Wednesday, December 29, 2010

New Family Member

We have a new little guy running around our kitchen.

Meet our latest edition...


No, we didn't have a baby...


No, we didn't get a dog...




Tate built a robot!


This little guy was a kit was a Christmas gift from Nana Rena. Tate loved putting it together and is thrilled with how it scuttles around the kitchen cleaning up crumbs.

I love that we don't have to feed it or take it out to the bathroom... Way better than a dog!

Now we just need to name him... Any ideas?

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Project Sweater Beautification: Part I

Inspired by Grosgrain's Embellish Knit Month, I started to play around with some sweater beautification of my own. Today I added some singed lace flowers to a silk cardigan. Just lovely...

Project Time:20 Minutes



Materials:

Plain Cardigan (Mine was 1.49 at Goodwill)

Lace (I have also used chiffon, tulle, etc to make this kind of flower in the past)

Candle or other heat source

Scissors

Needle

Thread


For each flower cut

2- 4 inch circles

2- 3inch circles

2- 2 inch circles

Hint: To speed up the cutting process and cut multiple circles of the same size at the same time, you can layer your lace.
Use a candle to singe the edges of the two largest circles. To do this hold the fabric about 2 inches away from the flame until the edges curl.
If your fabric starts on fire, you are too close... Some people use a tweezers for this part, but I am a risk taker...
Repeat this process with your two medium circles and your two small circles.

Stack your singed circles largest to smallest and give them a couple of basting stitches.
Next, arrange the flowers on your cardigan and pin them in place. TRY ON YOUR SWEATER. What looks good laying on your design table does not always look good on your bod! Trust me... I love the look of the four flower design pictured below, but I tried it on and felt like a double dork.



The final product only boasts two lovely lace flowers...




After attempting to wear this this afternoon, I realized that I am not a size small. (I think I already knew that, but I really wanted this to fit me. It is so pretty.) Any size smalls? Its up for grabs. FREEBIE!!!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Something to Read: Subway Art

My new borrowed family Christmas gift giving policy is: "Something you want, something you need, something to wear, something to read..."

If this saying came from your blog or you know where it came from, please tell me. I want to give credit and thank this person for helping me keep it very simple at Christmas. Anyway, on with the show.

Hubbers is getting this Subway Art as his "Something to read." I made it for his new office. (Hope we finish the office before Subway Art goes to the curb!)

There are a ton of Tutorials out there for this. Here is what I did...

Materials:
Canvas (mine was 1/2 off at Michael's but you can use an old piece from a yard sale or thrift store)
Acrylic paint for background (I purchased a 250 ML tube of black and did not even use 1/4 of it)
Mod Podge
Scrapbook Paper or Card stock (Higher quality paper= easier project)
Letter Cutting Machine such as a Cricut (Optional and very handy---You can also print your words on your computer. Just reverse the color so the letters print white)


Gather those Materials
Paint that canvas
I only used one coat and it looks fine, but you may find you need more depending on the quality of your paint or the condition of your canvas... or if you are that way.
Cut out those letters
I have seed a variety of sizes, fonts and color schemes. You will notice mine are all the same font. This is not because my husband really likes the George font from Cricut. It is because I was not willing to buy a new Cricut cartridge for this experimental gift. It turns out I rather like it! Lay those Puppies out.
Arrange the words. Make em fit, see what you love. VS (Not Victoria's Secret..Vital Step):
Take a picture so you don't forget where they were.
Glue baby, glue!
Go nuts with the Mod Podge. Brush it on the back of each letter. Stick those letters down. Go back and cover the whole canvas in a coat of Mod Podge.
At this point FEEL FREE TO FREAK OUT. I DID. It will look awful. It will dry clear and it won't be shiny anymore. See... Mine is almost dry.

The mod podge is still visible in this picture especially near the bottom. Be assured it will disappear when it is completely dry...

I did let it dry for two full days simply because I did not want to tun the risk of having anything stick to the wrapping paper. Overnight would likely do the trick!

Of course The project is done and wrapped and I never took a THE END picture.

Maybe when the office is finished and it is hanging on its new wall home...

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Dear Dad,

I am sure you know, we have been missing you a lot around here lately...




Your garden was the best I have ever seen it. The corn was delicious, the potatoes were huge, and the pumpkins were perfect... it wasn't the same without you.


We spent a lot of time as a family, with "grease cutters" being the drink of choice... it wasn't the same without you. (By the way, I can actually drink a grease cutter with out cringing now... I wouldn't say I love it!)

Fishing at the cabin was "piss poor"... it wasn't the same without you.

Kate got married, now that was a party... it wasn't the same without you.

Jesse and Mike took a bear hunting journey to Liberty Farms... it wasn't the same without you. (I am not sure if they knew what to do without you there to take the lead)

I am sure you know, Grandma went to heaven right after she turned 99. I bet she was surprised but happy to see you waiting there!

