Spontaneity reigns.

Around 6pm on the Saturday before Easter, I begged the husband for the chance to run to Target to maybe find something new to wear to church on Sunday. The girls all had new dresses (courtesy of my awesome Mother-In-Law) and I wanted to be cute too!

Unfortunately, Target was a fail. Seriously. I'm sure there are a lot of people who appreciate dresses that hang like frumpy sacks. I am not one of them.

The husband headed off to a movie with some friends and I sat down at the computer. But I was still motivated. At 9pm I grabbed this fabric (from a failed attempt at a maxi dress - hint: hideous frumpy sack), and cut it up into this fabulous skirt. The colors are perfect for me. Especially since I had these new red flats!

By the time Matt arrived home from his movie, I was hemming the skirt. Yay me! Sometimes you need to do a little "I am so awesome" dance!

2 sick kids + lots of cardboard in the recycling=

This awesome treehouse.

My sister in law, Audrey, did it first and so much better. But it was a good way to pass the time and provide my girls with a home for their 80 billion Squinkies. And after I finished with the cutting out and main assembly, I let the girls go to town with my scrapbook paper and glue sticks. They wallpapered practically every surface and even created furniture, rugs and a car.

You can find directions (which we fudged) and the templates here at Family Fun magazine.

Tutorial: Make Your Own Mei Tai

I debated quite extensively with my husband about this tutorial. He saw how much time and effort I was putting into making it just right for you guys and he really wanted me to sell it.

I explained to him that I love you guys too much. Besides, it wasn't entirely my design and it's not like there aren't other tutorials out there.

So, download all my lovin' here!

In the tutorial, I mention that I didn't create pattern pieces for you, but I lied. I actually went back and created a pattern for the main body. You can download it here.

I hate disclaimers, but I have to have them. Feel free to make these for yourself, and for your friends. Please don't sell the pattern OR any Mei Tai Carriers that you make from the pattern. AKA Personal Use Only.

And pretty please. If you make one, take a picture and send me a link or an email. It makes me so happy!
Stay tuned for a giveaway on Monday!

Linked up here:

New Series: PFMP

Pictures From My Phone
Tragically, I don't always have my good cameras strapped to me. And I find myself grabbing for my camera phone more and more often. It's not great, but it'll work in a pinch.

So, I present the first in a series of installments of PFMP.

 I just can't help but stare at my baby's sweet Ruffly Little Bottom. Even if she is sporting some homemade Babylegs handed down from Lucas.

 I have recently decided to stop slacking off and actually start DOING my daughters' hair. Enough ragamuffin. I've loved looking at both of these sites for inspiration and how-to.

 Just loving on my baby. I really wish I could infuse a little bit of her sweetness and love into each of your lives. You'd thank me.

 Check it. I finished the other sock! It was so gratifying that I'm ordering some more sock yarn and casting on another pair!

I borrowed a friend's Mei Tai recently to see if I liked it. I loved it. I've been a sworn fan of the sling since I started using one for Miles. But with all the recent recall panic, it's made me nervous. And I don't actually like putting newborns in the cradle carry in the sling anyway. AND, it doesn't matter how big my baby is, after about 20 minutes in the sling, my shoulders and back start aching and the sling actually starts sliding off...
Enough lament. I tried the Mei Tai. I LOVED IT!!! I wore The Libs in it for over an hour and didn't have even an ounce of pain in my back afterwards. My only complaint is that my shirt was covered in baby drool, lol. Libby loved it too! She slept the entire time.
So, I decided to make one for myself. I read quite a few tutorials, but in the end, I decided to just copy the one I was borrowing. I bought some Home Dec weight fabric for the middle and the straps are duck cloth. I added a double layer of quilt batting to the main body and also the shoulders. If anyone wants a real tutorial, let me know and I'll see about taking some pictures, and drawing up some plans.
Let me add this... if I wear a button down shirt, I can even nurse in this thing!

This concludes our first installment of PFMP. Join us next time!

Progress

Ever since learning that Lucas is the skinniest child on the planet, it has made me extremely paranoid about making sure that Libby is growing well.

This just in: she's doing fine.

