I found another true love in my life this week. Anthropologie. I have heard of it. I have walked by it. I have seen these some stuff from there, but nothing that I really thought was all that fantastic. Then I walked into the store. Oh my goodness, so much "scope for the imagination!" (Thank you L.M. Montgomery for that phrase) The stuff there can be pricey, but they had a great sale on dinnerware. I bought this monogrammed plate for 50% off.

A little online shopping for you...

These alphabet hooks make me happy. A current obsession of mine is monograms. So attracted to them.

These knobs would make me want to cook dinner twice a day. At $16 each I think we need to win the lottery sometime soon, considering the fact that we need almost 30 knobs.

And this coat rack is exactly what I have in mind for my entryway.

There's more. So much more, but I'll stop there. Thank you, Anthropologie, for coming into my life.

Phew. That's all I have to say about the past 6 days. Phew.

Remember when I showed you the tutorial for super cute boxes that would work perfectly for neighbor gifts? Here are the results!




I filled them with caramel corn, Muddy Buddies, and peanut butter balls. Delish!

I helped my mom put together some boxes for her neighbors, as well. Actually, I had had enough of folding cardstock so I put my dad to work. Just call him M. Stewart.

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and please have a safe New Year!

Wedding

The dress is done and made its debut at the wedding. Super poofy, super cute, and super stressful! A word of advice. If you plan on tweaking a pattern, plan the tweaking before you cut the material.

The bride and groom looked absolutely fantastic and still haven't stopped smiling. And the veil was lovely if I do say so myself.

The tux was a bit of a flop, I am sorry to say. The pants were super slim and just barely long enough, making his already chicken legs look like toothpick legs. The shirt was two sizes two small and had stains all over it. The jacket would have been alright, but there wasn't a cumberbund and since the shirt wouldn't stay tucked in it just wasn't wonderful. And to top it off, black shoes were not provided so we were scrambling to find some up right before the reception started. That's what you get from a small town tux shop, I suppose. It is a good thing the boy inside it is still as handsome as ever.

Brother and sister, looking pretty sharp, if you ask me.

On My Desk

I am making Baby Girl's dress for my sister-in-law's wedding reception. Technically she isn't part of the wedding party, but Busy Boy is going to be decked out in a tux, I couldn't leave the girl out on all the fun!

I knew exactly what I wanted and for the life of me couldn't find . However, I did find a blessing/christening dress pattern in my stash that will work with some tweaking and thankfully it is sized up to 24-27 pounds. Baby Girl is 25 pounds. Phew.

Last night I pieced it together with pins while the hubby and I discussed our to do list for the week. It is looking good, except I think I am going to need some more tulle.

Drum Roll Please …

   Let me start by saying that this giveaway stuff is harder than I thought. As any blogger does, I LOVED reading your comments and blog entries about your Christmas decorations. As I read them I found myself rooting for each and everyone of you to win the giveaway. I began contemplating how long it would take me to make one ornament for each one of you. Too long. Way too long. Just know that the thought crossed my mind and the saying does go, “It’s the thought that counts,” right? To appease my desires I decided to make two extra ornaments, so there are two winners today! Yippee!

 

 

 

   Winner #1:

Jill said, “Most of our ornaments are the same kind - those we received when Dave's dad cleared out his stash, the ornaments I was giving growing up, and those we've purchased each year since marriage. My favorites are those folksy one from Dave's dad. They remind me so much of those on my parents tree.”

 Winner #2: 

Stacie said, “I too have a box full with sentimental value. Those that were handmade or passed down through the years, and they have all adorned my tree for the past 8 years of my  married life. This year, though, I was feeling a little fancy…so we (or really, I) changed it up a bit (pics on the blog). We do have the same tradition in our family of letting the kids pick out a new ornament every year. I let the kiddos decorate with their ornaments first, then I fill in the rest. ;) At this point they are happy as long as their special ornament is within grabbing distance so they can rip it off the tree and show anyone who visits.”