We miss you!

PS You are going to be a grandpa again... oh and a great grandpa! No, silly I am not expecting, but Lindsay and Ryan are and so are Tony and Miss Kate!

I love you!

Miss Becca

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Our Advent Calendar

Our Advent Calendar is made from a Red Dogwood branch and some old book pages. Each book page was rolled into a cone shape and decorated with a winter animal shape.







Each day we look inside the cone to find a prayer for the day or a family activity to prepare for Christmas.



Some of our favorites are:



~Sing Christmas songs by the tree

~Cocoa and a prayer

~Read the story of the birth of Jesus

~Make "firecrackers" to open on Christmas Eve (These contain special notes written by each family member)

~ Go for a drive and look at Christmas lights

~Go out of your way to do good deeds today

~Make a gift for your sibling

~Go to the pet store to hold the puppies

~Buy food for the food shelf

~Make a Birthday Banner for Jesus




This is the first year we have done such an involved Advent Calendar. I must say I am in love with the idea and I do plan to make it a tradition.



Having the kids help make it really gave them ownership.



I will admit that some of the tasks did not get completed. The timing was a little off. Next year, I will have to rig it so the more involved activities land on slow days here at the house!



I hope Advent helped prepare your heart and home for the coming of Jesus... Merry Christmas!

Fit to Be Tied Towel

Wow, I love this towel! It was so simple and makes so much sense... Tate said, "Oooh it looks like an angel." It sure does my little man...



It took less than 15 minutes to make and will prevent those little ones from pulling down the kitchen towel every time you turn around!

Find out how to make this beauty by visiting Trey and Lucy! The lovely Tanya will show you how to make this and everything you never knew you wanted to make... :)

As for me, I am off to make more of these monsters so that I have an army of beautiful towels to look at. I might try a button hole or Velcro...

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Embellish Me, Please: Pretty Towel Tutorial for You!

I mentioned in the quicky gift of bread post that my intentions were to make some pretty little towels to keep on hand for emergency gift giving situations.

Well, I got a jump start today when my sweet baby was taking nap. (OK he is six, so not a baby, but he is my baby and he is sicker than sick. BOO. :( ) By jump start, I mean two towels. See...


As you can see, I thought I was going to be making a gross of towels...


I used the towels on the right and fabric from my stash you could use scraps. (Kiley recently became interested in fabric and sewing, so my scrap drawer is looking pretty sad...)

Cut strips of fabric that are as long as the width (plus an inch or two) of your towel and about 3 inches wide.


Fold the edge over and press. Sew.

Pin your fabric to your towel. I use a ruler to keep it even.


Sew the fabric strip to your towel. Make sure your edges are folded over the side of the towel and and tucked under...
The second towel is just ric rac sewn to a towel with a basic fabric flower pinned on.
I decided these two cuties would look great with the fun clothespin magnets I made.


Enjoy!

Quicky Gift Idea


Last week I was in a pinch and needed a quicky gift for project Advent Angel (Secret Santa) at work. I grabbed a loaf of crusty bread and a new dish towel and ta da!

(The tag says, "Have a loafly day." I'm cooky like that...)


Over break, I may cut the other dish towels down and embelish them to keep on hand for this very purpose. What an easy little gesture... The embelishments will kick it up a notch.

Monday, December 20, 2010

This old hat

I think it was a month ago that I posted pics of the first hat I made. It was a Where the Wild Things Are hat. Kind of cute, but very thin and a weak effort. I gave it another shot that same night and came up with this cutie.

This time I sewed two layers of fabric and added a ruffle, some trim, and a button. Oh what fun!
One problem. The pattern from I Am Momma Hear Me Roar was for a kid. I am an adult, so I modified it to fit an adult head and ended up with a hat that is too big. I guess I can give it another shot...
Note: in this lovely self portrait I am wearing my lovely blue bathrobe. It is my SSE (signature sewing ensemble...) PRETTY! (That is pretty as in not pretty...)

For the tutorial please visit the super awesome I am Momma Hear Me Roar post.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Ta Da!!!

I did it! Here's the first I am Momma Hear Me Roar inspired hat. It really was quite simple...once I sat down to do it. So simple, I had to round up more fleece and flannel.
Guess what I am doing tonight!? This hat was made for Tate, but he refused to model, so here is the lovely Kiley modeling the first hat.

.
I used fleece, a t shirt and some old dress socks to make this hat. It is only one layer, so it is not all that warm. More of a fall or spring hat really. My next hat will be double layers and lots of cute embellishments. I am pretty stoked. (Is that how you spell "stoked?" I bet typing stoked makes me a pretty big dork. I don't really care though because I am so excited about these hats...)


New paint color in the bathroom by the way... Sherwin Williams "Earthen Jug."




Note the "horn" on the left side of this picture is part of the charm of this hat. My top was a little bigger than my middle piece so I had to bunch it up a bit.

I had a dream, well nightmare...

