Sutton Grace

winner!

2012-02-21T22:05:00.000-05:00

The winner of my third blogiversary giveaway is comment #51- Joyce! Congratulations! Check your email.

Thank you everyone who entered and for all your kind words. Seriously. You guys are going to give me a big head! :)

retro tv t-shirt

2012-02-09T09:15:00.006-05:00

My sweet husband, Michael, celebrated his birthday last month. One of his presents was this retro t.v. t-shirt.

The t-shirt was inspired by one of our all time favorite TV shows, The IT Crowd. It is available on Netflix Instant. I definitely recommend it with one caveat- British TV allows much more foul language than American TV. There are a few F-words sprinkled throughout the series-- less than one an episode. It's like a PG-13 movie. Anyhow, one of the main characters, Roy, wears lots of great t-shirts. This one was my favorite:

I recreated it with freezer paper stencils and fabric paint. This was my first time doing a freezer paper stencil on an adult sized t-shirt. I struggled getting it centered and level, as I am sure you can tell! Little kid t-shirts are much easier. If I hadn't left it to the last minute (literally- I did this the morning of his birthday!) I would have bought a new shirt and tried again. Live and learn, right? I also wish I had made the t.v. a little larger.

I do really love how the antennas and the details of the t.v. (the switches and speaker and legs) turned out though.

Michael was very happy with this present. He put it on immediately and wore it the rest of the night. See all those candles? He's OLD! :)

third blogiversary giveaway

2012-02-07T16:06:00.004-05:00

:::this giveaway is closed:::

My third blogiversary was actually January 29th but I have been so busy the giveaway had to wait. I have so much I want to share but between the kids and other responsibilities there just isn't enough time in the day. I'll get it all out eventually!

the bike isn't part of the giveaway. I just like this bike so much I couldn't resist using it as a prop! I wish I could ride this bike all over town and fill the basket with goodies. Alas, Charlotte is a not a biking friendly city.

I know my last giveaway was a tote bag but I have since changed the way I was making them and wanted to give away a 'new and improved' tote bag.

The new tote has a black vinyl bottom that gives the bag a nice weight and structure and makes it more durable.

The rest of the bag is made with a medium weight canvas. The cheery + colorful print is from IKEA and is lined with a white canvas. There are two exterior pockets and two small interior pockets.

Tucked inside the bag are a few of my favorite things:

Essie nail polish in Chinchilly
Ritter Sport milk chocolate with hazelnuts (I love anything with hazelnuts!)
A braided leather bracelet (tutorial by Melissa Esplin- surprisingly easy. I made three in about 30 minutes and plan on making lots more as gifts)
A ring made from a vintage clip on earring

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As always, thank you, to all of you that read my blog. I know I am 'small potatoes' and I dont blog often enough but I appreciate all of you that take the time to read and comment!

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To enter the giveaway you only need to comment on this post-- please include an email address if you don't have one linked to your account. No liking or other hoops to jump through! One entry per person, please. If you accidentally leave more than one comment please go back and delete the extra(s). Thank you and good luck!

thrifty finds

2012-02-01T11:23:00.000-05:00

It's been a while since I shared any thrifty finds. Pickings have been slim lately but last Saturday we found two fun items.

A vintage bicycle! For $26.

I especially love the basket!

The bike seems to never have been ridden, just sat in a barn for thirty years. It was very dusty and a little rusty. Michael cleaned and oiled it and it was good to go. It didn't even need a new chain or tires.

Vista Sophisticate. I don't know much about it, but it sure is cute!

Ezra got a ride in the basket. We normally wouldn't do that or ride without helmets but for a quick ride on our quiet residential street we broke the rules.

Spectator Mary Jane's for Gemma.

They won't fit her for a while but they were too cute to pass up.

Only $5 and have never been worn!

What about you? Have you thrifted anything great lately?

perpetual daily journal calendar

2012-01-26T13:36:00.001-05:00

I came across this DIY project on Design*Sponge sometime last year and purchased all the supplies for it but decided to wait until the new year to start. Of course I forgot all about it until a week or so ago when I was cleaning my sewing table and came across the adorable red berry basket I had purchased.

I bought the vintage post cards at my favorite local over priced antique store. They had some beautiful cards but they were in the $2-4 price range. Since I was going to be cutting the cards to size and they were only being used at dividers not framed art I decided to pick some from the 50 cent basket!

I quickly threw it all together and played catch-up for the first few weeks of the year that I had missed.

Now that I am caught up I can just jot down a highlight or lowlight or a funny quote from the day. It's completely simple and doable and is just what I needed because I have gotten so lazy in journaling the milestones of my family.

I have a feeling it is going to be a very rewarding and entertaining project in the years to come!

vegetable sushi roll

2012-01-16T08:58:00.008-05:00

Over the weekend I had my first attempt at making sushi. It was fantastic and surprisingly easy! I followed this recipe for the rice though I wish I hadn't as it didn't call for enough water and the rice was slightly undercooked. I should have followed the directions on the rice bag (duh!) as it called for a half cup more water.

I bought my supplies at a local asian market. Everything was very inexpensive and the man running the store was very kind to give me some sushi making tips; wrap the bamboo mat completely with plastic wrap. Lay out an even layer of rice and press down firmly. Keep a bowl of water near by, rice won't stick to wet fingers.

Lay a sheet of nori paper over the rice and add your filings of choice. I made mine with carrots, cucumber, green beans and avocado. Seems like a strange combination but it was delicious! I, personally, wouldn't use raw fish when making sushi at home. It makes me nervous.

Once you have layed out the filling, start with the edge closest to you and roll as tightly as possible.

Roll your roll in sesame seeds.

Using a very sharp knife slice your roll, wiping the knife between each cut.

Serve with soy sauce, wasabi and sriracha hot chili sauce. Enjoy!

Have you made sushi before? What are your favorite combinations of fillings?

my birthday. instagram style.

2012-01-12T12:08:00.000-05:00

Yes, my birthday was almost a week ago. Yes, I am still talking about it. It's the only day of the year that is all about me so I try to make it last as long as possible. :)

After taking the big kids to school I dropped the little ones off at my sister-in-laws house and made my way to the spa for a one hour massage. This spa was so posh. It was packed with Ladies Who Lunch so I was a little out of place but I enjoyed myself nonetheless! Unfortunately, I accidentally left my favorite ring there. I am SO bummed.

After the spa I met up with Michael for a delicious (and healthy!) lunch.

My sweet husband mid-chew.

Then is was back to regular life for a while: library, getting the big kids from school, homework. After that I got to share another great meal Michael! We ordered miso soup and several different sushi rolls. My favorite was the garden veggie. It was amazing. I purchased all the ingredients to recreate it at home because I couldn't get enough!

Because we are old and boring we went to a movie after dinner. We saw the new Sherlock Holmes film. I'd like to say it was good but I fell asleep. See? I wasn't kidding about the old and boring part!

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January isn't just my birth month it's also the month that I started this blog, three years ago. Last year I didn't do anything to mark the blogiversary since, you know, I'd just had a baby but this year I want to do another giveaway so be on the lookout for that!

five things friday

2012-01-06T09:30:00.001-05:00

Today is my birthday. Thirty-three. Yikes! I am not weirded out by getting older I just don't know where the time has gone. The years are flying by and I would give anything to slow it down!

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My dear mother celebrates her birthday tomorrow. I have always liked sharing a birthday with my mom. Someday when I am rich I am going to take us on some fancy trip, just the two of us, to celebrate our birthdays. But I'm not rich yet so she is getting a tote bag, just like the rest of my family and friends. And it's not even done (let alone mailed across the country) so it will be late, just like the totes for the rest of my family and friends. Wah-wah. At least I am consistent! Happy birthday, Mom!

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I bought some cute second hand ballet flats for Sutton. She loves them but the elastic strap across the top of the shoe was digging in, so I cut them off. As I was tossing the cut-off elastic into the trash can Sutton said, "No, Mom! I can use those for something!" My little repurposing heart almost exploded with pride!

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Yesterday Liam said his first ever swear word. The D word. Exact quote, "I wish I didn't have so much d**n homework." (That kid seriously hates doing homework) It took all I had to not laugh out loud. I'm not proud of that but I am proud of the fact that he got to the age of eight (and a half!) before saying a swear! We had a little talk about bad words and being frustrated. A good reminder for me too because even though I do my best to not swear in front of the kids, you better believe I am thinking or saw bad words under my breath!

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I am really late in hearing this news but Pantone's 2012 color of the year is Tangerine Tango! That is the exact shade of orange as my bookcase. Who knew I was so trendy? Not me!

paint chip art

2012-01-04T12:46:00.001-05:00

Back in July Jessica Jones of How About Orange posted about using paint chips to make art. There are many versions of paint chip wall art but I liked her geometric triangles the best.

I decided to make one for Michael for Christmas. I grabbed a few paint chips, made a template and started cutting. My triangles looked like they were all the same size but once I started putting them together and found they were not the same size. Close but not exact. It almost looked cool but I knew the imperfections would bug me.

Enter Plan B. I grabbed a 1 1/4" square punch. Punched out a bunch of squares and sliced them in half, corner to corner. Since I only had to make one cut, all the pieces were the exact same size. Whew! The triangles were a different shape then Jessica's but I was okay with that- 'make it your own' and all that. Plus considering the size of the art I was making it was way faster than cutting by hand.

Then came the fun part, making the design. I played around with the triangles until I found a pattern I liked. I added a second row to check if I liked how the pattern repeated.

Then I prepared my backing paper with some guidelines to keep everything straight. I sprayed the backing paper with spray adhesive and laid out the pattern, keeping the colors completely random.

This part was really quick and it wasn't long before my paper was full!

I put in in a mat and frame I already had and it was done. Michael was really pleased with it and I like that it sort of looks like a mini-quilt.

(uh, just ignore all that crap under the desk. mmm-kay?)

give and get

2011-12-29T17:32:00.000-05:00

Christmas has come and gone and once again I have disappeared from my little blog. I've been having too much fun celebrating this special time of year with my family. In addition to spending time with my little family we been playing with aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents. Unfortunately all of my kids are sick (the boys both have ear infections) so we have had to take some breaks from the fun here and there.

I wanted to share just a few of my favorite things that I gave and received this Christmas.

Michael gave me this beautiful coat. It fits really well and I LOVE the color!

He also gave me this necklace made by Morgan Pranther. She makes some beautiful and affordable necklaces.

Unlike last Christmas's doll house, this year I only made two simple presents. Colorful art for Michael. I'll show you how I made it soon.

I also made a necklace for my little sister. Sorry for the crappy picture. In typical Erin fashion I made it after dark the night before I had to mail everything. The necklace looked great on my sister when we Skyped Christmas morning. I followed Jess' tutorial for felt flowers at Craftiness Is Not Optional.

As I mentioned back in October, I got Sutton Fashion Plates. They were a huge hit!

What did you give and get this year?

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas (or whatever Holiday you celebrate) and I hope that you have a fabulous and healthy New Year. Bring on 2012!

before and after: orange bookcase

2011-12-16T08:46:00.000-05:00

In lieu Five Things Friday I am going to show off my pretty new bookcase that I mentioned last week.

I have been craving two things for our main living space; more storage and color. I had decided to buy the expedit bookcase from IKEA. It was fairly inexpensive and would give us the needed storage space even though it's bland and cheaply made. The day before my IKEA run I swung by the Salvation Army nearest my house and found this:

I knew immediately that she was going home with me and I knew just what I was going to do with her! I had just seen this a couple of days previous and loved it. Michael helped me add the vertical pieces. I chose Benjamin Moore oil paint (this piece is going to see a lot of wear and oil is so much more durable than latex) in Tawny Day Lily. It is the perfect reddish orange color (though it appears more red in the photos than it really is).

The bookcase was tagged at $50. I was able to get 10% off. $45 is still a ton of money for me to spend on thrifted furniture but this bookcase was perfect! So much better than the expedit I was planning on spending $70 on. My thrifted bookcase is solid wood and it's longer and narrower than the expedit. It fits in my family room perfectly! With the cost of paint, I spent about the same as the expedit shelves but I got something that is unique and won't fall apart in a year!

On top of the bookcase I have a little teal lamp from Target, a rose votive (Michael bought it for me at a local boutique), two thrifted books- I loved the pretty printed covers, and a little bird- also from Target, a few years ago.

I am really, really happy with it. So happy that I don't want to put anything in it! But this house is lived in. It's not a museum. There will soon be library books and baskets of toys and diapers filling these shelves. As they should be.

Happy weekend!

blender pancakes

2011-12-14T10:17:00.001-05:00

A friend mentioned blender pancakes to me a while ago and I finally gave it a try for dinner last night. I will never make another pancake recipe (unless it's pumpkin pancakes or apple cinnamon pancakes!) and this is why;

Taste. The blender pancake has a very nutty, natural taste while still being light and fluffy. Michael repeatedly commented on how good the pancakes were and the kids ate several each. Gemma, alone, had three!

Ease. It's even easier to make than pancake mix, you just toss everything in the blender then pour it onto the griddle.

