3 Little Birds Stitch Co.

Halloween was a blast!

2011-11-03T07:02:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I last blogged. I've been dealing with some "fun" personal stuff but sunny days are ahead of us.

Halloween is always one of my favorite times of year. I absolutely love making this kids their costumes. This year Luke decided he wanted to dress up as my brother in his Navy uniform. So I didn't really make any of his costume, just sewed the patches on. For August we picked Olivia. And after a poll on Facebook we went with the classic storybook Olivia over the new tv show Olivia. I made every piece of her costume and I'm really proud of the way it came out!

Luke's school does a Halloween parade in the afternoon through the neighborhood and then they have their class parties. Unfortunately I didn't get a ton of pics because I was trying to keep August from running in the street. Ahhhh life with an independent 2 year old!

We moved recently and are loving our new neighborhood. Halloween in this place was so much fun! Almost every court was having a block party, there were bonfires and even a huge outside movie screen showing Halloween movies, kid friendly of course! Luke and August had a great time.

August was really unsure of the whole trick or treating thing but after about the second house when she realized they were giving her candy she was sold on the whole holiday!

They received an insane amount of candy and we didn't even do half of our neighborhood. Luke has decided he will choose a few pieces of candy and then he is going to donate the rest to Treats for the Troops. I think that is a great idea!

Welcome to the World Everett Vincente (and a giveaway to celebrate)

2011-08-12T07:09:00.000-07:00

Last Friday my sister had her second baby. A beautiful little blonde haired boy named Everett Vincente! He is my one and only nephew and we're all totally in love with him!

August got to sneak into the hospital to meet her cousin for the first time. (Yes, I know, she wears that dress a lot!)

Ever's already had his first photo shoot with Cerissa Photography. I love this picture of his big sister giving him kisses.

I made both Averie and Everett hand embroidered onesies before they were born and my sister ended up using them for both of their newborn pictures.

Here's Averie in hers when she was just born. So to celebrate the birth of my nephew I'm giving one of these onesies away on my Facebook page. Just click here and comment on the picture to win.

Lazy Days

2011-07-21T06:02:00.000-07:00

These summer days just seem to be running into each other. We are settled into a routine of park and pool every day and when I change it up Luke doesn't love it. It has been so sweltering hot though this week that we haven't made the trek to the sand park we usually go to. The mile and a half round trip walk is just too much for the kids in the 100+ degree heat. So this week we've changed up the park part of our excursions to go to the Crystal City Water Park in the mornings. It's not like a water park with slides and pools. More like a fountain park. But it's right down the street from us and the walk is mostly in the shade.
And bonus for Mama....we pass a Starbucks :) People let their kids play in the water of these fountains but I'm not too into that. Would you let your kids get in?
They do different events in the park, like morning meditation and Friday night wine parties. Also they have a few art installations that the kids love to look at.
You can walk to the top of the waterfall and there is the perfect shady spot for having a snack and watching for the ducks. There weren't any ducks there this day.

Such a lady when she eats! LOL

So what are they wearing.....
Luke:
Shirt: Old Time Hockey Washington Capitals tee

Shorts: Hurley
Flip Flops: Rack Room Shoes
Wristband: Caps Fan Shop (yes, we know it's not hockey season)
Hat: Lucky Brand (It's actually mine and I've had it since before Luke was even born)

August:
Dress: Made by me from the Lil Blue Boo T Patchwork Dress pattern
Shoes: Target

Linking up to Mama Loves Papa Small Style

My girl is 2!

2011-06-30T12:21:00.000-07:00

Enjoying a pink Starbucks donut on her actual birthday

August had a birthday on Saturday! Yep, my baby isn't a baby anymore. Each birthday is always bittersweet for me, especially with Augie knowing that she is most likely my last babe. I don't want them to grow up anymore! If I could keep both of my kids as they are today I totally would.

When I saw my precious girl for the first time!

First Birthday Party
Photo: Cerissa Photography

Second Birthday Party
Photo: Cerissa Photography

I will do a birthday party post of all of the rainbow-y goodness once I have the pics ready!

First week of Summer Vacation

2011-06-30T11:45:00.000-07:00

So this week was Luke's first week of summer vacation and we've settled into a routine that keeps us outside as much as possible.

In the morning we get up and have breakfast then get dressed. We take a nice walk to the sand park that's about0.7 miles from our apt.

August has finally gotten over her fear of sand!

After a few hours at the park we head back home for lunch. Augs goes down for a nap and Luke gets quiet time to play Legos or watch a movie. And I get quiet time to get some work done! Then when August wakes up we head to the pool. That's usually the highlight of his day! All of his friends are there and he can swim and play with them for hours.

Augie got a waterbaby from our sweet neighbors for her birthday.
(Birthday party post coming soon!)
Luke actually took a few minutes to play in the baby pool with his sis.

August has also gotten over her fear of water being poured on her head. I guess the incredible heat will do that to you!

The bathing beauty! She hated her rash guard and kept yanking at it so we just took it off. Don't worry she was coated head to toe and back again in sunscreen!

What they are wearing:

Luke:
Shirt: Target (No surprise it's Star Wars)
Shorts: Puma from Marshalls
Shoes: Yep, his favs AGAIN

August:
Shirt: Carters romper I cut the bottom off of from last year
Shorts: Denim bubble shorts from the Children's Place
Shoes: Converse
Rash Guard: Absorba from TJ Maxx

First Day of Summer

2011-06-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the first day of summer by going to the farmer's market and then hitting the pool after Luke got home from school.

Lukie Boy of course had to ride his scooter

Then stopped for a snack of berries and cider.
Some days they are so good and share with each other without complaint.