 

You will notice that the second ornament isn’t quite finished because last night as I sat down to finish it at 10:00pm I realized that I needed to finish my sister-in-law’s veil for her wedding on Saturday. So, veil came first and is all finished, thank goodness. The finished ornaments will be on their way to both winners early next week! Thanks again everybody for giving a bit of holiday cheer to my December.

I'll be drawing names today during nap time, so if anyone reads this and still wants in on the mitten ornament giveaway, you have until 2:00pm MST. Yippee!

There’s Always Next Year

With only a couple of weeks until Christmas I am running out of time, but most certainly not running out of ideas. Is it a bad thing for me to already be making my list of Christmas projects for next year? I hope not because these two are at the top of my list. Maybe I will make them in June. Hey, it’s winter in Australia then.

Amy Butler’s tree forest. How is it that something so simple can look so deliciously elegant? Thanks Amy, my piano was just telling me the other day that it would like a tree forest atop it.

Thanks to Jill for directing me towards this lovely creation. Paper crafting is a bit more time consuming for me than sewing, so starting in June probably isn’t such a bad idea.

Neighbor Gifts

Thanks goes to Karlie for her tutorial on making these super cute boxes. I will be making a plethora of them to fill with something sweet for my neighbor gifts.

P.S. Karlie is a SUPER talented florist. Check out her website, Garden House Floral. Seriously, it makes me want to marry Brandon all over again just so that I can have her do my flowers.

Humor Me

Did you read the last paragraph of my last post? I’m doing a giveaway! It would just tickle me pink if lots of people entered. Go for it!

How lovely are thy branches!

I am a sentimental decorator when it comes to Christmas. It is a tradition in our family that we get an ornament every year for Christmas. When we get married my mom passes those ornaments on to us for our tree. I love pulling out each one and remembering the year it was given to me.

This lovely gem of an ornament was given to me the year I was born. Do you see what I mean? You would have to be sentimental to keep this. (The bad photography doesn’t help much, does it?)

The ornaments that remind me of what was going on in my life at the time always make me emotional. This was from my mom last year, in honor of our first Christmas in our new home. What a special memory.

These two ornaments aren’t gifts, but have equal sentimental value. I remember as a child I loved putting the ornaments on our tree that my parent’s had made for their first Christmas tree. So, after Brandon and I got married I was super excited to get some ornaments that we could remember as our first. Being in the thick of my first concert season ever as a music teacher, handmade didn’t happen. I love what we chose from Terry’s Village, though. The heart is one of 12 ornaments that are part of an old German tradition. I’m not German and didn’t even know about the tradition until I saw the ornaments in the catalog, but I thought it was pretty nifty, so I decided to join in on the fun! The snowmen are just cute. Busy Boy loved putting them on the tree this year.

What kind of tree decorator are you? Do you have any favorite ornaments?

Leave me a comment or write on your blog and leave me a link in the comments. I am making the cutest mitten ornaments for my kids (based on a pattern from Leisl at disdressed) and will have some extra fabric. Anyone that comments will get entered in a drawing for their very own mitten ornament. Also, if you link to my blog on your blog, you will get a second entry in the drawing. I will draw a name on Friday, December 12th. I can’t wait to hear what you have to say!

Sunny Skirt

    I have a 3 year-old boy and a 1 year-old girl. When we  found out by ultrasound that baby #2 was indeed a girl, my shopping began and it has never stopped! I have found that dressing a girl cutely (is that a word?) is so much more overwhelming than a boy. For a boy you get a few pairs of jeans, some dress pants, a variety of shirts, a couple pairs of shoes and *TADA* you have a wardrobe. For a girl you need skirts, shirts, dresses, bows, headbands, tights, socks, shoes in every color, etc. etc. Never-ending! Whenever I see something cute at the store I have to think, "OK, what else am I going to need so that she can actually wear this?"
And that,  my dear readers, is the question that inspired this post. You see, I  just finished a skirt for the shop. As I looked at the skirt though, that infamous question popped into my head. It's winter. Skirts and winter don't usually mix very well. Unless you are like me. There is a picture of me as a child. I am wearing a knee length dress, tights, coat, hat, and gloves and there is about 3 feet of snow on the ground. Winter never stopped me from wearing a dress! So, for the true girly girl out there, here is how I would dress up a skirt for the winter:

This skirt is made out of seersucker material. I love seersucker because it sews very nicely and it is totally wash and wear. No ironing involved, and let’s be honest, who likes to iron clothes?

