Craft time

Mother Daughter craft time!  

Christmas is upon us and cold weather finally hit Georgia today...the cold, wet, dreary, gray sky kinda winter

day.  No outdoors and thank goodness I had planned ahead.  Craft time! Today it was all about our ornament addition to our Christmas tree.  Since my hubby and I got married we would go to the nearby Just Kiln'Time and paint our ornaments and date it.  In a spin off of that idea I went in search of the simple, clear ornaments found at our local Hobby Lobby.

All we needed was some glitter, some paint, and some super cute toddler hand to create our fun new ornaments. 

Gold glitter

Colorful glitter

  The glitter inside was super easy!  Take some liquid soap, or floor wax, pour it inside the ornament. Make sure to get all of the inside wet.  Pour the glitter inside and shake shake shake (created a paper cone for easy pour.)  Sophia was a great shaker!  Place the lids back on and had a blast painting!

This might just be our new Christmas tradition! 

Who Who's that girl

Did not want to let too much time pass before I finally posted my little owl and her costume for Halloween 2011.  She's such a hoot and so wise for her age (her name means wisdom) that there seemed no better choice for her this year but to be Sophia the Wise Owl (as we called her!)  It was super easy costume to make.  Loved how bright and cheery it came out, fitting for a happy owl!  All I needed was some fleece, felt (found on the clearance bins at Hobby Lobby) and left over fabrics from previous projects!  

Whoo Whoo!

Ready!

Our Perched Owl !

Taking Flight, Her own special way lol!

 Special Special thanks to Over the Rainbow Creations for a fabulous job on the hat.  Can't wait for more! 

Current things in the works, Christmas gifts!  So will add a few small projects that I can post before Christmas.

Happy Crafting!

Happy Anniversary!

Happy 3rd Anniversary!  Traditional gift is leather and do not worry I have that part covered lol.  But not something I could make myself (yet).  Wanted to do something that would just encourage us in times when our schedules were running us in different directions.  Wanted something to allow for Love Notes or such,
something to let the unspoken 'spoken.'

Pinterest to the rescue again!  Found the cutest idea, "I heart you because _____________" Frame.  Yes,I
love frames LOL  A frame where we could express why we love each other daily!  Lift each other up and love on each other !  Being that we are on a budget I hit up my favorite antique shop and it did not disappoint.  Frame $5, spray paint (with coupon) $1.29, memories for years to come PRICELESS.

Before:  Baby frame, plate stand with paper and spray paint.

At the end, the initial idea went out the window. LOL  Green papers did not get used and spray paint got used more: bronze paint on the stand and the inside frame border.

Finally!  Love frames in stands :)

I love you!

To do..

So I gave in to the Pinterest craze, and I am in love.  Just another means to add projects to the pile of projects I already have in my 'to do' pile LOL! No more sleep for this mama! 

Seems I seem to have a never ending to do list,  it seemed fitting to get organized before the busy holiday season starts with gifts and projects in between fun fall outings and celebrations.  First stop, 'To Do List' frame.  

On Sunday evenings, I often sit down to make a weekly/daily to do list.  I would print out the weekly calendar and go to town.  Some days I ended up with a notepad adding things or taking notes etc.  The amount of paper I have been consuming has been WAY too much!  I love reusing and re-purposing so when I saw the 'To do' frame it became number 1 on my to do!

Kept it simple as "It is just a to do list!" as my hubby reminded me! :)

Winter Warmers

Went on this organizing and de-clutter rampage, and wouldn't you know I found fleece! Old blankets, some given to me and some just leftover from previous projects.   Did not want to let it go to waste.  After some some research I found Delia Creates and her ear warmers; love at first sight.  Little Monkey is ready for winter!

 Snowy white with flowers

 Pretty in Pink with pleats and flowers

 Simple project to do and so much you can do with it!  Great DIY project!

Check out Delia Creates for tutorial and have fun experimenting!

Hidden Finds

With the intentions of revamping our little monkey's room to a more girlie toddler room, my eyes have been peeled for some serious finds.  Since we did not find out the sex of the munchkin until birth, I did not have the luxury of going crazy with the room then...so now it is the time.  Or so that is my excuse!

Previous finds were for a 'study' corner (desk,shelf etc) as well as a shelving unit for the book addiction!  Also worked on a 'framed' bow holder.  Two things I had been trying desperatly to find, a lamp and a rug.  