PS Augie's dress is the one I made for her to wear for her rainbow birthday party on Sunday. I wasn't totally in love with it but I think it's grown on me

Sweet Siblings

2011-06-09T06:19:00.000-07:00

Lucas is the greatest big brother. He is so protective of his sister. And such an amazing helper for me!

He gets his feelings a little hurt when she won't give him kisses and hugs. Poor guy, August is definitely in a Terrible (almost) 2 stage and everything is "No!" Any time he gets near she pushes him away. He calls her Braticus Maximus. LOL

But we know she still loves her big bro! She's always trying to copy him and do the things that he does. They really do get along so well and love each other so much! I hope they stay best friends always.

On August:
Romper: Made by me from the The Maliboo Romper pattern from Lil Blue Boo
Shoes: Toms
On Lucas:
Tee: Lego Star Wars Tee from Target a while back
Shorts: Old Navy
Shoes: The trusty green Converse

Linking to Small Style at Mama Loves Papa

Memorial Weekend style

2011-06-02T04:29:00.000-07:00

Sadly most of my Small Style posts are about August because I never remember to take pics of Luke before school and by the time he gets home he is usually a disaster. I swear he wears clothes everyday :) I will try to get better.

Saturday was the opening of our pool. Luke went to hockey and to the Strawberry Festival with his dad so August and I had a Girls Day by the pool.
On August:
Swimsuit: Calypso for Target
Hat: iPlay

All weekend long Rolling Thunder was in town and the main hotel they stay at is a block from our apartment. August was totally enamored with all of the bikes and every time she'd see a pack of them she'd get so excited and yell "Go! Go!" So on Sunday for the big ride she got decked out in her Harley gear and if it hadn't been so hot she would've been wearing her Frye motorcycle boots too. Needless to say she got a lot of attention!
On August:
Tunic: Made by me 3 Little Birds Stitch Co
Leggings: Old Navy

On Monday we played at the park...again....and went to the pool....again. We got to hang out with Luke and Augie's BFF Maya too! The kids had such a great time. I know August has worn this dress before for Small Style but Maya like them to match and so the fact that their dresses are the same style was good enough for her!
On August:
Dress: Made by me 3 Little Birds Stitch Co
Shoes: Target
On Maya:
Dress: Made by me 3 Little Birds Stitch Co
Flip flops: Calypso for Target
Hat: Paul Frank
On Luke:
Tee: Lucky Brand (from back when they used to do kids clothes)
Shorts: Hurley (picked up at Costco of all places)
Shoes: The infamous Converse!
Hat: Sailor Hat given to him by my brother

I want to win an iPad 2, you should enter too!

2011-05-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

Erin over at Design for Mankind is having a giveaway for an iPad 2 sponsored by Merida Home! An iPad 2 people! I want one so bad. So go and enter! And if you don't want it and you win you can send it to me!

Dinner with MiMi and PopPop

2011-05-19T06:31:00.000-07:00

Last night we had dinner with my parents who are in town from CO. My mom is actually here for the whole summer helping my sister out with my niece while waiting for the arrival of my nephew. And my dad came for just a few days for work.

We went to the Ted's Montana Grill that is below our building. Love that we have great restaurants that are so easy to walk to. The food was so delicious. August went nuts for the pickles that they bring out before your meal. She is totally my kid! I have to figure out how to make those. The wiki sticks they give the kids kept everyone entertained. Luke loves playing with those things. (That reminds me I should check his pockets before I do the laundry. Wiki Sticks in the dryer are never good)

August and MiMi

Luke and PopPop

Is she not the coolest? LOL

On August:
Dress: Made by me: 3 Little Birds Stitch Co
T-shirt: Splendid Littles
Shoes: Target. Were bought for my niece and she outgrew them after wearing them twice.
Hairclip: Lillianna Marie Designs
Sunglasses: Target dollar bins back in February

On Luke:
Tee: Hockey shirt my mom found for him
Jeans: Old Navy
Shoes: Converse from the GapKids

Linking to Small Style at Mama Loves Papa

KCWC Day 3

2011-05-12T07:15:00.000-07:00

So we all know that I'm a total Lil Blue Boo junky. After my fight on day 1 and 2 with the wovens I had to go back on day 3 to something I knew I could whip out without having to tear out seams and getting totally frustrated.

The sienna pattern is my go to and quite honestly it's one of the only things August will wear anymore. She refuses to wear most pants and shorts and then half of her dresses she tries to rip off. Ugh! The 2 year old independence is brewing. So on the agenda for today's sewing is more LBB dresses.
My mom sent this t-shirt for Augie because of her horse obsession. And I just did a real quick version with the same fabric for sleeves and the bottom ruffle.

If you love Ashley from LBB like I do then you'll be excited to know that she is offering a free pattern today over for Grosgrain's Free Pattern Month. It's the most adorable bustle back skirt. I think I'll try to make one for Augie in hopes that she'll wear it!

KCWC Day 1 and 2

2011-05-11T06:46:00.001-07:00

I only finished one dress in the first 2 days. Wovens and I do not have a happy relationship. I thought this little simple dress was gonna have me jumping off of the balcony between Sewing the collar on the wrong side and other mistakes that had nothing to do with the pattern and everything to do with distracted sewing! For this dress I used the Gracie Pattern by Mama Stellato. I don't see the pattern in her shop right now but I bet if you messaged her she would list it for you.
If you haven't tried out her patterns you absolutely should. They are awesome and super easy to follow with really great pictures to get you through. I used a plaid seersucker for the bottom and
green gingham for the collar. I forgot about the pocket which is optional. I still may go back and add it.

The only thing I did different was use elastic cord instead of the bias loop.

Guess what starts next week??

