What A Day...

Well, I decided today to work on a couple projects that I have been putting off for awhile...one because it was daunting...and well, the hype around it kinda made me a little nervous BUT now that its done I laugh at myself for waiting SO long. lol

The other project I did was something that I wanted to put together using left over scraps that I had here from old projects...wanna see what I made??................................

Alright, alright....here it is.....

Are ya ready??....

It's a collared shirt!!!

I call it his Las Vegas shirt! LOL

I have to admit I was really nervous about having to do a collar and all, but really, it wasn't hard as hard as I had worked it up to be! I took a collared shirt he already had that I wasn't crazy about, and I took it completely apart, and that was my pattern. Then I tweaked a few thing...I wanted the back of the shirt to have that western point....

So, I just cut and added that in, and I used this awesome favorite blogger of mine to help me walk back through putting it all back together, Mama Sew Crazy ! Now, I didn't follow her tutorial to the tee obviously because I was going for another style, BUT if your wanting to attempt that daunting collar shirt, you should TOTALLY check out her tutorial. It's easy to follow, and if you need a 3-6m pattern, she has it there to print right off! It was great!

And for my final project of the day....

Shabby Vintage Rag Skirt/Tutu! Super sweet, right??? It was a big hit for my 2 yr old, as you can see here..heehee! And SO easy to make!! I may write up a step by step tutorial but here is a tiny explanation.

Measure your little ones waist, cut your elastic to that measurement. Measure from the waist to where in the knee you want the skirt to fall. Cut out your fabric, lace, and tulle. Whatever it is your wanting to use on it. I have lace, tulle, and silk here. (you want your pieces 6in wide, and then take that second measurement and double it. Ex.- If the waist to knee measurement was 12in. then you need to cut your pieces to 12+12= 24in. Then I just wrapped and knotted it around the elastic, used some ribbon to lace around the top, and WA LAH! Shabby chic for my tiny tot!!! Heehee

Silly little girl! ;)

Knit Bow/ Bow Tie Tutorial

Oh! How I love this little boy!! heehee This is my little guy, Lochlin, looking all handsome sporting his new bow tie that Momma just made!!! I need to start off by saying I am NEW to this whole knitting thing. I seriously have made scarfs, dish towels, and really keep to anything that is as simple as the garter stitch. Although, I was getting bored with some of the options that there are for beginners, and I was really wanting to get some bow ties for my little guy...and after playing around... I made this, and then of course HAD to make a tutorial for all the other beginners out there! heehee Its SO simple, and let me tell you it was a hit!!! He loved it, and so did all out friends and family.... for more info head to the tutorial HERE...

Oh, oh...go ahead say it... DAWWWW...heeheehee...

Creativity Meets Chaos

My absolute love for creation, man made or the beautiful wonders we see around us each day that God has given us, never cease to amaze me or teach me many different things. Some large lessons and some small.

My most recent realization was just how often chaos and creativity really come together and more then often make some of the most beautiful designs of art.

Just take a moment and look at the world around us, there are wars, crime, and even just simple nasty rainy days and yet in those same places, moments of time, and on that dark, cold and nasty day....still beautiful things coming from them....maybe it be something as simple as a kind deed or gesture from a stranger, or something as life changing as witnessing your child's birth, or maybe meeting that one person you go on to sharing that life with. Chaos really can be something beautiful!!

This past year I have dealt with more chaos than I have in probably all the years of my life. Not really many...21 to be exact but still...in the other 20 years of my life, I have been dealt some rather crazy stuff but this year has really dealt me more than I have ever, ever happened upon. Be it serious family health issues, family drama, money short falls, or just your run of the mill crappy day...I feel as though I have lived and learned a lot this year.

In all this crazy mess...in all this collective drama, mass problems, I still had my safe place though. My one home. And I watched as each time we dealt with another, what should be, damaging blow, make my family stronger....and dare I say it...happier. Some were painful lessons, some were rather beautiful...

My strong faith and love for God, has ultimately been what always keeps me going, and here lately, it has been what has helped me find the beauty in this crazy year. It helped me find the chaos and see the beauty surrounding it. Not dwelling on that crazy, maybe destructive chaos, but changing that chaos and confusion into something ideally beautiful.

