Pinterested?

So all my blog friends you lit my fire and I finally gave in and checked out Pinterest. I knew going into it that it was going to be a time sucker so silly little me set "rules". Yes, I have a set of Pinterest rules, feel free to use them or change them to make them work for you. Tee-Hee!

Rule #1: Only look until the page ends (still a lot of looking)
Rule #2: I must get at least one idea that I plan to carry out and actually do every time I look.
Rule #3: I am only aloud to have three ideas waiting to be done at a time. If I have more than three I can't look again until I get one or two or three done.

I have been a very good rule follower and I will now share with you some of my Pinterest masterpieces.

Sexy Curls

All Thanks To A Sock

 Simply amazing. All I did was cut the toe of one on MY LB's socks, roll it up like a donut, put my hair in a pony tail, spritz the pony tail with water to get it damp, roll up the pony tail in the sock, pin it and go to sleep. Next morning much to my surprise I "really" had curls. Crazy right?

More Sexy Hair

Crazy up do (I will never tell how many bobby pins I used)

Watch out, right?

You just do this and then that and more of this and VIOLA.

I also got a bit crafty....

Stuffed Owls

Now My monkey is no longer lonely.

He just has to wait and play at night now.

Yeah, I made my own pattern from looking at some pictures. Used my sewing machine and a glue gun.

Picture Collage

I have been wanting to put up pictures of my kiddos from when they were young little bucks. This offered me the perfect opportunity and it is so fantastically cute.

I promise next time I will do better to post links, I just forgot to save them and now I don't feel like finding them. Sorry! I will just tell you the hardest part of this project is picture placement (there is definitely some math involved).

There you have it! I am following the rules, getting fun things done, trying new things with my hair and laughing a lot. Thanks to all of my friends that go me "pinterested".

The three things I have on my plans.... An owl purse, another up do and a some photo shoot pictures to take of my little cowgirls.

Some Stuff

I am feeling like a bulk post, one that sums up all I have to say. That is how my life is right now, how much can I get done at one time? What two things can I combine into one and get both done at the same time? You wouldn't believe the things I can get done while sitting on the toilet.

I can't even crochet without listening to a classic, watching a documentary or listening to conference talk. I desperately want to be a good example to my kiddos of self education and a desire to continue to learn and grow. However finding the time, not impossible, is very tricky.

So I have about 30 minutes before the bed time routine begins and about 4 things I want to blog about.

1. We had a great surprise aunty visit this month and the kids were so excited. They love Kosette and Alison, I don't blame them they are two fun chickies. We had family dinners, a hike, a sleep over, a third wheel on date night and lots of sibling messages. It is always a treat when family visits!

2. Another fantastic trip to the ballet. A love story right before Valentines Day, Sleeping Beauty. It was so wonderful, I loved Kendal's excitement. I also dearly love my growing twelve year old that held his little sister on his lap so she could see, he is great!



3. I have been quite crafty lately regardless of my time crunch. I crocheted two infant hats for Breathing Life Photography, made a valance (that I am in love with) for a good friend, I have been helping another friend decorate her new house, finished my first crochet afghan, taken and edited three photo shoots, I have also been experimenting with bread making (I made my Cuisinart smoke, yikes) and made a couple of stuffed animals with the girls. I missed crafting and creating and knew I had to make it a part of my life again. I took my knowledge of time and how to find more of it and put it to work for me. I am now consistent in my hobby habits and invite the children to participate whenever possible.

Valance for my friend (isn't her house cute)

My first Afghan, so colorful and fluffy

Two infant hats

4. OUTSMARTED 4 to 1, I am realizing that I don't post enough or talk enough about home school. Many of my good friends that I have seen recently have asked about it. Mostly, always in the form of, "Do you still like home schooling?" I want to take this time to let everyone know, YES!