2011-05-04T20:08:00.001-07:00

This couldn't come at a better time since August has decided she will no longer wear pants or shorts. Like seriously freaks out and rips the offending item off. Who knew a not ever 2 year old could have such strong opinions on their clothes! I'm gonna even try to work on a few things for Luke! Wish me luck! And head over to elsie marley and join in the fun too!

Mama's Handme Down

2011-04-28T07:06:00.000-07:00

My mom wasn't really one to hold on to a lot of our childhood things. We were a military family and we moved a lot so my mom was really good at purging all of the unnecessary. But she did hold on to special things for us to have later on.

One of them was this dress. My MawMaw Anna made it for me when I was a baby. My sister and I both wore it. And now our girls can wear it. I love the fabric of this dress, I love the snap straps. I'm gonna try to knock it off and make her a few more like it because it's perfect for throwing on when it's warm out. Also it looks great over a tee.

Luke had hockey practice that night and it gets cold in there so she wore a sweater over it. This girl is so darn skinny, the sweater is a 6month one that she's been wearing for a year and a half!!

On August:
Dress: Vintage handmade
Shoes: Toms-Silver Sparkles
Purse: Olivia tote from Barnes and Noble

On Luke:
Tee: South of the Border
Shorts: Old Navy
Shoes: Converse from the GapKids

I'm linking up with Morgan over at Mama Loves Papa for Small Style Thursday, go check out all of these stylish munchkins!

Just In The Nick of Time

2011-03-30T22:13:00.000-07:00

I'll just apologize now for the crappy nature of these photos. I used the laptop to take pics of myself and it's after 1 in the morning...so this is what I get :)

I worked on this tonight while watching the Top Chef finale and just finished it up...the deadline is midnight PST. I was really inspired by the fabulous Shari of Soren Lorensen Design for my last entry in the Lil Blue Boo & Dharma Trading Co Design Challenge. I have a whole new appreciation for Shari for the patchwork dresses and shirts that she creates. Sewing all of those patches together and getting all the seams to line up is a lot of work!

I am pretty happy with the way it turned out. I will definitely be keeping this for myself to wear this summer.

The Forgotten Dress

2011-03-30T16:42:00.001-07:00

I made this dress a few weeks ago for the Lil Blue Boo / Dharma Trading Design Challenge and then promptly forgot about it and moved on to other projects. Thanks Mom for the reminder!!! I wanted to make a more summery sleeveless style for the coming summer.

I made this one with a drawstring neck so you can lengthen the straps as your child grows. This is also great layered over a long sleeve shirt. I'll have to try to get a picture of it styled like that tomorrow.

This idea for the applique has been floating around in my head since last year. I tried drawing it with a marker on a t-shirt but the marker ran all over the place. Then I thought to carve a stamp with the image.
I messed up carving the little details of the face so I just drew them on with a fabric marker afterward. After I stamped it I cut out the dress of the coordinating fabric and appliqued that on.

Carving stamps are really fun and SUPER easy if you have the right tools. I really like the Speedball Speedy-Stamp Blocks and the Speedball Linoleum Cutter Set from Dharma Trading Co. I've carved the harder linoleum blocks before but the Speedball Speedy-Stamp blocks are much easier to carve and I think you can get a crisper image. Try it, you'll like it!

At Least Someone Gets Excited About the Things I Make

2011-03-30T14:40:00.000-07:00

I made this little smocked romper for August for the Lil Blue Boo / Dharma Trading Design Challenge that ends tonight. I made rompers similar to this last summer for Augie and for my niece. I did them a little different this time around.

For this year's version I did a braided strap that is knotted in the back.

When picking the embellishment I was really stumped but then I saw this super cute stamp over on one of my favorite blogs, Jezze Prints, that looked like cross stitch and a light bulb went off.
I freehand cross-stitched little hearts and the border around where the blue meets the floral print.

Felted Sweater Coat

2011-01-08T05:34:00.000-08:00

I am such a bad blogger. I have made so many things that I just haven't taken the time to blog about. Like this little sweater coat I made for August out of some of my old sweaters that I had felted. Pulling heavily from inspiration from The Cottage Mama's sweater coat I whipped this up for Augie one night. If anyone is interested I'll try to put together a tutorial for how to do this.

My Review of Endless Adventures Easy Store Jr. Playslide

2011-01-02T07:51:00.001-08:00

When CSN offered me the chance to review one of their products I didn't hesitate in ordering the Little Tikes Endless Adventure Slide. This was by far the best Christmas gift under the tree. It was a gift for August but Luke and my 1 year old niece, Averie, had fun using it too! We could barely get the kids off the slide to open their other presents! And the entire time we were skyping my dad Augie was going up and down the slide. It was so funny! And don't worry....her head injury did not come from the slide! Notice the blankets at the bottom....my brother-in-law was getting nervouse since Augie will only go down head first.

It is super sturdy. I haven't had an issues with it even coming close to tipping over. It's already assembled when you get it so no frustration with taking hours to put it together. And living in a city apartment we LOVE that it folds for storage. We are so happy to have this now that it's been cold and we can't get to the park as often as we usually do.

Cyber Monday Coupon Code

2010-11-28T14:02:00.000-08:00

Always Thankful for my Most Awesome Family

2010-11-24T20:39:00.000-08:00

I will always be so incredibly thankful that I have these 2 in my life. They are my world and every day no matter how hard it is they make me smile and laugh. They make each day worth getting up for.
Lucas is just such a ray of sunshine. Augie and I went to his class the other day for their Thanksgiving party. We stayed in the classroom and Luke went down to the cafeteria to get his lunch. When he came back he had bought an extra milk for his sister. He is an incredibly thoughtful kid and the best big brother.August......my sweet little honey girl. In the last month or so she has FINALLY started saying Mama and I can't tell you how much it warms my heart to hear her follow me around all day saying Mama! And those sweet baby kisses....thankful for those too!