This past week while out and about with my sister, we hopped in to the same antique shop where the previous finds were found.  Awesome Awesome place.  Well, went in for my sister, came out with the lamp.  Fell in love with it because of the base (and $).  Also matches great with the theme of the room (check previous blog!)  What I did not like was the style of the shade, shape and frills.  So why not change it up a bit!  

Growing Growing....but not yet Grown!

Our little one is growing, and of course that means changes.  Since I love a good project, I started turning our monkey's room a little more toddler friendly.  Limited budget and not owning our current home meant getting creative.  Few finds at an antique shop did a quick change up, for now lol!

The window frame hair bow holder is up, desk is in, and now that I finished painting, we can add .... 

to finish the study area.  A little painting to match a big girl's covers :)

And below the 'study area' as it is today.  One more addition still
to come!

First things first, must pick the bow for the day!

My how time flies. Before we know it we will be redoing the room for a teenager!

Framed to keep!

Just when you think a girl does not need another one, you see it and you must have it.  In the life of a little girl, one just can not have enough bows!  The dilemma, where do you keep them; keep them nice and ordered or keep them from being misplaced?  In an attempt to keep all bows (and the growing collection!) in one place I needed to either find a hair bow holder or just make one myself.  Well of course, I enjoy a project.  With chicken wire and an old window frame....voila!

Bows and a little bit extra!

Looking forward to seeing this garden of bows grow with my monkey!

Project Pillowcase April

Sunny Days!  Bright Sunny Days!
Let's celebrate such glorious sunny days with a sun hat!  Figured I could not go wrong making a sun hat for our little one. Since it serves multiple purposes:  pure cuteness, sun protection, shading it seemed worthy of giving it a try.



Used 2 pillowcases for this project, one solid color and one with pattern.  The combinations are endless so will definitely be doing this one again.  Ready for good times!

Project Pillowcase February and March

Yes I know but a resolution is a resolution and behind on it or not I did want to make an attempt to keep up with my sewing resolution.  So I have been working hard on catching up with months past until I have caught up to date. Happy to announce that I am getting there. After a busy spring with birthdays, weddings, projects etc. I am now back in the swing of things and working out my project pillowcase resolution.  Whew!

For project pillowcase February I wanted to do something along the line of staying in, enjoying time together, with a little personal touch.  Happy to finally be posting the final product. With a few pillowcases in hand I set out to do coasters!  Cheers! 

Then March came and went but I knew Project Pillowcase March needed to prepare for the great outdoors and for this ATL heat!  Why not make our little one a sweet summer dress; here is to a different kind of pillowcase dress. 

Sweet girl picking flowers in her new dress.

Going Places!

Babywearing Bash

Before I even thought of becoming a mother, my thoughts on newborns revolved around quiet, cute babies, cuddled in blankets, playing on bouncies, eating and sleeping/sleeping and eating, diapers, diapers and more diapers.  Not once while growing up or once in my early adult world did I think twice about baby wearing.  It was not until my husband and I started researching home-births that this whole new world of cloth diaper, breastfeeding, baby-wearing, crunchy world appeared and I fell in love.  It just made sense.  Keep it simple, keep in natural.

As I researched on through my 9 months of pregnancy into this whole new world, the more I got super excited that I was privileged enough to join it.  Baby-wearing was tackled last when it came down to choosing most important things. I knew I wanted to baby wear, the choices were endless and I was clueless.  We received two carriers as gifts prior to our precious arrival.  Not being well informed, we tried and tried and just ended with a frustrated baby or frustrated, hurting mama.  So I looked further into carriers...needed to know what worked for what age group, which ones were rated good for support, which ones I could use for nursing out and about, good for hiking, front or back carrier or both, forward facing, washable, long lasting, buckle carriers, slings, or wraps and was the price right?  Whew!  Yes a little overwhelming but I was determined.

I was determined to get things done around the house as a new mom without neglecting my little one.  I was determined to be able to carry my little one and soothe her as she needed.  Determined to go places and not feel hindered by a stroller or my back hurting from just carrying my baby.  Determined to multi-task: make dinner or do laundry while soothing the baby! Maybe even get in some exercise.

My Finds:
Maya Ring sling, Moby wrap and our newest addition the Boba carrier.
Do you have favorite?

