Somewhere in the middle

I started this project on Thursday and thought I would finish it this last weekend, but let me tell you something...didn't happen. Why didn't it happen? Well, it may have had something to do with us having company for dinner on Saturday or the fact that the weather was abnormally gorgeous for March in the Northeast US. 72 people, sun shining, children bike riding, mommies walking, frisbees flying weather. We were out in it as much as possible and I don't regret it one bit. But I am looking forward to getting back to these little pieces and bringing them together.

I finally found a way to use the Moda Candy Bars I got for my birthday a couple years ago! These babies will one day be a beautiful table runner :) And the solid pieces...I am little embarassed to say but you know fabric is fabric. Those are from a pillowcase that has been shoved in a closet for years. Am I cheap or what?!?!?!

Jeans to Skirt

There are tutorials for this project everywhere on the internet. I didn't follow one but rather looked at a picture and took it from there. Spring pea has a few pairs of jeans but really, honestly...she wears skirts or dresses 6 out of seven days. She is my girly girl. So hear it is....

This project was so easy! I added the white ruffle detail in the back for a little interest and additional girliness. I just ruffled the white fabric and sewed it onto the piece I inserted...VOILA!

Looks like I am not going to have to purchase much from the retail shops this season. She loves things made especially for her and I love making things AND saving some money. Win for both of us...right?

Something Special: Kiddie Cuisine

I am SO excited to introduce you to my dear friend Melani. She is a super mommy and wife and I am always so impressed with the effort and heart she puts into everything she does. She has always been like that. She'll be back next week to share some more of her cuteness. Take it away Melani!

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I am not really sure how this whole blog thing works, I keep trying to come up with some catchy one-liner to grab your attention, but I figured, what the heck, might as well get started! Blogging is my chance to post my mommy rants, "magical" ideas, and other random happenings. We all know how hectic nights can turn into stressful mornings, so you ask.... what about adorable lunches...

Moms, many of us work... we don't have the time to be with our kids and I know that I feel guilty about that a lot. One of the cute things we CAN do to show them we are thinking about them, is to send them off with some "envy-packing" lunches. My wonderful friend (Megan Fargason) set the bar for what is called Bento lunches, and all moms for that matter (thanks a lot Megan <---- enter hint of sarcasm, but genuine love here!) LOL. She posted pictures of the adorable lunches she made for her daughter. Well me, being a mom who wants to rise to the challenge, started experimenting. If you have yet to see a cute bento lunch, here is a great link to get some ideas swirling. The first lunch I made was rather simple

It was a turkey and cheese sandwich, cut into a circle, and the rest is made out of cheese as well (ears, whiskers, nose, eyes) The tricky part is carving all of those things, I used a straw to poke the cheese for the eyes, I simply cut the nose into that shape as well as the whiskers and ears, and as for the cheese for the mouse, I made squares and once again used the straw to poke holes. Bento lunches are all about creativity. If you can think it, you can do it! His next lunch.... well that was also easy, it was a bear! Again lots of circles, the ears, eyes, and nose are grapes.... attached by toothpicks... and then I put little cupcake liners in with chocolate graham crackers and sliced carrots. Super easy, super fun... and the best part is they love these lunches! The third lunch was my attempt at Mater... let me say, I did this once and will only do it once. It was not difficult, but I used so much "extra'' stuff that he wouldnt eat that it kind of wasnt worth it! Plus he loved this SO much that he wanted to save it! LOL...needless to say the teachers will think you are AAAAAAmazing, the other kids all love them, and your child.... they feel extra special! There are tons of cute ways to make lunches special. You can write a note on a banana ...

you can tuck a card in their lunch, write on a napkin... even just cut out a heart, dinosaur... whatever cookie cutter you have WILL work! It doesnt need to be as in depth as some of these bentos... just taking the extra minute to do something special will mean the world to them! Remember like everything in life, it isn't about quantity, it is about quality. Regardless of if you are a "working" mother (I put this in quotations because that statement is kind of moronic since all mothers work!) or a stay at home mom... we are all busy, we all have too much on our plate, and we all want the best for our kids. These lunches may take you some extra time, some extra thinking, but if you exhaust your resources, get creative and just do it... your kids will thank you for it later. They are only small once, just think, in high school this would be SOOOOOO embarrassing (<---- keeping that in mind as a form of punishment) LOL. Dont let the hectic nights and stressful mornings take away from what matters most; the quality of your family life and time! <3