After seeing, it all in this perspective it has really made my year feel...well, rather great! And on that note, has made me decide that I want to face this upcoming year with the same outlook. I feel as though I even want to incorporate it into my upcoming designs, style, and fashion. Reading this makes me feel sorta silly, but just look at the sort of beauty that can come from a mess....

Take for example this lamp on exhibit with the "House of Sweden" It's a traveling exhibit here in the US, that highlights the work of 17 designers from Sweden. This is one of their pieces. It holds that feeling of keeping together the chaos, and yet has that structure of of beauty. OR, OR...for the fashionista...or girl after my own heart...lover of shoes...check out these...

These are Valentino Lace Stiletto's! Absolutely Gorgeous!!! Taking something beautiful and chaotic in itself...LACE, then giving it it's own twist making something so delightful. This is what I want to strive for...maybe not as extreme or whimsical, but I'm looking for my chaos. I want to face it and make it... I want to have my chaos and creativity really come together and make some of the most beautiful designs of art from it... Are you with me? What is your inspiration for the upcoming year? Have you given it thought?

Mini Weekend Projects

With the glorious three day weekend here. I tried to use it to my advantage by finally accomplishing many little projects that I had just lying around the house. Hanging picture, paint touch ups, cleaning, ect. And man, it is amazing how even the tiniest project, simplest change can make such a BIG difference! Here is an example of just one of my many MINI projects from this weekend.

I don't know if I have ever shared this before, but I am in LOVE with 60's/70's style. I buy and collect many items from these decade's and a lot of time's, depending on its condition, I will update them a bit with paint or whatever. Well, this was one of my 70's find! ....

I understand many people don't or wouldn't find these appealing or cute....Well, what about now?

I love them. A simple 2 coats of orange paint gave these little butterflies quite the face lift! Even though I have gotten to many unfinished task... I have many left to finish. Including a bed roll/nap mat that I started by following an awesome tutorial from www.prudentbaby.com. But let me tell you ....not a mini project! Whew! Will post more once it is finished, for now I am going to go an relax a bit and squeeze on my kiddos! Hope everyone is enjoying their three day weekends!! ((hugs))

My New Love...

www.flylady.net!

I'm sure EVERY woman out there has at one time or another sat just totally overwhelmed by the CHAOS that exists inside your home. Well, that is what the flylady is for! She helps you declutter, and clean your home while laughing your way through and with many virtual pats on the back!! She has an amazing step by step process to help you begin a routine and along with this she has many encouraging emails and tips throughout the day that she puts together to help keep you motivated. I just began my flylady adventure, and I am going to being blogging about each of my fly "baby" days to also be my way to help keep me motivated and going!!! Please, feel free to check it out and join me in organizing and making your home a happy and inviting place to craft and love in!!

~Day 1:Shine Your Sink~

How gorgeous is this? And its amazing how motivating this tiny little feat it!! Believe me! Go try it out! You will be SHOCKED!

~Day 2: Get Dressed & Lace Up Them Shoes~

It truly amazes me how good I already am feeling! Ready to conquer the mess!! :D

Felt Hair Clips

How pretty are these?!

I had been wanting something to satisfy my creative itch. So, I went digging for some ideas online and came across a tutorial and patterns for that beautiful hot pink Peony clip!! Got really into it and came up with my own little felt creation as well.

Mini Violet Hair Clip

Supplies:

Piece of Purple Felt

Piece of Green Felt

Yellow Embroidery Thread

Hot Glue Gun

Hair Clip

One of the petals from the gorgeous Peony Pattern

Using one of the petals form the peony pattern, any size is fine, although I used the petal pattern to the left of the "yoonie peony felt clip template" words. But like I said, you can really use any of them and change the "size" of your violet.

Now take out your purple felt, trace your pattern onto it and then cut it out. Grab up your hot glue gun...take your little petal and holding the center of your petal pinch it together to make the shape of your violet. (Really seriously that easy. lol) Hot glue your pinched felt. Grab up your yellow thread and sew in your little star burst center. Then taking a little bit of green felt cut yourself out a cut little leaf. Hot glue its to your little violet and then hot glue your mini violet to your clip and wah la! An adorable little hair accessory in literally minutes!! Perfect for scratching that tiny craft itch!

The Buggy...Bugs Me.

So, obviously, one of the hardest things about being a Mother of multiple children is getting out and about with them. (What am I talking about? Just ONE child can be a feat!)But with each added little one is an added challenge.