Nutrition. While the recipe calls for a small amount of sweetener (sugar or honey or agave syrup) and oil, there are no preservatives or unpronounceable ingredients and the freshly ground whole wheat is so good for you.

bender pancakes
1 cup milk
1 cup wheat kernels, whole & uncooked (I used hard red wheat)
2 eggs
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons honey or sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Put milk and wheat kernels in blender. Blend on highest speed for 4 or 5 minutes or until batter is smooth. Add eggs, oil, baking powder, salt, honey or sugar, vanilla and lemon juice to the batter. Blend on low. Pour batter straight from the blender (less to wash later!) onto a hot griddle. Cook; flipping pancakes when bubbles pop and create holes.

recipe lightly adapted from everyday food storage.net

five things friday

2011-12-09T14:03:00.001-05:00

It's been a while since I have done a Five Things Friday post. Lately I have felt I am living my life on a treadmill. I am always running but never actually get anywhere. Am I alone? Do you ever feel this way?

I am finishing a painting project heavily inspired by this. Okay, I didn't just use it as inspiration, I full on copied it! I love it and can't wait to share it with you next week.

My oldest is home sick today. He was puking all night. I am praying that no one else catches it, especially Gemma!

I started playing Words With Friends (the app version of Scrabble) yesterday and I am totally addicted! I have like six games going on at once, which sounds more chaotic than it really is. Hours go by between turns and some games last days. It's very different than scrabble in that way. Do you play Words With Friends? My user name is: nirenirewordsonfire. Let's play!

We have the outside lights up and the tree decorated but the rest of my house looks cah-razy! The kids pulled everything out of the bins and placed the decorations haphazardly throughout the house. I haven't taken the time to right everything yet and make it look pretty.

tissue box makeover

2011-12-05T09:09:00.003-05:00

I thrifted this tissue box a few months ago and I finally got around to doing something with it!

I liked the filigree look of the box but I'm not a fan of the brass so I spray painted it a bright, cheery red.

Since the boxes tissues come in are notoriously ugly I wanted to make sure it wouldn't be seen at all while not losing the filigree detail. I bought a piece of white art board for a few dollars at Hobby Lobby and cut it to size. I used a tiny bit of E-6000 glue in the corners to secure the art board.

Now my tissues have a pretty place to reside on my kitchen counter.

It's a silly little thing but it makes me happy!

custom pendant necklaces

2011-11-29T08:31:00.011-05:00

When I was purchasing supplies for my clip on earring ring I noticed some bezel set pendants in the jewelery findings section but didn't think much of it until I saw these necklaces at Uncommon Goods. I thought they were cool but... $145. Gulp. That is a lot of money! The next day I ran to Hobby Lobby and picked up supplies (luckily they were 50% off that week. Score!).

I loved the map idea but there aren't many geographical locations that are important enough to me to wear around my neck. Maybe something from Brooklyn. I think I might try to scrounge up an old NYC Subway map and make a necklace with my old subway stop (7th Ave and 9th Street on the F Train) but since I didn't have a subway map on hand I used other items I had lying around:

The solid colors are nail polish (the small dark one is purple though it appears black in the photos). The dark blue/yellow print is from a Thank You card from my sister-in-law. The zig-zag and striped prints are from the cover of Michaels Pratt Institute Alumni Magazine (he was so nice about letting me cut it up!). The little multi-colored pendant is from the Flip diaper box. I had saved it because I loved the colors.

Cut out the template provided with the package. Trace onto your image and carefully cut out.

Glue onto your pendant. Let dry. Apply a layer of Dimensional Magic Mod Podge. Let it dry overnight. Add another layer. Let dry overnight again. Continue until you reach the desired thickness of mod podge. The 3D mod podge says it has a three hour dry time but I found that it needs to dry overnight and with the multiple layers needs another few days to fully cure or it tends to develop cracks.

If you are using nail polish, simply paint the bottom interior of your pendant allow it to dry completely and continue with the Dimensional Mod Podge.

They only thing I don't like about the 3D mod podge is the colors become muted. My bold multi colored diaper box pendant turned out pastel but it's still one of my favorites.

One of these pendants would make a simple and cute gift for that sister/friend/mother on your Christmas list!

happy thanksgiving

2011-11-22T17:01:00.000-05:00

I am in Alabama visiting my husbands sister, her husband and their four kids. The drive was long and we stopped way too many times but we made it and we are having a great time exploring 'Bama and ridding horses.

If you've roasted your turkey and baked all your pies and find yourself with nothing to do (not likely, huh?) check out my pictures on Instagram @erin_woodward. It's my new obsession! Do you Instagram?

Happy Thanksgiving! I am thankful for many things, big and small, and I am thankful for all of you that read my blog. My writing isn't that clever, I'm not that cool and my really impressive projects are few and far between. I really appreciate all of you that keep reading and commenting. It means the world to me.

I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Holiday. For those of you outside the US, I know you don't celebrate Thanksgiving but I am thankful for you too and wish you happiness and safety!

mod podge shoes

2011-11-10T10:31:00.003-05:00

I have been wanting to mod podge shoes for a couple of years and I finally got around to it!

Michael bought me these shoes about six years ago. They are some el-cheapo bronze ballet flats from Aeropostale but they are super comfy and I have loved them! I just couldn't wear them anymore, they were super thrashed. I was hoping that mod podging the shoes would extend their life a little.

I cut off the straps and used a thin piece of cardboard to fill the little keyhole opening.

I bought the cheerful fabric at Hobby Lobby. I followed this tutorial from Make It and Love It.

I was worried that the mod podge would make the shoes really stiff. They are a little stiff but still comfortable. Yay! Here's to another six years of these shoes. That is if the soles don't wear out first. :)

I've never worn such colorful shoes but I really like them. They're great with jeans and a simple t-shirt. Have you ever mod podged shoes? Would you wear multicolored shoes?

DIY ring

2011-11-07T12:06:00.000-05:00

I have made a goal to start accessorizing more and I hear Forever 21 is the place to go for cute, cheap accessories. So I made a trip to the mall. I rarely go to malls. I really dislike them but I am a sucker for cheap things... so to the mall I went. I found two cute necklaces but that was it. I really wanted a cute ring to wear but all the rings at Forever 21 were HUGE. Not at all realistic. I'm a mom. I change poopy diapers, do dishes, wipe noses, play Go Fish!, and tickle my kids all day. I can't imagine doing all that with a golf ball sized plastic rose attached to my finger! So I decided to make my own ring:

don't you love my wintertime dry, scaly hands?

I started with a pair of vintage clip on earrings. One has several stones missing so I was able to talk the price down to $3. I'll keep the extra around as a back up in case my ring loses stones.

I bought a ring in the jewelery findings section of Hobby Lobby for $1.47.

I removed the clip on part of the earring and glued it to the ring. I used Gorilla Glue because I was out of E-6000. You have to be careful with Gorilla Glue though because it expands as it dries.

I love my new ring! It is just big enough for me; large enough to be eye catching but small enough for daily wear. It cost me $4.47 and a few minutes of my time. Best of all, it is completely unique.

foolproof cake decorations

2011-11-03T10:28:00.000-04:00

When I asked Ezra what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday he would give me vague weird answers so I was on my own. I usually try to make whatever kind of birthday cake the kids can dream up but since Ez didn't seem to care I decided to go simple to make it easy on myself as we had a busy weekend. I decided to make sports equipment since Ezra is into all things sports. It was so quick and easy and really fun to do.

I went with a simple 'Happy Birthday Ezra' on top.

Basketball

Soccer

Golf

Tennis

Baseball

I'm not kidding when I said it was quick and easy. The writing and the sports equipment took about ten minutes to do. Getting everything set up (finding and printing the images, melting the chocolate) took longer that making the words and sports gear.

You can use any type of shape or picture. The sky's the limit. I used a unicorn below as an example of a more girl-y version.

Here's how to do it:
Print your image. Lay a sheet of parchment paper over your image or words (wax paper should work too). I used cheap-o chocolate almond bark. Melt it in the micro or over a double boiler. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a #2 tip.

Outline your image with the melted chocolate.

Let the chocolate cool for a 10-15 minutes before handling. Lightly press onto a freshly frosted cake. That's it. I told you it was easy!

How cute would several of these unicorns be lined up on the outside of a cake? If you don't want to use brown buy the white chocolate flavored bark and use food coloring oils (not regular food coloring!) for a custom color.

Whatever shape you make, just make a lot because all the kids will want one to go with their piece of cake. I guarantee it!

halloween 2011

2011-10-31T15:03:00.001-04:00

This is what my kids looked like when they left the house this morning. Great costumes, right? Kidding. The kids aren't allowed to wear Halloween costumes to school. It is disruptive to learning, apparently. Actually, I am sure it is disruptive to learning but, come on, it's only one day! They have still had lots of Halloween fun though. We went to the 'Trunk or Treat' at Church on Saturday and this afternoon we will be going to Michael's office for trick or treating and we'll make the rounds around the neighborhood tonight too.

Here they all are in their costumes at the Trunk or Treat:

Liam is a magician. I bought the hat at Party City. I made the cape and the bow tie and painted a wooden dowel for a wand.

Sutton is a fairy. Costume purchased at Costco. This is Sutton's first time wearing make-up. She looks way too grown up!

Ez as a fireman. Costume purchased at a second hand store for a few bucks.

Gemma is a cute little cow! Another Costco costume!

I kind of loved not sewing all the costumes myself this year. It was so easy and relaxed and everybody was happy!

Happy Halloween!

five things friday: birthday pictures edition

2011-10-28T09:29:00.001-04:00

My birthday boy with his birthday breakfast still on his face- pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon and orange juice.

We took the family to a hot air balloon festival.

The plan was to take a tethered ride in a balloon but that didn't pan out. We are hoping to go again next year.

Ezra demonstrating his additional year prior to opening his presents.

CAKE! Please note the smoke coming off the candle to the left-- heart shaped-- how freaking awesome is that??

HAPPY WEEKEND, FRIENDS!

leafy treetop spot

2011-10-25T11:41:00.001-04:00

I'm guest posting today at Leafy Treetop Spot! I was lucky enough to meet Tricia when my sister-in-law, Kate, married Tricia's brother, Dustin, last July. Tricia is super nice and genuine and talented and to boot! Go check out my tutorial for a Peter Pan Collar. It's a cute and easy way to dress up a t-shirt or dress!

sewing for me: another most flattering shirt

2011-10-24T08:41:00.001-04:00

I made another "Most Flattering Top". I love green. It's such a cheerful color. I realized recently that I have a lack of green in my life; in my wardrobe, in my home. So this is my first effort to add a little green.

I did nine rows of shirring on the last top. This time I only did one row in front...

and three rows in the back.

It gives the top a little more relaxed, flow-y feel. This top would look great with a trendy belt-- I need to get one of those!

I think I am going to make one more in a Fall-ish print and add sleeves. Have you made a "Most Flattering Top (or dress)? You can find the tutorial here.

five things friday

2011-10-21T11:40:00.003-04:00

Whew. What a week. Lot's of coughing and fevers and earaches going on here. Liam and Sutton are currently both on antibiotics. We've never had multiple people on antibiotics before. While their drug use is overlapping they weren't really sick at the same time. It was one after the other. Which means two trips to the doctors office and many days of bundling up a sick kid to drive to the school to drop off/pick up the healthy kid.

I chopped off my hair. It's okay. Part of me loves it the other part feels like it's the mom version of Little Orphan Annie. Oh well, it's only hair. Plus it is way better than the alternative, which was using Michael's clippers to buzz my head. That's how frustrated I get when my hair gets too long and unmanageable.

I have to tell you about a friends new blog, A BLOG ABOUT LOVE. Mara is one of my dearest friends. She has been through a lot of trials in recent years (infertility, divorce). She (and sometimes her husband, Danny) writes about her experiences and finding strength and faith that she didn't know she had. Mara has always been a beautiful, smart, inspiring woman but her trials have changed her, she has transformed into an even more beautiful (yes, you can actually see a difference in her countenance), smart, inspiring woman. She has a peaceful confidence that I really admire. Check it out. You will be inspired too, I promise.

Today is October 21. Can you believe that I haven't even decorated for Halloween? I used to love to decorate for all the Holidays. I guess I still do, I just haven't had the time or energy. Let's just pretend that my house looks like this or this. Also, we are doing store bought costumes this year (gasp!). I end up spending about the same amount of money when I make costumes plus all the hours I spend and let's be honest don't kids always want the crappy store bought costumes? Mine do and I did when I was a kid.

Last but certainly not least, tomorrow is Ezra's third birthday! I can't believe my baby boy is three. Ezra was my easiest baby and continues to be my easiest kid. He is so easy going and is always happy (unless he is super tired). Ezra is really into sports, something that is new for our family. Liam is more artistic than athletic. Sutton is pretty athletic but isn't intrigued by sports the way Ezra is. I love how different they all are! This weekend will be spent celebrating Ezra and all the things he loves.

Have a wonderful weekend!

thrifty finds

2011-10-13T10:15:00.000-04:00

I mentioned my thrifted desk and night table a couple of weeks ago and had a lot of requests for pictures. Sorry it has taken me so long. I probably should have just waited to share once everything was in it's place but I was so excited when I bought the desk and night table that I couldn't wait to tell you all!

As with most old houses our "Master Bedroom" is pretty small- about 11"8' x 12'8". We don't have a separate office so the desk and book shelves reside in the bedroom making the room feel even smaller. It's tight but it works.

Thrifted night tables (stands? Is there a difference?). The one on the left is Michael's and is the one I bought a few weeks ago for $18. The table on the right is mine. I bought it a few years ago. I don't remember how much I spent for it but I think it was $20 or less.