I am in love with home schooling, the more I do it the easier it becomes. My children amaze me with their intellect and desire to self educate. Since we began Thomas Jefferson Education in our home everything has changed, the kids are learning that in order to gain a good education they have to desire it, reach for it and continually grow. They spend most of their days with their noses in non-fiction books. Together we have read, discussed and learned many great things from wonderful classical fiction authors. We have learned to take the characters, experiences and emotions into our lives and live and learn by their experiences. We are also memorizing our states and capitals, presidents and articles of faith, I am proud to say that we are half way there.

My favorite part of our day is devotional, we read and study the Book of Mormon, read stories about virtue and how to become virtuous people, review memorization and pray together. I wouldn't give up this time with my children for anything. I am so thankful for friends and family that care enough to ask how things are going. We are good!

Right now we are completely engrossed in the goings on of Taran the Pig Keeper in the Alexander Lloyd book series, The Chronicles of Prydain. You should check it out.

This story is perfect for my growing boys, they need to know that becoming a man takes overcoming your trials and becoming a better person for it. Taran, is challenged in so many ways and always come out of his challenges stronger, wiser, kinder and of course smarter.

Crafty? What's that?

It has been so long since I have done anything crafty, at all. Home school keeps me pretty busy, good busy. I was using it as an excuse to let go of something that I love, creating! My recent decision to be where my feet are have lead me to the conclusion that this is it, this is the time I have, this is the brain capacity I will have left at the end of every day, these are the creative tools I have available.... my piggies need "to do" with what they have been given.

For the past month I have been decorating our rental. It is quite a bit smaller than our home we sold and it has been a pretty big adjustment; some selling of furniture, combining of rooms and putting some furniture together that under other circumstances I would not put in the same room. Everything just kind of landed. Between that and white, white walls I have had to get very creative. It has been fun and I can't wait to share some pictures of the new place, just not today.

Today I want to show you my worlds cutest Christmas tree ornaments that I crocheted so my tree would match my new decor. Extreme? Of course, that is how I know that I am back in the game. My tree matches my home and my home matches my personality. Very colorful!

SHE'S CRAFTY!!!

AGAIN!!

Recycle Renew Reuse RE-ALLY

I sat down at my sewing machine on Saturday, it was the first time in a very long time. I recycled little girl tank tops into little girl skirts. I tried to recycle my finger too, not sure what I was trying to create but I really ended up with a mess.

This extremely wonderful idea came to me while I was searching through clothes at the Goodwill hunting down skirts for a two year old that refuses to wear pants or shorts. I couldn't find anything that I loved so I moved on. While I was browsing through the shirts the idea clicked. I can cut the tops of these shirts off and make skirts. ONLY, after looking around I noticed that the tank tops on this beautiful 50% off Saturday were only 99 cents. I picked out about six that I liked, found a couple of bags of different colored threads for 50% off, and bought some elastic at Walmart. I came home cut the tops off of the tank tops, set them next to my sewing machine and there they have sat for about two months.

Saturday I sat down at my sewing machine in the mood for a little crafting. Next to my sewing machine I found, unfinished recycle projects, unfinished dresses for Kendal, mending that needed to be done, and a Cub Scout shirt in need of patches. I was busy doing something that I loved and once I am finished with the wonderful stack of things to sew I plan on making a new stack. This time some aprons for the kids, hair bows for the girls, and a little something recycled for me.

Here is the break down for the Tank Top to a skirt project.

First you need to find tank tops or regular shirts will work too that flare out a little and are pretty long. The length of the tank and how long you need the skirt to be is going to be the deciding factor, it was easy to find tanks long enough for Kendal but it was a little difficult to find some long enough for Maggie. I checked out the women's section but I didn't really see anything I liked, but that is definitely an option for longer skirts. You may already have something in your closet, baby doll shirts work great!

To Make:

1. Place the shirt on a cutting surface. Using a straight edge find a spot just under the arms or straps of the shirt where you can cut a straight line. Rotary blades work great but scissors will do the job too.


2. You can throw away the top of the shirt or get creative and use it to embellish the skirt with ruffles or maybe even a matching flower for her hair.


3. Hope you know sewing terms. Now all you have to do is make a casing at the top for an elastic band.


4. Insert the elastic; Tip: Fasten a safety pin on one end to make it easier to insert the elastic. Sew the ends of your elastic together.


