anything like me you'll instantly be scouring etsy for the perfect decorations.

Update: A few things I forgot to mention in my excitement - the best way to water your terrarium is with a fine mist from a spray bottle. You only need to water it about every 2-3 weeks or when the condensation goes away. If you over water by accident just leave the lid off for a little bit to dry up some of the extra moisture.

We Remember.

2009-09-11T10:16:00.000-05:00

Piping and Crib Bedding

2009-09-03T15:13:00.000-05:00

I promised a friend of mine a while back that I would make crib bedding for her new baby boy. Well, her baby boy is now 5 months old, so I've put off all other sewing until this bedding is finished. Thankfully, my friend is super patient and co-sleeps with her son and insists that she isn't in a hurry.

Anyway, I thought I would share my latest progress with you since I'm so proud of the handmade, matching piping that I just finished. I've been a little intimidated by the piping, which is likely what held me back so long. Well, that and the fact that I have my own little bundle to keep me busy.

I found a great tutorial for making your own piping and found it to be super straightforward and easy to understand. Now that I've done it, I may be adding piping to all kinds of things!

Isn't it pretty? It reminds me of that green, red and white Christmas candy. You know which stuff I'm talking about!

The piping will be sandwiched between the damask and corduroy for the bumper, and the skirt will be made with the ticking stripe with a band of dark brown on the bottom. I can't wait to finish it to see everything put together! It should go together pretty quickly now since everything is cut and ready to go!

Treasure Hunt Winners

2009-08-29T10:11:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Lindsay and Karin for winning the drawing for my treasure hunt! Lindsay was the lucky winner of the $15 gift certificate to my shop and Karin got to take her pick of key fobs! Thank you to everyone for participating! I hope to do another, more challenging treasure hunt down the road sometime, so make sure to keep following for the next round of fun!

Little Embroidered Camera

2009-08-25T09:54:00.000-05:00

There are so many beautiful embroidered things on etsy and other craft sites, it's really gotten my creative juices flowing. I've been wanting to try hand embroidery for quite some time, and finally mustered up the guts to give it a go.

I decided to embroider a simplified camera for my first project since I've taken a huge liking to photography lately and even recently won a photo contest. I had my hubby sketch this cute little camera for me and got to work on my newly purchased European linen from fabric.com.

While it's most certainly not perfect, I'm really happy with the way it turned out, especially for being my first try. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with my little camera, but I'm thinking it might make a pretty cute coffee cozy, no?

Treasure Hunt

2009-08-21T16:10:00.000-05:00

I'm finally starting to get back into the swing of things after my son was born. I never thought such a little person could change our world so much, but our entire world has been turned upside down. With toddler tantrums, increased laundry responsibilities, nursing not one, but two children (sometimes at the same time), diaper changes and everything else that comes with having a new baby I haven't had much time to sew lately.

Fortunately though, we're adjusting nicely and are finally finding our rhythm. That can only mean that I've finally started to find time in my busy days to get some sewing done. Yipppeee! So, to celebrate (actually, I just needed an excuse), I decided to have a treasure hunt.

So, here's the deal, all you have to do is go to my shop and find the listing with this picture in it

Once you find the listing with the treasure chest, email me the link at DarningDiva[at]gmail[dot]com with subject line "treasure hunt." I'll randomly choose two winners on August 27th with a grand prize of a $15 gift certificate to my shop and a first prize of a key fob of the winners choice. Well, what are you waiting for? Go hunt!

Handmade Christmas

2009-08-19T13:10:00.000-05:00

Can you believe Christmas is only 4 months away? I've already started to think about the gifts that I'd like to give because I'd really like to have a 100% handmade Christmas this year. With a two year old and a new born, crafting has been slow going around here lately, so I need to get to work soon! Here are a few pics of things that I'm planning on making:

I recently purchased a pattern on etsy to make these felted wool baby links for the little guy.

I'm also planning on making the taggie football from Grace Violet that I posted about here.

A portable doll house with peg dolls for my daughter also form Grace Violet

Those are the three ideas I have so far aside from a little purse for my daughter and probably some embellished barrettes. I would love to hear the ideas you're thinking about for your handmade Christmas!

**Edit: Oh yes, and I forgot to mention sock monkeys! One for each of my babies, and who knows who else may get one - I've heard they're super fun and easy to make!

Wordless Wednesday - Yum

2009-08-12T17:51:00.001-05:00

Like. Dislike. Love.

2009-08-05T09:31:00.000-05:00

I like that the longer I'm a parent the "greener" I get

I like that I make my own laundry detergent

I like that I have ingredients on the way to make my own diaper ointment and deodorant

I dislike how uninformed I am about vaccines and that I have 2 months to decide whether or not to give them to my son.

I love the new pediatrician that I found that has a more natural approach to pediatrics

I like that I have tons of green tomatoes on my plants

I dislike that none of those tomatoes are ripe yet

I like that I found my local Le Leche League and have such a great support group

I love being able to provide all of the nourishment that my son needs through breast milk

I love that my daughter is 29 months old and still nursing

I like tandem nursing

I dislike the lack of knowledge that most people have about breast feeding

I love co-sleeping with my kids

I dislike that there's so much to do and so little time

I dislike my cluttered house

I love that the fact that my house is cluttered means that I've been enjoying my kids. :)

I dislike how infrequently I've been posting lately.