A close up of Michael's night table. It is not identical to mine but pretty darn close!

Here is the $35 thrifted desk. I love it! We used to have a huge IKEA desk but it wasn't used enough to justify the amount of space it took up. We gave it to my sister-in-law. She works from home and needed a big desk. This desk is the perfect size to be tucked into a corner of our bedroom and with the four drawers it actually has more storage space then the huge desk.

Above the desk I hung the family's silhouettes. They are in desperate need of an update though. We have a whole other person in our family now!

When I bought the desk it came with two butterfly knobs. Definitely not my style!

I found some awesome MCM knobs on eBay but was not willing to pay $25/knob. I bought these egg shaped antique bronze knobs at Lowe's for $2.70/knob. I think they look perfect with the desk.

I haven't been thrifting in a couple of weeks. I am itching to go to day but Liam, my oldest, is home sick. So help me live vicariously through you! What amazing thrifted items have you found recently?

five things friday

2011-10-07T09:09:00.000-04:00

I am currently having a love affair with shrimp. I've never been a big fan of shrimp (probably has something to do with the shrimp I saw at my aunts house once- a sink full of whole shrimp. Tails, shells, eyes. It was all there and it was gross.) but suddenly I love it and can't get enough. Last weekend we added shrimp to quinoa and black beans. It. Was. So. Good.

With the return of fall my obsession of all things pumpkin is back. So far we have had pumpkin pancakes and pumpkin bars. I think I will make the pumpkin bars again this weekend for a family dinner I am hosting.

Last night Sutton and I went on a date to see Disney Princesses On Ice. Oh man, she was in heaven. She loved every second of the show. Her eyes were glued to the ice the entire time but at one point she leaned over to me and said "You're awesome Mom." Awwww.

not a great picture- she was so excited she could stand still- but i love her real smile

I have made the switch to cloth diapers. I know, I am like eight years too late but the old adage, 'better late then never' certainly applies, right? I have always felt guilty about using disposable diapers. I am certain that having three kids in diapers for three years each plus Gemma's eight months of life has produced enough disposable diapers to fill one entire landfill. My neighbor uses cloth diapers so I got so see it in action and it didn't seem as intimidating as I had thought. After that realization I couldn't squash the guilty anymore and decided to give it a go. I ordered Flip diapers. They fit both Ezra and Gemma which is very convenient (hopefully Ez will exchange them for underwear soon!). Today is only our second day. So far, so good!

Today I am going to IKEA with a friend. I don't have anything that I have to buy which is more dangerous than going into that store with a long list! Here's hoping that I can be prudent and not buy everything that catches my eye!

Have a fabulous weekend!!

onesie dress embellishments

2011-10-03T14:08:00.000-04:00

These aren't super detailed instructions but hopefully with the pictures and text it will provide you with some ideas to dress up your onesie dresses!

I used elastic thread in the bobbin on most of these embellishments. It may not be necessary since the back part of the onesie will have stretch enough to fit over you little one's head but I used it just to be safe. Using elastic thread does result in a gather but I have found that unless you have several rows of stitches with elastic thread (shirring) the gathering is minimal and unnoticeable.

tuxedo ruffles

This embellishment has raw edges and is suitable only for knit fabric. Cut five 1" strips. 1- 8" long, 2- 6" long, 2- 5 long". Ruffle the strips with a gathering stitch.

With the ruffles hanging over the neckline (onesie and ruffles right side together), center and pin the 8" ruffle on neckline. Pin the 6" strips on either side of the 8" strip. Pin the 5" strips next to the 6" strips. Sew the ruffles to the onesie just underneath the binded top edge of the onesie. I know that is worded weird... does it make sense at all? (The reason I sew the ruffles to the onesie this way is to make a cleaner ruffle that lays flatter on the dress.)

Flip the ruffles down. Pin. Sew down the center of each ruffle over your gathering stitch. Remove the gathering stitch.

gathered neckline

Cut a strip of fabric- 2.5" x 16. Make a fabric tube by sew your strip together lengthwise, wrong sides together (the raw seam will be hidden later). Center the seam on the back and iron.

Gather your fabric tube by sewing (with a gathering or basting stitch) down each side 2/16" from the edge.

Fold the shoulder flaps of the onesie back. Center and pin the gathered fabric tube just beneath the binded neckline of the onesie. Sew with a regular straight stitch using elastic thread in the bobbin. Remover the gathering stitch.

little bow

Cut a strip of fabric 1"x7" on the bias. Fold and iron the raw edges to the center- wrong sides together.

Fold the shoulder flaps of the onesie back. Center and pin the strip just beneath the binded neckline of the onesie. Sew with a regular straight stitch using elastic thread in the bobbin.

Make a fabric tube by cutting a 2"x12" strip of fabric. Fold in half lengthwise, right sides together. Sew with a 1/2" seam allowance, leaving the ends open. Turn your fabric tube right side out. This can be tricky with such a narrow tube- try this magic tube turning trick. (Yarn works well too!) Iron your fabric tube and tie into a pretty bow. Trim the ends. Stitch close and parallel to the raw edges to minimize fraying. To further discourage fraying use a little fray check on the ends. From the back hand stitch the bow to the neckline. These stitches also prevent the bow from untying.

ruffle neckline

This embellishment has raw edges and is suitable only for knit fabric. Cut a strip of fabric 1.75"x15". Gather one long edge. Fold the shoulder flaps of the onesie back. Pin the ruffle with the gathering line matching up with the binded neckline of the onesie, right sides together.

Stitch just beneath the banded neckline of the onesie. (I used elastic thread in the bobbin on this one too)

Remove the gathering stitch. Trim the excess fabric. Fold the ruffle down and topstitch.

I embellished these onesies a while back. No instructions, but they are both pretty self explanatory and would be adorable with or without an attached skirt!

Any of the embellishments would also work for a toddler, little girls or even a woman's shirt.

Happy embellishing!!

five things friday

2011-09-23T11:06:00.011-04:00

It's been a long time since I have found any furniture while trifting, the last item was my killer sideboard, but earlier this week I got lucky again! A mid-century modern desk, $35 and a mid century modern night stand, $18. I have been searching for a desk for years and had given up hope of ever finding one so I was way stoked!

I am so excited for the return of TV. My favorite shows are Parenthood, The Middle, Modern Family, and How I Met Your Mother. I have/had high hopes for a few new shows; The New Girl, Up All Night, Suburgatory, Once Upon A Time. I have seen the first episodes of The New Girl and Up All Night and they were... meh. I didn't even finish the New Girl pilot but Up All Night did make me laugh a few times. Are you a TV watcher? What is your favorite show?

Gemma is eight months old! She is crawling now and has two teeth. Gone are the bows secured with corn syrup her hair is just barely long enough for a little clip. Adorable but... why must they grow so fast?!?

Now that Gemma is older she is only nursing three times a day and she's eating lots of solid food. I decided it's time to start eating quinoa again (I had to give it up because it made her very gassy and therefore very fussy). I have so missed it and can't wait to try out the many recipes I have had bookmarked for ages.

I discovered that I have been tying my shoes wrong my entire life. Thanks Mom. Haha, kidding! About blaming my mom that is. I really have been tying my shoes wrong. Maybe you have too? Watch this video on TED to find out!

HAPPY WEEKEND!!

tutorial: onesie dress

2011-09-22T14:06:00.000-04:00

Onesie Dress Tutorial

The first time I made a onesie dress for Gemma I was so excited. It was adorable! But then I tried to put it on her. I could barely get it over her head- so disappointing. Once the skirt is sewn on with a regular stitch the onesie loses the ability to stretch. I brainstormed and it finally dawned on me... elastic thread! I have used it on so many times as a waistband, I was surprised it didn't occur to me before. Check it out:

Lots of room so you won't have to wrestle the dress over your little ones head and certainly more comfortable and forgiving on those big chubby baby bellies! :)

All you need is a onesie and a piece fabric- 42" x 8.5". For the tutorial I used a jersey knit but cotton works great too.

Sew the short ends of your fabric together to make a large tube. If you are using cotton, at this point you need to hem the bottom and finish the top edge with a serger if you have one. If you don't have a serger you can zigzag the edge or trim the edge with pinking shears.

Gather the top edge of the skirt.

Mark the waistline on the onesie. Mine is 7" down from the collar but you'll probably want to measure your daughter.

Arrange the gathers to fit around the onesie, lining up the edge with the waistline. Pin.
Hand wind elastic thread on to your bobbin. I stretch mine slightly as I go. Sew with a straight stitch all the way around the skirt.

That's it! Easy, right?

I'll talk about embellishing the onesie dresses in another post. Hopefully next week but, you know me, it'll probably take six months. Haha!

five things friday

2011-09-16T17:28:00.004-04:00

In an effort to share more of me on this blog I am copying my SIL and countless others in doing a weekly "five things friday" post. Here goes!

Fall has hit Charlotte suddenly. Yesterday was in the mid-80's today's high was 61. The sky is overcast and the air feels crisp and clean. Finally time to break out the cardigans! Welcome Fall!

.....

I am baking sugared pecans to top a salad that I am taking to a friends for dinner tonight. Thanks to the cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg it smells like Fall inside my house too!

.....

I have officially started my Christmas shopping. I bought vintage fashion plates off eBay. I had a set as a girl and LOVED it. Let's hope Sutton does too. I also bought a few stocking stuffers (books, flash cards, journals) at the dollar spot at Target. Everything I got was 70% off. Thirty cents a piece. Score!

.....

Tomorrow morning we are going apple picking. This is one of my favorite things to do with my family, I look forward to it all year!

.....

I am in a sewing/creative slump. I have so many projects in the works but just don't feel the motivation to work on any of them. Do you ever have the crafting blues? How do break out of it??

.....

Do you do 'five things friday'? Leave a link or your five things in the comments, I'd love to know what your up to too!

Happy Weekending!

thrifty finds

2011-09-15T09:31:00.008-04:00

I knew it had been a while since I had shared my thrifted treasures but I didn't realize it was over nine months ago! I guess it makes sense though, I have been in a thrifting dry spell. With a new baby in January and a long summer with four kids at home there just hasn't been time to thrift. Now that the two big kids are back in school I have had a little bit more freedom.

I found three pieces of milk glass to add to my collection. $2 for this cute footed hobnail dish.

A week or so later I found this ruffle edge hobnail dish at an antique store in Asheville, NC for $9. That's much more than I would normally spend but I really wanted it, so I splurged! I think I will put on top of my dresser to hold my little earrings that are always getting lost in my jewelery box.

At the same antique store I found another bubble bowl. I had to buy it! $6, not bad for antique store prices.

The silver basket set me back $1.50 (marked down from $3) not as impressive as Melissa's silver baskets at $0.75 each, but still a good deal.

The triple strand green necklace was $5.

I fell in love with this filigree tissue box holder. It reminds me of my grandma, she had lots of filigree items in her bedroom. I think I may spray paint it. It's been ages since I have spray painted anything. I paid $5- another antique store purchase.

This green necklace was a better deal at $3, plus I think it's even cuter.

I never find doilies at the thrift stores. I found a pile of them at an antique store so I bought every single one they had. Not sure what I will do with them yet, there are so many cute doily projects out there. $4.75.

$37.25 total. That is a lot more than I normally spend thrifting (darn those antique stores!) but I don't have buyers remorse about any of the items so I guess they were worth it! What about you? Any amazing thrifting finds lately?

quick quiche recipe

2011-09-06T22:26:00.003-04:00

After a long hot and humid summer where I avoided turning on the oven today's gray drizzly day made me want to cook a proper dinner.

I settled on a quiche with roasted Parmesan potatoes and asparagus. Liam literally had to choke down the food while plugging his nose (and that was only accomplished with a promise of five peanut m&m's if he ate it all) but everybody else loved it.

This quiche doesn't have a crust. I love quiche with crust (it's super yummy!) but omitting the crust saves on calories and time while still being delicious! The recipe is very flexible. You can add whatever vegetable/meat combination strikes your fancy.

quick quiche
4 oz light cream cheese, softened
8 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cooked bacon
1 cup frozen broccoli, chopped (thawed and squeeze out excess moisture)*
10 oz frozen spinach, chopped (thawed and squeeze out excess moisture)*
5 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 1/2 cups cheese of your choice (I like cheddar or swiss)

blend cream cheese, eggs and milk together well (there will still be some chunks of cream cheese) stir in remaining ingredients. pout into two greased quiche or pie pans. bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes.

*I usually use fresh broccoli and spinach. precook, squeeze out moisture and chop.

I used this recipe from Real Simple for the roasted potatoes. I have been making it since the recipe first appeared in Real Simple in 2006. It's one of my favorites. The asparagus was simply tossed with a little olive oil and salt and pepper and roasted in the oven for 20 minutes.

dressed up onesies

2011-08-23T13:40:00.000-04:00

I've been making lots of onesie dresses and tie applique onesies as gifts.

The tie applique onesies couldn't be easier! I made these for a friends new nephew.

I used Char's perfectly sized tie applique pattern + tutorial.

The dresses are easy to make and fun to embellish.

These dresses (plus a few more that are identical to the ones hanging on the line) are for friends that have recently had little girls. I am keeping a couple for my little girl though!