She's 2.5 months old and I'm starting to get a little teary at her babyness instead of the infantness that I'm used to. She's become extremely interested in the world around her. 

She loves to munch on her tiny fists, and particularly enjoys time in the bouncy seat so that she can be more upright and lookin' around.

She's just about the cutest thing ever. We adore her.

Tangential funny story: I was nursing her whilst lying down on the couch. The boys were watching TV and I was secretly napping. Suddenly, Libby unlatches and starts crying. My eyes pop open and I see Lucas backing away from us. I look down at Libby and her ear is all wet. Pretty sure he was sucking on her ear while I slept/nursed and got a little carried away. Poor girl.

I really do feel badly, though, that I didn't learn to knit earlier. Libby's the benefactor of 99% of my knitting love. Tho, I did make these for my sister's kid. The other day while driving in the car, Abbie passed me a note that said something like, "Dear Mom, I love you soooo much! When are you going to knit me something?" Guilt trip much?

Anyway, I totally made Libby some summer pants.

I seriously can't get enough of this girl... unless it's 3am.

If you give...

a mom some knitting needles, she'll need the perfect shade of yarn.
And when she has her yarn, of course, she'll search for the perfect pattern.
And once she's found it, she'll make her sweet baby a gorgeous little shrug.

And then she'll realize that her little girl needs a dress to wear with the shrug.

And being that she's a resourceful type, it'll be a dress she has to make herself.

And of course, the mom will need some material for the dress for which there is no pattern.

 And then the mom will remember the beautiful king sized vintage sheet she picked up at the thrift store, which will match the shrug she knit.

And when the dress is done, the little girl will need a matching pair of bloomers...
Oh wait. We haven't gotten that far.

Fabric Covered Notecards (Don't Peek, MOM!)

A couple weeks ago, I saw some fabric covered notecards being given away on MADE. They were really beautiful. And it struck me that they were something that my mom would probably enjoy.

Good thing Mother's Day was coming! I don't REALLY think ya'll need a tutorial for this, but I took the pictures anyway.

You need:
Pre-cut Cards (or just hack down some cardstock to the size you want)

Fabric Scraps (mmm... I love me some fabric scraps.)

Heat N Bond (or Wonder Under, etc)
Rotary Cutter, Mat & Ruler - though... your mat will probably be in better condition than mine.. oy.

IRON
Sewing Maching (could totally be optional)

Step One:
Put on a good movie. I recommend this one.

Step Two (aka the real first step):
Cut your Wonder Under to the same size as the front of the card you'll be making. Mine was 4"x 5.5". Evs.

Step the Third:
Cut (or tear!) your fabric into random widths and play around with the layout.

Step Foursies:
Pretend you know how to quilt and sew them together all pretty like. Iron. Notice how I added an extra strip from the previous picture? As I was sewing it together, I realized it wouldn't be wide enough, so I improvised. I give you permission to do the same.

Step Five:
With your ruler & rotary cutter, cut down your mini quilt into the dimensions of the front of your card (and the piece of Wonder Under you've pre-cut. 

Step Sixaholic:
Iron your Wonder Under (sticky side down unless you WANT to ruin your iron) to the wrong side of your fabric. Follow the directions on your particular brand of sticky stuffs. Peel the paper backing off. You should be left with the back of your mini-quilt looking shiny. 

Step VII:
Flip it over and iron it onto the front of your card. The adhesive on the back of the fabric will fuse it to the paper. I do, however, recommend doing a better job at lining up your fabric than I did on this particular card. Duh. I had to pull it off quickly and re-iron. I'm a genius. 

Step Eight is Great:
You're done if you want to be. You could add some embellishment in the form of buttons, ribbons, etc etc.

I added a little heart shape that I cut out on my Cricut (yes! it cuts fabric too!).

Some other tips and ideas:

• I mentioned before that you don't NEED a sewing machine. True story. I made two without using mine. I simply laid my fabric strips (overlapped slightly) carefully on top of the Wonder Under and ironed them right to it. They stuck together. 

• You could add some decorative stitching after the whole thing is sewn together... I recommend doing it after you've applied the Wonder Under and peeled the paper off and before you iron it to the card. 

