Little Birdie's Nest

Update: I'm Here

2011-01-26T19:08:00.000-08:00

Without a doubt, an update is overdue. Forgive me, I've been working on kicking cancer in the hiney.

Before I go on, I must say a giant "Thank You!!" to all of you who have left comments of love and support. It means more than I can express. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. Your words have encouraged me many times over.

How am I doing? Great! I am currently at the tail end of 6.5 weeks of radiation therapy. I've been given incredible care at multiple hospitals with amazing staff.

At the end of last June, I had a bilateral mastectomy. Surgery went great. However, they did find that I had two different cancers, in two different places. Imagine that! Unfortunately, it had spread to my lymph nodes on one side. I was diagnosed with stage 2b breast cancer. Chemotherapy began at the end of last July.

I cut my shoulder-length hair as a transition for the kids. Sort of a "get used to Mom looking different" cut. About a week after my 38th birthday in August, when a clump of hair felt out, my husband shaved my head. If only losing my hair was the worst of it... Due to the severity of my reaction to the medication, my doctor felt it was best to end my chemo treatments in October.

After a month out from chemo, I began to feel human again. I then began radiation therapy just days before Christmas. Although fatigued, I'm feeling great. Happy to be spending quality time with my husband and children again. Thankfully, we had friends and family, most traveling in from out of state, on a constant rotation from June through November. We can't begin express our gratitude for the constant help and care that was given to me and my children. The Lord has brought many, many good things out of my cancer diagnosis.

The kiddos are 4 and 1 now. My hair is growing back (a spikey pixie). We are all looking forward to a better year. A year of time spent together. Being well. Most importantly, we are thankful to God for carrying us through this difficult season of life. He has never, no never, left my side. Deuteronomy 31:6. Hebrews 13:5.

Words of advice: Know Jesus. Eat well. Listen to your body. And if you hear the word "cancer", fight like a girl!

Breast Cancer

2010-06-07T15:26:00.001-07:00

Recently, I found out that I have breast cancer.

In my mind, I've debated about whether or not to share this sad news with you. I cannot tell you the sadness it brings me to share sad news with others.

This is supposed to be a crafty, thrifty, look-what-I-had-fun-making kind of blog. Not a journey-through-surviving-breast-cancer blog. Though I may not blog about it, I plan to beat it.

My goal is to live. To live for my family and my children (ages 3 1/2 and 6 months).

On the horizon, I will have a double mastectomy. I will proceed with chemotherapy.

I may disappear from my little blog here, for a while anyway. My focus will be on recovering and moving forward with life.

God has showered my life with blessings. This is not just empty "Christian-speak"... it's the truth. I can clearly see how, starting several years ago, He set our discovery of this disease in motion. We are grateful.

If you wouldn't mind, would you please say a prayer for me and for my family? There's a bit of a bumpy road ahead.

Thank You

Southampton Rosette Tunic Apron

2010-05-25T14:13:00.000-07:00

My latest creation is this light canvas tunic apron, bespeckled with rosettes. It's perfect for picking berries and apples.... or just trying to keep your clothes free from spit-up, crumbs, cooking grease and laundry detergent drips. And with the linen pockets, you'll always know where your pen/kleenex/cell phone/lip gloss is located.

I've long been in search of just the right tunic apron. Remember this one? Only this time I used a real pattern. Vintage McCall's M5551.

In my attempt to get a fresh, anthro-inspired, outdoor pic of the new apron, you can clearly see that the only item difficult to see is the apron itself. Booo. At least I missed the rain by 20 minutes. Instead, I'll just tell you about the chocolate brown linen dress that I thrifted for $5 and the apple basket for $3.Here's a little close-up of the sweet print. It reminds me of Jane, so I've named it the Southampton Tunic Apron. They probably pick berries in Southampton, right?

This is headed to my shop soon, along with the tote and some other goodies in the works.

To view a variety of inspiring creations, please visit:

Thrifted Finds: Time To Knit And Sew

2010-05-23T18:49:00.000-07:00

After several months of considering to buy the Pottery Barn clock on the left, I stumbled upon the clock on the right at my local thrift store. It works perfectly and even came with a battery. Patience = Savings of $40!
I hesitate to admit this, but I was a crafter that had no glue gun. For shame! After a yard sale outting on Saturday morning, I finally joined the ranks of millions of other crafters by adding the glue gun to my tool box... for .25 cents, including the glue sticks. Also, worth the wait.

Just as the doors opened at 9 a.m. sharp, I entered a church rummage sale. About 10 seconds later, a woman announced that everything was 50% off. The prices were already excellent, so this was a pure bonus. I beelined it to the craft section. Behold, there was yarn. Not craft yarn, but real merino wool yarn. Each skein still had original tags of between $6 and $9 on them. My final price was .25 cents each. Gee, I wish that knitting and I were not foes. My eyes caught a pile of fabric in the back corner. Like a moth to a flame, I floated to the light. My arms were so full of wonderful colors and prints, that I grabbed a box. It was quickly filled. Upon checkout, the man offered to charge me $4 for the box. I agreed. He then gave me the 50% discount... final price $2 for the whole box.

There is a time for thrifting and a time for crafting. Oh the joy of trying to fit it all in to one day!

Poppies Embellishment Tutorial

2010-05-14T14:28:00.000-07:00

Recently, I thrifted this simple gray top with satin trim, for $2.75. It called out to be improved upon.

It seems that everywhere you look this season, you'll see flower embellished tops like this and this. Since I wanted to hide the slightly uneven empire waist seam, here's my version...

It's easy to make your own poppies. Start with any fabric that includes synthetic fibers (such as polyester). I used a sheer formal wear fabric in grey.

Cut out a circle. It doesn't have to be perfect, in fact, they look better if they're not perfectly round.

Cut out more in various sizes. I use 6-7 per flower.

Safely light a tea light (or something with a low controlled flame). Hold your fabric edge near the flame and rotate. The heat melts the synthetic fibers to seal the edges and curl your petals. Tip: keep the fabric moving to prevent over-synging. This may take practice on a few circles to get comfortable.

Lay your petals together to start forming your flower. Stitch beads, sequins or buttons to the center to hold all your petals in place. Apply everywhere! They can be stitched in place or glued, depending on your application. (Keep in mind that hot glue will also melt the synthetic fabric.)

Make a little or a lot!

Lace Doily Reversable Tote - The Elinor Tote

2010-05-12T13:17:00.001-07:00

Being a fan of all things floral and lace, I set out to make a new feminine tote. Since sewing time is guaranteed once a week during my sewing class, I took advantage and completed my bag.A sneek peek inside at the lining...

and it is fully reversible as well. It's constructed from white canvas, a vintage beige doily and a floral pillowcase.

During class, I did not have my camera with me, so there's no tutorial here. But I did find an excellent tutorial for you here, that is very nearly the exact tote that I made.

Since I know that there are more to come, I've named this one the Elinor Tote. I figured that if Jane Austen, or any of her characters, carried a tote, it might just look like this one.

This new tote is the perfect bag for carrying around my Mother's Day gifts - a stunning copy of Pride and Prejudice (available here) and this card from my daughter (transcribed by my Dear H).

Sniff sniff. I hope that you had a lovely Mother's Day too.

(I linked to Tea Rose Home. Please check out their other great posts!)

Yard Sale Crafting Goodies

2010-05-11T06:15:00.000-07:00

I did not intend to find a yard sale, it was only two houses away. Tell me who has the will power to pass up a yard sale only two houses away?? Not I.

Even though I can usually assess a yard sale in the first 30 seconds, I've also learned it might be worth a few more moments of browsing... after all, my daughter was only playing with the internal car lights, not honking the horn today.

Riding out the overpriced holiday decor paid off. I picked up a smallish box of ric rac, hem and bias tapes... at .05 cents each I didn't put the box back down. (So there were 26 packages, I realize that I have a problem.) The lady running the sale glared at me, "It's not .05 cents for the WHOLE BOX!"

I smiled in return, "Oh, I know (since they were all individually marked .05 cents) but I like to sew."

She relaxed, "Well, then, you might like the craft stuff around the corner."

Bingo.

Loads of pipe cleaners, wooden beads, craft sticks, wooden clothes pins with instructions for doll making, pieces of fabric with samples and sizes measured out... were all marked at near giveaway prices. The woman obviously valued holiday decor, but not crafting goods. I also scored manila envelopes, cards, patches, yarn, elastic and stationary. Filling up a whole box, I happily paid $7.50 for a years worth of crafting supplies. I thanked her for myself and my toddler.

I only stopped there after cruising by "free estate sale leftovers" sign a couple of blocks away. Another major score with...
organizational freebies! I never have enough of these. Plus I nabbed a free Fiskars scissors sharpener.

I'm juuust figuring this out... if I locate the organizational supplies first, the craft supplies find me!

Personalized Washer Necklace

2010-05-10T15:07:00.001-07:00

Last week, I made this washer necklace for a friend, for Mother's Day.

After a quick trip to the hardward store, where I found multiple sizes of washers, I picked up the necklace clasps and rat tail satin cord at my local craft store. I already owned the metal letter stamps and a hammer.

Then, I set to work on the concrete. Eleven washers later, I was happy with how it turned out. (Never attempt making these necklaces with a curious toddler at your side!)

There are about 10 more necklaces that I want to make, but I'm not sure the city of Seattle has enough washers for all of my mistakes! But, I think they're just too cute not to try, try again.

Footstool Re-do

2010-05-04T21:48:00.001-07:00

It's only been 2 years in the making, but I finally recovered this footstool. It was nearly purchased at a yard sale, until the woman just gave it to me. Love it! The tapestry fabric never really fit our decor...

and I guess this cowhide underneath the tapestry didn't fit her decor. It wasn't going to work for me either, but I did find some apple green fabric, on sale, that suits our living room perfectly. Staple gun + new fabric = Happiness. Even Dear H gave it a thumbs up!

Also, I recently thrifted these books because, well, I'm pretty sure that I've needed them many times and just didn't know it. Plus, they'll come in handy for the sewing class that I started tonight. They're both very thick, but at $2 a piece I couldn't pass them up. Now if I could only learn everything in the books just by owning them...

Toddler Shirt Refashion: Add Spring Roses!

2010-04-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

We all need a basic white t-shirt... but what happens when you already have one? Add roses of course! This one is for my daughter, but I definitely see one heading to my closet too.

I took a couple of thrifted sheets (pink and white), cut imperfect concentric circles and fray checked 'em. Then I scrunched them a bit and stitched them together. Finally, I added pearls.

Girlie perfection!

Recent Thrifted Finds: Jane, Charlotte and Polka Dots

2010-04-22T20:03:00.000-07:00

Thrifting has paid off once again... I found a Jane Austen biography along with a novel about a Jane Austen fan. (These will be added to the 10 copies of Pride and Prejudice in my collection.)

A miniature mug for my miniature girl...

For $2, a full 3 yards of turquoise polka dot fabric, because a certain mini girl has renewed my love of all things dotted...

Lastly, this bright skirt for spring. Red is usually not my thing, but I'm trying to mix it up... and look at that scalloped hem. Love it!

Anthropologie Inspired Chair Re-do

2010-04-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

From brass and gold to gray and yellow glory!

This chair belonged to my mother. She had it back in the 70's, when brass and gold velveteen were magical. At least I thought so as a kid. Mom gave me the chair because I couldn't bear for her to throw it out.

My original goal was a sunny yellow spray painted chair with a gray and white reupholstered seat cushion. First, I primed the chair gray. Then, I stopped and stared. It was perfect.

After some searching, I found the yellow and white polka dot linen fabric at this etsy shop.
Next, I pulled together some yellow piping with thrifted bias tape and string.

Insert string and stitch.

Then, I pinned the dickens out of the two pieces of fabric with the piping sandwiched in between.

With a little help from my staple gun, the chair is complete. It reminded me of...

this bed from Anthropologie.

The chair is going into our master bedroom, which has been a gray-and-yellow work in progress since January. This was my first attempt at reupholstery (start small!) and sewing piping. I couldn't be happier with the results!

Forest Friends Mobile

2010-04-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

Since my daughter and baby son share a room, I decided on a forest theme for their room. All the walls are white (we're in a rental) the furniture is white, but there are green and brown accents with deer, polka dots and some stripes.

Henry needed to look at something more interesting. So, about a month ago, I started working on these felt forest friends. Five minutes here and ten minutes there... it's finally complete.

First, I freehand cut out some woodsy shapes (two of each). Then I started stitching. I left a small opening to stuff with felt scraps before I stitched these mini-pillows closed.

Next, I assembled the rest of the mobile supplies: a thrifted embroidery hoop, some ribbon and a D-ring from an unused belt.

Finally, I stitched the small ribbon to the tops of the creatures and tied them to the hoop. The brown polka-dotted ribbon was wrapped around the hoop to cover the bare wood. I cut three strips of ribbon to hang the mobile, folded the top ends over the D-ring and stitched in place.