When I sat down to make these dresses I tried to reference my tutorial for sizing only realize I never finished it and posted it. Oopsie. I am so behind in blogging. Hopefully I will get caught up soon!

this monthly picture thing is starting to get difficult...

2011-08-16T11:28:00.000-04:00

Gemma is six days shy of seven months and after several attempts I still don't have a decent six month picture of her.

Do you have a secret trick to keep an active baby still? Do tell, please!

birthday totes

2011-08-12T15:43:00.000-04:00

Each year I have one item that I make for my sisters and sisters-in-law birthdays (though I admit that I have missed a birthday or two. Sorry sisters!) This year the gift is tote bags! You can find the tutorial here if you want to make your own.

Two of my sisters-in-law celebrate their birthdays this month. Jen's birthday was the 4th. I made her a yellow chevron with brown trim tote bag. I love the yellow chevron! I got it at Hancock for 50% off. The trim is a brown linen I've had for years and the lining is a white canvas. Jen recently moved to Asheville, NC and I am missing her lots!

Today is Jessica's birthday. (Happy birthday Jessica!!) She is pretty amazing- she has four children, teaches preschool, and is finishing up her masters degree. She is a superwoman!

I made Jess' tote bag in brown linen from my stash. The trim and lining fabric is Flea Market Fancy Sprout by Deniyse Schmidt, one of my favorites, which sadly, is no longer available. I made a dress for Sutton years ago (pre blog days) and after making this bag I only have scraps.

HAPPY WEEKEND!

sewing for me: the most flattering shirt

2011-08-09T17:45:00.001-04:00

I haven't sewn clothing for myself in a long while. When I first learned to sew that was all I made. I miss sewing for myself. I also miss having clothes to wear... I am still carrying an extra 20 lbs from my last pregnancy (not to mention the enormous boobs that go along with breast feeding!) so not many of my regular clothes fit. I am sure the weight would come of faster if I exercised with any sort of regularity but in my limited "me time" sewing usually wins out. Maybe someday I will be better at balancing all the things I want to do.

I made this top from the Most Flattering Shirt Dress tutorial at Prudent Baby. I obviously made it a shirt length rather than a dress. It was a quick top to make and I think I will probably make at least one more and probably a dress once I am no longer nursing Gemma. I got the fabric from Wal-mart- $3.47/yard. I really liked the blue and white medallion type print and the price can't be beat! It is soft and light- a necessity in the brutal summer heat!

lake house pictures

2011-08-04T23:07:00.000-04:00

Our three days at the lake were so fun! I married into such a great family. We all get along so well and enjoy each others company. It's a rarity, I think.

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from the lake.

Gemma

Ezra and Aunt Jess

My beautiful niece Eliza

the gorgeous house we rented

Niece Eliza and nephew Garrett in the canoe

Nephew Noah and Sutton fishing on the dock

My Father-in-law, Mike, Sr and Michael

Sunset

And my most favorite picture from the lake maybe even ever. Sutton and her Uncle Andy- both sporting what we call The Crazy Eye. Sutton has been making us laugh for years with The Crazy Eye but we just realized that Andy shares the same... talent.

Can't wait until our next Lake Trip!

fruit and barley salad

2011-08-02T13:30:00.001-04:00

I love, love, love this recipe! It is so yummy and healthy. I got it from my friend Meredith's vegetarian cooking blog, VegetriaNation. As usual, I have tweaked it a bit for my tastes. I also scaled down the recipe because the original recipe made a TON which is good for a crowd but not so good since my kids refuse to eat it. That's okay, more for me!

fruit and barley salad

3/4 cups pearl barley
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons lime juice, fresh or bottled (I use whatever I happen have on hand)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 medium peach or nectarine, cut into ½ -inch pieces
2 small tomatoes, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Heat 1 1/2 cups water to boiling over high heat. Add barley and 1/2 teaspoon salt; heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 35-45 minutes or until barley is tender and liquid is absorbed (barley will have a creamy consistency).

In large bowl mix lime juice, olive oil, sugar, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoons salt.

Rinse barley with running cold water; drain well. Add barley, peaches, tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro to lime dressing; stir gently to coat. Makes 4-6 servings.

a skirt refashion that is a sort of fail

2011-07-27T08:32:00.002-04:00

I totally forgot to take a before picture but the skirt was the same style as the skirt I refashioned a few weeks ago.

I made it pretty much the same way as the last dress... I took in the skirt until it fit Sutton's body. Using the excess material I made the straps and ruffled sleeves.

Again with the wrinkles. You probably think I don't own an iron. I do, I'm just lazy.

I used the contrasting material from the bottom of the skirt to make a pleated ruffle between the straps.

I used more contrasting material on the back because I am sort of a prude when it comes to modesty, especially when it comes to my children. Only, I think it looks a little weird and doesn't cover that much. I may just take it off.

But that isn't the worst part. Look closer. Notice how the ruffled sleeves are totally uneven? Crappy workmanship right there.

The sash was part of the original skirt. All in all, it's not so bad. Just don't look too close!

Luckily Sutton isn't as nit-picky as I am!

hello again!

2011-07-21T13:04:00.000-04:00

I kind of disappeared there for a bit, didn't I? It wasn't intentional, there was just so much going on with the wedding (which went off without a hitch, by the way!). After the wedding we took off for a few days at the lake. We rented a beautiful house on an inlet with a private dock and beach area. It was just what we needed to unwind after the stress of the reception!

I'll post pictures of the wedding + reception and the lake soon but for now check out these animated GIFS I put together. They're so fun!

My brother-in-law Andy (we affectionately call him "Hobo"because of the hair and beard, he's a rockstar):

My brother-in-law Jon (the General Contractor):

My sister-in-law Laura (check out those calf muscles- yowza!):

Next time I will definitely bring my tripod so the background doesn't move. They are even more fun in reverse:

Check out Liz's Animated GIF How To to make your own!

this and that

2011-07-07T18:38:00.000-04:00

July really snuck up on me. I didn't even decorate for the Fourth of July holiday! I had really wanted to make this banner from A Bit of Sunshine. I got the paint chip cards from the store but then got busy with other projects. Next year, I guess.

We spent most of the holiday weekend in Asheville, NC with my brother-in-law Jon and sister-in-law Jen who will soon be Ashevilles newest residents. Asheville is a fun little city and we are excited to be able to visit often!

Jon + Jen's cute new home

Liam and Sutton playing in the fountain at Pack Square.

Ezra and Gemma passed out in the strollers. Look at their little red cheeks. It was a hot day!

Several weeks ago The Long Thread hosted a knock-off series called handMAYde is better. As someone who is not a stranger to knock-offs I was a little surprised at the backlash her series caused. I have thought about this subject a lot since reading Ellen's opinion and her readers comments. My opinion is that it's fine to copy or be inspired by others work (independent artists or big companies) as long as you are clear in stating the source of your inspiration and you are not selling the knock-off. It is never okay to copy someones work and claim it as your own design whether or not you would be making money off the item.

I am bringing this up because last night Michael had me watch a series called "Everything is a Remix". The author claims that there are no truly original ideas. All ideas are an improvement or a combination of others ideas/creations. It's a fascinating argument and I am inclined to agree with him. Watch it, it will make you think!

My husbands younger sister, Kate is getting married next week. So much to do so little time. Last night I made a bunch of pinwheels. Tonight I am making a sash for the bride. Busy, busy!

I hope you are having a great week!

i can!

2011-06-30T15:57:00.005-04:00

I have always wanted to can but have been too intimated by the process and all the equipment needed.

Last week a very generous friend offered me a bunch of pickling cucumbers from her parents enormous garden and the use of her family's canning equipment. I figured I would never get a better opportunity than that!

I followed a simple recipe but added a couple of red pepper flakes and black peppercorns to each jar. I ended up with 11 quarts of pickles.

The same generous friend gave me several pounds of blackberries to make blackberry jam.

I followed the recipe she gave me but strained the seeds cause I hate getting seeds stuck in my teeth! So I guess that makes it blackberry jelly.

The jelly was SO good on biscuits the next day!

I had so much fun canning. It wasn't hard at all. I shouldn't have been scared of it. Someday when I don't have a forest for a backyard I will be able to have a garden and I will can all that we reap. Can't wait!

Thanks Nellie for being so thoughtful and generous!

refashion: ladies skirt to girls dress

2011-06-27T17:36:00.003-04:00

I haven't done a refashion in a long time!

Please pardon the wrinkles! I didn't realize how bad it was until I downloaded the photos.

I found this skirt at Salvation Army for $1.50. I knew immediately that I wanted to make it into a dress for Sutton.

Black clothes are hard to come by for kids, especially little girls. Which is unfortunate because I really love black on little girls, it feels unexpected. The other day I was shopping at a kids consignment store and a woman that was perusing the racks next to me asked, "Do parents of girls ever tire of pink?" Uh, YES! I am not opposed to pink but I like variety and thankfully so does Sutton.

Utilizing the finished top of the skirt and the hem, I took in one side seam and used the leftover fabric to make straps and cap sleeves.

I really love the gathering detail at the waist.

I left the original waistline intact but after I finished I realized that I would have to cut the underarm for comfort. It was a last minute adjustment on a Saturday night but it came out okay.

I need to get back into doing refashions. They are quick and simple projects. I love the instant gratification!

They make Sutton pretty happy too!

spinach and mushroom lasagna

2011-06-22T16:15:00.000-04:00

Michael requested this dinner for Father's Day and I am glad he did! It had been a while since I had made it and it's one of my favorites. I modified a lasagna recipe from allrecipes.com to my tastes, basically increasing the mushrooms, quadrupling the spinach (I super-duper love spinach!), decreasing the amount of cheese and substituting no boil noodles. I seriously love no boil noodles, they make making lasagna a breeze!

spinach lasagna
12 no boil lasagna noodles
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped baby bella mushrooms
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
10 ounces (8-9 packed cups) fresh spinach
3 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 egg
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
3 cups tomato pasta sauce
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook mushrooms, onions, and garlic in olive oil until onions are tender. Drain excess liquid and cool. Boil spinach for 5 minutes. Drain, then squeeze out excess liquid. Chop spinach.
4. Combine ricotta cheese, Romano cheese, spinach, salt, oregano, basil, pepper, and egg in a bowl. Add cooled mushroom mixture. Blend together. Spread 1 cup sauce on bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish. Lay four lasagna noodles on top of sauce. Spread one third of the cheese/spinach mixture over noodles. Sprinkle 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese on top. Spread 1 cup spaghetti sauce over cheese. Repeat layering 2 times. Top with remaining mozzarella cheese and the parmesan cheese.
5. Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven for 1 hour. Cool 30+ minutes before serving.

tote bag giveaway winner

2011-06-20T09:35:00.002-04:00

The winner of the tote bag and zippered pouch is...

#35- lsdaniels1221@gmail.com

Congratulations! I've sent you an email. Thank you to all who entered, we'll do another giveaway soon!

simple tote bag tutorial

2011-06-15T08:49:00.007-04:00

Don't forget to enter the tote + pouch giveaway- it ends Friday!

I needed to sew another tote bag so I could write up a tutorial. It was the perfect excuse to make a tote for myself, it's been a long time since I have sewn something just for me! I added a sweet little 'W' monogram.

I will probably use the bag primarily for trips to the library, although I did use it for a solo trip to the fabric store last night. I put my cellphone, keys and wallet in the front pockets and my purchases in the main part. It was great not having to carry my big purse/diaper bag and a separate shopping bag.

I used a lighter weight canvas for the body of the bag. The bag is fully lined with a 100% cotton print- Carnaby Street by Robert Kaufman. I bought it years ago at a quilting store that was going out of business.

This tutorial is very flexible. Make the bag wider, bigger, smaller. Make the boxed bottom wider or don't box it at all, leave it flat.

I hope my directions make sense. It's hard to gauge because it, of course, makes sense to me. I could ask my husband but that would be the equivilant of him asking me to code a website. So, if anything doesn't make sense, please ask. I am happy to clarify or help in anyway. As always, if you make a tote send me pictures. I love seeing your projects. In fact, I have been considering jumping on the bandwagon and starting a Flickr group for projects created by you with my tutorials...

On with the tutorial:

Cut out:
main bag pieces- two 18"x18"
lining pieces- two 18"x18"
front pocket piece- 18"x9.5"
contrasting trim- two 18"x4"
contrasting pocket trim- 18"x3"
1" cotton webbing- two 61" lengths

Fold and press the pocket trim piece in half, open it up and fold & press each side to the center crease. Sandwich the pocket piece between the layers. Stitch close to the edge.

Fold and press the bottom edge of each trim piece 1/2". Place the trim piece on top of the front main piece, matching up the raw edges. Stitch near the bottom folded edge of the trim piece. Repeat for the other main piece.

For a tote with three front pockets, layer the strap piece over the pocket on top of the front main piece. Sew down each side of the strap from the bottom of the trim piece to the bottom of the bag- do not sew on the trim piece.

The strap should be 5" in from each edge.

For a tote with just two front pockets (perfectly sized to fit bulky board books), sew the strap directly to the front main piece. Repeat for the back main piece. Again, don't sew the strap to the trim at the top.

Then sew the pocket piece on top of the straps, one stitch down the center of the pocket.

With right sides together, sew around the perimeter of the bag leaving the top open. Before you sew make sure your front and back trim pieces line up, your finished bag will look much better if you do.