My husband still asks if we need all of them, my response "We could use more!" Like the MaiTai, Ergo, Sleepy Wrap- the list can go on.

As we introduced the baby wearing, house chores, errands (grocery shopping, post office etc), work, and traveling became less daunting.  We had a happy baby, happy mama.  Lots got done.   With the new Boba carrier baby daddy joined in the baby wearing fun.  Along the way we also found the benefits of baby-wearing and they became apparent...

• Calmer Baby! Research has shown that babies who are carried cry (on average) 43% less overall and 54% less during the evening hours.Other cultures practice baby-wearing continuously, and it works.

• Good for baby's mental development. Babies spend more time in a "quiet, alert state" when carried - the ideal state for learning. Their senses are stimulated while being carried (yet there is a place to retreat too).
• Good for baby's emotional development. Babies are quickly able to develop a sense of security and trust when they are carried. They are more likely to be securely attached to their care-giver/s. and often become independent at an earlier age.
• Good for baby's physical development. By being so close to your body's rhythms, your newborn "gets in rhythm" much more quickly. Your heartbeat, breathing, voice and warmth are all familiar. 

I find it inspiring seeing women around the world baby-wearing like champs! Not worried about the type of carrier or circumstances, it is a lifestyle.  It has worked for them for generations, why can it not work for us!

Happy Baby Wearing!

Maya Ring Sling

Moby Wrap

Boba Carrier

Boba Carrier

And in the spirit of loving to make things and creating new designs I have found a few links for tutorials for you to try your hands at creating your carrier,sling or wrap.  Great way to test out what works best! I do plan in the future to try my hands and some!

http://www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/Baby/

http://monkeysewmonkeydo.blogspot.com/2010/03/make-your-own-moby-wrap-tutorial.html

Or if you are a busy mama and just want to find a good supporting baby wearing site with good deals and a great lady, check out http://heavenlyhold.com/ for your Cuddle Carry Love experience. The Boba carrier sported by mama and baby daddy above came from Heavenly Hold at http://www.heavenlyhold.com/category_93/Boba-Classic.htm 

Birthday Kitchen Dress

Oh my how a year comes and goes.  We knew it was coming, we were told how fast it would come, and its crazy to think that even after all the advice and warnings, it seems like it was here in a blink of an eye.  Our baby girl is now 1!  

For her special day, in the spirit of wanting to make her a little something special, simple and useful came the idea of the birthday kitchen dress !  This kitchen dress, made just for the birthday girl, showcased her new age as well as did its job at cake time!  

Maybe this will become a birthday tradition?!?

Pretty in Pink

Working hard!

Coodies Cover

Kids and germs, something parents battle with since day one!  Germs are everywhere but there are few places that seem to be brewing grounds for just about everything, grocery stores and restaurants!  How do you avoid those?  You can not!  But you can use covers to minimize the germ attack. 

I ran into a momma at Hobby Lobby that loved our shopping cart cover.  She just had to have one!  So I was hired!  Hope momma and little one are one happy duo!

Reversible, practical, and just plain cute!

 Great for shopping carts and high chairs.

Can customize according to gender!   

What's in a name?!?

When we were picking baby names last year, we had fun reading and finding out the meaning behind the names.  For us, it was important to find a name that was rooted with meaning.  I like our choice, very fitting so far :)  Such a lovable name, my mother asked me to make little one's name in letters to decorate her room at Tata's house (grandmother in Spanish.) Tata has had a ball turning my old room into my baby girl's home away from home.  I was told our sweet child would become center of attention, they (everyone who solicited advice!) were not kidding! 

I set out to paint letters, first time attacking painting letters.  I loved it!

 The letters to match her ballerina bed setting and decor.  Here they are!

Sophia = Wisdom

"And he said to man,

       'The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom,

       and to shun evil is understanding.'"

Job 28:28

Cuddle Creature

Its winter and it is cold.  When it is cold first thing that comes to mind is cuddling. Cuddling with a loved one, cuddling under a blanket, or cuddling with that treasured teddy (or around here, monkey!)  As I started to research and get my juices going on what to do for January I figured out that whatever I chose to explore needed to be designed for sweet cuddling comforts.  Wanted it to be specially cuddly for a child.

While researching and looking through a book, I came across the project, turn a pillowcase into a little creature.  So I took a pillowcase and voila, Cuddle Creature with matching carrying bag/gift bag.  I chose this project to start of the year because it was a simple one, get my feet wet after a holiday break. 