(My Mom and Dad)

(My Dad and Step-Mom)

I couldn't ask for better more supportive parents. I am such a lucky girl to have 2 sets of parents who I know that I can always count on. And even better they are all 4 the greatest grandparents to the munchkins. These are the kind of grandparents that will actually get down on the floor and play with the kids and make it all about them when we get to visit.

(My sister, my gorgeous niece and my brother-in-law)

I am so happy that my kids and I have my little sis and her family pretty close. We weren't BFF growing up but now I couldn't ask for a better best friend. And her hubs is so cool, he's even offered to keep all the kids so that I could go out with my sis. Brave man! Our girls are only 6 months apart and Lucas adores both of the girls. Honestly one of my dreams was to have my kids and their cousins get to grow up close together. I am so thankful that it is happening.

(My brother and my sis-in-law)

I wish I could pick up San Diego and move it closer to VA. I hate that my little bro and his wife live all the way across the country. It sucks! But I know how happy they are out there. My sis-in-law is my sounding board for all things creative. We plot and plan our joint business venture and they keep trying to get us to move out there. I am so thankful that they found each other because a more perfect couple can not be found.

CSN Christmas Wishlist

2010-11-22T19:37:00.000-08:00

I was over looking around on the CSN Stores website the other day and I realized I could do a ton of my Christmas shopping on their site and find something for everyone.

(Click on the pictures to connect to the site)

For the friend with an office job:
This is not your Mama's briefcase! Lug your laptop in style

For the friend that likes to be in the kitchen:
I have a similar one that my mom gave me. She knows how much I love cupcakes!

For the Giants fan:
What you're not a Giants fan???? Well then please leave and never come back! Just kidding!! They have other teams too

For good little girls:
Who doesn't love Melissa and Doug toys?? They are awesome and they last forever!

For good little boys:
I wish I could figure out how to teach Luke to ride his bike. He is kind of clumsy like me. I didn't learn to ride a bike until I was 9 or 10.

For your furry friend:
How awesome is this dog couch. It's cooler than my couch!

So much sewing

2010-11-20T08:45:00.000-08:00

I am getting ready for 2 more holiday craft shows that are coming up and I have been sewing up a storm. Hats and scarves and dresses and skirts. My poor kids hardly ever get anything made for them anymore. But I did take a little time the other day to make a skirt for August for holiday pictures. I think it looks a little Cindy Lou Who and I love it! I used this tutorial for the skirt.

I'm gonna pair it with this shirt if I can find it in her size for her to wear to visit Santa. I'm really praying that she will take a picture with Santa without too much fuss. Would that be too much to ask?

And I made this one for one of my customers. I can't wait to see it on her little girl.

Shutterfly Winner!

2010-11-14T10:05:00.001-08:00

Our winner for the Shutterfly holiday cards is Christina Ja! Congrats! I'll e-mail you the code. Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Ours has been full of hockey and birthday parties and hanging out with friends.

The Holidays are Coming, The Holidays are Coming!

2010-11-05T14:42:00.000-07:00

Yikes! It's November already...when did that happen? I am so not prepared for the Holidays to come. There are only 50 shopping days left til Christmas. I've just started thinking about our Christmas cards for this year. I'm crazy for Shutterfly. I think I signed up for an account with them right after Luke was born and I have used them for everything ever since. I ordered his birth announcements from them almost 8 years ago and let's just say things have definitely gotten better! I have made both kids birth announcements, ordered regular cards, photo books, poster sized prints, etc. You name it and I've probably bought it from Shutterfly. I have never ordered my Christmas cards from them though. But this year I am thinking about it early enough and their assortment of holiday cards is just too good to pass up. They have a card for every style.

From the traditional:

To the more modern:

There are ones if you want to use multiple images:

And even ones if you want to write a little newsletter:

I've got a treat for one lucky reader! Shutterfly offered me 50 free cards for sharing their cards on my blog but instead of using them for myself, I'm going to give them to one of you! You have the chances to win

Check out Shutterfly's holiday photo cards and post a comment here telling me which cards you'll choose if you win.

Follow 3 Little Birds Stitch Co and let me know you are a Follower.

"Like" 3 Little Birds Stitch Co on Facebook

Please leave a comment for each one and I'll pick a winner on Nov 13

Bringing home a baby bumble bee

2010-11-04T21:46:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post one more pic of August in her costume. On Halloween I finally got a decent one of her with all of her costume components.

How cool is this??

2010-11-04T19:02:00.000-07:00

Madsen makes these super awesome bikes and I totally want one! My kids would love this! Plus I could actually bike to get groceries and not have to limit it to one bag. Go check them out, you'll want one too!

Trick or Treat

2010-10-27T07:38:00.001-07:00

I had a really hard time deciding what to dress August up as for Halloween. Luke was easy, he decided after Halloween last year that he would be Darth Vader this year. We bought the mask and light saber and made the rest. The mask was a little hard to see through so he wore just the helmet part for most of the night.
I decided last minute to make August a bumble bee costume. We go to Boo at the Zoo at the National Zoo every year which forces me to have costumes done a week early. I used my very favorite pattern, the Sienna dress from Little Blue Boo, and whipped this out in a night.
I wasn't too happy with it once I had it on her. So I added a few more rows of ruffles on the bodice and also around the sleeves. Then I made her a little beret and attached antenna to it. Her wings are actually made for a cat, I got them at petsmart. Hey, whatever works! I am pretty proud that her whole costume only cost me the price of the wings... $3!

I got it!