To box the bottom of the bag, take one bottom corner and pinch together so the side seam and the bottom seam are lined up. Measure in two inches from the corner (the corner of the seam, not the raw edges), mark and sew. Cut excess. Repeat for the other corner. Turn right side out and press.

Sew the front and back lining pieces together leaving the top open and a 6" opening at the bottom. Box the bottom.

With right sides together, put the lining inside the bag, matching side seams and raw edges. Make sure the straps are tucked in side the tote. Pin and sew.

Using the 6" opening in the lining turn the tote right side out. Press and top stitch around the top of the tote.

Now sew the strap to the trim at the top of the bag. Start where your stitch ended previously and sew + backstitch 2-3 times and the top to reinforce the seam. Continue to the point where your stitch previously ended on the other side of the strap.

Stitch the 6" opening in the lining closed.

Done and done!

pvc sprinkler!

2011-06-13T09:18:00.004-04:00

School is out and it is officially HOT here in North Carolina!

I have been seeing DIY PVC sprinklers all over the internet lately. They are all awesome and I knew I (okay, Michael) had to make one. We decided to go with the "Kidwash 2".

The plans call for landscaping misters which cut back on water waste. As much as we plan on using the kidwash this summer a little water conservation would be a good thing.

It was a HUGE hit!

Michael even got in on the action! I ran through it a couple of times too and it was seriously refreshing!

The cost was very low, about $14, and it took Michael about 30 minutes to put it together.

What are your plans to bet the summer heat?

tote bag giveaway!

2011-06-08T09:00:00.003-04:00

***this giveaway is closed***

Who wants a tote bag?

It's constructed of sturdy gray canvas and white cotton webbing straps.

Fully lined with a cheery lime, light blue and lavender floral print by Brother Sister Design Studio by Hobby Lobby.

Along with the tote the winner will get a zippered pouch with stitched yarn embellishment.

The pouch is lined with the same floral print and has a little interior pocket.

Throw your name in the proverbial hat by commenting on this post! Be sure to include your email address if you don't have one linked to your blogger account. Giveaway ends Friday, June 17th at midnight EST. Winner will be announced the following Monday. Good luck!

zoe's dollhouse

2011-06-03T20:58:00.006-04:00

A couple of days ago I got an email from Kate of South Africa. She and her husband, Alan, used my doll house plans to make a doll house for their daughter Zoe. Their doll house is so rad- I just had to share it with you!

The flooring, carpeting and window boxes are all extras left over from her house renovation. I love that they added casters to the house. Such a great idea! Alan put lights in – the switches are at the back of the house. He even added speakers that an iPod can plug into (you can see the speakers next to the fireplace in the living room).

Ack! Curtains. Love it! Kate says, "The curtain rails I made from wire hangers and then drilled a tiny hole and pushed them into the walls."

Kate's dad built all the furniture. Amazing!

Kate knitted the living room rug with two wooden kebab sticks!! The fireplace is fantastic. I wanted to do one in Sutton's house but wasn't sure how to do it. Kate used tile (same as in the bathroom) as the fireplace surround. She then printed a picture of fire and hand painted over the picture to give it more life.

Kate said, "Zoe did announce to Dad that he had a problem as there was no ways to get upstairs, at which stage the elevator was added." Sutton made that same argument about her doll house not having stairs or an elevator. I told her to use her imagination. Kate and Alan are so much cooler than me!

Kate used contact adhesive for wall paper.

More handmade furniture.

Cool portraits on the wall.

Another great set of curtains!

I think Sutton's doll house will be needing a renovation in the future- lights, a fireplace, curtains, casters and maybe even an elevator!

Thank you Kate for sharing your darling doll house with us!

'tote'-ally!

2011-06-01T08:33:00.001-04:00

I made a few tote bags recently (similar to these ones I made last year as teachers gifts). All the crafting/sewing blogs I read come up with cute names for the shirts/dresses/bags/whathaveyou that they make. I wracked my brain for days and came up with... nothing. Hence the lame post title, "'tote'-ally". I would never make it in the advertising world!

I used dark gray canvas for the body of each bag and white cotton webbing for the straps. For the trim and lining on the first bag I used a Dwell Studio pillow case (still in it's original package) I found at Salvation Army.

The black and white polka dot fabric is Huevos by Michael Miller.

The floral fabric is by Brother Sister Design Studio available at Hobby Lobby.

The straps are sewn onto the outside of the tote which creates three exterior pockets. The inside has no dividers, just one large tote with a boxed bottom. Perfect for the library, a trip to the park or even the store.

Let's just pretend the webbing matches perfectly at the bottom, shall we?

The first tote is for my youngest sister, a belated birthday present. She is a new mom and you can never have enough bags when you have a newborn, right? It always amazes me how much stuff you have to cart around for someone so little!

The second tote is for Liam's end of year teacher gift to his 2nd grade teacher.

The third tote is for one of you! I am finally making good on my promise to have occasional giveaways. Check back later in the week (or maybe Monday. You know I'm a lazy blogger, right?) for the official giveaway. There will be another cute little item to go along with the tote!

gemma's hair bow

2011-05-26T08:23:00.007-04:00

I have had several inquires about Gemma's hair bows seen here, here and here. They are so easy I almost feel silly doing a how-to but your wish is my command! :)

You need: narrow ribbon; I use 1/8" wide, scissors, a tooth pick and corn syrup.

Cut a length of ribbon about 8". Make two loops. Now tie them together. (You know, the bunny runs around the tree and into the hole...). Adjust the loops and tails until it looks even. Clip the tails.

Dip a toothpick into the corn syrup. With the toothpick smear a drop or two of the corn syrup onto the back of the bow and stick it on your baby girls head. Gemma's bows usually stay stuck to her head until I give her a bath. Once one stayed on for three days because I was lazy and didn't bathe her!

look who's four months!

2011-05-24T13:52:00.002-04:00

Gemma is four months old! Yesterday she rolled over from her back to her front for the first time. I excitedly called Michael to tell him about this milestone and he says, "Oh yeah, she did that yesterday." What?!? Since he was kind enough to not wake me from my Sunday afternoon nap to tell me the news I let it slide. :)

I am not sure how it has been for you but in my experience, I took a million (or more) pictures of my first born, Liam. With each child, the amount of pictures I have taken has dwindled. In an effort to document Gemma's infancy (and to combat her eventual argument that I don't love her as much as the other kids) I have been taking monthly photos of Gemma inspired by famille summerbelle.

Today Gemma has a fever and isn't feeling great but she still manages to smile. As long as I am holding her, that is! I have several things I want to post about but they will have to wait until my little one is feeling better.

matchy matchy

2011-05-10T16:25:00.001-04:00

I have a little confession: I have always thought dressing your kids in matching outfits was a bit lame but now that I have two girls, the urge to put them in matching clothes has hit me unexpectedly. Sutton loves the idea and Gemma can't voice her opinion so there is nothing to stop me!

I made Sutton's top with the pattern I made up for the polka dot dress. I had wanted the top to be a little longer but I was working with fabric I salvaged from a failed skirt I attempted a few years ago. I made the top as long as I could and to save length didn't hem the bottom. I love having that option with jersey knit!

In place of the hook and eye on the polka dot dress I did a big yellow flower button and elastic cord.

Gemma's outfit is a simple onesie dress with a ruffle at the neck. I have seen many tutorials for onesie dresses and had even made a few as gifts. I made one for Gemma about a month ago and was so happy with how it turned out until I tried to put it on her- where the skirt was sewn to the onesie the onesie no longer stretched. It was almost impossible to get the dress over her head and onto her body and once I did get it onto her the seam dug into Gemma's chubby belly. After a little brainstorming, I figured out a way to make a onesie dress that fit! I'll make up my own onesie dress tutorial soon.

I love these girls! They are beautiful and so much fun to dress!!

embellished scissors

2011-05-05T12:31:00.004-04:00

I got this idea from the always talented Char at Crap I've Made. I think embellished scissors make a perfect teacher appreciation gift. Practical + useful, original and inexpensive all in one cute little package!

The scissors are very simple to make. Cut out and glue paper to the outside of the blades. Sand the edges to get excess paper off. Apply Dimensional Magic, let dry. Easy!

I had never heard of Mod Podge Dimensional Magic before but I love the stuff now! It has a really nice thick, super glossy finish. It was really easy to use too.

Unlike Char, I don't have a Silhouette and my printer recently kicked the bucket. I had to go with the super low tech scissors and pen to make the tags. Not the cutest but it works.

I had Sutton write her name on the tags. I love her preschool handwriting. Especially the backwards S. I tried to be a good parent and show her (again) which way the S should face but secretly, I think the reversal is sweet!

polkadot ruffle dress tutorial

2011-05-02T08:51:00.000-04:00

This is the tutorial I put together for Knock-off week at Craftiness is not Optional.

I have had this mini Boden dress hanging on my inspiration board for awhile. My four year old daughter Sutton loves to wear dresses. She also loves to play. No tea parties for her, she loves playing outside with her brothers. She needs dresses that are comfortable and durable.

While $40 isn't a huge amount of money it's more than I would spend on a little girls dress especially one could easily make myself. I knew this dress would be easy to make since it is basically two pieces, front and back, with some ruffles and shirring. I bought 1-1/2 yards of 58" wide jersey which cost $6.99/yard at Hobby Lobby. With a 40% off coupon the total was about $7. Plus, I had almost a half a yard left over. I had all the other supplies on hand.

In this dress Sutton can run and jump and dance and explore and look adorable while doing it!

Supplies
-Approximately 1 yard (more or less depending on your size) of jersey knit.
-Thread
-Elastic thread
-Rotary cutter and straight edge (not required but very helpful)
-Water soluble fabric marking pen

1. Make your pattern. Choose a dress that has a loose, flow-y fit and no sleeves (or tuck the sleeves inside like I did). Turn the dress inside out and fold in half. Lay on pattern paper and trace around dress adding a little extra for seam allowance, about a 1/2" or 5/8", whatever you are comfortable with. You can see that I added about 1-1/2"-2" extension to the shoulder for the sleeves and some width and length. Fold the dress in half the other way and repeat the above instructions to make the back pattern piece.

You could trace your dress directly onto the fabric but I prefer to make a paper pattern, it makes sewing the next dress a snap! I already have another one in the works that is tunic length to wear with leggings.

2. Cut out your pattern pieces and lay them on your fabric with the straight sides on the fold. Pin and cut.

3. Cut a 2-1/2" slit in the center back neckline. It's easy to find the center when the fabric is still folded in half.

4. Jersey can be intimidating to sew with, but it's really quite easy! Use the right needle, a ball point 9 or 11, and the right stitch, a slanted zigzag (I am sure that's not the technical term for the stitch but that's what I call it!). The slanted zigzag stitch allows the fabric to still stretch which means the seams will not break when the garment is being put on or taken off.

Sew your two pieces together, right sides facing, at the shoulder and the side.

5. Cut some bias strips. Fold one selvage end to the adjacent side, cut on the fold. Using a rotary cutter and a straightedge, cut 1-1/2" strips parallel to the previously cut folded edge. You will need one strip 24" long and two strips 12" long for the neck and sleeve binding. You will also need three strips for the ruffles; 22", 20" and 18".

6. Slightly gather the neckline.

7a. Using a regular straight stitch sew the 24" strip to the neckline, right sides facing.

7b. Over lap the ends about a 1/2". Cut off excess strip.

8a. Press the seams towards the strip and fold the strip over the seams, press again. (Pin if needed)

8b. With the right side up sew close to the seam. Cut off excess strip on the inside.

9. Mark the waistline. I put the dress on my daughter and measured from the center neckline to where her natural waist is. Her measurement was 7" (the blue mark). With a straight edge mark across the dress on the front and back (purple mark).

10a. With elastic thread in the bobbin, sew all the way around the dress on your mark. I have found backstitching with elastic thread often jams my machine. To avoid that I just sew over the starting point by one to two inches.

10b. Using your presser foot and the previous stitch as a guide, sew multiple rows of shirring. I did five. Make sure you smooth out the gathers from the previous stitches but not so much that you stretch the fabric. Now you are done with the elastic thread.

Note: There are lots of opinions on how to do shirring. This is what works best for me:
-Slightly stretch the elastic while you hand wind it onto the bobbin.
-Set the tension slightly higher (7 on my machine which is usually set around 5)
-Don't backstitch.
-Always, always test the shirring on a scrap piece. My drop in bobbin machine will often not catch the elastic in the bobbin correctly on the first try. Then there is lots of unpicking and fabric damage.

11. Gather the remaining strips. Use the longest stitch and turn the tension all the way up and the fabric comes out perfectly gathered, no pulling threads!

12. Pin the ruffles to the bodice. I ended up only using two. I felt that three was overwhelming for this size dress (5T). Using a regular stitch and regular tension, sew the ruffles to the dress.

13. Attention to detail- using a seam ripper remove the gathering stitch. The top ruffle's gathering stitch was picked out and the bottom ruffle wasn't. See how much cleaner the top ruffle is?

14. Hem the dress and add a hook and eye to the top of the slit on the back neckline and you're done!!

Thanks Jess for having me here at Craftiness is not Optional! It's been an honor to be part of your knock-off series!

easter dresses

2011-04-26T13:52:00.004-04:00

Two years ago I made Sutton an Easter dress and the boys, including Michael, matching ties. My outfit coordinated too. Honestly, I think my husband was a little embarrassed but I thought it was fun even if a little over the top.