 That's it, mostly. Feel free to ask any questions. I had fun making them for my mom, and now I need some for myself.

So Proud.

My husband was recently informed that he has high cholesterol. While we don't eat SUPER healthy, we also don't own our own deep fryer, either. I blame genetics. However, since we don't want him to die, we're all trying to eat a little better and get more exercise. A step in the right direction.

Or a lot of steps, if you're my husband (his name is Matt). Matt's decided to run. I hate running, so it is highly unlikely that I will be joining him. However, we are SO proud of him.  He ran his first 5k last week.  The kids and I wanted to let him know how proud we were, so we employed the use of my good friend, Mr. Cricut (yes, it's a man... who else could wield a blade so adeptly).

In no time flat we had cut the letters, the shapes, glued, punched and strung up this sweet little banner for Matt to find when he got home.

My kids loved being allowed to push the buttons on the machine and to peel the letters off. I'm a little concerned about finding them using it without permission now...

In other news, Matt's signed up for another 5k next month. Go Matt! Love you!

I Made This

Actually, I made it before Christmas. I make my kids each a handmade gift from Mom every Christmas. It's my tradition. This year, Lucas got a Felt Mr. Potato Head. Abbie got some crocheted fingerless gloves. Anna received a Sewn Drawing Pad/Marker holder dealy. And Miles got a tie. He wore it this past Sunday for the first time since Christmas. 

 It certainly involved a lot of ironing and hand sewing, but it really wasn't that hard.

And you know, every girl's crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man!

Freezer Paper is my New BFF

I'm not sure where or when I heard about this idea that when a women gives birth to her husband's child, she is entitled to a "Push Present." Some people find it appalling. I find it to be a good reason to get something new.

When Lucas was born, I got this chair:

(Lucas at 10 weeks old).
I still love that chair.

When Libby was born, I requested a Cricut (but please don't buy it from that link). I also requested this program. It allows you to cut any .ttf font including dingbats. It makes cartridges a think of the past (in my opinion).

Combine that with some freezer paper and you can stencil just about ANYTHING you want.
Which is why I made this onesie for a friend expecting her first girl:

The possibilities here are endless. What about some of these awesome fonts? I'm so stoked.

I'm missing something.

I made this. Yes, with my own two hands and five knitting needles.

 Yes. I started this sock about a month before Libby was born. And I took it with me to the hospital and worked on it after she was born. I have been plugging away at it fairly regularly and all that hard work pays off, because look!

It fits! And well! As it should, since it's custom made for MY foot. I feel awesome.

Now I get to sit back, relax and enj....

Oh wait. Time to cast on the other sock and get moving. At this rate, I might be done around November, just in time to wear them.

Things that make me wish I had a boy...

About a year ago, I came across a fabulous clearance sale at Target. They had Babylegs on clearance for $2.74 each. I bought about 8 pair with the thought that they'd make wonderful baby gifts.

Recently, I attended a baby shower for a church friend having her first little boy. I remembered the Babylegs! But it wasn't enough to give a clearanced pair of Babylegs. I quickly grabbed my freezer paper and went to work.


It was hard for me not to keep this set.

Some Funny Math.

What do you get when you have one father who works for a very large (unnamed) video game producer multiplied by one mother who can't quit crafting?

Add in one old Tshirt with the aforementioned company's logo on it.

Divide by this FABULOUS tutorial by my awesome friend Sabra.

And your answer?

The dang cutest pair of boxer briefs this side of the Mississippi.
(My son will kill me later in life.)

He wore them today and I made him pull down his pants to show his underwear to no less than three people (not strangers, I promise!).

I really can't say enough good about this tutorial. It was so easy to follow and it made me feel like an expert seamstress at the end. And I've never even sewn with knits before.

I made a second pair tonight and they took about 45 minutes start to finish. LOVE.

I feel like I need to make a disclaimer. No, we aren't so broke that my son has no underwear and I need to be making him them out of old ratty tshirts. But, if you'd like to send money, I can send you my address...

Crafty Goodness

I apologize for those of you who come here for fabulous stories or wonderful photography... or even for crafty goodness. Instead you get me. Bleh.