2010-10-25T18:41:00.000-07:00

I am so excited about what I chose from CSN Stores. I actually decided to get something for myself.

I got the x-acto self-healing cutting mat!!! Ok...probably not the most exciting thing in the world but for me it is. First of all I always end up cutting on the floor so now I have a huge 24x36 surface to work on. Second I cut a lot of straight lines when I am making scarves (and I've been making a lot of scarves). So this allows me to use my handy rotary cutter and see through ruler and cut a lot of squares at a time and they edges aren't all jaggedy like they usually are when I cut with a scissors.

I used it the other day when I made a sweater coat for August and it was fantastic! Oh and for cutting tulle and all of the ruffles for Halloween costumes...again a god send! The CSN shipping was incredibly fast. I actually couldn't believe it. I ordered it late on a Tuesday night and I had it by Thursday afternoon, even though it said it would take a week or so to make it to me. I am super happy with my CSN experience this time! They more than made up for the crappy experience I had last time. I would definitely order from them again.

CSN Store Review

2010-10-12T11:27:00.000-07:00

I have shopped with CSN and reviewed products for them before and they recently contacted me to be a part of their Preferred Blogger Program and asked me to review another product! They really have almost everything you could want on their site that is made up of 200+ stores.

I love Paula Deen and they have her collection of furniture including really pretty bar furniture

And how about this bed? Love it!!!

Don't need furniture? How about kids stuff? In our house lego reigns supreme. Luke plays legos every day

August would go crazy for this little purse. She loves putting things in bags or buckets and taking them out again.

So stay tuned to see what I pick to review. I might actually get something for myself :)

That's Life

2010-10-12T06:38:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life gets in the way of blogging and life has been crazy lately so I haven't been keeping up with the blog. I finally bought the license for the Sienna dress from Lil Blue Boo so that I can sell the dresses I make.
Then I signed up for 3 craft shows in a row. So I spent a lot of time making dresses for those so that I could have a lot of stock. I also have had quite a few custom orders that I've had to keep on top of. Not to mention the crazy kiddos. But I'm gonna be back to blogging now that I am getting more organized and into a regular schedule of doing everything.

I have been making things:

This circle skirt from a tutorial over at MADE

A fun scarf for Luke out of t-shirts

And a matching hat from a tutorial over on I Am Momma Hear Me Roar.

T-shirt sleep pants for Luke. I even wrote a tutorial for these over here.
And a tutorial for this little top will be coming soon!

Kids Clothes Week: Day One

2010-09-21T19:52:00.000-07:00

The fabulous Meg at Elsie Marley is hosting Kids Clothes Week this week. She did it in the spring too but I didn't participate. I'm excited to be doing it this go round since August really needs some fall things and Lucas always is happy to test out whatever I make for him.

Monday was Day One and I made the Amelia Top from Mama Stellato. First off let me say whoever invented pdf patterns...I love them. I hate those old tissue patterns and once you cut them you only have the pattern in that one size. Now I save the patterns, I can print them whenever I need to. If I lose a piece (which is VERY likely to happen) I just go and print it again. And I only have to buy the pattern once but I can use it until the kids outgrow it!

This pattern was very well written and super easy to work with. I made a few mistakes but mostly because I didn't read the directions that thoroughly. I made the 2T so that I can layer it over long sleeves for winter. I used this brushed flannel-y fabric that I got for FREE from a friend and a little floral trim also from the same friend. So this shirt cost me $0.00!

I still need to add a button to the top but I didn't have any and I didn't make it to the store. All in all I love this top and will be making more.

The Great Ugly Knit Upcycle Contest

2010-08-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

Remember this ugly fabric that Augie picked out of a pile of other ugly fabrics?

It has now become this! I made kind of a swingy peasant top. Once you have a basic sloper of a raglan you can change it up and do all kinds of variations to make it look completely different. It has a a stretchy elastic neck and also at the 3/4 sleeves. I also made the leggings which were so incredibly simple. I didn't even use a pattern just a pair of leggings that fit August now.
I added some little flowers on the shoulder. She also got a knotted headband. Up until yesterday she wouldn't leave a thing on her head. But I have found the secret to getting her to leave it on. I just show her herself in the mirror. She loves looking at herself, it's funny!

Brace yourself for a whole lotta ugly

2010-08-14T22:10:00.000-07:00

There is still time.....grab a serious pile of UGLY and turn it into something fantastic! The Lil Blue Boo Great Ugly Knit Upcycle ends August 15th at midnight Pacific time. I am going to try to make something out of the ugliness pictured above. As usual I waited until the last possible day to figure something out. Let's just hope it looks like something when I'm done!

They Like Me, They Really, Really Like Me

2010-08-05T10:11:00.001-07:00

I started a Fan Page over on Facebook. I was pretty surprised that the first day I already had 25 fans. Of course most of them are my family :) Anyway, I'm having a giveaway to go along with starting my Fan Page. All you have to do is "Like" my Facebook page. If you feel like it share it with your friends and have them "Like" my page and let me know that you sent them. You will be entered for you and then also for each friend that you send. I will pick a winner on August 25.

For me??

2010-08-04T22:05:00.001-07:00

Disclaimer: Please ignore the lack of makeup, bad hair, wrinkles (mine and the shirt's) and the odd picture taken by my 7 year old.

I finally got around to making something for myself. I'm totally a sweatshirt girl but I want to still look kind of decent and not like the frump-a-lump mom at the bus stop. So when I got a whole ton of this blue french terry in a bagful of knit fabrics from a fellow freecycler I knew I had to come up with something for me. I threw this together. It has dolman sleeves and a boatneck. I also added the stars with reverse applique. It is so incredibly comfy and I surprisingly got a few compliments when I wore it out the other day. Definitely more to come!