Henry smiled. So did I :)

Tuna Can Pin Cushion

2010-04-04T19:46:00.001-07:00

Finally, I had the perfect excuse to make a tuna can pin cushion... I needed a hostess gift. It's simple, yet adorable. Here's what you'll need to make one:

an empty tuna can, a felt strip (or paper or ribbon), a circle of fabric at least twice the diameter of your can, stuffing (such as polyfil or fabric scraps), scissors, glue, a needle and thread.

First, adhere your felt, paper or ribbon to the outside of your can. Fold over the top edge of the can for a clean look. Let dry.

Next, sew a long running stitch around the edge of your circle of fabric. This will be your gather.

Stuff your circle. Gather tightly and stitch a knot to hold the cushion's shape.

Run a bead of glue around the inside rim of your can. Place your cushion in the can. Let dry.

Embellish with ribbon, buttons, ric rac, etc. Or not.

Sometimes beans or rice are added to the bottom of the can for weight, but since I did not have a tall cushion, it wasn't necessary.

Easy and totally customizable. You're done!

Chicken Tortilla Soup Crockpot Recipe

2010-03-24T08:16:00.000-07:00

A friend recently gave me her recipe for Chicken Tortilla Soup. I have since adapted it to be my husband's favorite recipe. This event was the final excuse I needed to purchase a larger 7 quart crockpot. Bliss!

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts (can be frozen)
6 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 can of low sodium black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can of pinto beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can of white beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can of corn
1 cup of salsa
1/2 cup of low fat sour cream
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
1 large olive oil wrap (from Trader Joe's) or flour or corn tortilla, torn into bite sized pieces
2 handfulls of tortilla chips
1/2 cup of shredded cheese

Combine all ingredients in a large crockpot, except for last three ingredients. Cook on high for 4-5 hours. About half way through cooking, remove whole chicken breasts and cut into bite sized pieces. Place chicken back in crock pot. About 1/2 hour before serving, add wrap/tortilla pieces.

Serve with crunchy tortilla chips and shredded cheese sprinkled on top. Serves 6-8.

Gray Linen Shirt To Pillow

2010-03-11T15:48:00.001-08:00

This is my new gray linen/cotton blend pillow accessorized with a yellow wool felt flower. It started out as a .55 cent thrifted shirt...

I already had a pillow form measuring 18 inches. So, I cut out my shirt...

with a 1/2" seam allowance on each side. Next, I sewed my seam, then zig-zagged for durability.

I cut out 7 circles in varying diameters - averaging 3.5 inches across. (Idea from here.)

Next, I pinched the felt together and stitched the bottom of my "scrunch".

I repeated for each circle, then placed all my scrunched circles together and stitched those together to form my flower.

Lastly, I safety-pinned the flower to my pillow (easily removed for washing).

The best part is actually the back of the pillow, which could be the front too. It's easily unbuttoned to remove the pillow case for washing!

The whole project cost me less than $1 for new materials. Love it!

Thrifted Clothing For One Week

2010-02-25T14:31:00.000-08:00

There are some who say good clothes can't be found at a thrift store. They want name brands, clothes that fit and/or are the right style. I am here to show you that all of those things can be, and are, found in thrift stores. I've put together a whole week's wardrobe from my recent thrift store purchases (and a few new items).

I have a specific style right now... tunics, cardigans, leggings - all in gray, brown and black. I love the ability to reach (nearly blindfolded) into my closet, pull out three items and have them work together. No matter what.

I have great difficulty finding what I want at a conventional store. I almost always find items of clothing when I thrift. Take the above outfit, for example:

tan tunic sweater dress $5
navy Land's End cardigan sweater $4
gray leggings $6 new
white fur scarf $2
navy leather purse .55 cents

Outfit Total = $17.55

black tank dress $3
gray cardigan top .55 cents
black leggings $6 new
mustard yellow scarf $2 new on clearance

Outfit Total = $11.55

navy dress $4
white t-shirt - already owned
gray leggings $6 new
plaid scarf - made by me in the last post

Outfit Total = $10.00

perfect condition gray cashmere sweater $3
gray Banana Republic wool blend lined skirt $10
teal ruffle scarf - gift from this friend

Outfit Total = $13.00

khaki green skirt $5
white t-shirt - already owned
Forever 21 white sleeveless lace up shirt .55 cents
khaki green cowl - made by me here

Outfit Total = $5.55

beige tunic sweater $5
beige skirt $4
dark gray leggings $12 new
tan basket weave purse .55 cents

Outfit Total = $21.55

white tunic dress .25 cents
beige skirt $4
leggings $12 new
white crochet cardigan sweater $3
light blue pashmina - already owned by me

Outfit Total = $19.25

Regardless of your style, I know that your local thrift store has something for you. Enjoy your search!

Plaid and Lace Ruffle Scarf

2010-02-21T22:35:00.000-08:00

For months I had a vision of this scarf, but no time to make it. Then, a month ago, I made it but had no time to post it. Time's up!

Using homespun cotton, I cut two sections of navy plaid in 19"x 36 1/2" rectangles. I then sewed them together, using a french seam to seal any frays, creating a 19"x 72" rectangle.

Next, I hemmed the edges.

Then I sewed a long running stitch down the middle (without backstitching to secure it) and pulled one thread to create my ruffle. I wanted the length of my scarf to be 36", so it's got a lot of ruffle.

Next up was applying my vintage thrifted lace. I used a multi-stitch zig zag to attach the lace, to the center gather, with nearly invisible stitches. One seam down the middle and two more - one along each edge. *Note: I used scalloped lace which requires you to line it up evenly on both sides before stitching. It would be much quicker to use a straight trim.

Final product... a ruffley, lacey scarf. So far, it's been very versatile. I can see changing up the colors a bit and wearing this right into the spring.

My Outfit

2010-02-17T21:38:00.001-08:00

So I snapped this pic as I was walking down the hallway tonight (thus the poor quality.) It's a shot of my new khaki green thrifted coat. The price was a steal, at half off, for $3.50. It's lined and in brand new condition. I was already wearing an army green colored sweater, then the khaki jacket... so I decided to quickly (seriously, like 3 minutes) make a matching cowl/neck wrap from here. (These would make great gifts!) Did I mention that I love green?

This is the second pair of jeans I've worn today. Unlike my daughter who changes her clothes, on average, 7 times a day, I try to wear only one outfit.

But a colicky baby can have other ideas. After burping him, my low back felt damp. Somehow, my baby managed to spit up on the back of my jeans - under my sweater, which was dry. Maybe we shouldn't have named him Henry, but Houdini.

Slipper Bootie Tutorial

2010-02-15T14:24:00.000-08:00

We were searching for slippers for my daughter (a toddler). But, post-Christmas there are tumbleweeds in the slipper aisles. Nada. So, I used what I have to make her comfy, cozy slipper booties. Here's how:

First, I gathered my supplies - a thrifted vinyl tablecloth for the sole, fleece for sole padding, scrap fleece (from this project) for the bootie, thread, elastic, scissors, paper and a pen and any embellishments I wanted to add, such as ribbons or buttons.

My next step, which was actually a challenge, was to trace my jumping/dancing/kicking toddler's feet.

Adding my seam allowance (about 1/2",) I then cut out the soles from the vinyl tablecloth and two layers of fleece for each foot. I baste stitched them together. The sole is now three layers thick.

Remember, none of this has to be exact because fleece (and bows) cover a multitude of sins ;) I roughly cut out two profile bootie shapes for each foot.

Next, I sewed the right sides together of the top of the foot and from the heel to the ankle of the bootie. (Confused? Just leave the sole open and the foot opening at the top open.)

Pin the upper of your slipper to the sole, right sides together.

Now, trim any excess fabric. This is what your inside-out slipper should look like.

Next, turn the slipper right-side out.

This next step I forgot to photograph, but I took a narrow strip of elastic, 1" less than my daughter's ankle circumference, and sewed it to the inside of the ankle part of the slipper. This helps to keep it on. I just pinned the elastic in a few places and let it gather naturally as I secured it with a zig-zag stitch for stretch. Be careful not to sew the slipper shut. Not that *I did* the first time or anything.

I tied a couple of bows and stitched them onto the fronts for custom appeal. (Pics were taken before I sealed the fray on the ribbon.)

Remember, it's ok to not have it exact. The first time I sewed the top portion of the foot, my slippers had noses. Um, not what I wanted to see. So, I just stitched it again in a smooth sloping line. Better!

They passed the test because my daughter slept in them the first night. She loves 'em! That's all that matters to me. But, I'm also glad they no longer have noses.

Thrifted Owls, Acorns and Famous Australian Children

2010-02-10T15:22:00.000-08:00

So I went thrifting, but did not thrift famous Australian children. More on that in a moment...

See my new jammies? I own nothing like them. But when I saw them, they made me laugh, so I had to *splurge*. It's funny because they're actually a children's size, but I knew holding them up that they would fit. In perfect silky turquoise condition, the pants and shirt fit indeed. Extra bonus: all children's clothes were 30% off!

Look at those prints... it reminds me of this owl. I am loving Seattle thrift stores!

Just days ago, I mentioned to my dear H that I wanted salt and pepper shakers. What a curious item for me to want to own, seeing as how I never use salt or pepper. Ever.

Accidentally turning down the wrong aisle, led me to more squirrel/acorn goodness. Behold these simple wooden acorn salt and pepper shakers - unused. Score!

I also bought Charlotte 22 books. At .79 cents a piece, we can go a little crazy. Ok, a lot crazy. I've always maintained that I'll never skimp on books for the children. We don't mind being the "book people down the street with no t.v." ;)

Speaking of books, my husband recently announced the birth of our son, Henry, to an acquaintance. She asked about any older children. Yes, there's Charlotte. "Wow," she replied, "just like the Australian tv show!" WHAT?!

We thought we dodged that bullet by not naming our son Wilbur.

A quick google search helped us find the series of books by author Bob Graham. His series that was turned into a hit tv show. (With no tv, we just didn't know!) See more here. My dear H surprised us by secretly purchasing a copy for us to keep. Yep, more books. We just can't have too many...

And Charlotte (in the book) wears glasses, just like my Charlotte. Gotta love it!

No-Sew Fleece Scarf

2010-01-30T17:03:00.001-08:00

Another great scarf tutorial was found through One Pretty Thing -- this time from Creative Jewish Mom. This one is for Charlotte. She chose chocolate brown and lavender fleece. (Sorry for the terrible photo -- I blame it on these overcast Seattle days!)

It's a super easy, no-sew scarf that I made using fleece scraps, scissors and masking tape.

First, take two pieces of fleece in 1/2 the width + 2 inches of your ideal scarf width, and in the desired length. Tape a line 2 inches in from one long edge on each half. (see pic)

Now carefully cut even strips 1.5 cm apart down the length of the scarf.

Next, tie two strips together - one from each half. Make each knot the same (i.e. - right over left, right over left).

Finally, wrap around your neck and be warm!

Wooly Sheep and Warm Legs

2010-01-27T12:00:00.001-08:00

My daughter and I made wooly sheep this morning. She calls them "lamb-ees". We found the idea through One Pretty Thing. She has wonderful crafting ideas for kids amongst all her gatherings from around the internet.

First, we gathered up some scrap yarn, an empty cardboard box (yes, I'm an official Washingtonian because I finally got some Ugg boots) some clothes pins, paint, brushes, glue and scissors.

Paint the clothespins black... along with the faces of the kidney bean shape you cut out of the cardboard. Let dry. Next, pinch the clothespins onto a glued area at the bottom of your bean shape. These will be your legs. Finally, clip one end of the yarn under one leg before the glue dries and start wrapping. Keep wrapping the yarn until your sheep is as fluffy as you'd like... or you run out of scrap yarn.

Ta-da! Sheep! I left their faces plain because I sort of like the amish look. But, you could add eyes, ears, a tail... etc.

Also, since Henry decided to nap a few days ago, I was able to whip up four more pairs of baby legs for Charlotte. I was sort of disappointed in the heart socks from Target as they frayed after just one wearing. But, they are still perfect for Valentine's Day.

Now to the laundry and dishes... ;)

Mantle Decor

2010-01-21T10:39:00.001-08:00

The mystery is revealed... I've decorated the mantle in our new home. Remember the small "S" from here? And I made the big "S" and the squirrel art, the acorn jar was a gift from dear H a couple of years ago and the twig leaf was a decoration from our previous house. Since we are forest-y folk, it all suits us perfectly.

We love this fireplace. We use it all the time to stay cozy.