I borrowed The Knitchick's Guide to Sweaters from the library this week. I wasn't all that impressed with any of the adults' sweaters and most of the kids' sweaters were equally unattractive. I'm picky. It's true.

There were however two fantastic baby sweaters that I couldn't wait to get started on. Unfortunately, I'm not a seasoned knitter with a huge stash of yarn and all the needles you could possibly need. So, my favorite of the two will have to wait a little longer. But, I did have all the necessary ingredients for the sweet little sweater vest, Oscar. (Plus, I love that name!)

I knit up the front and learned how to cable! I guess I'm not sure what I was so scared of, it's not any harder than the ridiculous pair of socks I'm working on (and have been for over a month). I liked the pattern so much that I decided to make it for real. I ran to the store and bought some yarn I actually liked, came home, knit the front AGAIN. I spent Friday knitting the back, seaming it and blocking.



And when it was done, I realized that I don't have a little boy sized 12 months. Sometimes I get a little carried away. So, this sweet little number is off to my sister Rebekah and will hopefully fit her Ethan before too long!


I really should make it again in size 2 for Lucas. But, I'm already on to another project. I have Crafting ADD. It's a serious illness.

Ready for Summer.

It has finally warmed up here in Florida. I suppose that's a little odd for those of you in colder climates. To you, we've always been warm, but frankly, this winter was the coldest weather we've had in the 4.5 years we've lived here.

But "Winter" is gone thankyouverymuch. And with the arrival of 70 degree weather, we've cast off our long pants and sneakers in exchange for shorts, capris and flip flops. Wahoo!

The moral of this story is that the end of "Winter" left me with a pile of these.


Almost every pair of jeans the girls own have at least one knee with a monster-sized hole in them. At least one of those pairs was brand new as of three weeks ago. Grrr...
As I am not yet ready to part with a large portion of my daughters' wardrobe, we're going to be sporting the fancy cutoff thing this summer.

And truly, this is basic, but I'm sharing how I did it. Consider yourself tutorialized.

Need:
Ratty Jeans with Holey Knees
Cute Fabric (I used a fat quarter)
Thread


First, I measured the leg width where I planned to cutoff the pants. Double that. Then double THAT. That's the width for the fabric that you'll need.


Pick your saucy fabric (this one is a Michael Miller print).


Go ahead. Cut em off!


Take your rotary cutter and cut your fabric. If you're cool like me, you're using your sweet quilting ruler that has been broken by your children who were riding it around on the tile as a skateboard.



I cut a 22 inch by 3.5 inch for each leg, but obviously, these numbers are custom for you. Go ahead and iron the strips in half.


(Um, so this is the part where you ignore that my fabric just changed, because I made two pair and forgot a bunch of pictures the first time, so I took them when I made the second pair.)

Open up the fold you just ironed, and with right sides together, sew the short sides together.



Refold along the ironed, uh... fold. You now have a loop.


Now, with your sewing machine stitch length the longest it will go, sew a basting stitch as close to the top as you dare, I did it just under a 1/4th of an inch.



With the right sides together, matching raw edges, and seams, pin your loop to your shorts.


I matched the seam of the loop on the inside leg of the shorts and then found the middle of the other side of the loop and pinned it to the outside leg seam. Does this even make any sense?

Now, pulling your top thread, gather it up. Pin frequently to hold it place.

Making sure to reset your stitch length to a normal length (which I forgot to do three times), sew your ruffle on. I made sure to sew just below where my gathering stitch was, so it wouldn't show on the right side.

Okay, I guess you could be done here, but I wanted to be sure my ruffles laid the way I wanted. Turn your pant leg inside out and flip the ruffle down. Stitch the seam allowances towards the pants.

Did I mention you're done?



Well, as soon as you do the other leg.

And that whole other stack of pants.

Aren't they just the cutest thing ever?! I'm contemplating adding a ruffle to the bottom of some of my shorts just because!

This may or may not be a picture of my 4 year old son, wearing his sisters pants, because I needed them modeled.

This little project only takes maybe a half hour, unless you have to stop to feed babies, make lunch or change diapers. Good luck to you.