You so Ugly!

2010-07-30T18:06:00.000-07:00

So Ashley at Lil Blue Boo is having an Ugly knit contest. And I'm so glad she extended the deadline to August 15th because I still have no idea what to make. You can make anything, it doesn't have to be clothes and you don't have to use one of her patterns. You don't even need to sew. It just has to be 50% ugly knits. I traded with Adrianna who I met over on the LBB Facebook page. Her mom used to own a fabric store and had all of these great 80s knits.
Augie immediately grabbed this out of the pile of stuff she sent me. Pretty ugly but I think it has potential! Stay tuned.

Good Grief!

2010-07-08T17:09:00.001-07:00

It's been almost a month since I last blogged. That sucks! I guess we were pretty busy around here with school ending for Luke and all the festivities that go along with that and then planning and executing Augie's party. Oh and interviewing for a job. I really meant to write some posts but I just didn't have the time. But I have actually been keeping busy.

Have you heard of Lil Blue Boo? Kind of a dumb question...of course you have! Anyway, Ashley is the awesome designer behind Little Blue Boo and she makes the most fabulous dresses out of upcycled knits. I haven't been so lucky as to actually snag one of her dresses but I did buy the pattern for the Sienna dress. And now...I'm an ADDICT! I can't stop making them. Literally I am making a dress or 2 a day. It's getting a little out of hand. I think I'm going to have to start selling them because August and my niece, Averie, really do not need that many dresses!
This is the first one I ever made back before I had my serger. Let me tell you, the serger makes all the difference!

These 2 are for my niece Averie. The guitar shirt is one that used to be Luke's. The star fabric on the Spiderman dress I printed myself.
This is my new favorite. I love the sleeves on this one!
Our friend's daughter came an spent 2 days with us and while she was here she designed her own dress. And of course we had to make a matching hair accessory! This was the first one I made for a bigger kid that actually has a say in what she wears and it was so much fun!!!!
LBB has a twirl skirt pattern that she will be releasing soon but I couldn't wait! I had to give it a go on my own. (Did I ever mention that I have a fashion design degree from FIT and that children's wear was my specialization?)
Luke was getting jealous of all of these clothes that were being made for the girls so I modified the dress pattern and made him a shirt out of one of Russ' old shirts. He was so happy!

So that's what I have been making lately. I promise I will do a post on Augie's birthday party once I get permission from my awesome photographer friend to use the most beautiful pictures she took!

MADE inspired dress

2010-06-11T06:05:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the week Dana over at MADE posted the cutest dress that she made for her niece with the promise that the pattern would soon follow later this week. All week I have been thinking about that dress and how August needed a dress like that. I kept checking her blog every day hoping to see the pattern. Yesterday I couldn't take it anymore, I drafted my own pattern for something similar and stitched it up last night. Today Dana posted the pattern for her dress. If you haven't discovered her site yet, you must. She is pretty amazing and uber creative!

I need to embellish it still and I think I might cut this one off to make it more of a top. I made it to straight so it rides up a bit when Augie tries to walk. On the next one I will widen the bottom a bit. Thanks Dana for the inspiration and all the ideas!!!

Almost 1

2010-05-27T08:33:00.000-07:00

In less than a month my sweet, little baby girl is going to be ONE! I can't believe how fast this year has gone by. I have started planning her birthday party and I am not gonna lie, I'm a little crazy for parties.
I bought this outfit for her to wear at her birthday party from Janie and Jack before she was born....did I mention I am a little crazy. The entire theme of the party is based on this outfit. It has cupcakes and candy and cakes and ice cream on it. So we are doing a sweets themed party. I will be sharing some of my ideas and the things I make for the party with you. As soon as I can find my camera. I think one of the kids must have gotten it and taken it off to an unknown location. I am going on a hunt for it today!

MIA

2010-05-26T12:08:00.003-07:00

My camera has gone missing but as soon as I find it some good things are coming :)

Things I am scared of today

2010-05-20T10:23:00.001-07:00

1. My new serger. It's sitting there on the table waiting for it's first run but I am really petrified of it. I have always wanted one and now that I have it I am to scared to use it. Ugh!

2. Making a slipcover. We have an old, ugly couch that is so big and comfortable. Russ loves it. I don't mind it, I just want it to look prettier. I want it to have a nice, white slipcover. And I "want" to make it because that's the cheapest way to go.

via Shabby Chic

Over at Pink and Polka Dot Kristi shares tips on making slipcovers. She has even put together an eBook called The Lazy Girls Guide to Custom Slipcovers. I should probably buy that.

3. Parrots. My sister-in-law was talking about her neighbor's parrot that talks to her every morning and that totally freaks me out. Big birds like that scare the crap out of me.

4. Putting my kids in daycare and going back to work. My year home is almost up and I am looking for a job again. When the day comes it is going to kill me to drop August off at daycare. She doesn't do well with other people and I can only imagine how scared she will be because she won't have any clue what's going on. Luke will be fine, he has actually been asking this school year if he can go to the after school program at his school with his friends.

I don't like being away from my midgets.

What happened to the giveaway?

2010-05-13T09:06:00.001-07:00

So I haven't been able to pick a winner for the giveaway because CSN isn't sure if they have the bags. I am really disappointed in the service. It has been over a week since they told me they aren't sure if they can get the bags and I still haven't received an answer. I can't believe that this is the way they do business. And imagine if this is the run around I am getting after being asked to do a review of their service and website what kind of service you would get otherwise.

And the shoes I ordered for August from CSN.....yeah the shipping has been delayed twice now. I am totally pissed. I will most likely never order from them again. It is just too much trouble.