5. Sew your casing closed.


VIOLA!! No hems! WOO HOO! Already has ruffles and embellishments! YES!


Very easy project and each skirt only ended up costing a little over $1.00 each, that's cheaper than fabric. To recycle all six skirts only took me a little over an hour.

Sorry no before pictures, you will just have to trust me that at one time all of these skirts used to be shirts.

I can't wait to tell you my no brainer, brainiac idea for bloomers! Next time.

Happy Sewing!

Recycle, Renew, Reuse.... RE-ally

My newest recycle project

This is the first time that I have put together two great pieces of already made clothing to produce something even greater. Normally I start with one piece and create my own additions. While searching for ideas for my next project I was inspired by some dresses that I came across on the Anthropologie website. I love when the light bulb goes on and all of the pieces come together. And this time I do believe they came together better than I imagined. So well, I thought it deserved a flower on top.

BEFORE:

It was a shirt

A dress

and

Vintage fabric that I picked up from the Goodwill.

I cut the shirt right above the ties because I was not going to be using the ties for my dress. Next I cut the top of the dress off. The back of the dress has an elastic waste so NO ZIPPER or BUTTONS necessary, WAH HOO. I sewed the top of the shirt to the bottom of the dress making darts in the shirt where necessary (that's where the making things smaller works into the equation). Next I added a ruffle with fabric from the bottom of the shirt. Last to make it modest (that is the hottest) I added a ruffle at the bottom made from the vintage fabric.
FUN!FUN!FUN!

To top it off I added a flower that I created all on my own with an idea I got off of a flower making tutorial (it needed some Christy adjustment).

After:
It became a dress

Coupled with my new boots that I am scheduled to marry next fall it is definitely a dress worth loving.

BECAUSE I DO LOVE IT!

Kendal Turns 2

I know I always say this but it is so true. I love birthdays! Even the idea of them gives me goose bumps. A day all about "YOU" (whoever you are). Presents for you, a song for you, if you are lucky a party for you and birthday spankings just for you. Oh, I love birthdays.

Monday was Kendal's turn for a special day. She loved the attention and by the end of the day she would just tell people, "I TWO". So here is a run down of a birthday fit for a two year old.

First you can't have a birthday girl without a birthday dress.

(recycle project it used to be a women's skirt)

How about a birthday cake? You have to have one of those.
My third healthy dessert Monday in a row. This time I made Banana Spice Cake with Coconut Cream Frosting. It's a funny thing, people keep asking how can I afford to sew. But I am wondering how do people afford to bake. I had to buy a majority of the ingredients and in doing so I passed this cake that only cost $2.50.

I am not going to lie I was very tempted. Especially since the Birthday girl was crying because mom was doing circles trying to find the stinking ingredients. AHHH!

Of course this little birthday UNhelper made my healthy Monday baking all worth while.

Here it is the final product all girlied up for a special 2 year old.

Here is why it is a healthy dessert. Take note of the words low, lite and free.

I know what you are thinking, a healthy cake on her birthday? What a rip off, right? Don't worry the following day we visited Me-Ma and she hooked the girl up.

What child does not love Build A Bear Workshop? Please note that I did say child.

CHUCKEE CHEESE






No birthday is complete without....

Crazy brother antics

Tears

Romance

Daddy Kisses

And some words for Kendal.....

Kendal there are so many things I want to remember about you right now but I am afraid that I will forget. I will forget the way that you say "stop that ickles" or the way your barbies always need help, "help me, help me I dieing". You get so darn ornery when things aren't going your way but you can cuddle like a champ. Your curls are the cutest most unruly things in the universe, I never want to forget them. Or the way you call daddy mommy even though we ALL know you can say daddy (ornery). You are mine and daddy's last baby and we love you so much and despite all of the things I am afraid I will forget you have given me one gift that I will never forget. You have sealed the image of a wonderful daddy loving his babies in my mind forever. An image that I will visit often and smile every time I do.

THE END