I love that I've met so many great people through blogging.

I like food.

I dislike cooking.

I love that my hubby does the cooking so I don't have to.

I like sewing and the amazing fabrics that come with it.

I dislike using patterns when I sew, so I make my own.

I like the smell of fresh spring air

I like gardening, but

I dislike weeding my garden and flower beds.

I love my kids, my hubby, and ultimately my life. Nuff said!

I got the idea for this post from crunchy domestic goddess. I really enjoyed typing up this post and thinking of all of my likes, dislikes and loves. It really was interesting to watch the direction that each line took the next. If you decide to write one of your own, I'd love to see what you come up with. Cheers!

Palatine Farmers Market

2009-07-30T08:20:00.000-05:00

Over the weekend we visited our local Farmers Market and though it was small, it was filled with lots of yummy fruit, veggies, flowers and homemade goodies! Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the Market:

We purchased some cherries, raw honey, which I failed to get a picture of, home made pasta and the brownie pictured above. Everything was so delicious, I can't wait to go back next weekend to buy more!

Wordless Wednesday - Little Garden Friend

2009-07-29T18:41:00.001-05:00

Homemade Peach Ice Cream

2009-07-19T08:39:00.000-05:00

What better way to spend a Saturday afternoon than making fresh homemade peach ice cream? My husband recently expressed interest in making his own ice cream after watching a very in depth episode on the subject on the food network. So yesterday when my dad came to visit with the kiddos he surprised us with our very own old fashioned ice cream maker along with all of the ingredients to make the first batch!

Of course, we had to put it to use immediately and got right to work peeling, slicing and pureeing peaches and mixing ingredients. Once we got everything mixed up, we spent the next few hours doing this:

Then we spent another hour or so waiting for it to thicken up in the freezer. And after all of those hours of labor we were generously rewarded with 6 quarts of this:

Yum.

The texture of the ice cream is just amazing and it's, dare I say, healthier than the store bought stuff. As if ice cream can really be healthy in the first place, but at least it's not loaded with tons of preservatives and fillers and you know exactly what you're eating with this stuff. Not to mention, it's simply d.e.l.i.c.i.o.u.s!

Here is the recipe that we used in case you have the urge to try it yourself:

6 eggs, beaten
3 1/2 cups white sugar
10 fresh peaches, pitted and chopped
4 cups heavy cream
2 cups half-and-half cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt

In large bowl, mix together eggs and sugar until smooth; puree peaches in blender or food processor and stir 5 cups of puree into egg mixture. Stir in cream, half-and-half, vanilla and salt and mix well.
Pour mixture into freezer canister of ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

I would love to hear if you try this recipe yourself and how yours turns out. You may consider throwing an ice cream party if you make the full recipe.

I'm not quite sure what we're going to do with 6 quarts of ice cream, but it's so good I have a feeling we might not have a problem devouring it ourselves! I'll start working on losing the baby weight next week. :)

Wordless Wednesday - A Few Favorites

2009-07-15T15:37:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday - Welcome Kainen

2009-07-01T15:49:00.000-05:00

New Bag

2009-06-26T13:09:00.000-05:00

My apologies for the silence lately. I've been keeping myself quite busy with the to do list that I mentioned here. I'm happy to say that I checked off everything on the list except the nursing cover and maybe a diaper or two and even found time to make a few new things for my etsy shop! I'm feeling quite accomplished at the moment and now all I need to do is have a baby (I'm 3 days past due at this point if anyone is wondering.)

Anyway, I just finished my diaper bag today and thought I would share the pics. It didn't turn out exactly how I wanted because I'm a geometry flunky and boxed the corners too big. It's smaller than I had hoped because of that, but I think it will do just fine - for short trips at least. I didn't add any pockets on the inside because I'm the type to just toss stuff in, but I did add a zippered pocket on the outside to keep my keys, wallet and cell phone accessible.

Ok, enough blabbering, here it is:

It measures 8.5 inches wide, 11 inches tall and 5 inches deep. I really wanted it to be wider than it is tall, but that's all due to the boxed corners that were only supposed to be about 3.5 inches deep - oops!) I could have done a much better job ironing too, but I was just to excited to show you, so I put that off for later. I'd love to hear what you think. I hope to have something similar in my shop once I get all of the math figured out!

Wordless Wednesday - There's Nothing Like a Good Laugh!

2009-06-24T09:46:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-17T20:06:00.001-05:00

So I decided to start a new tradition around here and post photos for Wordless Wednesday every week. The hubs and I recently invested in a new SLR camera so we can take better photos of the little ones.

The point and shoot just wasn't cutting it anymore so we got a Nikon D-5000. I could not be happier with it and am so excited to share the amazing photos I've been taking. With that said, it's time for me to zip it and post the pics - this is supposed to be wordless, after all!