Two Little Bugs Clothing Co.

I'm so crafty- Zipper Pouch Tutorial

2011-12-10T12:02:00.001-08:00

Things have been kinda quiet around my little blog here so I thought I would share some news with you.I am hosting a Zipper pouch tutorial class tomorrow and i needed to make up a quick little tutorial for all the ladies coming. I hope to see you tomorrow but if not please feel free to use this tutorial and enjoy whipping up some last minute holiday gifts of your own! ENJOY!Supplies You will need your fabric to be the same length as your zipper...the size of the pouch is up to you.

Lay your pieces so that your inside fabric is face up, zipper on top and outside fabric is facedown, sandwiching the zipper betweent the two pieces of fabric. Pin together.

Change your sewing machine foot to your "zipper" foot and sew your fabrics and zipper together

This is what your pouch should look like now

Now you want to iron your piece so that you can sew a top stitch..this will keep your inside fabric from bunching up and getting stuck in the zipper

*change back to your standard foot*Sew as close to the zipper as possible

Sandwich this piece between your 2nd piece of inside fabric (face up) and your outside fabric face down

Pin down

Sew it all together

This is what your pouch should look like nowIron it down to make it ready for your next top stitch on the other side...you can get creative with this...I used a zig zag stitch for the other side

If you want to add any embellishment now is the time!I add a ruffle to the middle by ironing a rectangle of fabric in half and then in half again.

Set your machine with the longest stitch length and highest number tension and Sew a gathering stitch down the center

Pull you stitch by hand to make your ruffle. Pin to outside fabric and sew in place

Now you are going to sew your pouch all together (these pictures were taken before I decided to make the ruffle embellishment..oops!) Okay now open your zipper 3\4 of the way *this is very important, you won't be able to open it later if you forget this step!

Now you are going to put *like* sides together and pin *make sure your zipper is lined up otherwise it will be all wonky after it is sewn in place:)

Pin the sides all together, leaving an opening about 3inches long on the inside fabric side. Use 2 pins on each side of the opening so that you will know where to start and stop stitching

Sew it all together

Once you have sewn it all together, cut the corners off so that your pieces fit together better

Here's the tricky part..find the opening and start pulling the inside of the pouch out..keep pulling and ta da it's all together

Use your scissors to carefully push the corners out

Now find the opening in your inside fabric, iron your fabric down and stitch up opening

Put the inside fabric in place inside the bag. IRON.

Your very first little Zipper Pouch is done!Good job:)

InstaFriday

2011-09-02T05:55:00.000-07:00

Wow another week is over and here is what I can show for it....

Last Saturday morning it was off to the auction for me....not so good...I lost a bed I wanted to some other gal...went for WAY TO MUCH! Oh well. I still have a garage full of "treasures" that still need a bit of fixin:)

Dinner at the old Olive Garden.....who doesn't like some all you can eat pasta bowls?

Avery and Daddy working one serious crossword puzzle

Seriously, this kid is always in my drinks!

(no she is not drinking wine)

and this was empty

that's what you get for trying to sneak Coke

Little stinker!

Sunday was Boat day with Nana and Granddad

Emma loves to swim under the boat

We love it when Granddad drives fast!

so pretty out here

spying on the neighbors!

only he can make me laugh at 7:30 in the morning!

it's a special day when daddy get's to walk you to the bus stop

Emma bug wanted to do a little Instagram too!

What happens when I spend all day playing with Instagram

See ya next week!

Chairs, Chairs, and more Chairs

2011-09-01T09:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was ignoring my housework again, tooling around on Pinterest which lead me to the Anthropologie website where I began to look at all their awesome furniture and somewhere in all of that I realized something. My husband is a lucky man!

How did I come to such a conclusion?

Well, let me explain....

I was staring at all of these amazing chairs that Anthropologie is selling right now and thought you know what those kinda remind me of some I have in my house right now.

They, of course, are not exactly the same but close and seriously I almost died when I saw how much they are selling them for. Considering that all of my chairs below cost from free-$8 each, that is, except for the $70 Tolix ones. EEK, I hate that but still an amazing deal especially when you see what the ones below are selling for!

$598

free

reupholstered with a drop cloth

$199

$70

$2,400

2 for $6 each

reupholstered with another drop cloth and extra nail head trim I had leftover from our headboard

$980

and then of course my kitchen table where the chairs are ever changing

but none the less all of them very inexpensive!

So the reason my husband is so lucky (besides the obvious) I have saved him thousands of dollars in furniture costs!!

Of course, I would never ever buy any of the Anthropologie chairs anyway but still sometimes it's nice to see just how thrifty I can be.

Bridal Shower

2011-08-29T06:15:00.000-07:00

I posted awhile back about my girlfriend whom is tying the knot this coming month....we are all so excited!

The weekend before last I had the pleasure of hosting her bridal shower at my house.

I made up some fabric flower pins with the note " Love has bloomed" along with their names and the wedding date.

I actually made them to take as a favor but everyone just ended up putting them on and wearing them for the shower, which I loved!

Together with her maid of honer we put together a menu of delicious salads and gourmet pizza's.

We tried to stay away from the usual chicken salad and croissant fare along with replacing the usual cake or cupcakes with fruit pies and muffins.

It was actually very nice if I do say so myself.