A complete living room makeover is on the way too... Because our home is a rental - and all white, it gave us a clean palate to work with. But, there are limitations... such as, lots of windows and no curtain rods! So, stay tuned for further decorating updates.
This is what our mantle looked like at Christmastime. It was still odd to see 4 stockings this year. But it was also great to see 4 stockings this year :)

P.S. Thank you to One Pretty Thing for featuring Charlotte's Scottish Birthday Party in the Birthday Roundup yesterday!

Squirrel Silhouette

2010-01-18T15:55:00.000-08:00

Let me introduce you to "Squirrel." Everybody, this is Squirrel... Squirrel, this is everybody.

This is the first artwork I've ever painted on canvas. In case you didn't know, I cannot draw. But, I definitely can trace, cut out posterboard to use as a stencil and paint large open spaces with a paintbrush.

I created Mr. Squirrel for a specific purpose, which I will be bringing to you shortly...
I also painted this mystery shape. It's a nice chocolate brown color. This, too, will be part of the project I will be showing you soon.

That's what I've been up to lately.

Gnome Baby Legs

2010-01-15T15:06:00.000-08:00

If you're looking for my Baby Legs Tutorial, go here.

Just days before delivering Henry, my sewing/nesting bug kicked in to high gear. While rushing through Target, I scooped up the last two pair of gnome socks... that's right, GNOME socks! I nearly cried tears of joy. C wears the baby legs and I wear the socks. Perfect!

We've always been a bit gnome crazy. (See here, here and here.)My daughter has been bonkers over snowmen ever since she could point and yell, "MEN!" so these baby legs were added to the mix.

We're settling into our new home comfortably...

after all, a gnome means we're home :)

Happy Plaid and Lace Scarf

2010-01-12T18:47:00.000-08:00

Here's a scarf that I made as a Christmas gift for my best girl friend. It was inspired by Lera's post here about homespun cotton scarves. (See how much of it we're wearing on Charlotte's birthday?)

Please forgive the reflective flash photography... (this scarf was being sewn in the late night hours just a week after Henry was born, and just days before our big move.) The fabric was simply cut to size, hemmed with vintage, thrifted lace and ribbon bows.

Sorry Julie, but I tried it on before wrapping it up for you.

Turquoise is such a radiant color on my dear friend and this happy plaid just suits her. So does the lace.

I see more plaid scarves on the horizon here. Who can have too many scarves??

A Scottish Themed Bagpipe Birthday Party

2010-01-06T06:59:00.000-08:00

It all started, over the summer, when father and daughter stumbled upon 3 veteran bagpipers practicing in a local park. Charlotte was mesmerized when they played,"Amazing Grace". She couldn't stop talking about it. She made her Papa pretend to BE bagpipes while sing-piping "Amazing Grace". We downloaded the song from iTunes. She listens to it constantly. A birthday theme was born.

In our tribute to Scotland for Charlotte's Bagpiping 3rd Birthday, gobs of plaid were worn, Scottish flags of St. Andrew's Cross were flown, shortbread cookies were eaten, our Scottish Terrier ran wild while wellies were thrown and Robert Burns was mentioned while our bagpipe theme song played in the background.

Since we just moved and many boxes are still unpacked, I could not find our printer or blue construction paper. However, I did have 3 Scotch-brite scrubbing pads, ribbon and glue. Here's Charlotte's crafty birthday banner...

We also enjoyed black licorice scotty dog candy from Trader Joe's...

and our own version of Fisherman's Pie for dinner. I considered making tablet, but we're trying to avoid solid sugar food!

Charlotte received a muff from Grandma, who watched her open it via skype. (She hasn't stopped wearing it since.)

Henry slept the whole time.

We participated in a traditional Scottish game called Welly Throwing. Here's how you play:

Take a pair of Wellington rain boots outside.

Throw them.

Enjoy the fun.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Charlotte. I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always. And may all your days be filled with the sweet sounds of bagpipes.

Northwestern Hospitality

2010-01-04T21:52:00.001-08:00

Many thanks to Jamie, David & Amelia of Bungalow Bee for their Seattle hospitality. Jamie is a blogging buddy who makes a mean Chicken Tortilla Soup - and insisted on bringing us this delicious meal as we (and our new baby boy) are newcomers to the city.

It was delightful to finally meet Jamie, and her family, in person. We cannot express how much we appreciate their thoughtfulness. It has helped us in the transition of missing the familiar things about our former town and friendly neighbors, to feeling more at home here in Seattle.

Btw Jamie, I think I'll be needing that recipe... this is one of my husband's favorites. And I had seconds :) Thank you, too, for the cupcakes! Delicious. We are so blessed.

We're Here

2009-12-24T13:01:00.000-08:00

We arrived at our new home, in Seattle, 11 days ago. (That's us down in the corner.) Even though most of our belongings are still in boxes, we managed to make our way downtown for dinner one evening. (At this point, I still had not been able to find any boxes with pants that fit me - thank goodness for safety pins!) But, since Grandma was visiting and deserved a dinner out - out we went.

We set up a fresh Christmas tree and decorated it. I even managed to make Charlotte a promised Christmas present...Even when a mommy doesn't have time to make anything crafty between moving and a new baby, when her daughter looks up with doe eyes and asks, "Can you make me a purple scarf for Christmas, Mommy?" Who can say no?

I didn't have a pattern. But I recall liking the half double crochet stitch and the shell stitch. Using an "I" hook, I chained 109 stitches, made 4 rows of half double stitches on each side and finished with the shell stitch for the border. At a finished length of 3 inches wide by 40 inches long, the scarf turned out sweet and petite, just like my girl.

Our boy, Henry, is 3 weeks old in this bath picture. He's already changing and growing a bit. But compared to my husband's hands, he is still very tiny indeed. We wish everyone a very blessed and Merry Christmas in celebration of our savior's birth!

He's Here

2009-12-04T14:03:00.001-08:00

Henry Samuel was born on 11.30.09 at 8:16 a.m. weighing 8 lbs 3 oz and measuring 19 1/2 inches long. (He was over a full pound lighter than predicted.) He's beautiful and perfect and sweet. He is also beloved by his parents and his big sister...
Here's one last pic of me before we went into the hospital on monday morning...

We were all ready to meet each other. He wanted out as much as I wanted him out. For the most part, things went smoothly. I'll have to update you with the birth story another day because we are all still very tired. And happy.

9 Months

2009-11-17T18:36:00.001-08:00

This is my 36 week photo. I'm finally 9 months pregnant - and I certainly feel it. Today was my ultrasound to determine baby's approximate weight. Our "big boy" is definitely big. He's already 8 lbs 1 oz - inside the womb! (This is a 1/2 lb heavier than my daughter was at this stage. She was 9 lbs 11 oz at birth.) So, he's on track to be 10 lbs by my due date. (The doc doesn't want us to wait that long, so a c-section is on the books about a week early.)

Even though most of my time is spent lying down in bed... In the last couple of weeks, my husband and I have put our house on the market, held an open house, accepted an offer, held a moving sale, started packing boxes and celebrated our 5th anniversary. (I went and gussied myself up by removing the Breathe Right strip from my nose before our picnic dinner in front of the fireplace. Why is it so hard to breathe during pregnancy??) My dear H never complains... he even told me that I looked nice.

Here we are saying our "I do's" 5 years ago. Just thinking about this moment makes me feel the same overwhelming joy that I felt that day. (H, you really are the best!)

Over our anniversary dinner/picnic, we talked about how we would never have thought we'd have (nearly) two children, be selling our house and moving out of state (say it like George H.W. Bush here) at this juncture. We may feel a little overwhelmed, but we're happy.

We've also decided to forego being apart in December. We're all making the trek up to Seattle together. We'll be on the road December 10th. The countdown has begun...

The Honeymooners

2009-10-23T19:38:00.000-07:00

Today, my husband accepted a job transfer (out of state) to Seattle, Washington.

We are excited about the change that God is bringing in our lives. We are also feeling a bit overwhelmed due to the timing of our move.

December will be a long transition month for us. We have to sell our house, pack everything in boxes, oh, and have a baby. Our second child is due December 9th and my husband must report to work, in Seattle, on December 14th. We will likely be separated for several weeks until I am able to travel up with our children. This may be the hardest part of our journey as we are always together. Since the day we started dating, we've seen each other everyday, except one.

We are especially happy about the city we're moving to, as we honeymooned in Seattle nearly 5 years ago. We're really not beach people... we're more forest-y people. It's a good fit. Now we just have to convince all the grandparents the same thing :)

32 Weeks

2009-10-16T14:52:00.000-07:00

Can you hear the sound of my tin cup raking back and forth across the steel bars?? Only 55 days left of this pregnancy - where I feel like I'm doing time. Ok, maybe not San Quentin kind of time, but definitely some kind of county lock up. I'm hoping there will be time off for good behavior.

Due to a mild kind of chiropractic care, nutritional support, epsom salt baths, a pregnancy support belt, nightly back massages from my dear H and lots and lots of prayer, I've been able to get about 6 hours of sleep a night - on average. It is making a world of difference.

When I'm pregnant, I never feel like I'm really in my own body. It sort of feels like one of those giant sumo wrestling suits people put on. See it here. Only you have to add nausea, heartburn, sleepless nights, muscle spasms and what feels like mild internal organ trauma. Yeah, that about covers it.

Even though "I hear the train a-comin', It's rolling 'round the bend..." is swirling through my head, I know this is all worth it in the end. (Johnny can be so therapeutic sometimes.)

* Side note - This week we had a severe wind and rain storm. I watched from my front window as a tree limb fell directly on top of my neighbor's car. Fortunately, no one was hurt. It was almost unbelievable!

Delicious Celery Soup Recipe

2009-10-05T19:43:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I'm momentarily out of my slump and ready to post an amazing find... celery soup. I know, I know, it doesn't really sound that exciting, but this is truly delicious.

I'm not a celery girl, but my husband is a celery guy. So, after visiting the local farmer's market this weekend - and coming home with mounds of produce - I needed to utilitze a head of celery. (Can I just tell you first that I'm still giddy about buying 15 pounds of butternut squash for .50 cents a pound?!)

This recipe jumped out at me and I dove in. It was so good that I had seconds... then half of thirds. Here's what you'll need: celery, onions, apples, garlic, parsley, chicken or veggie stock, milk and olive oil. I followed the recipe exactly and can't recommend it enough.

My husband likes chunky soups and I prefer pureed soups, so I made both, at the same time. I just dished up his bowl, then fired up my new hand blender and pureed mine (thus the pic of two different bowls of the same soup.)

Here's my cost breakdown: We purchased two heads of celery for $1, a bag of onions for $2, five pounds of fuji apples for $2... So, for a family of three, this will feed us for two meals. Our per meal cost is roughly $1.75 - for two adults and a toddler!

Mega bonus: it's healthy. I'm positive that we'll be revisiting this recipe even after my strict diet comes to an end.

Some News at Week 28

2009-09-21T20:07:00.000-07:00

Recently, I stood near two friendly couples. One of the husbands asked me, "How many weeks left?" I replied, "Not weeks,... months. I have 2 1/2 months left." The other three immediately turned around to join him in staring at me with their mouths open. One woman squeaked out, "Are you sure they haven't made a mistake??" Yes, I'm sure. And about 2 weeks ago, another woman asked me the same thing. My belly is big, but what do you expect?...I'm pregnant.

This past week has been rough. I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. There were so many risk factors: I'm over 35, previously had a baby over 9 pounds, diabetes runs in my family, I'm hypoglycemic (pre-pregnancy) and I weighed less than 6 pounds when I was born. These factors all contribute to a diabetic cocktail.

Even before my diagnosis, I had put myself on a strict no-sugar diet. I wanted to prevent this sort of thing. It happened anyway. It's still tough to talk about.

We just want a healthy baby. December can't come soon enough.

Thrifty Workspace

2009-09-12T16:52:00.001-07:00

Recently, I came upon this oak sewing cabinet on craigslist. (I've been searching for a cabinet for my freearm machine for nearly 2 years!) The cabinets I found were never quite right... either they weren't made for a freearm machine, or they were just plain too expensive.

This cabinet (with an electric lift) was $50 and included a vintage Elna sewing machine! Since I prefer my trusty Singer machine, I enlisted my dear H's help. He fired up the power tools, removed the Elna machine and mounted the Singer. Isn't she lovely?

Now I have drawer space, spool racks and double the workspace. And we have our kitchen table back ;)

In recent days, I haven't been able to sew... but the projects are piling up and this workspace is so inviting! Thanks to my dear H for making it all possible.

Getting Clumsier

2009-09-06T17:19:00.000-07:00

This is not an ancient caveman's drawing of a foot. It's my drawing of a foot. My smacked-by-a-wooden-chair left foot.

Many of you know that as pregnancy progresses, your dexterity and grace are lost. They've been replaced by bumbling, uncoordinated lumberings. Such was the case a few days ago when, as my daughter sat eating lunch in said wooden chair, my foot seemed turbo-propelled by some invisible super-magnet to collide with the corner of the chair leg. It stuck between my second and third toes (as the arrow indicates.) With the collision, there was a loud SNAP.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move.