I decided to use the green in the center of the flowers as my inspiration for the rest of the outfit.

This turtleneck is from Children’s Place, one of my favorite stores because they always have good deals and their clothes hold up to all the rough and tumble that comes with kids.

These CRAWLER COVERS are the perfect answer for wearing skirts in the winter. Warm and cute. Perfect combo! You can find this pair at Crawler Covers & More.

Last, but not least, I thought this adorable hat would be the perfect finisher. This adorable hat is made by Adrienne Kinsella.

Are you smiling yet? I certainly am.

Gobble, Gobble

We have been battling adenovirus for a week. This lovely virus caused bronchiolitis and croup in Baby Girl. So what I had hoped to be a very productive week for the shop has ended up just being a productive week as a mommy. My goal changed from "1 project a day" to "get baby healthy while attempting to entertain a 3-year-old that can't go anywhere all while maintaining sanity". Baby Girl is getting better. The 3-year-old has watched more TV than I would prefer. Mommy is sane. Mostly. And it's only Wednesday!

Somewhere in the midst of all this, probably in a less sane moment, I decided to do our pumpkin turkey. Although he couldn't really help much, Busy Boy loved thinking that he was helping make this. He was pretty impressed with our pumpkin turkey and now walks around the house saying, "What does the turkey say? Gobble, gobble, gobble."

Poor Baby Girl. She was feeling so rotten that night.

Waste Not

I bought a pumpkin before Halloween. That is as close as we got to making a jack-o-lantern this year. So I keep looking at the pumpkin sitting on my front porch (which I love because it is tall and skinny, it would have been fun to carve!) and feeling guilty that I didn't do the quintessential Halloween activity (next to trick-or-treating, of course). Tonight I found the perfect solution!

Thank you, Kaboose. This is going to be a lot of fun.

Cuddle Tag Blanket

I am so excited to finally add another item to my inventory! For a while there my goal of 15 seemed like it would be years away. Now that I have made it past Halloween I have a couple of weeks before I have to crack down and get Christmas presents done, make a veil for SIL, make a dress for Baby Girl for SIL wedding, and figure out what I am going to wear. That being said, I am thinking that 5 more items will be up by November 21st so stay tuned.

I made one of these for Baby Girl for her 1st birthday. She loves to walk around with it, the tags looped around her fingers. I wish I had one of these to cuddle up with! The material is so soft and I love the color combination of blues, greens, and yellows.

A Wish Your Heart Makes

Shabby Apple is a site with cute and modest dresses. I lust after them. I daresay, I may even covet them. Check out the line for little girls, too. Covet. Covet. Covet.

Right now they are having a contest. I could be the lucky winner of the lovely outfit pictured below. Check out the details here.

Enjoy!

A Wish Your Heart Makes

Have you ever seen Fantasmic, the nightly fireworks show at Disneyland?

In this show Mickey comes out and creates a magical world with everybody’s favorite characters. Peter Pan. Winnie the Pooh. Belle. Ariel. Snow White. Cinderella. Prince Charming. You get the idea.

Then the bad guys come. Let’s be honest, would it be a Disney show without bad guys?

Ursula and crew do their worst.

After you are convinced that this is the end of all things Mickey, the Mouse takes center stage all decked out in a snazzy tuxedo. With all the power his squeaky voice can muster he says, “You may think you’re so powerful, well, this is my dream!”

With the flick of his wand the bad guys are conquered and we celebrate the return of all of our favorite characters as they sing a cheesy, happy, feel good song, sung in true Disney fashion.

That is totally my life. Totally. Completely. My life.