I had a terrible dream that I used my fabric scissors to cut paper. I think this means it is time to get cracking on my never ending pile of things I want to work on. Today I will: finish my t shirt scarf. Hush... It is a secret project.




I will also attempt these very cool hats from I am Momma Hear Me Roar.
Please go visit. She is amazing and has tons of great tutorials for the hip little boy in your life. Rare Find~
~Wish me Luck~

Friday, August 6, 2010

Fat Quarter Scarf

I finally finished the Fat Quarter Scarf project that I started in July.


You know the drill... Cut it out and let it sit for a while...


Some projects are like wine.


You have to let them age in order to let them reach their full potential!

(Three weeks this time)

So here it is...
The Five Fat Quarter Scarf

I am very pleased with it and plan to give it to my MIL for her Birthday next week.

I hope she likes it. If she feels like it is too funky to wear as a scarf, she can always use it as a table runner. (Kiley's suggestion :) )


Tutorial for this project was by the lovely Sachiko over at Tea Rose Home.

Check out her lovely Blog!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Lemonade and Popcorn!

It was hotter than HOT on Tuesday...



The kids set up shop...
.
Lemonade and Popcorn were 25 cents...
(This table was made by my dad before I was born!)




A supply of lemonade and ice...




Stockpile of popcorn...
A shaded spot for Union Breaks...

Drinking and eating away their profits!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Little White Church on the Hill

I have been trying to write about this for months, but have never found the right words. Maybe I was unable to see the whole picture until now...


Bear with me the story seems like a long one but in my eyes it is truly AWESOME.


Two weeks ago, mom and I were driving to see some new friends. We spotted this beautiful church.


Note mom's hair in the picture along with a utility pole. I am still learning...


It was so breathtaking that we had to slow down to take pictures. A car was approaching so we had to trudge on, turn around and go back to complete our photo shoot. As we were turning around, another car (or maybe it was a truck, yes, I think it was a truck) approached and asked us if we needed help finding someone. We said no thanks, just taking pictures of the church. He smiled and was on his way. (How sweet!)






Yes, we took the time to turn around to take the picture, but did not get out of the car. We are going for quality here (wink wink...)



On we went to see our amazing new friends... Sam and Sharon. They live on a cool property out in the country. Lots to see so of course I forgot to take pictures of most of it because I was too busy soaking it all in. (Maybe this is why I don't travel. I feel like a bad tourist almost everywhere I go...)



Mom couldn't resist and had to get her hands in the dirt!



So, she helped with the weeding! I love that she enjoys gardening so much!







After a long visit, a lovely lunch and meeting some of their friends, they had something they wanted to show us...




They brought us to this spot.








This is the spot that brought us together. This is the spot that made our meeting possible. This is the spot where they pulled over in May to help a stranger in need. This is the same spot mom and I chose to turn around to take pictures. If you sit in your car and look ahead you see this beautiful scene...


But, if you look to your left, you see the Little White Church on the Hill.




Completely awesome! If you are still with me, there's more... If you stopped reading, I understand, but you are missing out, so I am sure something will tug at your heart and you will come back when you are ready for the rest.




So rewind to May. Here is the post I never posted... Please read it. It explains why this spot and meeting Sam and Sharon is so important. It explains why my faith is stronger than ever and why I feel so refreshed, so loved and so very blessed.



Monday, July 26, 2010

Goodbye my LOOOVE!

We said goodbye to an old friend on Thursday...








I must say not a single tear was shed...




Cruel?!

No... For weeks this monstrosity has been haunting our driveway. Blocking my otherwise perfect view of what everyone else in the neighborhood is doing. (Yes, I am nosey)

At first it was fun. We acted as though there was something exciting inside. I told the kids that if they could guess what was inside, it was all theirs...

some guesses:

~1 million hula hoops

~ a bike

~ a bed

~ a car

~cookies

~ a puppy

Nope, sorry folks... the box is empty and we can't even play in it because we need a crow bar to open it.

So there it sat for weeks. People would drive by nice and slow, but nobody would take the darn thing. Finally, on Thursday a very interesting man came to get pick it up. Thank you very interesting man and equally interesting wife.

I don't care what strange thing you are using this for just drive safe and be on your way.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Wedding fun...

Sometimes they are just too fun. Kiley and Tate never want their pictures taken. So I am constantly trying to get a good shot of them together. Here they are at a wedding I begged and bribed for ONE nice shot. Tate said, "Fine, but you can only try once." I said, "Deal, but it has to be a good one."






In his efforts to assist in making the shot a "good one," Tate posed like a "model."


In focusing on really making it a good shot (and praying that Tate would not wreck it), Kiley froze up and forgot to smile...


Tate trying to walk a "very dangerous" ledge, while pretending to be a secret agent.

A random dance move by the dancing queen.
A sweet moment between daddy and Kiley.



I think I'll just stick to the candid shots.