My husband came running and helped me limp/hop to the sofa. My daughter helped by dropping a 2 pound ice pack directly on top of the toe. My middle toe turned a bit purple and is still uncomfortable to walk on, but doesn't seem to be broken. It's a miracle.

A day later, I tried, unsuccessfully, to drink from a glass. Doesn't seem difficult, does it? But when I started pouring before the beverage hit my mouth, I made a one-in-a-million shot. Straight down the neckhole of my shirt, I poured my juice all over my bra. Now, if I had tried to pour it there, I probably would have accidentally made it to my mouth.

In my last pregnancy, doorways suddenly seemed so narrow. By the time I delivered, my shoulders were black and blue from cutting every corner too short while walking through my own house. Sometimes I would even bounce off the corners a little bit - sort of like a bumper car crash.

I've never been a butterfingers, but holding on to anything seems an impossible task these days. Whatever it is, if I touch it, it will most certainly somehow end up on the floor. I've forbidden myself from carrying eggs, touching crystal lamps or bringing heirloom jewelry anywhere near the bathroom sink.

These pregnancy afflictions seem universal... why is that??

6 Month Pic - I Need To Sleep

2009-08-20T13:21:00.000-07:00

This is my week 24 pose. For some reason, I look a lot smaller in the picture. Our boy is growing big, very fast. And he doesn't sit still. There are lots of karate chops, long elbow scrapes and bladder stomps. As of now, I consider him either a kung fu fighter or a hockey player. No one ever thinks of ninjas as babies. But, they were once... and I think I'm growing one.

Sleep eludes me. Aside from nausea and heartburn, my famous leg nerve and muscle twitches are back whenever I lay down. This first appeared in my previous pregnancy. If I stand up, no problems. If I lay down, pain, twitches, spasms and kicks. All mine. I sleep 3-4 hours a night. (Which is still better than the 1-2 hours every other night in my last pregnancy.) After losing so much sleep, you start to lose your marbles too.

The first time around, I remember "inventing" a sling-type contraption that hung from the ceiling and fit around my underarms to hold me in the standing position so I could sleep without spasms. I just didn't know what to do with my floppy neck, so the idea was left in my imagination. I should have invented this thing between my pregnancies - while I had my right mind. If I could physically kick my own hiney right now, I would.

Currently, I'm trying to come up with a way to sleep in the tub. With water. It keeps the weight off of my nerves and I don't experience spasms. Problem is, I get a huge kink in my neck after 10 minutes. I've looked for an giant inflatable bath pillow wedge, but I don't think anyone's invented it yet. I told my husband about wanting to sleep in the tub and he replied, "I have. Twice. Once, I woke up naked and cold in an empty tub." What?! Think those were his college days? Nope, he was 5. Just when you think you know a guy, you hear about his tub napping days...

If any of this is wandering or unclear, so sorry, but I'm sleep deprived. The horizon is in sight and baby is healthy. Enough said :)

A Birthday Dress Or Two

2009-08-03T16:19:00.000-07:00

For my birthday, my husband ordered the japanese sewing book that I've been dreaming about. Isn't he the best?! Here are some highlights:

Tunics, pants, purses...

dresses...

scarves and skirts. This book has it all - except english. I'm hoping that the step-by-step photos speak the international language of "you can really do this."

The rest of my dear family gave me fabric store gift cards. Yay! I have been aching to sew. There are plenty of items in my queue, but without a doubt, some of these dresses now top the list. I'm trying to get prepared for the next whole hour that I feel well, so I can make it to the fabric store.

Thanks to all my loved ones for a very happy birthday :)

True Blue

2009-07-28T20:49:00.001-07:00

(photo courtesy of flickr.com)

We are happy to announce that we are expecting a baby boy! There's a high probability that he'll be a fisherman like his papa.

Pregnancy diet update: Raisin Bran tops the menu for now. Also, I can't seem to eat/drink enough dairy products. Milk, milkshakes, cottage cheese, milk... you get the idea.

A boy. Oh boy. It's still sinking in. It will be interesting to see if he likes milkshakes as much as his mommy does :)

18 Weeks

2009-07-10T13:31:00.000-07:00

Here's the latest belly pic. If you look closely enough, you may notice that my belly button has started to poke out. I'm not even half way through yet!

Being pretty much housebound, I'm going through serious thrifting and crafting withdrawals. Yesterday, I couldn't take it anymore. Since Charlotte was with her grandma for the morning, I jumped in the car and drove to the nearest thrift store (5 minutes away). While I felt sick driving and walking, it was momentarily forgotten about when I spied this miniature blue guitar for C.
(That's a 12 inch ruler next to it.) Charlotte likes her papa to play his guitar. She sits and strums whenever he puts it down. So, when I saw this mini blue version - I snapped it up for $3.00. When she woke up this morning, the first thing she said was, "Mine guitar!"

If baby #2 turns out to be a drummer, we may have the makings of our own Partridge Family band. Sans the patchwork bus.

Two Views

2009-06-19T15:47:00.001-07:00

This is my view for about 90% of the day. Isn't it lovely? I mean it. While I am sick, my husband has not only been taking care of all the household and child duties while working full time, but he just painted our bedroom a soft shade of robin's egg blue. After 4 years of white walls, my dear H asked, "Do you want me to paint the bedroom?" (Incredibly, he has amnesia about the 387 times I've brought it up.) "Sure, that would nice" was my response. Done and done!

Here's a belly pic. I'm 3 1/2 months along. Yes, I cropped out my face again because my hair isn't combed, no makeup and I'm not smiling. Told you I'm a grumpy pregnant lady. Although, it's hard to be grumpy in my new blue bedroom :)

Baby Update - 12 Weeks

2009-06-03T10:01:00.000-07:00

Hello, and yes, I'm still here. I've been sick and decided to not give you a play-by-play of how things are going. I've been very unproductive and so I have nothing to post in the way of craftiness, recipes, etc. My menu lately has consisted of Cinnamon Life cereal three times a day and mango-flavored coconut water - to stay hydrated. This is not a diet I recommend, if you can help it.

Baby is 12 weeks now and growing strong. Of course, Baby is also big for this stage of development. My husband and I are not surprised because we just grow gi-nor-mous babies. (Our first baby was 9 lbs 11 oz despite my not being able to eat any food for nearly the first half of my pregnancy.) We are both 5'5" or less in height. But our 2 1/2 year old daughter wears a 4t. I'll probably be wearing her hand-me-downs before long.

The ultrasound tech was kind enough to give us a 3D pic of the baby "just for fun". Wow!
Bad news: I feel like I've been pregnant for 9 years. Good news: Baby is healthy!

Cravings

2009-05-05T14:21:00.000-07:00

Seven KFC biscuits in two days. Yup, I'm pregnant. And at least I'm able to eat something.

Thank you for all the kind thoughts and well wishes. Thank you.

Baby #2

2009-04-30T13:01:00.000-07:00

Yes, we are excited to announce that we are expecting baby #2! At only 8 weeks, I know it's early to share. But, I've been absent from this here little blog and now you know why.

The photo looks a little "blob-y" but the head is to the right. We did see the already-formed arms, hands, legs and feet. Due date: December 9th.

After having hyperemesis gravidarum for the duration of my first pregnancy, we were positive that Charlotte would be an only child. Then we changed our minds. The desire for another baby just outweighed our fears of possibly having HG again.

Hyperemesis includes paralyzing nausea (my saint of a husband slept on the floor for 7 months) and severe vomiting for the entire pregnancy. This is waaay more than morning sickness. I was also unable to eat for the first 4 months of my pregnancy. Somehow, I, and the baby, survived on a few Ensure supplement drinks and Gatorade. Any food that I tried to consume would be immediately purged. Hyperemesis can also bring sleeplessness, depression, dehydration (warranting IV therapy), double vision (no tv or books!) and despair. The only relief comes when you give birth. I never suffered any post-partum depression because I was so darn happy not to be pregnant anymore!

It's a rough road and yes, I've been really sick. I'm a very happy mommy, but an unhappy pregnant lady.

Any prayers and positive wishes that you send our way are greatly appreciated. We are truly happy to be expanding our family!

Grandpa Makes Pop-Ups

2009-04-24T07:03:00.000-07:00

Charlotte's artistic Grandpa made her this Wizard of Oz pop-up card. C loves pop-ups. Despite being opened and closed numerous times and being poked with little fingers, this one is holding up nicely.

You see, Grandpa docents at an art gallery. They recently held a Dr. Seuss exhibit and welcomed the pop-up creator of "Horton Hears A Who Pop-Up!" - David Carter. Our girl even received an autographed copy...

Thank you, Grandpa. Here's a peek at the inside of this incredible book...

If you're not familiar with "Horton Hears A Who" by Dr. Seuss, I highly recommend this tender-hearted story. Even at 2, she seems to understand the message, "A person's a person, no matter how small."

The Seuss exhibit spurned Grandpa's interest in homemade pop-ups and more shared craft time with our girl. I believe C made this Noah's Ark pop-up with the grandparents...

If you're interested in making your own, here's a link. It's a great project for all ages. It seems that once you get the hang of it, you can easily branch out with your own designs.

Triple Thanks

2009-04-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

A couple of months ago, I was reading Cider and Faun when I stumbled across an offering. Andrea was giving away some tea she could no longer drink. I dropped my name in the bucket because my husband is addicted to Candy Cane Lane by Celestial Seasonings. She recently sent me a box of Candy Cane Lane and a huge bag of Mighty Leaf loose tea plus some postcards and a bookmark of her art. Her delightful etsy shop is located here. Thank you, Andrea!

Another special thank you to the Jane Austen fan writemeg for featuring one of my Pride and Prejudice bracelets on her blog here. You can also check out her etsy shop here. She crochets ipod covers, scarves and more!

And finally, thanks to Deusprovidebit for including my vintage orange napkins from acornpudding in their Impromptu Tea post.

It's a joy to connect with other tea-drinking Jane Austen fans. Thanks everyone!

Boring Ol' Clean Floor

2009-04-16T14:16:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is a boring picture of my clean kitchen floor. I've not been the craftiest of gals lately. Sometimes, day-to-day life takes priority over therapeutic craftiness. So, I'll show you what I've been up to instead.

My floor was in dire need of sweeping and mopping. Within 1 minute of sweeping the floor, there were 17 crumbs of hot pink play-doh under one chair. After re-sweeping, I got out my spray bottle and a rag and got to work. My floor hasn't sparkled in a long time - thus this picture. It's proof that it was clean, once.

I use vinegar and baking soda to do all my household cleaning. No need for expensive, chemical-infused cleaners when a spray bottle of half white vinegar and half water will do the trick. I believe that Martha is a fan of cleaning with white vinegar, so who am I to argue with a walking domestic dictionary?

Since I am not a big tv watcher, it's rare for me to catch Martha's show (is it still on??) It was tough for me to watch her back before Charlotte was born. I can't get over the fact that she pronounces the "h" in the word herb. It makes me shudder. After all, she's not british. Even I don't pronounce it this way when I'm talking to myself (see #5 of this post).

Right after I finished mopping my floor on my hands and knees, I wrangled the dog and my daughter out of the kitchen and got distracted. My face felt dry due to recent windy weather. I went into the bathroom and smeared lotion all over my face, before I realized that I hadn't yet washed my hands after cleaning the kitchen floor. I guess if vinegar and water are good enough for the floor...

Bargain Breadmaker

2009-04-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

My best bargain of the weekend garage sale roundup included this Breadman breadmaker for $5.00. I've been wanting to try my hand at breadmaking for some time, and now, for about the price of one loaf of bread - I'm on my way. There is a small manual included, but not much real breadmaking info. If any of you have breadmaking ideas or tips, I'd appreciate your input!

A few other scores include these two 4-5t sized coats for Charlotte at .50 cents each.
Lastly, I picked up this mega carton of Play-doh, 50 different colors in all, for $1.00. C's been rolling, cutting and squishing ever since! Hopefully, with my breadmaker, soon I will be too :)

The Never-Ending Candy Colored Scarf

2009-04-09T20:31:00.000-07:00

This scarf has taken my nearly 4 months to complete. Granted, I haven't worked on it very often... but now that we're rounding the corner to spring, it's ready to wear. What's my excuse? I reeeally don't like to knit. I keep trying to like it, but I just don't enjoy it. Why don't I just stick to crocheting?

I used Lion's Brand Landscapes yarn in Rose Garden - two skeins. This is my own "pattern" of the stockinette stitch... 11 stitches wide.
- Row 1: k1, p1, repeat.
- Row 2: p1, k1, repeat.
- Repeat and repeat until you're sure you'll never be done with this blasted scarf.
- Repeat some more until you're sure that you never want to knit again.
- Finish off.
- Ignore the mistake stitches.
- Wrap around your neck and enjoy for 8 days until the weather will be too warm to wear it.