In the meantime I am trying to come up with something else to giveaway in place of the bags. I am sorry!

Using what you have

2010-05-04T20:08:00.000-07:00

My sister-in-law is one creative chick. This girl can make something out of nothing. And no one can shop a thrift store the way she does. I am after her to start a blog but so far I have not been very persuasive.

(Michelle and Vin- Aren't they cute?)

The other day she asked me for ideas for how she could store her plethora of bracelets, did I mention she has a bit of a jewelry collection. The only idea I could come up with was maybe a paper towel holder. A little while later I got this picture.

How great is that?! Vases!!! I love the way it looks. Go check out her etsy shop, Everyday Zen, if you need to add to your jewelry collection. She is having a Just Because sale right now and everything is 30% off!

Don't forget to enter my Giveaway for the Thomas Paul clutch!

New shoes for Augie and a Giveaway for you!

2010-04-29T11:03:00.000-07:00

This weekend I took August looking for shoes. She had been standing up and trying to walk and her little feet need some protection. I decided I wanted to get her Robeez because I had used those for Luke and we loved them. I had my heart set on this pair. Aren't they so cute?!

Unfortunately none of the stores at the mall had them in her size. And if you know me, you know that once I am decided on something that is it. So we left the mall with no shoes. I started looking online for them and that is when I discovered CSN. It's a shopping website made up of over 200 stores! And let me tell you, they have everything. You can find a corner tv stand or new pots and pans, even a handbag. Two things I really like, almost everything has free shipping and if you have found the item online for cheaper you can let them know and they will make you an offer.

And now you are going to get the chance to win something fabulous that I have picked out from their store just for my followers as a little Thank You!

I am in love with these little pouches by designer Thomas Paul. I think it would be perfect to carry my credit card and keys in every morning when Augie and I do our morning walk to Starbucks. I decided to get the parakeet one for myself and if you win you can pick whichever one you want.

The details:

-You must be a follower of this blog to enter. Once a follower, simply comment on this post (One entry per person.)

-For one additional entry, post about this giveaway on your blog. Once you have done so, leave a comment on this entry with a link to your post.

-Open to residents of the US and Canada

-Enter by May 9th. I will announce the winner on Monday, May 10th.

Good Luck friends!!!

Sunshine Day

2010-04-27T18:02:00.000-07:00

Today it was so beautiful out so as soon as Luke got home from school we went outside to play.

He loves riding his scooter around on the tennis courts and Augie is happy to crawl back and forth and watch her Bigs.

We tried to blow bubbles but it was so windy they flew away too fast.

Then the wind knocked the bottle of bubbles over and of course the lid was not on.

Didn't matter because we were having fun!

I need a pickup truck

2010-04-08T09:26:00.000-07:00

I so wish I had a pickup truck. If I did I would buy this

I found this adorable desk/ sewing table on Craigslist. I love it. For 50 bucks it could be yours.

Wedding headband that we forgot to wear :(

2010-04-06T14:40:00.000-07:00

My cousin got married this weekend and August was wearing one of the Liberty of London dresses that my mom got her. She needed a little accessory to go with it so I decided to make her a headband.

I found this ginormous daisy at Michaels for $0.99

It was a little too big for Augie's head so I took it apart to remove some of the bottom petals. I had no idea it was so easy to get these things apart. Just pop of the center and you are good to go.
Next I took a piece of lace and fan folded it and then stitched through the pleated part a couple of times to hold it together.Do not cut the thread once you have stitched the lace. Thread the daisy petals onto the string through their center hole.
Take a couple of stitches through the petals to keep them stacked and centered. Then add a button to the center.

I then glued mine to a ribbon covered alligator clip but you could sew it directly onto a headband or onto a pin back.
Here she is in the dress. Notice no headband. She had it on when we were getting ready to leave and then she threw a major fit and ripped it off. In the rush of everyone getting ready I forgot it on the table so she ended up not wearing it. Boo :( I will try to get a picture of her in it later.

The Second Annual $5 Challenge

2010-03-25T19:36:00.000-07:00

I didn't participate last year in Living with Lindsay's $5 Challenge but it sounded like fun so I decided to give it a shot. Here is what I came up with:

A magnetic photo holder and a hair bow holder. Now that Augie has enough hair her collection of hair clips has grown and we needed a place to store them. I made both of the these for $3 plus whatever the tax was. Each tray was a buck and a package of 8 magnets was a buck.

The How To

(I apologize for how lame this is. Clearly I need to work on my tutorial writing skills)

You can see how lovely and shiny the trays are and that I bought 3 but only got around to making 2. Give them a couple coats of spray paint. I used Rust-oleum American Accents in Heirloom White.

Make a paper pattern for the center of your tray to use when you cut out the fabric or scrapbook paper. For the oval tray I just used a scrap piece of paper and pushed it down into the recess and then traced it with a pencil. Not an exact science. For the circular tray I found a plate that fit inside of the tray and traced that.

Cut out your fabric or paper. For the paper I used my scallop scissors. Check the fit inside of the tray before you glue it in.

Mod Podge those bad boys on. I put a generous amount of the Mod Podge on the tray and then put the fabric and paper on top and added more Mod Podge. Then when the coat dried, I Mod Podged some more. I wouldn't do it all sloppy like I did because it was a pain cleaning up the edges later.

And speaking of edges....Look how messy and frayed the edges of the fabric circle turned out. UGLY.

I glue gunned some vintage trim that I got from Freecycle around the edge and then used some of the ribbon and a button to cover the cut edges of the trim.

On the magnet for the picture holder I added a little dimensional scrapbook sticker that I had.

For the hairbows the metal of the clips just sticks right to the magnets.