Being a Mom of two now has shown me just how much I hate these stores with these incredibly dinker buggy's/shopping carts.( Just to name a few places...Hobby Lobby, Jo Ann Fabric's, TJ Maxx, Marshells, ect.)

I mean you are doing good to get ONE child into the cart, let alone two. And car seat, don't even think about it. What makes it all the more irritating, is when you finally figure out how to get the babies in there, toddler in the front part, your holding on to the car seat that you have placed sideways in the cart for dear life. Whew. Over came that obstacle.

Oh but wait, now what do you do with your stuff?? I mean, really? How do they expect us crazy crafting mothers to shop for stuff, if we can barely get our troops into the store, and then once we find a "some what" safe mode of getting in, have NO places to put our things!

So, what do we crazy mothers do? We then pile the things on the kids. Who then begin opening our bags of buttons, or uses the price tags as stickers, or decides "Mommy, doesn't really need this stuff", so out of the cart it goes!! The whole time we are we are just trying not to pull all of your hair out!! And in midst of all of this, we look around and notice all these other woman looking at us like we have totally lost it. Like we do not belong in that store. LOL It can make the most pleasant trip to the craft store, feel like you are in a whirlwind disaster.

So, then we Mom's, we wise up. We go out to buy us a nice double stroller. I mean this bad boy has ALL the bells and whistles, right? We pull that sucker out, go walking into Hobby Lobby, head held high cause "Ha. We Got This!". .. And SMACK! Right into the display case!! Or we then find ourselves bargaining with our two year old, to put down the pretty glass bird she just swiped off the shelf, that she is now eye level with, mind you. Can't a Mother get a BREAK? Cause then of course comes more awkward stare's...loud whispers..every once in awhile a sympathy smile! hahaha Believe me, it can really unnerve this crazy stitcher.

Then of course the same dilemma, where to put the stuff cause even if you have the nice little basket in the bottom, its gotta be carrying that fully stocked diaper bag for those "perfectly" timed massive blow outs that our children carry around for the most awkward moments. lol So, there goes like 80% of our storage space, not counting blankie. Which starts out in the toddlers hand but then after having to stop and untangle it from the front tire of the stroller every 30 seconds, ends up in the basket out of mother's frustration. Which then leads to the screaming...

Ahh, yes. The screaming. You know you have one or if you haven't yet, you will one day. The screaming toddler. The one that everyone swears they well never have and yet its inevitable. haha. But it adds to the enjoyable shopping experience, let me tell ya! You thought you had stares before. Ha! Think again. Oh, and don't just think, I will just check out right quick and get out of this store...cause remember earlier, when there was no space for your stuff in your stroller...yeah, you resorted to piling it on your kids again and guess what...you now have to FIND all your price tags. Make sure you have all 25 buttons. "Oh wait ones missing. Oh its ok, I found it. It was in my toddlers mouth."(More stares here from the 16 year old cashier.) Then realize the spool of tulle is missing as well. Retrace steps a couple of isles to find that it has been tossed back in the floral section, along with the pretty ribbon you had been debating on getting. (Oh, dont forget. This whole time, you have a baby screaming cause you have their blankie. Unless, you cracked and gave it back, then your tripping up the stroller every 30 seconds again.) Where am I getting at with all of this?

MAKE LARGER CARTS PEOPLE!! Widen your isles. Get your glass objects out of the reach of our little ones and I swear if I see one more candy shelf right by the checkout!! AHH!!

Now, to be straight up. Its not really this bad every time. But all of you mothers out there, know what I am talking about. Its just plain stressful and it adds one more thing to have to think about when we try to get out the door in the morning. Some people out there probably think, just leave them home then (I know I have seen some people give me those looks in the store, believe me! HA!), but that is obviously, not a reasonable solution. Besides, might I add. Does anyone else on a bad day just wanna slap the stares out of these people? haha! I would like to think I am not a violent person, but I have moments when I find myself wanting to take my dinker cart and slamming into every nasty glaring person I see! HAHAHA! (TOWANDA!!...I think my hormones may still be trying to level back out...hahaha)

I guess where I am getting at. Mother's. We are amazing. We get in these stores with our children and we conquer the crazy and still come home with enough strength to wrestle our sewing machines and glue guns, to make stunning things for our children and selves. Now if only we could help the world think like Mother's.