(P.S. The brown speckled Express sweater was thrifted for $1.00.)

Gray / Yellow and Gray / Pink

2009-04-06T22:48:00.000-07:00

Is it gray or is it grey? Anyway, gray is my new everyday. I'm enjoying the comfortable-ness of gray with splashes of color.

The open jacket is new and (can you believe it?) store-bought, but the striped top is a thrift find, as are the sunny yellow necklace and clutch. I've been drawn to this combo more than once lately.

Then I came across pink perfection for spring...a pair of thrifted, never-been-worn, pink eyelet flats - in my size. I may have heard angels singing... They are perfectly matched with my new gray jacket, a garage sale top for .25 cents and thrifted gray linen crop pants.

Spring arrived, then backed out. It's toeing the line in our area, but I'm ready either way - with gray!

Sonoma Chicken Salad

2009-04-03T12:47:00.001-07:00

We interrupt my recent thrifted-clothing obsession to bring you this delicious recipe...

The Sonoma Chicken Salad recipe was found at Whole Foods. Of course, I made some changes, so I will post the recipe as I made it. (My picture really doesn't do the salad justice!)

Ingredients:

Dressing:

3/4 cup mayonnaise

4 tsp apple cider vinegar

5 tsp honey

s+p to taste

Salad:

4 cups of baby spinach

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - shredded

1/2 cup almonds, some chopped

2 cups red seedless grapes, sliced

I premade my chicken in the crockpot at the beginning of the week, so just prepare the chicken breasts as you normally would... i.e., bake them flat with some water in a pan at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Toss main salad ingredients together, set aside.

In a bowl, combine dressing ingredients. Drizzle over salad or stir to coat completely.

It filled all three of us up - with my husband commenting that he wouldn't mind eating this MANY more times :)

Reconstructed: Dress To A Skirt

2009-04-01T13:56:00.000-07:00

Here's a dress that I thrifted this past weekend, but it was too big and had a halter top. I knew it could be altered without much trouble. (The white cotton crocheted cardigan is another thrift find for $4.00) Here's the dress print up close:

Cheery blue and green butterflies - perfect for spring!

I started by ripping out the seams on the side zipper, then I cut the skirt away from the bodice. I finished up the side seam (where the zipper used to be) then made a simple casing for 3/4" elastic.

If you're doing a waistband for yourself, take your waist measurement, subtract 2.5", then cut your elastic. Thread your elastic through the casing with a safety pin attatched to the front of the elastic (sort of like a mock needle and thread). It took even less time than I expected.

The inspiration for this dress purchase came from a butterfly-print scarf I've been eyeballing at Land's End in Sears. It's $29.50 here.

So when I came upon the butterfly dress for $5.25, I figured that I could make my own scarf. Then I fell in love with idea of a spring skirt. It seems that I got something better for less!

Pink Tutu: A How-To

2009-03-31T15:55:00.000-07:00

For the longest time, I've wanted to use Plumtickled's Tutu Tutorial to make Charlotte a tutu. Now I can cross it off my list. It's really quite simple. But, for those of you who don't like to click over, I am showing you the step's that I learned from Plumtickled.

First, get some non-roll elastic (3/4" or 1") and two spools of tulle: 6 inches wide x 25 yards. (For one tutu, I did all pink. For another, I used lavender and dark purple alternated.)

Measure the length that you want the tutu skirt. Double it and cut the spooled tulle into strips of equal lengths. (Example: I wanted a 12" skirt, so I cut 24" strips.)

Measure your girl's waist (or your own!) and subtract 2.5"-3". Next, cut your non-roll elastic to size. Zig zag stitch the two ends together to form the waistband. (This can even be done quickly by hand.)

Place elastic band over your thigh. (Great for holding everything in place.) Slide a strip under the band and tie in a knot. Repeat.

Solid colors, two-toned or multi colors all look great. This is an easy and inexpensive, quick Princess-pink-me-up for any girl! These are also perfect for last minute birthday gifts.

Japanese Inspired Thrifted Clothing

2009-03-27T00:17:00.000-07:00

Ever since Thrift Candy posted this about COTON, I've been so excited that I could hardly sleep. So many inspired ideas are running through my head. When shopping for clothes, I've been aimlessly searching for something and now I know what it is!

Finding clothing has often been just a chore for me. I get easily tired from overpriced, odd-colored, ill-fitting clothing. Also, I'm just not interested in tight, sheer or clingy clothing. Every two to three years, I manage to find enough pieces -usually all at once- to perpetuate a wardrobe. The last time I bought an actual bag of clothing was just before getting pregnant with my daughter - 3 years ago. (I guess that I tempted fate there, as I really didn't have time to wear any of it because I needed maternity pants at 7 weeks!)

So, over the last two days, I've thrifted with new eyes. Here's my first nod to COTON...
This shirt and cardigan are thrift finds. The jeans were already mine. The Mary Jane's are new and the scarf was a gift (thanks Ma!) Adding a splash of color with a new bag...

Green is a favorite color of mine. This Nine West purse was only $3.25. Next up, this comfy thrifted gray sweater dress, coordinating thrifted vest, along with my own leggins and MJ's.

Finally, a perfect print skirt and green sweater. The white tank with sheer ruffle - a la J. Crew style - was already mine.

In two days, I've spent just under $80.00 and come home with 18 new items. (Some still with new tags attached.) It feels great to come home with the greatest wardrobe satisfaction ever. I'm still on a mission for that white COTON dress... stay tuned :)

Ding! The Soap's Ready!

2009-03-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

My soap strongly resembles butter. Mmmmm, buuuuutter. Anyway, my homemade peppermint soap is done curing. The results are in: we all came out squeaky clean.

Drawbacks:
- Not pepperminty enough as I didn't have enough essential oil. They have just a hint of peppermint fragrance to them, but they still smell very clean.
- The soap was cut to brick size. Ok, half a brick. But trust me, if this was the old west and the whole town only had one of my bars of soap, they'd all get clean.
- They take 4 weeks to cure.

Advantages:
- We have enough soap for the whole year (and maybe next year too.)
- The soap feels wonderful: not too lotion-y, but also doesn't strip our skin.
- Great lather. No sulfates!
- Cost effective.
- Self-sufficiency satisfaction.

Hands down, we love our soap. If I can do this, you can do this too. Best resource book: The Soapmaker's Companion.

Thrifted Finds: Folksy, Asian and PJ's

2009-03-24T16:39:00.000-07:00

Long overdue to be posted is this folksy short-sleeved sweater. I originally purchased it for Acorn Pudding, but haven't been able to part with it - and posing for the pic is the first time I've even worn it! It's a sweet little cropped number (trust me, I am super short-waisted) with emerald green stripes and flower motif. Here's the c.u. Next up, my asian silk top. It's the palest shade of minty green. Just picked it up today for $4.00.

Finally, another 'should I keep it?' top. It may be a vintage PJ top. The buttons have sparkly rhinestone centers. I wrestle with letting it go because I hardly ever wear sheer clothing.

Oh, and the long brown lace hemmed tank was .25 cents from a garage sale this past weekend.

I'm on the hunt for more spring and summer goodness...

Easter Legs - Another Baby Legs Tutorial

2009-03-23T16:54:00.000-07:00

My latest sewing project is a pair of homemade Easter Legs. They have cute little chick faces at the top (available at Target).

I was in search of a birthday present for a sweet 4 year old girl when I ran across these socks in Target. The time had come to make some baby legs, so I picked up several pairs and made some for my Charlotte too.

There's a great tutorial here, but I got a little lost and found I had to wing it in several parts. So, here's a tutorial of how I made my baby legs.

First, get a pair of knee high socks...

Next, cut off the toes and heels.

Thirdly, take the "foot tube" and fold it in half, right sides facing out, raw edges on the same end.

Next, place folded tube over the "leg" part of the sock - keeping all the raw edges together.

Next, pin layers in place if needed (I didn't, but definitely wrestled with them a bit.) Stitch together first three layers (so as not to sew the sock shut) around the opening near the raw edges. I used a long running stitch for stretch.

Lastly, I used a zig zag stitch between my seam and the raw edges to keep the edges from fraying, and for durability. (A serger would be perfect for this edge.) Now, turn cuff right side out.

That's it! 10 minutes and you're done.

J. Crew Souvenirs

2009-03-20T17:16:00.000-07:00

We just returned from our mini-vacation to Monterey. Since we have a thing for lighthouses, we stayed just a block away from Point Pinos lighthouse and listened to the ocean all night. The lighthouse really has nothing to do with this post, but I just liked this picture so - here ya go.A few days before our trip, my husband scooped up the latest J. Crew catalog. I flipped through it and found some lovely shirts and sweaters with chiffon trims. T-shirts, v-necks and cardigans, oh my!

While in Monterey, we passed a Goodwill. The thrifter in me does not rest, even on vacation. Dear H let me thrift 'til my heart's content. I immediately came upon this perfect little black t-shirt with chiffon trim - for only $3.25!

H left happy as well because I found him an actual J. Crew wool sweater for under $4.

Even though he's always warm, he's still a wool sweater kind of guy. Perfect for fishing, I suppose.

Good vacation. Good souvenirs.

Verdict: Don't Drink and Drive

2009-03-17T14:06:00.000-07:00

My civil duty as a juror ended yesterday. The trial lasted longer than anticipated. Let me tell you, it's good to be home!

The verdict was guilty for a woman accused of driving under the influence. Not only was she above a .08 (the legal limit) - but she was four times the limit. Her blood alcohol tested at a .33 after her arrest. At .3 a person is in a stupor. At .4 they're in a coma, at .5 they'll die.

How was this possibly contested, you may ask? The defense tried to discredit the only witness to the driving incident. In the end, we felt sure of the defendant's guilt. Sadly, after the trial, we found out that this is her second conviction for drunk driving. She's made a series of mistakes and we can only hope that she'll get help before someone gets hurt.

Though I was away from my daughter most days last week - and missed her terribly, I actually enjoyed my time on a jury. It was fascinating. There was law, there was order, there was humor and there was drama. It was highly educational and difficult to decide someone else's guilt.

As I sat eating lunch with my daughter today, she smiled at me while wearing her pink rhinestone-studded sunglasses at the kitchen table. Yup, there's no place I'd rather be. And I'm relieved to know that there is one less drunk driver on the road.

Employed Elsewhere

2009-03-09T20:54:00.001-07:00

Today I got a job for which I never applied. Two words: jury duty.

Over the years, I have received three jury summons. However, I always receive them juuust as I move to a new county. The former county is continually out of luck. Until today.

After sitting through 4 and 1/2 hours of questioning... I was selected. It's supposed to be a short trial, so hopefully my crafty days will soon return. As part of our civic duty, we're obligated to pay attention. No reading craft books, and no sewing a pillowcase dress for C. The brochure even states that knitting needles are not allowed. (Drat, guess I'll have to finish that scarf another time.)

The grandparents are pitching in to care for our girl during the days that I'm away. I believe they may be hoping for an OJ length trial... I'm hoping more for a drive-thru Matlock trial.

Either way, I couldn't help but think today, "If that judge's robe was made of fleece, he'd look like he's wearing a snuggie!"

P.S. Thanks to One Crafty Place for posting about my Ivan The Blue doll! They feature a lot of great projects, be sure to visit them here.

Blogiversary Winner!

2009-03-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

Congratulations go out to Katie of Katie Jean! She was chosen (at random, by Charlotte's little hand rooting through paper strips in a hat and pulling one out) as the winner of my blogiversary giveaway.

If I were Katie, due to her other recent congratulations, I'd consider picking up a lottery ticket this week ;)

Thank you to everyone who participated in the giveaway!

Pasta Free Jewelry

2009-03-06T15:05:00.000-08:00

This is the first necklace I've made that didn't include macaroni. Really, I don't think I've made a necklace since I was in Brownies. But recently, I saw BarkerBell's sewing machine necklace and was smitten with the mini machine. I just wanted it a little more spruced up. So, I ordered the dollhouse miniature sewing machine for myself. Then snagged this bag o' beads from the thrift for .50 cents.

I acquired the acorn and leaf charm at a recent yard sale - again for .50 cents (seems to be my favorite number as of late.) Finally, I put it all together on a craft store, antiqued bronze chain.

Having no idea how to put beads on a necklace, I found this link showing me how to make headpins. I McGyver'd it by using floral wire.

When I walk around, the necklace jingles like a little bell. I like to think of it as a reminder to get back to my sewing machine soon.

P.S. You still have until tomorrow evening to enter my blogiversary giveaway here.