I have created my own little magical world. It is complete with Prince Charming and two adorable offspring. We have a warm cozy place to call our own. I have worked both my dream jobs; as a teacher, and now a stay at home mom. Our house is filled with laughter and giggles. It is everything I have ever wanted.

Except well, the bad guys. Oh, the bad guys.

Dirty diapers. Baby weight. Guilt. Frustration. Patience, or rather, lack thereof.

Temper tantrums. Temper tantrums in public. Strangers disapproving looks that just scream, “Why can’t you keep that child under control?”

Potty training.

Feelings that I will never be clean enough, cute enough, creative enough, smart enough, brave enough, classy enough. So why try?

Regrets.

This is where our story differs, Mickey and I, because I don’t have a magic wand. I can’t will the bad guys away with one flick of my wrist, never to be seen again. I fight these bad guys daily, hourly, to the minute.

So I take charge. I step up. I throw on a flirty dress from Shabby Apple that reminds me I can be cute! I put on some hot boots that will kick some bad guy booty. Soft pink jewelry will remind me that I can be patient and a sassy diaper bag declares that my kids are my greatest accessory. In this I can remind myself every day, every hour, even every minute that this is my dream!

And I plan on living happily ever after.

(cue cheesy, happy, feel good song here)

Swaddles

I have a dear friend from back in my college days. We lived in the same dorms for only one semester and haven't seen each other since, yet, somehow I feel like I have known her forever. I love friends like that. Well, I have recently discovered that I want to be her when I grow up. She is uber creative and has developed these adorable bath aprons. Wouldn't this be a perfect gift for a pregnant mama? Or perhaps that favorite grandchild of yours? Check out her etsy shop, she has lots of aprons to choose from!

Remove one feather every day from now until Thanksgiving, easy enough! Thanks to Marie from Make and Takes for this idea. Busy Boy was a little distraught when I suggested he throw the removed feather away. So I let him put them in a wire pumpkin we keep on the kitchen table. Hmmm ... do you think I should tell him we plan on eating a turkey?

Wedding Preview

My husband's sister is getting married this December. She is the only girl in the family and I have the fabulous opportunity to help with the wedding planning. I just love weddings. They make me so happy. I am so glad that SIL is letting me be a part of her special day.

It is a relatively low budget wedding (my father-in-law would probably disagree with that!) at least in today's standards in which the cost of a wedding averages about $28,000. I am glad though because low budgets allow for more creativity and simplicity, which I prefer. Anyway, on to the preview.

With Christmas stuff out in the stores I was able to put together a prototype of her centerpieces to see if she likes the idea. Using pictures I found on various wedding sites as my inspiration ...

... I came up with this ...



It is so simple and costs under $10 per centerpiece and yet it has a certain elegance to it, don't you think? And the best part? She can take the ornaments home with her and decorate her first Christmas tree with them.

So, what do you think?

Halloween!

Update

The halloween costumes are still underway. The knit I am trying to sew has proved to be a lot less moody than the stuff for my sister's wedding. Finished product is coming soon (It better be. Right? Halloween is on Friday!)

Speaking of giveaways ...

Check these out:

Lands End Diaper Bag Review and Giveaway: Please tell me I am not the only Mom in the world that doesn't have a fabulous diaper bag. I need one. Bad.

Old Navy gift certificate: Need I say more?

Mother/Daughter Sterling Silver Bracelets: How is it that having a girl has turned me into even more of a girly girl than I already was?

Crayon Apron: I love that this is for a boy.

BabySNAZZ legwarmer giveaway: I totally know how to make these, but getting them for free would be even cooler!


Can you tell I am going for the law of probability? Is that really a law? I don't know. Whatever. Anyway. In all of my blogging days I have never won a giveaway. (cue sad violin music) I am crossing my fingers and toes for any one of these!

Oh yeah, and check out Bloggy Giveaways for LOTS more free stuff, if you are lucky enough to win!

Someday I will win a giveaway ...

... and if this is the one, I would be so SUPER excited! Kathleen at GROSGRAIN is so uber-talented. I want to win!