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Thanks Melani! Tomorrow I will be sharing another repurposing project. Come back on by :)

Quilt Pattern to Skirt

First, I saw this new pattern by Pat Sloan, Amelia's Spring Delight. Purchase it here.

Then, I saw what Amy of Amy's Creative Side did with it here. A table runner. I am in L-O-V-E!

Then, I actually won a pattern!!! I rarely win anything so I was super excited. While I was waiting I kept envisioning the applique on a skirt for Spring Pea. It arrived on Saturday and I spent yesterday afternoon working on it. I am thrilled with how it turned out!

What do you think? I love how bright and cheery it is. I plan to use this pattern again and again, including for its intended purpose.

An Outfit for Every Occasion

That's my daughter's mantra. So with St. Patrick's Day coming we needed something special...."Something that says,St. Patty's Day is here. Don't pinch me!" That was how spring pea explained it to me. I about died laughing. Seriously, I don't know where she gets this stuff. Well since I knew it was going to worn a whopping one day since she will probably have outgrown the shirt I wanted to use things we already had. One of her requests that is wasn't all yucky green, because she is a girl you know ;)

Here is the finished product. I used the tutorial for reverse applique over at Sweet Verbana

The picture doesn't show the true colors well, but it is a soft pink tshirt. This shirt was about to get thrown out because of a stain smack in the middle of the front, BUT it was saved by a reverse applique project. The fabric inside is the required St. Patty's green with some of the required girly pink. This was from a fat quarter bundle I picked up at Joann's on sale a number of months back.

What about you? What are you wearing for St. Patty's Day?

Carried Away

I just recently replaced my giant, heavy laptop with a netbook so it would be easier to take with me on the go. And of course my immediate thought was....it needs a case. So I looked online and was just not overly excited about anything I saw when I thought....hey, my good friend Amy over at Amy's Creative Side did a tutorial a while back :)

She used it to make herself a laptop case and one for her iPad too. She gives directions for figuring out the measurements. For my 10.1 in netbook my two main pieces (after pieced together) were 12" x 22". I used an Oops a Daisy charm pack by Moda.

Isn't it adorable? I love this fabric. If a bunch of it showed up at my front door you would be able to hear me for miles :) Anyway, I sewed 4 charms together and then cut those rows in half lengthwise to make 2.5" strips and then sewed those strips together :) The lining is a solid flannel (from a pillowcase we don't use anymore) to keep things soft inside.

What do you think? I am really happy with how it turned out. My husband even liked it so I made him a masculine one last night. The tutorial is excellent and easy to follow. You should totally head over and check it out! If you are a quilter, you should check out Amy's book Modern Basics. It is colorful and easy to read with beautiful quilt designs that even a beginner can do!

Modern Mini Challenge

I still consider myself VERY much a beginner when it comes to sewing and quilting. Jennifer over at Ellison Lane Quilts is hopsting a Modern Mini Challenge. I figured it was the perfect chance to try out some new things. Now, my finished product isn't complicated looking but it took me quite a bit and I got to try some border on a small scale and applique. Plus, my daughter loves it.

This first picture is after I finished the applique itself but before I sewed it into the top. I ended up doing a raw edge applique.

Isn't she sweet? She reminds me of my little girl when she was 3. So then I added two contrasting borders, stitched in an eye nose and a mouth, sewed on some pearl barrettes and added a bedazzled flower on the dress :)

And finally I added the backing and some ties so it could be hung. I also included a pocket the width of the hanging for my daughter to keep her special notes and cards in. It turned out better than I imagined. It finished off at 20 inches tall by 13 inches wide.

Thanks for visiting!