Fox Fiend

2009-03-04T14:33:00.000-08:00

Because of my current fixation with foxes, I'm sharing a few etsy finds with you. This handmade fox scarf cracks me up every time I see it. Seriously, I can't stop giggling. It's funny and it would keep me warm. Perfect! Shopowner celapiu is from Poland, and makes these foxes in a variety of colors and lengths.

This print from krisblues is called, "It's Going To Be A Good Day." With a fox on a swing, you can bet that's true.

And finally, "Phoebe And The Foxes" is art from littlebighead's blog. (She also has a shop.) Oh, I want to be Phoebe, just to have a little fox snuggled on my head. It probably looks like more fun than it is...

(All photos are property of respective blogs and shops.)

Blog-a-versary Giveaway

2009-03-01T16:59:00.000-08:00

It's my blog's 1st birthday! My blog actually began on February 29, 2008, but since this is not a leap year, we're celebrating today... and all week. As a thank you for your readership, you'll have the chance to win all that you see here...

If you have followed this blog for any length of time, you know that I love black and white. So, I've put together black and white goodies for one fortunate reader. The giveaway treasures include:
* 1 white ruffled pillowcase (for embellishing or crafting)
* 1 vintage black and white retro flower scarf
* 1 bar of my handmade peppermint soap
* 6 - 6 inch squares of white aida fabric
* 1 - 4 inch embroidery hoop
* 1 floral ponytail holder
* 2 vintage black and white napkins
* 1 white wool felt floral headband (made by me just for this giveaway)
* and 1 grey bracelet will be converted into one of my text bangle bracelets (upon winning, simply let me know if you prefer Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility or Twilight.)

How to enter the giveaway:
- Leave me a comment to this post and you will have 1 entry.
- If you have a blog, mention this giveaway on your blog and link back here. Leave me a comment letting me know you've linked and you will receive 1 additional entry.
- Visit The Little Birdie and tell me (in a comment) what your favorite item is in my shop. You will receive 1 additional entry.
- Visit Acorn Pudding and tell me (in a comment) what your favorite item is in my shop. You will receive 1 additional entry.

You have 4 possible chances to enter the drawing. The giveaway drawing is limited to the U.S. only and contest will close at midnight on Saturday, March 7, 2009.

Best wishes!

These Boots Are Made For Walkin'

2009-02-26T14:31:00.000-08:00

It's time for another thrifting update... I've acquired so many goodies lately, that I'll have to break it up into several posts. These Italian-made Sudini boots are my greatest find. Although I have a similar pair, I could not pass these puppies up. Knee high, black italian leather, great condition and exactly my size. For $5.00. Plus, they were 30% off. So, after tax, they were $3.50! Searching online, I found a similar style of Sudini boots for $133.00 on sale. I think I got a good deal. Here's a picture of the boot sole...

*blush* - yup, they're italian all right.

At a recent estate sale, I dug through an enormous box of jewelry for 30 minutes, then threw a few goodies in a small bag to check out. The woman running the sale charged me a flat rate. It's one of those things you don't know will happen until it happens. That means I walked away with this vintage Monet sterling silver bracelet for .60 cents. (It's much more sparkly in person.)

Last December, I tried on a black and white micro-plaid shirt at a department store. It was $50 and had 3/4 length sleeves - which I do not like because my wrists get cold. I put it back. At the thrift, I found this perfect condition shirt, in black and white micro-plaid, for $4.00. Bingo. Waiting 2 months saved me $46.00.

It works perfectly with my new boots, a pair of jeans and my shiny bracelet. If I'd bought everything new, my outfit would have cost over $200. But this thrifty gal only spent $8. Not bad!

Waiting 4 Weeks To Bathe

2009-02-23T20:28:00.000-08:00

OK, not entirely. I only have to wait 4 weeks to bathe with this soap. This here is a sneak peek at what currently resides on top of my refrigerator. It's my first ever attempt at soapmaking. The soap takes at least 4 weeks to cure. And with a toddler in the house, just about the only safe place to let these bars sit, is on top of the fridge.

They're not evenly cut, but they smell nice - peppermint, of course. If they turn out well, they'll get us all clean, even in their clunky state.

Through a thrifting treasure hunt, I slowly started accumulating all the necessary soapmaking supplies, including: a stainless steel pot for $4, two utensils at .25 cents each, a hand blender for $2, two soap molds (a mini loaf pan for $4 and a tupperware container for $2,) a pitcher for .77 cents and a leftover pasta sauce jar for measuring the sodium hydroxide.
I found The Soapmaker's Companion by Susan Cavitch at my local library. Essentially, this is the the go-to source for soapmakers. Also handy was this link which showed me how to properly mix my solution to make lye.

We are trying to stay sulfate-free and had been buying fantastic (and highly recommended) Sparta peppermint soap from etsy. But now, at $5 a bar, I thought I'd try my hand at soapmaking. Since 15 bars of soap would run $75 (yikes!) we're coming out ahead with our $50 investment because it includes reusable supplies. And we have soap for a year.

In 4 weeks time, I'll report back to let you know how, and if, my soap turned out. Stay tuned.

Congrats To Katie Jean!

2009-02-22T15:29:00.000-08:00

My sweet friend, Katie Jean, contributed some of her crafty ways to this new book. For those of you looking to be crafty with linens, this is the book for you! My own stockpile of pillowcases shows my intentions to put this book to good use. Besides, can a little girl reeeally have too many pillowcase dresses??

Katie Jean makes adorable vintage style girls clothing and organic baby accessories. She's mean with a sewing machine! Be sure to stop by Katie's blog as well, she's giving away a copy of the book.

Congratulations, Katie!

Going On A Fox Hunt

2009-02-19T14:06:00.000-08:00

Well, the good kind of fox hunt... the sort that involves a thrift store. Recently, I acquired this little fox mug for only 50 cents from a local thrift. It was astonishing because I was actually on the hunt for something fox related. I've been thinking about (and noticing in all of C's children's books) foxes. Then thriftcandy went and posted these little guys...

(from dropstitch)

Aren't they just the sweetest vintage barettes ever?!

Then, I came upon this video. It's happiness in itself! Oh the joy of being a wild fox... on a trampoline.

My Folksy Valentine

2009-02-18T09:35:00.000-08:00

(photo courtesy of emeraldvintage)

We usually don't make a big deal about Valentine's Day around here. We acknowledge it, but (sappy moment on the horizon here) we try to make everyday a kind of Valentine's Day. Awww.

A while back, I mentioned to H that I adored this vintage folk apron on etsy. Not only did he remember, but he thought far enough ahead to order it from the shop in Australia so that I would have it on V-day. Yeah, I know, he's a keeper!And so is this apron :)

If you enjoy folksy goodies, crafts and accessories, this blog should be of interest to you. She's a living folk doll!

Ivan The Blue

2009-02-15T12:58:00.000-08:00

Recently, I received a custom doll request from a previous client. It seems that her son likes the awake/asleep matryoshka doll that I made for her daughter. Since I enjoy repurposing clothing and linens, I welcomed the challenge of making my first boy doll from this men's blue micro plaid shirt. Meet Ivan...

This is his front and back. I also crocheted an apple green scarf for Ivan. I wanted to keep him boyish and sort of rascally.

It seems as though the "sleeping" face works because the instant Charlotte saw him, she ran to get a blanket and said, "Hush!"

For a toddler who needs more than a hint or a nudge at bedtime, these dolls seem to really work!

Yahtzee! I Won!

2009-02-11T21:45:00.000-08:00

I'm a big fan of Lera over at The Sky Is Pink. She sews, she bakes, she does it all - while raising 6 beautiful children. In recent months, she has made baby legs - or leg warmers - from knee-high socks. Just in time for Valentine's Day, she held a leg warmer giveaway... that I won. Woo-hoo!

We received our package today. Thank you, Lera! This picture doesn't really do them justice, but trying to get C to hold still was an enormous, 52-picture-taking, challenge. The leg warmers have sweet little red hearts at the top too.

It's funny... Charlotte's never seen leg warmers before, but knew exactly how to put them on. After changing her outfit to match, she pranced.

If you are interested in doing a little prancing yourself, check out this tutorial.

Recipe For Clean Clothes

2009-02-10T20:02:00.000-08:00

We spend about $5.00 on laundry detergent for 32 loads. That's just over 15 cents per load. It's not too bad, but I knew that I could do better. Thanks to this site, I found a laundry detergent recipe that cuts my per load soap costs in half.

This is what my laundry soap container used to look like...

I added a little decorative paper (left over from C's snowflake-themed 1st birthday party), some glue, a dash of ribbon and insto-presto, a lovely recycled container.

The recipe I used was #4:

2 cups grated bar of soap (I used Dr. Bronner's Baby Mild Bar Soap)

1 cup Borax (available in the detergent aisle)

1 cup washing soda (also known as soda ash - not baking soda)

Mix well. Use 2 Tblsp. per load

It only took me 10 minutes to completely grate the soap, mix ingredients and put everything away. I'll cut my costs even further by using a less expensive bar of soap, such as Kirk's Castile. Also, we have a high-efficiency machine, and this soap works wonders.

Saving 8 cents a load may not seem like much... but, if you wash even 5 loads a week, you'll save $20 over the course of a year. $20 is a shopping extravaganza at the thrift store for me!

100's To Be Happy About

2009-02-06T21:01:00.000-08:00

* The bill with Franklin on it
* The degrees in Celsius for boiling water
* The maximum amount that you can give when you're trying hard
* The yards run by James Harrison to score a Superbowl touchdown for The Pittsburgh Steelers
*One dalmation short of a movie
* Abraham's age when Isaac was born
* Today, I made my 100th sale at TheLittleBirdie (named for Charlotte) which opened in Sept.'08.
* Wednesday's blog post was my 100th - You have my deep appreciation for checking out this here little blog o' mine (pardon my absence, but C's been sick.)

A thousand thanks!

A Mess Of Mess

2009-02-04T14:17:00.000-08:00

Last week, Vintage Mommy showed pictures of her house in Just Keepin' It Real. She made a valid point about how we, as bloggers, only post what we want others to see - which sometimes appears that we always have it together. As wives and mothers, we know the truth. We do not always have it together.

In solidarity, I immediately ran out and snapped some pix of my messy pantry shelves. It looks like we just had an earthquake. Our 50-year-old closed-in porch serves as our laundry room, pantry and general storage area. You can imagine that the mess can quickly reach mammoth proportions.

I've needed baskets and organizers for the shelves for quite some time... ok, four years. Well, I thrifted some that very day.

Three wire baskets and two canned food organizers ran a total of $5.00. After grocery shopping and adding more food, I still have some space left.

It's a start! As for the closet... I'm just not that brave. Yet.

Warm And Thankful

2009-01-30T05:05:00.000-08:00

This is me.
This is me in the hallway.
This is me in the hallway wearing my new thrifted sweater.
This is me in the hallway wearing my new thrifted sweater and the scarf that I thrifted for my husband.
I stole it from him.
I was cold.

The sweater was $2, but it was a 50% off sale day, so I snatched it up for $1. (What you can't see is the perfect scalloped edging on the hem.) After seeing 'the sweater I've been looking for forever' on the rack, I jogged over to my mother to show her my treasure. She was chatting with another thrifter.

"Mom, look at this great sweater I found!" I said.
"Wow, that is nice." she replied.
The fellow thrifted smiled, then beamed really, and said, "I just donated that sweater last week!"
How often do you get a chance to thank the donator of your new favorite thrifted item?
I never had.
But I did.

(That's Charlotte running by in the corner. She never slows down, not even for pictures.)

10 Minutes To Smelling Minty Fresh

2009-01-27T21:00:00.000-08:00

The time had come for me to make our own deodorant. Skin sensitivities and questionable ingredients in anti-perspirant/deodorant had alarm bells ringing in my mind for quite some time. I've tried many different brands - even "natural" ones and found only disappointment in ingredients and performance.

After a quick search on the net, I found this post. My husband and I have given it a go for almost 2 weeks and could not be more satisfied. It takes 10 minutes to make, smells fantastic and works wonderfully! Even my dear H has told me that he is really happy with it. Here's the recipe:

2 Tbsp cocoa butter
3 Tbsp shea butter
3 Tbsp baking soda
2 Tbsp corn starch
1 Tbsp liquid glycerin (optional)
2 vitamin E oil capsules (puncture and squeeze out the oil)
15 drops of Essential Oil (I used peppermint)

Melt all ingredients (except essential oil) in a pan on low/med heat. Stir. Remove from heat. Add essential oil, pour into smallish jar. (I used two leftover baby food jars.) Cool in the refrigerator for a half hour or so. Scoop out a pea-size amount, rub it in and your done!

With the cocoa butter and peppermint combination, the mixture smells like irresistable chocolate mint. However, I do not smell like a cookie when I wear it. Only slightly pepperminty. I'm definitely on the road to making more everyday products... stay tuned.