This about sums up my days

2010-03-24T07:03:00.000-07:00

If You Give a Mom a Muffin

If you give a mom a muffin,

She'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.

She'll pour herself some.

Her three-year-old will spill the coffee.

She'll wipe it up.

Wiping the floor, she'll find dirty socks.

She'll remember she has to do laundry.

When she puts the laundry in the washer,

She'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.

Bumping into the freezer will remind her

she has to plan for supper.

She will get out a pound of hamburger.

She'll look for her cookbook

("101 Things To Do With a Pound of Hamburger").

The cookbook is setting under a pile of mail.

She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.

She will look for her checkbook.

The check book is in her purse

that is being dumped out by her two-year-old.

She'll smell something funny.

She'll change the two-year-old's diaper.

While she is changing the diaper, the phone will ring.

Her five-year-old will answer and hang up.

She'll remember she wants to phone a friend for coffee.

Thinking of coffee will remind her

that she was going to have a cup.

And chances are... If she has a cup of coffee,

Her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

~author unknown

Do you read the book before seeing the movie?

2010-03-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

Luke and I finally finished reading The Lightning Thief tonight. Luke has really been into Greek mythology since last year so last summer the girl in the bookstore was telling us about this series so we picked it up. No it didn't take us 9 months to read it. We started it then we moved and got all discombobulated and didn't pick the book back up until last month. We had to start over at the beginning since it had been so long since we started reading it. It is well worth it. We read a chapter or two every night and it was really hard to put it down.

We didn't know that they were releasing this as a movie when we bought the book. I am a firm believer in always reading the book before watching the movie. Is anybody else like that? Now we both want to see the movie, I'll have to line up a babysitter. Oh, and I am gonna have to go buy book 2 tomorrow. We are both dying to know what happens next!

Freecycle Friday

2010-03-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

I love wooden high chairs but who knew they were so freaking expensive!? With Luke we had your standard plastic high chair and it worked fine but I just didn't love it. It was big and bulky and PLASTIC :( So with August I was on a mission to find a wooden high chair. A few things about wood high chairs:

They are very hard to find. Babies R Us had one in the store and it wasn't the style or color I was hoping for.
The ones that I liked were incredibly expensive. Who pays $300-$1000 dollars for a high chair?

So what's a mother to do? Well while I was on the quest to find a high chair one was listed on my Freecycle group!! I quickly e-mailed the person and was lucky enough to get it.

Here it is in all it's glory. It needs a little work and now that the weather is nice I think I will finally be able to get outside and sand it and paint it.

Freecycle Friday

2010-03-12T10:02:00.000-08:00

Does anyone else love Freecyce as much as I do? Recently I got bags and bags of vintage ribbon and lace from this very sweet older lady who said these were in her mother in laws collection. I only took a picture of a little bit of it. Stay tuned for what I make out of this

Blocks 3 and 4

2010-03-12T09:45:00.000-08:00

August has this little teapot toy that she got for Christmas and she loves it. She loves the songs that it plays and "dances" to it. So I had to incorporate it into my sampler. I may go back and put faces on the cup and teapot just like the toy has. I'm not sure yet.

The songs are really catchy and I find myself singing them all the time in a british accent of course! But what's even funnier is hearing big bad biker daddy singing them!

Block 2....I'm not in love

2010-03-09T12:00:00.000-08:00

One of August's many nicknames is Littles. She is Littles and Luke is Bigs. I think it's so cute so I wanted to add it in one of my squares but to tell you the truth I am not really loving this square. I kind of want to rip it out and try again but I am afraid of what that would do to the fabric. Any thoughts?

Crisis averted

2010-03-05T13:10:00.001-08:00

Phew! It dried and all of the purple splotches did eventually disappear. Thank goodness! Since tis is a stitch sampler I am going to try to learn some different stitches. On the top and right side I tried the stitch called Palestrina stitch and I learned how to do it here. Not too shabby for my first try if I do say so myself.

Disappearing Ink???

2010-03-05T12:15:00.000-08:00

Last night during Project Runway I finally got going on my piece for the Stitchalong. I decided to do 25 blocks since August was born on the 25th. It's the only number I could come up with that had some kind of meaning and made sense aesthetically. And yes, I wrote a list of different things I want to embroider in the boxes. I used a disappearing ink pen to draw out my grid and also to draw my first motif, a little bluebird.

I waited until this morning to take a picture so that I would have some sunlight. I decided to use a Q-tip and little water to get the "disappearing" ink off. And as soon as I touched the water to it the ink spread. Uh oh...

I added more water and it spread more and looked even worse...

In a total panic I took it to the sink and wet it down. It seems to be going away now but my grid is disappearing too :( I will try to take a picture of it later once it's all dry.

I want to Stitchalong

2010-03-03T07:43:00.001-08:00

So I was checking out one of my favorite blogs, MaryJanes and Galoshes, and I saw that she is participating in Inspire Co.'s Stitchalong. I have been wanting to do some kind of stitched wall hanging for August to celebrate her birth and I think this is such a great way to do it. You stitch one 1 inch block every day. I think I will do 52 blocks, one for each week of Augie's first year. I have to play catch up today because I am a couple days behind. I am off to gather up some materials so I can get started!

The first of (hopefully) many

2010-03-02T20:33:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about doing this for a while, so here I go.

I have always loved to make things and try out new ideas but it kind of got pushed to the back burner as I got older and had more responsibilities like work and my crazy, wonderful son. But last year brought our new addition, my sweet baby girl, and I have been lucky enough to stay home with the kids since June. I have had a little time on my hands and my sister-in-law has really sparked my creativity. I hope this blog will keep the fire lit and push me to keep making things I love. And maybe just maybe someone else might get inspired.