Cute, Cuddly, Charming! 

Lessons learned:

-Pay attention to the material of the pillowcase/thickness of the fabric so the right thread is used.
-In the future, I would love to redo the Cuddle Creature with a pacifier or teether holder. Maybe do more personalizing to the idea of the creature. The ideas to make it different rather than just do the suggested ones came flooding after I had cut everything out, boo.  With the current baby boom around us, I am sure I'll have the opportunity to make another!
-Cross-stitching is great way to add character to anything!  Once you get the hang of it, its simple!
-In search of buttons!  Seems like around my neck of the woods it is hard to find buttons, specially a variety of them.  Choices are slim.  Realizing it is good to just collect some here and there, specially vintage, when I do come across any.

PS- My lil one LOVES the Cuddle Creature.  Not sure what it is about it.  She just holds it and giggles!  It is a hit! Fun and easy project to tackle, go for it!

Disney Dreamer

Growing up, what kid does not dream of being in the happiest place on earth?!?!   Boys dream of being a hero or a prince, little girls everywhere play dress up and dream of being the princess with a happily ever after.  There is something certainly magical about Disney.  Some of us continue into our adolescence and grown up years enjoying the magic Disney has created, Dream Big and Believe.  For my sister, one of her dreams was to be part of the Disney magic.  After years of trips to the parks and lots of Disney movies (her fave Beauty and the Beast)  she followed her dream and applied for an internship at Disney.  Tomorrow, January 10, she starts her new adventure, at Walt Disney World!  She will be part of the Disney magic for the next 4 months.  A true mousketeers at heart!  As a send off/Christmas gift only one thing seemed fitting.

Mouseketeers dream everything Disney, so why not send her to her dreams Disney style.

Sweet Dreams!

When you wish upon a star
Makes no difference who you are
Anything your heart desires
Will come to you

If your heart is in your dream
No request is too extreme
When you wish upon a star
As dreamers do

Fate is kind
She brings to those who love
The sweet fulfillment of
Their secret longing

Like a bolt out of the blue
Fate steps in and sees you through
When you wish upon a star
Your dreams come true

Comfy Cushions

Having a place to sit down and unwind after a long day is often a welcomed idea. That's why there are family chairs one wants to return to its comfy glory.  The project:  bringing a family rocking chair back to life.  My part: to create new cushions for the chair.  The challenges: fabric that was long lasting, required little maintenance (high traffic area) and that would stay true to the design of the chair.  After cushions were cut to fit and patterns made, the adventure began.  First timer on this style of cushion and covers I expected road blocks along the way.  I must say, the work went smoother than expected and the finished product, well, I could not have asked for a better finish! Deadline was met!

Hope the rocking chair is revitalized and gets 10 more years of use!

And yes, I would do it again!

Project Pillowcase 2011

In the spirit of setting goals for 2011, I wanted to find myself designing and in project mode more than just sporadically, whether for a client, or gifts or on a whim.  So I have come up with a personal challenge for 2011.  Introducing Project Pillowcase! Yes, you read right.  It might sound funny, but I believe in reusing daily items that go unused or in great finds and re-purposing them into something new.  Pillowcases is what I will be using to re-purpose and create new treasures!  I already have the calendar ready, which project for which month (projects will not be repeated!) I am posting this publicly, well, because it is a great way to push me to really do it and be held accountable.

Also, search those closets!  If you have any pillowcases that have not seen daylight in oh so many years, I can surely put them to work! Or join my challenge and give those pillowcases new life!

Here is to a great start to the New Year! ...and we are off!!!

Beach Bum

I love themed gifts!  I enjoy trying to figure out a person's interests and going with it.  This past Christmas, in the spirit of staying crafty, I set out to make a beach bag for my sister's Christmas gift themed Beach Bum!  I wanted the bag to have things inside that would be a reminder of a day at the beach (books, pictures, nail polish etc, you get the idea), but I had a budget to work with.  The need to get really crafty came into play.  From the bed to a bag, I found the perfect sheets that I was able to convert into a beach bag.  YES! Since the sheet set had a striped pattern accompanied by a solid denim print, really found it ideal.  Gotta love fun bright colors, summery and ready for the sun. 

Now, she will just have to wait for warmer weather to return!

Bag in a Bed!

Inside Lining