On a tangent... Last year, I received a gift subscription to Cottage Living. (Cute style from folks who live in small spaces.) In December, I received a letter informing me that Cottage Living was no more. I then had a visible frown. But not to fear, the letter continued, you'll be receiving Sunset magazine instead! Waaaait, a second, I remember seeing that magazine on my elderly neighbors coffee table for years. Isn't that for old people??

I received my first issue and found it wasn't sooo bad. It wasn't my ideal magazine, but it didn't look that old. Then I received this yesterday -
My subscription info was apparently sold to Coastal Living magazine...who are offering me the Senior Citizen Special! I always believed that my first hint at being old would be the application from AARP...

Barbasol Beware

2009-01-25T18:43:00.001-08:00

There's a new shaving cream in town. It's homemade. Razor burn is now a distant memory...

My dear H suffers from razor burn (even with a beard, he still shaves his neck) and so I set out to find a fix. I wanted a sulfate-free, great smelling, razor-burn-reducing and cost effective recipe. I stumbled upon this site and with a few adjustments to their recipe, I gave it a go.

Here's my recipe:

4 oz. Dr. Bronner's eucalyptus castile soap - grated

4 oz. water
Combine grated soap and water, let sit overnight. It will look like small curd cottage cheese in the a.m.

1 oz of cocoa butter

1 tblsp of shea butter

2 oz liquid glycerin
Heat on low until everything is melted. Remove from heat. Add the soap mixture and blend until creamy. (At first,I thought that I did this part all wrong because it turned out "soupy" but it firmed up nicely in a few hours.)

Add 20-25 drops of peppermint essential oil.

Mix again. Pour into jar.

H is happy to report no more razor burn. (He did say that just after shaving, he felt it stinging a bit, but that is due to the eucalyptus being an antiseptic and closing up those pores. It doesn't last long.) A little bit goes a long way and the jar should last us, oh, probably the rest of the year. It's very thick and leaves your skin waaaaay soft. Love it!

You've Got Something In Your Hair

2009-01-23T12:32:00.001-08:00

It's time for a shop update: The beloved Pride and Prejudice pair, Lizzy and Darcy, are now appearing in my shop on bobby pins.
So are Jane and Bingley because they're just so sweet.

Twilight fans are not left out with Edward and Bella bobby pins too. Perfect for holding back stray locks...

Showers and Flowers

2009-01-22T13:41:00.000-08:00

My thrifting hibernation was unintentional, so... Who couldn't use a little pick me up on a rainy day? Looking ahead to spring, I thrifted a floral sheet, pillowcase and wooden handled purse. (I'm also being hopeful in moving away from a diaper bag and back to a real live purse!) A snappy $3 canvas bag is just what the weatherman ordered ;)

Music To My Wrists

2009-01-21T13:47:00.000-08:00

My latest creation is this sheet music bangle.

I received a custom request to put the music of Clair de Lune in bracelet form. Happily, I complied.

A Twilight fan knows that Edward and Bella both name this song, by Debussy, as a favorite. Even if you're not a Twilight fan, the idea of wearing a favorite song might seem very appealing.

I am always open to custom requests - just as long as I don't have to sing the song. We already have enough stray cats in the neighborhood...

Permission To Eat A Fudgsicle

2009-01-19T23:38:00.000-08:00

(image courtesy of amazon.com)

We recently acquired this book in our ongoing pursuit of bettering our health. Mr.Zinczenko has authored a series of these books - including eating out guidelines. This book doesn't make your feel bad about what you eat, just how to choose wisely between brands and why. Easy to read, easy to use, I highly recommend getting your hands on a copy, especially if you want to drop 5 or 10 lbs without changing the type of food you eat.

If you're going to eat a sugar cereal, isn't it good to know if Reese's Puffs has double the sugar and calories of Honeycomb cereal? (It does. One cup of Reese's Puffs also has 20% more sugar than one peanut butter cup.)

What are some of the worst foods? Say hello to Twix. It's off the charts for sugars and saturated fats. It's the equivalent to eating 11 strips of bacon. (Yes, you'd actually come out ahead by eating 10 strips of bacon - uh, ew.)

#1 worst food: Marie Callender's Creamy Parmesan Chicken Pot Pie - over 1000 calories, 64 g of fat, it's darn near a salt lick in a pie crust. It's the equivalent of eating 23 strips of bacon. Geez, maybe I should just eat 2 Twix bars and enjoy a sugar coma instead.

One of the most perfect foods? An apple. Great for an afternoon snack: it increases energy, great for your heart, has soluble fiber and helps control your cholesterol. No wonder Snow White was tempted.

Throw a red bell pepper in your salad and you'll receive 3x the vitamin C in an orange. Plus it's chock full of vitamin A - which is good for your eyes. Who really wants to be on friendly terms with the words "macular degeneration" anyway?

If you enjoy beef, this book tells you the best protein-to-fat ratios in different cuts. Go for flank steak over lean ground or top loin over a porterhouse. The calories will come from either protein or fat, may as well choose protein. You may even see a few pounds drop off. I've seen results from increasing protein intake...

Since I have to watch my sugar levels, I've increased my protein substantially - and without trying - lost 5 lbs. My body was holding on to all the carb sugars because it didn't have what it needed most (protein for muscle building).

Page after page shows pictures of your favorite foods from the grocery store. Some good, some deceiving. My beloved Stoneyfield Farms yogurt got low marks due to unnecessary sugar overloading.

Snack foods, canned foods, frozen foods... they're all covered (Chewy Chips Ahoy over Oreo's). It's a handy guide to eating better with low effort. Sort of a no-thinking diet.

And yes, there is freedom in your fudgsicle craving... only 100 calories and only 2 1/2 g of fat. Permission granted ;)

Time Well Spent

2009-01-16T07:37:00.000-08:00

What is this, you ask? It is a promotion code. This little phrase saved me $14.99 plus additional tax and shipping fees on a $50 online purchase. I neared the end of my purchase process when the site asked me if I had a "source code"? No, I didn't. So, I found one - in less than 30 seconds. If you buy anything online, you might want to get a source code for yourself.

I went to google and typed in "source code" and the name of the store. Click, click, click. Done. It was well worth my time. If you look at it in terms of an hourly wage, I would be saving / making about $1800 an hour! (Dream on.)

When making your online purchase, near the end of checkout, usually you'll find a little square box asking you if you have a promotion code (also known as a source code or coupon). Now's the time to have a magic phrase. Open a secondary window. Do your search. Enter the code and voila! instant discount.

I have a few direct links for you to bookmark: here, here and here.

Happy saving!

Chili Con Crockpot

2009-01-14T13:17:00.000-08:00

Crockpots rule. Throw your ingredients together in the early part of the day... then eat dinner when you can no longer resist the aroma!

We don't eat a lot of meat - especially beef, so this one's a vegetarian recipe. Of coure, meat may always be substituted. I would quote the source of this recipe if I could remember it. We've been eating it for several years now and I have made my own variations. Here's our winter staple meal for hearty, healthy and easy. Please remain calm while reading the ingredients...

Crockpot Tofu Chili

1 lb. package Trader Joe's firm tofu - drained and mashed well with a fork

1 can Trader Joe's sweet corn - drained

2 - 15 oz cans of Muir Glen organic diced tomatoes - drained

2 - 15 oz cans of S & W low sodium kidney beans - rinsed and drained

1 can Trader Joe's organic pumpkin

1 small can of organic tomato paste

1/2 cup of low sodium vegetable broth

1/2 of an onion - diced

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

Mix ingredients in crockpot. Cook on high 3-4 hours or low, all day.

At first, I was not excited about the tofu part - very skeptical actually. But even my dear H says that you cannot taste the tofu. Not at all. You can see it, but no taste. Same with the pumpkin. They add protein , nutrition and thickening power. You'll feel full, but not bloated after your meal. Perfect! Again, I prefer non-spicy food, so I don't add any peppers, but you may want to spice it up a bit. My dear H likes spicy, but seems satisfied with just the chili powder and cumin.

We serve it with whole grain bread covered in olive oil (a la Dr. Oz) and rosemary seasoning. Yum!

OWL!

2009-01-12T17:07:00.000-08:00

My daughter is currently obesessed with owls. She likes saying "owl" and pointing to owls. (We're not alone.) Nearly every book she owns has an owl lurking in it somewhere. And she knows the exact page for each owl - in this book, and this one and this one too.

This morning, she kept drumming the word into my brain until I just had to create one. Out came the Michael Miller fabrics and some wool felt. She knew immediately. My daughter pointed to my machine and said, "Sew!" Yup, mommy's gonna sew you an owl. So she began to say "owl" more frequently - if that's possible.

When it was finished, she hugged her little owl and said, "Mama owl." Almost makes me want to sew about 15 more owls. Almost.

Edit: I still can't decide whether or not this is a scary-robotic-looking owl...

Snug As A Bug In A Rug

2009-01-07T13:10:00.000-08:00

Meet my mom. Mom, this is everyone. Everyone, this is mom.

Does mom look snuggly warm? She's wearing her Christmas present from me. Yeah, it's another one of those, "I had a vision..." things. My mother has not been warm since she was in the womb. She's always curled up with a blanket, sweater, long pants, socks, slippers, ear muffs, well...ok, maybe not the slippers ;) Anyway, I felt that she needed the ability to be mobile while keeping warm under a blanket.

I made a pattern for a shawl-blanket-type-wrap out of holiday wrapping paper (use what you have, right?) and bought an armful of raspberry anti-pill fleece. The fleece is double thick for extra coziness and I added pockets both on the inside and outside. It's never inside out! She can keep her hands on the inside pockets for extra warmth or tuck them in the outside pockets like a jacket. The pockets are big enough to hold a remote (in case she gets to touch it,) a pen and a smallish sudoku book.

In telling my sister-in-law about my mom's present, she replied, "Oh, like that thing on TV. The Snuggie!" The what?? I don't watch a lot of TV. So, I checked it out online. Yes, it exists, but the wrap that I made for my mother seems to suit her better. It doesn't surprise me that just as I've come up with something, someone else has already put the wheels in motion. This happens frequently.

Guess it's a good thing I don't want to make a bazillion of them and market it on TV, huh?

Christmas With Jane

2009-01-05T15:50:00.000-08:00

(photo courtesy of amazon.com)

Sometimes Christmas feels like an exit that I just missed on the freeway. Whoops, there is went! Ours was a wonderful holiday, but it passed too quickly. I hope that you and yours had a very Merry Christmas.

For Christmas, my dear H gave me this newer version of Sense and Sensibility on dvd by the BBC. (Say that three times fast!) Recommended by a friend, it's an excellent movie version of Jane Austen's first published novel.

I was still skeptical upon hearing about another version of Sense and Sensibility after seeing Emma Thompson's version from 1995. But for Jane junkies, like myself, refusing an opportunity to watch/read more Jane Austen is incomprehensible. So I watched it. I was pleasantly surprised. The BBC version is truer to the book. And while Emma Thompson's portrayal of Elinor when she finds gushing relief from Edward's revelation that he is unmarried and no longer engaged, has to be one of my top 10 favorite movies scenes, I do highly recommend the 2008 version.

Since I've had requests, and I'm always looking for a way to celebrate Jane, Sense and Sensibility text bangles are now added to the lineup in my shop.

Forest Gnome Party: Dressing the Part 3

2009-01-01T23:44:00.000-08:00

The gnome-y details of Charlotte's 2nd birthday party continue... she wore a sweet little red polka dot dress to match the gnomish mushrooms. But, nothing I owned felt woodsy enough. So, on the morning of her party (because obviously I had nothing else to do) I decided to make a skirt.

I had never sewn a skirt before... and I didn't have a pattern. But, I had some wood-grain-type fabric and red polka dots too. So I measured myself, laid the tape measure down and cut near the numbers. First I cut one side, then folded it over to match the shape. (Can you believe with this haphazard method, it actually fit?!) After two simple side seams, a 1/2 elastic casing for the waistband, red vintage bias tape trim at the hem and a deer applique zig-zagged on, Mama had a skirt.

(Don't believe that those are my deer drawing skills, I traced a deer from Charlotte's pajamas.) Please forgive the post-party, wrinkly-skirt, washed-out red, mirror photo.

************************************

Charlotte transitioned from gnome hat to her first tiara. (Thanks, Grandma!) The tiara ended up winning the battle of the headpieces that day. She insisted on wearing it to the grocery store...

Red shoes were worn all around :)

My dear H wore his standard beard... because, according to this book's Kissing Song, "A kiss just isn't a kiss without a beard!"

Birthday Part 2: Gnome Forest Terrariums

2008-12-30T12:06:00.000-08:00

For Charlotte's 2nd birthday party, continuing in the Gnome Forest theme, I made terrariums as party favors. Everyone was able to keep a little piece of gnome magic by bringing home a tiny perfect world of their own.