Tackling Knit

Back in June my younger sister got married. The material she picked for the bridesmaids dresses was a brown knit. It was perfect for the dress. Totally and completely UN-perfect for my sewing machine. I ended up having to take it to California with me and my mom finished it the night before the wedding. Bless her heart.

So here I am. It's a week before Halloween. I just bought the material for Busy Boy's costume. It's knit. I'm crazy.

Before I throw the timing off on my sewing machine again and tear out all of my hair I thought I had better do a bit of research. Here is what I found.

Because of what I found here I will be sure to lay some tissue paper down underneath the material when I go to layout and cut out the pattern pieces.

This article tells me to be sure to use polyester or nylon thread. I might be going back to the store ...

Amy Hester tells me that I need a sharp needle. And then I find here that they recommend a ball point needle. Hmmm ...

This is probably my favorite article/site pre-sewing.

After I have tried out this tips I will let you know if I have tamed the beast!

Toodles' Future

I have been thinking alot about my sweet little shop. I want so much to get it launched and going, but do you know what? It takes money to make money. Such a shame. Also, I have been wondering when I want to do my grand opening. I mean, at what point to I decide it is "up and running?" So, here is the conclusion that I have come to. Little bit by little bit I will add inventory. My goal is to get to 15 items. Once I have 15 items I will have my grand opening. Stay tuned ... I have a few projects up my sleeves right this minute!

Allie Brown Giveaway

Have you ever wanted a custom made blog layout? Me too. It would be cool. That is why I am entering this giveaway. You should too, even though it will lessen my chances to win.

Costume Time!

I am working away on my kid's costumes. Well, kind of. Baby girl's is finished, minus a zipper and a hem. Busy boy's is still just in my mind. This picture is from last year. Don't they make the cutest Peter Pan and Tinkerbell ever?

Don't these make you happy?

Little clippies. Gotta love them!

SOLD!

I'm doing things a bit out of order. I sold my first item! The tutu now has a proud owner (and a very cute owner, I might add). And the grand opening? It is coming soon, I promise! Just let me make it past my daughter's birthday party first ...

Headbands

When I was introduced to the world of little girl's headbands I had just had my daughter and I was so excited to learn how to make them! They are super simple, and really, anyone can make them. But I have learned that not everybody wants to make them themselves and that is what I am here for!

All wrapped up in comfiness ...

I have made several different versions of hooded towels. This style is by far my very favorite! Because of the way the hood is attached, the towel easily drapes around the child. I made this specific towel for my son's first birthday, so it is a couple of years old. He loves getting out of the bath almost as much as being in it. Wouldn't you, if you had this to snuggle with after?

You can definitely expect to see some of this hooded towel goodness in my etsy shop!

I have a weakness for dresses ...

...especially adorable dresses like this one! I am crossing my fingers that I just might win it. Maybe. Hopefully. Oh man, I love this dress!
Dollhouse Frock GIVEAWAY !!!!!!!

First Project: Tutu!

I think that tutus are absolutely adorable! They work great for photo shoots or dress-up. Throw a turtle neck and tights under it and you have a to-die for holiday outfit. This tutu is very simple. I love the color combination of lavender and amethyst. And all that puff! How can you resist that?!

Baby Steps

I've made a header. My blog looks cute. My etsy shop is on its way to its grand opening.

Just one more thing ...

Something to sell. Ah. Minor detail.

Don't fret. It isn't a detail I have ignored, it is just a detail I have yet to deal with. The purpose for my shop is selfish. I love to craft. I love to sew. I love to create. This isn't a business venture, per se. Would I like to make money? Of course. But really, I just want to share what I can do.

So what can I do? Well, lots. Headbands, tutus, dresses, PJs, aprons, bows, towels, and more. What I actually do will depend on demand. Isn't that the way it goes? To start out, my shop will be a bit of this and a bit of that. Once I see what YOU really want, I will narrow down my projects. As my first projects reach the finished stage, I will let you know about them!