I can't remember if I made any Easter clothes last year. If I did, I didn't blog about it.

I had planned to make matching Easter dresses for Sutton and Gemma but I wasn't going to makes ties again. Too much effort, too little time.

I made a dress for Sutton but it didn't turn out as I wanted so I grabbed a partly finished dress I started a while ago and finished that. The dress was inspired by Katiedid's dresses that she made for her girls a few years ago. (Side note: Anyone else wish Katie was still blogging??)

Sutton was pretty pleased with the dress, as you can see. Although she doesn't love the dress as much as she loves to pose. :)

And no, she didn't wear those boots to Church!

After the failure of Sutton's first dress, I didn't even attempt to make one for Gemma. Which worked out well because one of my friends gave Gemma this adorable dress. I love the yellow and navy together. Plus is has stripes and polka dots! Love.

This isn't a great picture of the dress. Gemma hasn't figured out how to pose just yet. Ha, ha.

Here's the whole crew. We don't match. Heck, we don't even coordinate but I don't care. I have been thinking about my priorities a lot lately and I have come to a realization that I put too much effort into unimportant things. So I am trying to change that.

Those five people in the picture are where my focus needs to be. Do you ever struggle with your priorities? How do you find a balance?

Hmm... this post really took a different direction than I planned. :)

I hope you all had a great Easter!!

yarn pillow

2011-04-21T16:04:00.004-04:00

I had purchased several skeins of yarn to make yarn eggs but then I realized that Easter is only a few days away. I'm too late to decorate this year! I didn't want all that pretty yarn to sit unused for a whole year so I picked a few spring-y colors...

Cut them slightly longer than the top piece of my pillow...

Sewed over each end and the center to anchor the yarn...

Then stitched back and forth many times with coordinating thread. Trimmed the yarn...

Sewed the back pieces to the front. Turned it right side out and popped in a pillow. Easy peasy!

I'm loving the texture!

the sincerest form of flattery

2011-04-19T09:09:00.001-04:00

One of my favorite blogs, Craftiness is not Optional along with KoJo Designs is hosting a knock-off week called 'the sincerest form of flattery'. There have been some amazing knock-offs so far and today my version of a mini-boden dress is being featured! Go check it out here.

the dress again. this time with Gemma in it.

2011-04-18T17:52:00.000-04:00

Gemma looked adorable on her blessing day in the dress I made. You'll have to take my word for it though because I didn't get a single picture of her on her blessing day. She had a blow out half way through Church. Poop all over her dress. Ugh!

Thankfully, it didn't stain! All last week I meant to put the dress on her and take pictures but it was a crazy week. Not only were we busy with school and projects and errands and life but Gemma has had a cold and I have a sinus infection and ear infection. We've been a barrel of fun over here, people.

The stars finally aligned today and I was able to get a few good shots of Gemma in her dress.

This week will be better than the last, I am sure of it! Mainly because it's spring break and I plan on sleeping in every morning. :)

just in time

2011-04-09T22:41:00.006-04:00

Gemma is being blessed tomorrow morning. I just finished the dress a few minutes ago. Nothing like waiting until the last minute, right?

I prefer simple, non-frilly blessing dresses. I used a basic pattern for the dress but the addition the lace and the pintucks on the bodice are my design. The pintucked fabric I used for the skirt was a remnant I picked up a year or two ago for a few dollars. I haven't used it before now because I didn't have much yardage. I am glad I finally found a use for it!

sprucing up the master bath, part two

2011-04-08T12:14:00.010-04:00

If you remember last fall I posted about sprucing up the master bath. This is what it looked like after the sprucing:

I did not expect there to be a part two but my General Contractor brother-in-law Jon wanted to get some practice at making concrete counter tops and asked if he could do one for our bathroom. Um, YES, please!

Jon also made concrete counter tops in his master bathroom (his master bathroom is way nicer than mine. I'm a little jealous!). Side note: Jon and Jen are selling their house so if you are local check it out. It's a lovely house.

The new after:

The crappy white counter top with the built in backsplash is gone and a lovely light gray concrete counter top with a glass tile backsplash is in.

I got lucky and found the glass tiles on clearance at Lowes. I spent only $10!! I did the tiling and grouting. It was my first experience with tiling and I am pretty proud of my work! :)

this and that

2011-04-01T08:42:00.009-04:00

It's April Fools day but I don't have any tricks for you. I saw this one last year that almost made me pee my pants. A year later it still makes me giggle! Check it out here.

Our trip to Portland was so fun (more on that later)! Thank you for all your suggestions! I was surprised that so many Portlanders (or former Portlanders) read my little blog.

No school for my kids today. I am so excited to have a long weekend with them to make up for the time we were away last weekend. We don't leave the kids often and whenever we do I am always surprised by how much I miss them. Since there is no school, we will be going to the library and out for lunch. Hopefully the weather will clear up so we can go to the park too.

Once your newborn starts sleeping through the night never say "We're doing great, she is even sleeping through the night!". Even as the words came out of my mouth I thought to myself, I shouldn't say this, I'll jinx it. And jinx it I did!

I am sure by now you have heard of Pinterest, right? In case you haven't, it is a virtual pin board. It's light years better than using your browsers bookmarks. I even had my bookmarks organized into separate folders but it was still almost impossible to find something among the thousands of bookmarks. I have been pinning for a few months now and I love it! Follow my pins here.

For dinner tonight I am attempting a Jamie Oliver recipe, Chicken in Milk. Honestly it sounds kinda gross but it comes highly recommended. I am intrigued.

Gemma is ten weeks tomorrow! I think we might finally be blessing her next Sunday. I really need to get started on her blessing dress!

Also this weekend we get to watch General Conference. It's just what I need right now. I only wish we were having the beautiful weather we enjoyed last year!

Friday night is our weekly Family Movie Night. I think I will make these brownies and we will watch either our new favorite, "Tangled" or an old classic, "Star Wars: The Emperor Strikes Back".

I am dying to make these yarn eggs. Mini eggs would look awesome as a garland! Inspired by this party. The whole party is amazing actually. I may copy it detail for detail when Sutton turns ~~six~~ five this summer! (I can't believe I forgot how old my daughter is! I'm kinda tired.)

HAPPY WEEKENDING!

portland(ia)

2011-03-21T22:12:00.002-04:00

Michael and I (and little Gemma too) are headed to Portland, OR soon. Neither of us have never been anywhere in the Pacific Northwest. We are really excited to see what it is like and visit our friends there. Are any of you from the Portland area? Do you have any must-see suggestions? I already have a few things on my list; the tulip festival ,the japanese garden and a cute vintage shop.

To familiarize myself with Portland culture I have been re-watching my favorite Portlandia clips. :)

chore chart

2011-03-16T09:18:00.002-04:00

I blogged about our chore charts last year. I found the chart at the now defunct ModEcoKids.com. Back in December, I updated my original post with a note offering to email the chart to anyone interested. I have had so many requests for the document I decided to save myself some time and make it available for download. The document must be opened in Adobe Acrobat to type the name and chores. It is edit only though- you can't save the names and chores you type on the document.

download here

Tip: on the left side of the screen under google docs there are two tabs: FILE and VIEW. Click on file and then select "download original". It will then download to your computer and should open in reader automatically (if you have adobe reader already installed on your computer).

To reiterate: I am not the creator of this chore chart. The chart has worked really well for us so I want to share it. I am offering it here because it is no longer available anywhere else.

thanks for your feedback!

2011-03-15T09:23:00.002-04:00

I appreciate all of you who took the time to leave your thoughts and opinions about giveaways. You gave me much to think about. I have decided that I will continue to stay away from sponsored giveaways. I don't want my blog to be a business. I realize that may seem ironic given that there are ads over there on the right. The point of that is to sustain my crafting habit! What (little) money is made I am saving up for a big ticket item (except for this months check. it is going here). My goal? A new sewing machine! Plus it's kind of fun "earning" money again. It's been almost eight years since I had a paying job.

I started this blog a little over two years ago. I certainly never expected anyone to read it and I really think I would have gotten bored and given up blogging if it weren't for all of you. You guys make it fun! I love the awesome people I have met and developed friendships with. I love the inspiration I glean and hope that I am able to inspire you too.

Though I won't be doing sponsored giveaways I do want to do occasional giveaways of items I have made myself especially for you. You guys make blogging fun and I want to thank you for reading my blog. I don't know how often I'll do the giveaways, maybe twice a year, maybe once a quarter. It will be a surprise! Don't worry though they will be simple and painless; no liking, tweeting or any other shenanigans!

honest opinions needed

2011-03-11T11:34:00.006-05:00

From time to time I have been approached about giveaways. I have always said no. I have only hosted one giveaway and it consisted of items I had made. I guess I have mixed feelings about giveaways. They seem fun but there are so many. Do you ever click on one of your favorite blogs and think "another giveaway?" I do. Maybe it's just because I never win, in fact I rarely even enter giveaways anymore.

I am now considering giveaways because some the items I have been asked to giveaway are cool, they are items that I would love to have. So while I would not receive the item also (or any compensation) one of you would. That would be fun for me. Like they say, giving is better than receiving!

So what do you think? Do you like giveaways? Hate 'em? Would you guys like to see some giveaways here at Sutton Grace?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and opinions. I appreciate it.

I wish you all a lovely weekend, friends. I am not sure what our plans are but I know it will involve lots of snuggling with my little Gemma Bean who turns seven weeks (!) tomorrow.

braided

2011-03-09T10:26:00.005-05:00

One of my goals last year was to learn how to french braid. I didn't accomplish it in 2010 but I have now. Better late than never!

My mom showed me some braiding tips when she was here and I have been practicing since. My braiding is far from perfect but I'm working on it. Next, I want to figure out how to do a crown braid. I loved wearing my hair in a crown braid when I was little. This is me in preschool with a crown braid. I sure wish my hair had stayed that color!!

It is (surprisingly) easier to braid my own hair than to braid Sutton's. She hates the process but she loves the result.

Here I did a braid on either side of her head. She called it a braid headband. I love not having hair hanging in her face.

Sutton especially loved this next one. Two french braids clipped together. I made the yellow rosette clip a couple of months ago. Too bad Sutton lost it in the backyard five minutes after we took this picture. :)

While we are on the subject of hair, today I am sporting the "three twisted buns" look I have seen popping up all over the blog world, seen first at cup of jo. My curls add to the messy look but it sure is comfortable to have the hair off my neck and a fun change from my usual ponytail.

It's very fitting I am posting about braids on a Wednesday. I just found a flickr group called braid wednesday- lots of great inspiration there! I think I should join to make sure I keep up on my new skill! Who's with me?

week of quinoa: the wrap up

2011-02-26T17:40:00.000-05:00

I had to end the week of quinoa a little earlier than planned. The quinoa was making everyone a little gassy. Which, actually, isn't a problem all that much. We eat a lot of beans and broccoli and other gassy legumes & vegetables. The problem is that I am breast feeding and the gassiness was starting to affect Gemma. I am sad since I loved everything I had made so far and still had many recipes that I wanted to try. I will wait and try again in a few months. In the meantime, here are all the recipes I had on my list to make- there is way more than a weeks worth! Some are from you, dear readers, a few are from my mom and others I found online.

oven chimichangas (use quinoa in place of the brown rice)
chicken with quinoa and veggies
zucchini with quinoa stuffing
quiona stuffed peppers
sweet potato and lentil packets (serve with quinoa)
creamy quinoa primavera
italian broccoli and quinoa pilaf
quinoa pudding
walnut rosemary quinoa
quinoa with apricots and pecans
toasted quinoa salad with scallops and snow peas (I would substitute shrimp for the scallops)
warm quinoa salad with toasted almonds

So, go cook and eat some delicious and healthy quinoa! If there is a recipe that you particularly enjoy please let me know.

week of quinoa: quinoa burgers

2011-02-24T22:08:00.002-05:00

Recipe for quinoa burgers can be found here.

I realized as I was typing the post that I messed these burgers up a little. The recipe says to "pulse mushrooms in a food processor until finely chopped" I totally missed this step and left the mushrooms in small chunks. I think that is why my burgers were a little crumby. They still tasted great though!

I would definitely make these again. They require a little more work than just making patties out of ground beef but they are yummy and much healthier! I wouldn't serve them to the kids again though, they hated it. Liam was the only one that eat any and that was only after he picked out all the visible pieces of mushroom.

Served with the best ever oven fries. Recipe here.

week of quinoa: turkey and quinoa meatloaf

2011-02-23T22:20:00.002-05:00

turkey and quinoa meatloaf
1/4 cup quinoa
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 large clove garlic, chopped
1 (10 ounce) package ground turkey
1 (10 ounce) package ground pork
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon barbecue sauce
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon water

Bring the quinoa and water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender, and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute; remove from heat to cool.

Stir the turkey, pork, cooked quinoa, onions, tomato paste, barbecue, hot sauce, 2 tablespoons Worcestershire, egg, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. The mixture will be very moist. Shape into a loaf on a foil lined baking sheet. Combine the brown sugar, 2 teaspoons Worcestershire, and 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl. Rub the paste over the top of the meatloaf.

Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center, about 50 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C). Let the meatloaf cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

I am not usually a meatloaf fan... even the name, meat loaf, grosses me out but I wanted to try a quinoa recipe that was completely different than the last two. It was definitely different and I really really liked it. The meatloaf had great flavor and texture. Michael, who is also not a meatloaf lover, pronounced it "phenomenal" but is was a HUGE fail with the kids. They all hated it. I think Liam ate a couple of bites but the other two ate none.

I found the recipe here and made just a few modifications.

week of quinoa: quinoa and black beans

2011-02-22T20:55:00.007-05:00

You guys are the best! I can't wait to try all these great recipes you've suggested!

quinoa and black beans

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves minced garlic
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin

dash of cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 avocado, peeled, seeded and diced
1 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 small chicken breasts, grilled and diced. I seasoned the chicken with a little garlic powder, cumin and S&P.
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Heat the oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and saute until lightly browned add quinoa and brown slightly. Add broth and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes. Stir frozen corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Stir in the tomatoes, avocado, black beans, chicken and cilantro.

My husband and I loved this recipe! It was filling without being heavy and it tasted great. It actually reminded us of eating a burrito bowl from Chipotle. The kids weren't excited about it but once they had picked out the ingredients they refuse to eat (tomato and avocado for Liam, black beans and tomatoes for Sutton) they ate everything on their plates.

This is a one pot meal, which I love. It was also quick to make. I served it as the main dish so there wasn't much leftover. Next time I will double it so the husband and I can eat it for lunch the day after.

I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com (but is really similar to recipes Erin Jackson and Courtnay mentioned in the comments section of the quinoa post) but I made a few changes. Mainly adding tomatoes, avocado and chicken. With the beans and the quinoa the chicken is not needed to make a full meal but like the quinoa and orzo from yesterday I was trying to ease the kids into this new food. Next time I think I will leave the chicken out to make a vegetarian meal.

week of quinoa: speckled quinoa and orzo

2011-02-21T21:09:00.002-05:00

speckled quinoa and orzo
1/3 cup olive oil
3/4 cup quinoa
1 1/4 cups orzo
2 small cloves garlic, minced
10 sun-dried tomatoes, packed in olive oil finely chopped
3 cups chicken broth
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into fine dice
1/4 cup chiffonade of basil

Heat olive oil in a medium size saucepan. Add quinoa and orzo and cook, stirring constantly, until quinoa turns golden, about 1 minute. Add the garlic and sun-dried tomatoes and continue to saute for 20 seconds until you smell their aroma. Add chicken broth, bring to simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 12 minutes or until barely done. There should be a little liquid that has been absorbed by the grains and pasta and which will help the cheese turn creamy. Season to taste with salt and pepper, stir in basil and remove from heat.

I purposely chose this recipe for our first time eating quinoa. I thought having the little pieces of pasta would help hide the quinoa since I didn't know how the kids would react to it. When I saw the finished dish, I honestly expected the kids to refuse to eat it but they surprised me and happily ate all that was on their plate. We ate this as a side dish (I served it with grilled chicken and peas) so there was lots left over and I look forward to eating it as lunch tomorrow.

Recipe found here.

a week of quinoa

2011-02-20T20:04:00.005-05:00

I heard of quinoa (keen-wah) several years ago but I had never had an opportunity to try it. I noticed recently that Costco started carrying a four pound bag of organic quinoa for $10 so I finally decided to take the quinoa plunge!

I have been told repeatedly how versatile quinoa is so I thought it would be fun to prove (or disprove?) that by using a different quinoa recipe for dinner every night for a whole week. I will post the recipes and our opinion of them daily.

In case you haven't heard much about quinoa here is some info from my package of Earthly Choice Organic Quinoa.

Quinoa is a highly nutritious seed, originally from the Andean region of South America. It delivers all of the nutritional benefits of animal protein without the fat and calories. The grain has a lovely nutty flavor that is richer in flavor than couscous and it cooks quickly in roughly 15 minutes.

Quinoa contains all 8 amino acids, the protein building blocks that our bodies can’t make but must get from our food. Quinoa has on average 13 % protein compared to rice at 9%. Quinoa is an excellent source of fiber, containing both soluble and non-soluble fiber. It is high in a wide variety of vitamins and minerals, like iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus. It is also gluten free.

My children can sometimes be picky eaters, especially Sutton. I am hoping that they will love (or at least tolerate) quinoa.

What about you? Have you tried quinoa? Did you love it? Hate it? Do you have a favorite quinoa recipe? Do share!

homemade dishwasher detergent: the results

2011-02-16T09:37:00.003-05:00

Way back in November I posted about making and using homemade dishwasher detergent. I promised I would share the results with you and I am finally making good on that promise!

I should mention that I have a very basic dishwasher, no bells or whistles and it is probably a good 10 years old or more. I rarely do more than rinse dishes before loading them in the dishwasher and when I do scrub it's usually only casserole dishes or the crockpot- you know, baked on stuff.

The first few loads of dishes turned out perfect, clean and spot free. After that I noticed that particles of food were stuck to the plates and bowls. I decided to make sure to scrub the all dishes before loading them in the dishwasher. I figured it would be worth the extra time and effort to save money and and be gentler to the environment. The scrubbing took care of the food on the dishes but then I noticed that plastic items were greasy and glasses were foggy at the end of the wash cycle. I doubled the amount of soap and added white vinegar but nothing got the dishes clean enough.

Long story short, the homemade stuff sucked and I am back to using the electrasol tabs. You can't win them all, right?

15 days

2011-02-06T10:03:00.003-05:00

Thank you all for your congratulations and kind words! It means so much to me. Thank you.

We have successfully made it through the first two weeks of Gemma's life! There have been a couple really difficult nights but the good nights are outweighing the bad.

I couldn't have survived if it weren't for my sweet husband, he is my rock. When I am an exhausted, sobbing, hormonal mess he can talk me down off the edge. Also my saintly mother. Maybe saintly is exaggerating but every time I have a baby she comes and stays with us for two weeks. She takes care of the other kids, makes food, cleans the house, does laundry, basically everything. Pretty saintly, right?

Gemma is doing really well. She is absolutely precious and we are all smitten with her. Liam loves to hold her and does a good job of making Gemma feel comfortable, she doesn't cry at all when he holds her. Sutton is so excited to have a sister to "play Barbies with". Ezra is always wanting to hold, hug and kiss Gemma. He isn't jealous of her at all, in fact he shares his beloved "kiki's" (blankets) with her.

About Gemma's name: Michael and I both really liked the name Gemma, in fact it was the only name that we could both agree on. It is pronounced with a soft G (like George), phonetically "Jem-mah". It, of course, means gem or precious stone.

Gemma's middle name is in honor of my maternal grandmother. When I was little my sisters and I referred to Grandma Hazel as the "mean grandma". Hazel had 9 children and almost 40 grandchildren. She was old and tired and often in pain and therefor somewhat grumpy and impatient with noisy grandchildren running through her house.

As I got older (10-12 years old) I spent more one on one time with my grandmother and really got to know her. She wasn't mean, she was actually a very fun and loving woman. I loved spending time with her. She taught me how to play chinese checkers. We would spend hours playing that game. When I surprised her with a really good move she would say, "Dammit Hazel, your as blind as a bat." That always made me laugh.

She died in 1992 but I still think of her and the time I spent in her home. I was very excited about giving my daughter her name. The really amazing part is that Grandma Hazel's birthday was January 22nd (I had forgotten this until my mom reminded me a couple of days before Gemma's birth) so Gemma and her namesake actually share a birthday. I couldn't have planned it better!

I am taking it easy, trying to enjoy this time with a newborn. It is so very fleeting. Posting will be light for a few months but I will be back! Promise!

she's arrived!

2011-01-24T23:20:00.007-05:00

Gemma Hazel
January 22, 2011, 9:38 am
8 lbs 4 oz, 20 inches

valentines 2011

2011-01-21T14:57:00.001-05:00

We are ready for Valentines Day!

A lot of the same decorations from last year.

I made the "LOVE" banner February '09 but I still really... wait for it... love it!

Same with the puffy heart garland (which I just realized is totally crooked. Ez keeps pulling on it. I'm lucky he hasn't broken it!) The wreath is new this year. As are the apothecary jars holding m&m's (don't expect those to hang around long!) and decorative red balls.

Also new are these cute hearts. Idea from Martha. I thought they would be a fun project with the kids... not so much. There are lots of steps, many of which they can't help with. They got bored quickly and disappeared upstairs to play.

But the kids are quite taken with the finished product.

Honestly, so am I! They look so pretty in the sunshine.

Happy {early} VALENTINES DAY to you!

labor crafts

2011-01-20T15:06:00.006-05:00

My baby is currently seven days late. Which I guess is normal for me. My first came on time but then I had to be induced with #2 and #3. I am trying to be patient and give my body time to go into labor on it's own. I prefer natural childbirth and dislike being induced. That being said, I can only be patient for so long! I have an induction set up for the 26th.

On Monday night I got the idea that if I made something for the baby that she would be motivated to come out. Silly, I know. I decided to try the swaddle blanket from Prudent Baby. I cut it out Monday night and Tuesday morning contractions started! The contractions continued all day and were mostly mild so I was able to finish the swaddler as seen here modeled by Sutton's bear, "Star". After 14 hours the contractions faded away. I have never experienced false labor before (btw, I take offense at the term "false labor" nothing about that day felt false!) and I was very frustrated. I may have cried. A lot.
A word about the swaddler tutorial: I am really happy with how it turned out (well, as happy as I can be not being able to actually try it on a baby) but the tutorial lacked specific measurements which I found very frustrating. I also had to modify it a little bit since my fabric had a directional print and I didn't want the cute little trees to be cut on the diagonal. I was able to able to figure it out and even created a pattern so I can easily make more. If I like how the swaddler works I will definitely make one or two more for myself and several as baby gifts and I'll post the pattern for all of you.

In between all my useless contractions I also wrapped another thrifted wreath form. This time with white cotton yarn for Valentines Day.

I made two different sized fabric yo-yos (my first ever yo-yo project!) from scraps that had red and pink as the dominant color. A narrow red ribbon twisting up one side finished it off.

Hopefully tomorrow I will share the rest of the Valentine's Day decorations. I've got to distract myself somehow, right?

DIY tufted headboard

2011-01-11T21:42:00.001-05:00

This a 'sort of' tutorial because I forgot to take pictures of a few steps. It's pretty straightforward though.

I have wanted an upholstered headboard for ages but lacked motivation to make one. With nighttime feedings right around the corner I decided now was the time.

This was our bed before (on a different wall) we've had it for several years. The bed is from IKEA. I didn't hate it but the headboard was so low it wasn't comfortable to lean against and made nursing a baby pretty awkward.

In theory the hidden nightstands are cool but the casters under the nightstands are so small they don't roll on carpet. You have to have wood floors for them to function properly. Had we known this we wouldn't have purchased the bed since our bedroom is carpeted. I don't like the look of the nightstands being out so we just ended up not using them at all- a lot of wasted space.

We considered selling the bed and buying a simple bed frame and supplies to make an upholstered headboard but in the end we decided to just use what we had. We flipped the flat surface of headboard onto the existing headboard. The pieces were the exact same length and width so it worked perfectly.

After securing the pieces together I drilled holes for the button tufts using a 1/2" drill bit. Being that the bed was from IKEA and made from something that isn't actual wood, it was incredibly easy to drill the holes.

Here is the back view:

Here is where I got sloppy and forgot to take pictures.

Using spray adhesive I glued a 1" thick foam (24" wide) piece of foam to the front of the new headboard. I then covered the foam with batting wrapping it around the sides and top and stapling it in place with a manual staple gun.

After this point I was stuck. I couldn't find the fabric I had envisioned for the headboard. I couldn't even find anything out of my price range. It was disappointing. One afternoon Michael and I were wandering around Target and he happened to come across a shower curtain on clearance for $5.98. It was barely large enough to cover the headboard but it worked! I wanted something with a little more texture but this was the exact color that I wanted so we went with it.

I wrapped the fabric around the headboard and stapled on the back side starting the the center top and bottom and sides. Continue stapling the fabric pulling taut but not so taut that it puckers or indents the foam and batting.

For the corners I just folded and tucked until it looked right and stapled.

The tufts were a little challenging to get perfectly level and evenly spaced. This is what worked for us. Keeping it level with floor, poke an awl through the hole (from the back) until it is just pushing against the fabric on the front. Put a straight pin right where the awl is. Remove awl. Repeat for all the holes. Using a measuring tape measure the pins for even spacing. Adjust as needed. It may seem like a lot of steps but if the buttons are even slightly off it's very obvious!

Make your buttons. I used 1 1/2" size.

With embroidery floss (cause that's what I had on hand) threaded through a long needle I pushed the needle through the hole making sure it came out in almost the exact spot where the straight pin was. String the needle through the button and then back through the hole (very close to the entry point of the needle) pulling taut. Staple the strings to the back of the headboard a couple of times then pull in the opposite direction and staple a couple of times for extra security.

Repeat.

I am really happy with the results! It is so comfortable to sit against (which is what I am doing as I type this!).

Cost break down:
Foam & batting $20 (purchased during a 40% off sale at Hancock Fabrics )
Fabric $6
Buttons $10

We already had the spray adhesive, staples and embroidery floss.

Total: $36.

Hello 2011!

2011-01-04T16:29:00.002-05:00

Now that the house has been de-Christmased and everything is clean and uncluttered, I am ready to face the new year!