Parts: I used gnome, deer and mushroom cupcake toppers from this etsy shop. The glass containers were found at Ikea. (I tried to thrift some, but came up empty handed.) The soil, rocks and baby tears were found at my local Lowe's. Activated charcoal - or carbon - was available at the pet store.
Assembly: First layer, at the bottom, is pebbles for drainage. Next comes the charcoal (for enclosed terrariums to filter water and air). Thirdly, spaghum moss keeps the soil from slipping. Now your soil, and finally, your plants. This site has a wonderful plant list, but I found most items were out of season. We settled on a flat of baby tears.

Care: The baby tears have already grown and are easy to pinch back. The terrariums are pretty much self-sustaining. They require only a little watering every 2-4 weeks. If there is too much condensation, just pop open the lid. When the soil starts to look dry or cracked, add some water. That's it!

For a wonderfully visual step-by-step tutorial on terrariums, you'll want to visit Pretty Little Things.

Thanks to my dear friend, Julie, for her wonderful photography. It is well worth hiring a professional to take all the candid shots while you enjoy your child's party. If you're local in northern California, I highly recommend Julie (contact me for her email address.) Here's her much better shot of my gnome army of cupcakes...

Welcome to the Gnome Forest: A 2nd Birthday Party

2008-12-28T20:18:00.000-08:00

My Charlotte turned 2 years old today. She celebrated with all of her family - grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc. at a Gnome Forest birthday party. I made cupcakes for the very first time...
with a recipe from my birthday cookbook for angel food cupcakes. After two attempts at the frosting, I deviated from the recipe and made my own cream cheese frosting with 8 oz. of cream cheese, 4 tblsp. of butter, 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar, lemon zest and 1 tsp of vanilla.

Martha helped with the red polka dot and brown cupcake wrappers.

The little gnome cupcake toppers were made from photos from this handy book. I found my copy at the local library. And while the pictures were helpful, most of the crafts are a blast back to the 80's. (I really don't feel the need to go back to that era unless I'm listening to music.) I resized the photos and printed out enough for the fronts and backs of our little gnome friend, then glued them onto toothpicks. There were more than 2 cupcakes to start the day, but this is all that remained at the end of it.

Also new, my woodsy cake stand placed upon the red-with-white-polka-dots-simulated-giant-mushroom tablecloth. Stay tuned for more crafty details...

As mothers always say, "I can't belive my baby is (insert unbelievable age here)!" In my case, it's 2. I'm afraid to blink because she'll then be 35. Happy Birthday, Charlotte. You'll always be my baby girl.

A Bunch Of Sickos

2008-12-19T13:42:00.001-08:00

This is a picture of my kitchen counter. Well, actually, it's all the homeopathic remedies I have on my counter because my husband and daughter are sick. You think I'd remember by now, but noooo, every year I forget to invest in Kleenex before the cold/flu season starts.

We avoid taking traditional medications due to the numerous side effects and generally just being disappointed with the results. We have found great success with homeopathic and herbal remedies. Plus, the tablets are yummy.

There was the time last year when Charlotte got her first ear infection and I took her to the pediatrician. He wrote a script for antibiotics. Ummmm, I think I'll try the mullein garlic eardrops and some G.S.E. first. Guess what? In two days time, she was back to normal. The doc said, "Wow! That antibiotic really worked! Usually, I have to see kids back in 2-3 weeks and there's still residual infection, but her ears look perfect." I had to break the news about my remedies and he said, "Well, it certainly worked!"

My dear H has to avoid cold medications due to his high blood pressure tendencies. (Who wants their heart to race from medication anyway?) So, he takes kali bichromicum, elderberry cough syrup and Yogi tea which work even better.

If you're at all interested in a more natural approach to healing, then I highly recommend this book by Andrew Lockie.Hope you and yours are feeling well this Christmas season!

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner

2008-12-17T23:04:00.000-08:00

No, I didn't win this Martha Stewart Crafts Stocking Kit in Vegas, but over at Rebecca's blog Thrifty Goodness. She hosted a giveaway when posting about her crafty day making Christmas banners. (Check 'em out.) I correctly guessed which banner was hers, and jackpot! Thanks Rebecca!

Lately, Charlotte has been pulling down the dog's Christmas stocking and trying to wear it like a thigh-high boot. I should hang this Martha stocking near Silly's stocking so C's not stomping through the kitchen monostockularly. Did you like that made up word?? I can hold my own at Balderdash :)

We're Really Not Rednecks

2008-12-15T13:38:00.000-08:00

This does not work on Christmas tree branches.
This only sort of works. Yes, it's duct tape. On our Christmas tree.

We bought the biggest Christmas tree this year. It was impossible to pass up - only $10! Our tree is 8 feet tall - twice the size of our usual tree, but only one quarter of the price. We didn't have to traipse through the woods to get it. Nope, it was on an actual lot where all the trees were the $10 flat rate.

Our tree is full, lush and green. But, as we were lifting it into place, a branch snapped. Not just any branch, but one in a prime location... eye level, down front. It would leave a huge empty spot, so I pulled out the super glue. It failed. At last resort, we pulled out some duct tape and, well, stepped into redneck territory for a few minutes.

I keep worrying that someone will blink near the tree and down the branch will tumble. So far, so good. But please, nobody sneeze!

(with and without flash)

Last Minute Gifts

2008-12-11T07:40:00.001-08:00

This screenshot is from my latest inclusion in a treasury, put together by leahkl . I'm very honored when an item is chosen to be mixed and matched for a collection of goodies. Thanks Leah!

It may appear that I've abandoned ship here, but I have not. I've been reeeeally busy making things for the shop. Many sellers are still shipping in time for Christmas delivery, so if you're still shopping - you might try browsing Etsy. You may search by color, items, theme, person, new, vintage, etc. The possbilities are endless.

Here's a peek at my last treasury (expired):

Hope this helps a few of you stumped gift-givers. Merry Christmas!

Frosty's Friends

2008-12-04T12:39:00.000-08:00

Lera's done it again. She always has fun ideas. I saw her button snowmen hand towels and ran with it. She had a tough time deciding between white thread or black, so I used both. I also practiced my french knots for the eyes.

A local thrift has a big bowl of buttons for a dime a piece. I found exactly what I was looking for to make my snowmen. The dollar store had perfectly red striped hand towels. The thrift + dollar store = low cost crafting. One big note to self: digging through buttons is addicting.

On a completely random tangent... I have such a difficult time coming up with things for my Christmas list. There are plenty of things that could go on my list, I just don't think much about what I need. I've put myself on the back burner... it's official: I'm a mom!

Case in point: my husband has been sick and the air is quite cold. To prevent him from getting pneumonia, I've been taking our Scotty dog, Silhouette, for all her walks and potty breaks. Silly (as she's affectionately known) likes to run occasionally. This was the case a couple of nights ago. So, after she did her business, I picked up the pace and ran for home - watching Silly smile the whole time. Once home, I realized, something doesn't feel quite right. Yup, the elastic in my underwear is so shot, that my undies had slipped down over my hips, inside my pants. Actually, the only thing holding them up was the fact that I was wearing pants.

I guess now there is one thing I can add to my Christmas list: new underwear.

Needles In A Crimson Forest

2008-12-01T19:48:00.000-08:00

It all sounds so mysterious... but it's actually just a needle book. I've been needing/wanting a needle book for quite some time. All my needles have been in disarray (no joke). Picking up my dumb ol' tomato pin cushion to constantly examine which needle I need, only to find the particular needle in question still stuck in some small piece of fabric somewhere, just wasn't working for me.

I've been working non-stop to fill orders and to keep my shop well stocked. While making more dolls, I saw a perfect little leftover piece of fabric for my needle book. Stop the presses! I am making something just for me!My book is made from a thrifted pajama top, from American Eagle Outfitters, with little, red, leaping deer. I inserted four pages of white wool felt, added a grosgrain ribbon loop and the sweetest little green tree button - voila!

I liked it so much that I made another one for the shop. The second one is better. It has a pocket.

No more searching for needles in a haystack... now I just look in the forest :)

Grocery List

2008-11-25T12:49:00.000-08:00

We just went grocery shopping (early) to beat the Black Friday and Christmas crowds. Boy, did we stockpile the food. With the recent addition of Whole Foods to our neighborhood, we had no trouble making a sizable dent in the grocery budget.

We try to eat healthy foods. Superfoods. (Great book!) Rarely do we eat out and fast food never sounds appealing. We feel better when we eat well. High fructose corn syrup is the enemy - as is enriched anything. Many people falsely believe that healthy food doesn't taste very well. Au contraire! So, I decided to pass along my current top 5 favorite healthy food products.

First up, Stonyfield Farm Organic Lowfat Strawberry Yogurt. I've never been a fan of fruit yogurt, but this is reeeally close to dessert. Very creamy. Yum. And no HFCS or artificial sweeteners. This was purchased from Whole Foods.

Next is a new find from WF, it's R.W. Knudsen Organic Goji Berry Juice. This juice is heavenly and it incorporates a Superfood.

Another good snack is Kashi T.L.C. 7 Grain Crackers found at Walmart. If you need more fiber and whole grains, these delicious crackers make it easy.

My favorite cereal is Nature's Path Organic Pumpkin Flax Plus Granola Cereal. Again, it's the best granola I've come across (even Charlotte asks for this for breakfast!) It's available at Walmart, Trader Joe's and WF.

Lastly, Triple Leaf Tea Cold and Flu Time. This tea is a little tougher to find (also available online here). At the first sign of feeling a little under the weather, we drink a cup or two and start to feel better right away. Continue drinking the tea as directed and it definitely shortens the duration of your cold. I give this as gifts to family and friends. It even tastes good!

Do you have favorite health foods? I'd love to hear about them in the comments!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Falling (tea) Leaves Swap Received!

2008-11-19T19:11:00.000-08:00

Look at all the wonderful goodness that was sent to me by Angelena over at Little Mountain House!

She was my swap partner for the Falling (tea) Leaves swap. It's incredible, but she managed to send my very favorite tea AND my husband's favorite tea... Celestial Seasonings chamomile and true blueberry. How did she do that??! Also sent, a variety of other teas, wild cherry hard candies, two mini doilies, decorative fall leaves, a blueberry scone recipe and a delightful cranberry toile tea cup and saucer. Unfortunately, the Post Office was unkind to the package and the tea cup handle broke in 4 places, while the saucer broke cleanly in half. But that's what superglue is for :) Everything is wonderful. Thank you Angelena!

Here's what I sent to Little Mountain House:a vintage tea towl, a tea sandwich plate and cup set, a box of delicious gingerbread tea and a brown and white polka dot apron that I made just for her.

I had this vision of an apron (mom, stop rolling your eyes) that I wanted to make for her. That's how it is with me, I come up with something in my mind and then have to find it or make it happen. Without a pattern, I started cutting... and created my first half apron. And my first ruffle! I put two running stitches (starting in the middle and working out) to create the ruffle without breaking the thread.

What really set in my mind was to create a removable, decorative (thrifted) lace panel on the front of the apron.
I wanted to create a hostess-type apron. She can wear it while working, then attach the pretty lace panel via the hooks and eyes to dress it up a bit when the guests arrive. The apron turned out as I envisioned, so it was difficult to part with! It was a joy to make, and I hope that she enjoys wearing it.

Be sure to check out Rebecca and Danielle's swap too. They exchanged a vast amount of goodies. Well done, ladies!

Dutch Treats

2008-11-17T13:53:00.000-08:00

It's time, once again, for a yard sale report. This sweet little bavarian house is also... a musical jewelry box. Charlotte has already enjoyed dancing along with the ballerina to "Edelweiss". It cost me 25 cents. The music box sits atop a brand new, red felt Christmas tree skirt. I plan to embellish it with some type of embroidery. That was purchased for 50 cents.
Next up, four children's book at 20 cents each. (C is a book hound since she doesn't watch tv.) The red velvet vintage child's Christmas apron was scooped up for $1. (They're never too young to start the apron obsession, are they??) This pretty blue floral tea cup was a steal at 25 cents. (I bought that for my neighbor who has been under the weather.) Lastly, you'll notice the icky fake wood grain on my little dutch girl. She has a secret though...
the front plate swings away to reveal some type of hiding place. Well, I don't actually know what it is, but it will be a secret hiding place. It needs a coat of paint first. Grand total = $3.30.

Also purchased, more aprons for my shop, shipping supplies and an umbrella stroller. Our dog recently broke C's stroller, so I bought an identical replacement - in a different color - for $2.

Many folks were feeling generous this weekend. I tried to buy a wiffle ball for C to play with, but the man insisted on giving it to me. Also, the woman holding the yard sale with shipping supplies chit chatted with me about children and foot surgery. Before I left, she gave me an art set for my daughter, two Christmas placemats and a Christmas doormat - all brand new! Now that's a thrifty weekend :)