If you have been around for awhile you will remember that last year I made a long list of resolutions that coincided with my 31st birthday. I actually managed to accomplish one or two but getting pregnant really messed up my goals (lose weight? ha. hahahahaha.). Not that the pregnancy was unplanned, I think I just forgot how pregnancy can usurp everything else going on in life.

Anyhow, last night for Family Home Evening we discussed our family and individual goals for 2011. I decided to go easy on myself this year. My resolutions are:

1- have a baby
2- survive being a mother of four.

They're no fail resolutions! This baby will come out (at some point) and I have no choice in surviving... I will because life goes on!

All kidding aside, I didn't want to set unrealistic goals or have too high of expectations for myself. I do, however, want to do more than survive. I want to live and enjoy this time in my life and continue to learn and grow.

At Church last Sunday the congregation sang the hymn "More Holiness Give Me". This is a hymn I have sung many many times in my life but seemed to really come alive to me on Sunday. I have decided to use this song as my inspiration this year. My moto or theme, if you will.

More holiness give me, more strivings within.
More patience in suffering, more sorrow for sin.
More faith in my Savior, more sense of His care.
More joy in His service, more purpose in prayer.

More gratitude give me, more trust in the Lord.
More pride in His glory, more hope in His word.
More tears for His sorrows, more pain at His grief.
More meekness in trial, more praise for relief.

More purity give me, more strength to o’er-come,
More freedom from earth-stains, more longing for home.
More fit for the kingdom, more uses would I be,
More blessed and holy, more, Savior, like Thee.

I hope that if I can keep these words in my heart and mind that by the end of 2011 I will be closer to being the kind of wife, mother, friend, sister, and daughter that I long to be. To be honest though, some days it may include me gritting my teeth and muttering "More Holiness Give Me" à la George Costanza's "Serenity Now!" :)

So there you have it, my "goals" for 2011. Are you going easier on yourself too or do you have a list of resolutions a mile long?

p.s.- I have this CD and it has a beautiful version of "More Holiness Give Me". You can take a listen here.

christmas morning

2011-01-03T14:05:00.001-05:00

I know Christmas is over and everyone is currently talking New Years resolutions but I couldn't finish up the year without sharing Sutton's reaction to the doll house. Especially because it wasn't exactly what I had been expecting.

This is what our house looked like Christmas morning. The doll house is obviously for Sutton. The basket ball hoop is Ezra's, he is our little athlete and has LOVED the hoop so far. It looks like we don't love Liam, our oldest, since there is no large, non wrapped present for him but he is only interested in Legos and Star Wars and Star Wars Legos so all of his presents were under the tree. :)

Sutton came down the stairs, tossed the "babies" she was carrying for her brother and walked to the doll house. She said, with complete nonchalance, "It's a doll house. I like it."

This from the girl that when her Dad announced yesterday we would be eating pancakes for lunch, her eyes grew huge and she squealed. I definitely expected her to show more excitement but she played with it all that day and in every spare moment since so I think it is safe to say she loves it. It is actually being loved and enjoyed by all the kids. Liam and Ezra try to play with her but Sutton isn't super keen on that though because Ezra tears everything apart and Liam gives the barbies swirlies in the pretend toilet.

Sutton is now the proud owner of eight Barbies (she had one, she received six hand-me-downs and a brand-new Barbie from my sister). She plays with all of them at the same time. It's like a sorority house for princesses!

mod doll house plans

2011-01-01T22:34:00.004-05:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope that you all have enjoyed a safe and happy Holiday season!

I finally finished the template for the doll house. I didn't think it would take so long but we have been spending every spare minute with family! Not that I am complaining, we've had lots of fun. I even had a couple of hours of good contractions today. Maybe this little one will arrive a little early. That would be a first for me!

A few tips:
1- I bought a 4'x8' piece of 1/2" plywood and was barely unable to get all the pieces cut from that one piece of plywood. Luckily, we happened to have a scrap piece of MDF on hand and didn't need to buy more wood but if you make a dollhouse from this template you will need more than one piece of plywood if you don't have some scraps hanging around.

2- Michael cut all the pieces with a jig saw but a table saw would work well too.

3- The top edge of the side wall (D) needs to be mitered slightly to match the slope of the back wall (A).

4- The back wall (A), side wall (D) and the front wall (E) are all secured to the top of the base piece (B).
5- To assemble the house we used 1" finishing nails and a hammer. It is much easier if you have someone to help you with this part. Michael and I laid the base piece top down and pounded nails into the wood (about 1/4" from the back edge, side wall edge and front wall edge) just until the nails were barely visible on the top side of the base piece.

With the pieces on their sides, I lined up the back wall (A) with the base (B) where the barely visible nails were while Michael hammered the nails down. We continued with each wall piece. Measure and mark where the 2nd floor piece (C) will go and again hammer the nails into the wood until barely visible, hold the 2nd floor (C) into place and completely hammer the nails down. The roof pieces (H & I) were last were done in the same manner. Lastly we installed the interior walls (G & F).

6- Our cuts weren't perfect. Once the house was put together there were lots of gaps at the roof line. The house was secure but it didn't look pretty. I used caulk (make sure it is paintable!!) to fill in the gaps knowing it would never be noticed once the house was painted and wallpapered.
7- We eye-balled the window placement once the house was all put together. The windows are about 9"x6.25" except, of course, for the triangular window which is as wide as the other windows but only a few inches high and the long edge of the window matching the angle of the roof. The windows were cut out with a jig saw.

Cost break down:
furniture- eBay $15
vintage kitchen- eBay $29
bath fixtures- eBay $17
plywood $20
paint- sample from Lowes $3
carpet- sample from carpet store $2
linoleum- Home Depot $3
faux tile bathroom floor- Hobby Lobby $3.5
scrapbook paper for wallpaper- Michaels and Hobby Lobby $7
wood beds- unfinished wood pieces from Hobby Lobby $8
mod podge (with coupon)- Hobby Lobby $4
Krylon plastic spray paint $9
flowers for flower boxes- Walmart $3
1x2 wood for flower boxes $2

Total $125.50

Quick links to the other dollhouse posts:
part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4

If you make a dollhouse for your little one I would love to see it!

white christmas!

2010-12-26T21:49:00.001-05:00

We got snow for Christmas! Well, most of it came Christmas night and the morning of the 26th but I am counting it as a white Christmas.

The kids has lots of fun playing outside and sledding down the steep hill in the front yard. Luckily Michael was home and played with them outside while I stayed cozy and warm in the house making oatmeal and hot cocoa! :)

I hope you all had a special day yesterday spent with the ones you love! Merry Christmas!

making a doll house - part 4

2010-12-23T14:38:00.009-05:00

It's done! And with a whole day to spare! I am actually glad I didn't finish it weeks ago now I won't have to wait long to see Sutton's reaction when she sees the dollhouse for the first time. It's all she has asked for for Christmas.

I have been working on it in my bedroom but Sutton started getting suspicious so Michael (who is a much better liar than I am) came up with a cover story. He told her I was making a bird sanctuary for Aunt Jen. I could tell that she totally bought it because she was so disappointed that what I was working on wasn't for her! Normally, I don't lie to my kids but Christmas presents are an exception!

Anyhow, I am really happy with the finished doll house. Check it out:

I added window boxes.

I bought a piece of 1"x2" wood for $1.68 and cut it down to size with a 50 degree angle on the ends. Then I drilled holes for the flowers. The flowers were $3. Then I used Gorilla Glue to attach the boxes to the house.

I mod podged a picture of windows to the middle bedroom. It really helps to distract from the shoddy wallpapering job. :)

I made the bed from unfinished wood pieces from Hobby Lobby and then painted it white. I made the bedding using scraps of fabric from my stash.

The yellow bedroom got an identical bed and some scrap bedding too.

I love how the flowers are visible from the inside.

I also made a few throw pillows for the couches and chair.

I mod podged another window above the sink. Now Barbie has something nice to look at while she washes dishes. P.S.- I wish my backyard looked like that picture!!

Done and done!

I can't wait for Christmas morning. I swear, I haven't been this excited about a Christmas since I was a girl. Having kids makes giving Christmas presents so fun!

After Christmas I will do a Part 5 post with the "blueprint" of the house for any of you that would like to make your own. I will also do a cost break down.

Sutton's preschool teacher gave us some hand-me-down Barbies which I totally appreciate but they are all naked. I had intended to make a bunch of clothes like Jess did but I have run out of time. I am too cheap to pay store prices (not to mention how slutty most Barbie clothes are) so we will have lots of in 'the buff' Barbie playing at our house! :)

making a doll house - part 3

2010-12-21T17:17:00.006-05:00

Part 3 is my favorite so far! Furniture and fixtures.

This is the kitchen. It is vintage 1960's. It's called "Barbie Deluxe Reading Kitchen". I love anything vintage but this style kitchen is special to me. My mom had this set when she was a girl and when my sisters and I were little she would take it out of the box and let us look at it and play with all the little pieces. I loved this kitchen and it left an impression on me. So when I decided to build Sutton a doll house I knew I wanted it to have a kitchen just like my mom's.

Unfortunately, they are quite the collectors item now and complete (and in good condition) sets can be very expensive. I was able to get a non-complete set that is a little broken for a great price on eBay. I am okay with it not being complete and some of the upper cabinets broken off. I figure my kids will inevitably break it anyway!

I hot glued the kitchen pieces to the back wall of the house. Hopefully they will last a little longer if they stay in the house!

The table and chairs are not original to the set. They were orange when I got them and I used Krylon's plastic spray paint. It was the first time I had ever used it and it covered like a dream!

I forgot to take a before picture but this is one of the listing pictures from the eBay auction. You can see one orange chair.

Using the plastic spray paint again I painted one of the couches and lounge chair purple and the other couch white.

The painted furniture in the house.

If there is one thing in the house that is over the top and unnecessary it would be the bathroom. I just couldn't resist, it's too cute!

(keep it clean Barbie! this is a family friendly blog!)

The toilet cracks me up! I hot glued the bathroom fixtures to the floor/walls like I did the kitchen. The rest of the furniture can be moved around.

Part 4: 'the finishing details' coming soon!

easy christmas shirts

2010-12-17T09:47:00.003-05:00

My kids love having holiday themed shirts. In fact, I was able to get Liam out of bed today, with a smile on his face, by reminding him that he gets to wear his Rudolph shirt to school (he takes after his mom and is NOT a morning person!).

I like to keep the shirts simple, white T's with a one graphic image, for two reasons: I like the way it looks and they are EASY.

Liam requested Rudolph. I did a google image search and found a cute silhouette and made a freezer paper stencil. I didn't feel the need to do a tutorial. This idea has been popular for a while but in case you have never tried it need a tut you can find a good one here.

Liam's shirt is a little small. Rather than buying a new white shirt I decided to use his Mime shirt from Halloween not realizing he had grown so much in less than two months! Oops! Too late now.

Michael was the inspiration for Sutton's shirt. It was the night before her class party and I realized I had forgotten to make her a shirt. Michael suggested tying red ribbon into a bow and gluing it to Sutton's shirt. Then I remembered that I had left over fabric from the ribbon candy pillow and thought it would make a super quick and cute candy cane applique. I just stuck the (untied) ribbon under the applique and ironed and sewed the applique on like normal. Tied a bow, did a couple of stitches by hand into the knot to keep it tied and heat sealed the ends of the ribbon.

Ezra's shirt is a hand-me-down. Sutton wore it last Christmas but I actually made it for Liam when he was in preschool back in December 2007. It was probably one of the first freezer paper stencil T's I ever made. I did touch up the paint because it had faded a bit from being washed so much but it's holding up great considering.

So if you have a kid and a white T laying around whip up a Christmas shirt for him/her. It'll take a small amount of time and it will make their day, I promise!

I love this picture! Liam's belly showing, Sutton and Ez looking at each other... it's one that makes me smile and think about how much I love them. A fact that I occasionally need to be reminded of! :)

making a doll house - part 2

2010-12-16T09:35:00.003-05:00

First off, my apologies for the super crappy pictures. I took them last night and the lighting was terrible. Normally, I would wait until morning to take pictures but I knew that would be pointless since it is a dark and rainy day today.

WALLPAPER: I simply mod podged scrapbook paper to the walls.

The empty spot where the plywood is showing through is where the "kitchen" is going to be.

On top is the yellow bedroom, beneath that is the living room.

The middle upstairs room was the first room I "wallpapered" and I just slapped it on not even trying to match the pieces. It REALLY bothers me so I was much more careful with the other rooms. I am trying to not let it bother me so much that have I re-do it.

FLOORING:

I really love the black and white checkerboard kitchen floor. I cut two 12x12 pages of card stock into 2" squares and mod podged it on.

For the "wood" floor of the living room I bought three stick on linoleum tiles ($0.88/each). I didn't like the parquet look so using a box cutter, I cut along the lines to get planks.

I had to then cut a few more down to fit the room, peeled of the backing and suck 'em on.

The "bathroom" floor is a plastic faux tile floor used for miniature doll houses. I bought it during a 50% off sale at Hobby Lobby.

I made a template for the carpet by taping pieces of paper together.

Traced the template onto the back of the carpet.

Cut along the lines with the box cutter and hot glued in place. I got the carpet samples for $1 each at a local carpet store.

Part 3 coming soon!