We also treated everyone with Mimosa's and who doesn't like one of those on a Sunday afternoon.

I finally had a reason to use all my ironstone and

I used my wide mouthed Ball jars for drinking glasses.

It was so fun and now it's just a count down till the big day!

Instafriday

2011-08-26T03:41:00.000-07:00

I am the first one to tell you I have a case of the ol' ADD.

Yes, I get super excited about something I see, obsess about how to figure it out, figure it out, use it a ton and then get bored and move on to the next thing. Yup, that would be me. I would like to say it sounds worse than it really is, but really, who's kidding who here.

I posted yesterday about my great success with finally figuring out how to get the Instagram photo.

Well, now I am linking up to Life Rearranged to share my week of photos.

Will they be interesting? Good question.

Will I be able to describe each photo with such wit and ease that you, the reader, find yourself bent over with laughter asking for more. Doubt it.

Will I wonder if anyone besides my family, will find these pictures even remotely interesting?
Sure, everyday.
But none of these thoughts will stop me from sharing and certainly won't keep me from continuing this creative, chaotic process that I call normal.

In other words: Here is my first of many (honestly, we'll see) Insta-Fridays!

Enjoy

Dinnertime

Avery say's "this is me and you mommy"

Morning comes way to early around here. This new school schedule is killing the Emma's and she doesn't even go to school!

Some of my favorite things

Waiting for the bus

Emma and I surprised Avery with some new decoration's for her room....she loves it!

Happiness, sometimes means being upside down for a bit

I'm trying this self portrait thing...not a fan of narcissism but if I don't take pictures of myself no one else will

Being a sister is seriously one of the greatest things ever!

Who doesn't love a ball jar?

I'm going to miss this toothless smile one day:)

Have I told you about my addiction? You're staring at it!

That is it for this week.

Considering it was actually a day and a half. Ha!

Photo fun

2011-08-24T14:15:00.000-07:00

I have been a little obsessed with some photos I keep seeing on other ladies blogs and for the life of me could not figure out how they were achieving these super cool photos.

But today I figured it out!!

Instagram is it's name and I am in love!

Apparently it came out 8 months ago so I'm a little behind but I can catch up fast. You can also buy a program (which is also available for a 15 day trial) called Carousal which enables you to see your Instagram feed on your Macbook. Very cool.

So now I have to do some research on how I can start using this app along with all the other cool ones available on itunes. There are so many and honestly I would buy all of them but I am trying to figure out one at a time for now.

So here is where I begin.....

First Grade

2011-08-17T05:42:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share Avery bug's first day of school pictures.

Boy oh Boy is she excited!!

But all the while I sit here with tears just waiting to fall. Brian tells me not to worry but go ahead get it out, she is just down the road after all. I can't believe that my baby is going in to the first grade because I have this very unreasonable feeling that now I will never see her again. I hate that!!

Although at the same time I am so proud of her and the fact that she is so eager to return to school. Secretly, it makes me smile that she was looking forward to wearing her new clothes the most!

I can so relate!

I just love her so much!!

Cool Pictures

2011-08-07T20:56:00.000-07:00

Have I told you lately that I have a serious addiction to Pinterest?

While pinning the other day I came across this

SO CUTE!
They wore the camera around their neck with the self timer on and snapped this adorable shot!
LOVE IT!

Okay, so I am thinking.....no problem, I can do that!

*DISCLAIMER*
not as easy as it looks
HA
so here is my version with a little help from Emma bug

Her arms look a little like rubber?
I noticed later while looking at the original photo that the photographer's hands are visible in the photo making the girl's arms less long and rubbery looking.

Of course we couldn't leave Avery out!

Okay so let me practice this and see what I can come up with.
I will say that you really can only do this so many times before you can no longer stand up!
But the bugs sure did have fun with my little experiment.

Chairs! UGH!!

2011-08-05T11:47:00.000-07:00

I posted about my Tolix chair obsession awhile ago and had asked for your opinion on what I should do regarding the "chair dilemma".

Well I thought I had figured it out...thanks to some kind ladies and their help. But oh my goodness!!! I walked back in to my local Tj Maxx last night and what do I see but a much better version of those pretty french cafe chairs staring right back at me!!

WHAT IS A GIRL TO DO?????

Here are the first "like" Tolix on the left next to the much better ones I found yesterday.

Here they are at the table
Now the only thing is that I only found two so I added in the blue wooden chair for now ( i think i will paint it later) and the bench is on the other side. This will be the set up while I continue my search for two more or add in something else....hmmm not sure?

Boy am I in desperate need of a rug in that hallway/weird area that has confused me since we moved in

I think I want a Chevron one. No, I know, I want a Chevron one!

Well, what do you think? Do you like the change?

Weekend Getaway

2011-08-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

We took a mini trip to Michigan this past weekend and I have to say what a great little trip it turned out to be. Sometimes its just good to get away and spend time appreciating your family and how lucky we are to have this life.

the beach was so picture perfect

I don't know, I just love all the umbrellas

the bugs should really be called fish because they LOVE the water

we spent all day at the beach

eating

mmmmm.......chicago dog

napping

can you believe emma napped in my lap for a least an hour everyday...WOW

sand castles

constructing amazing pieces of architecture

Hawaiian Ice

yes even in Michigan

It was an awesome weekend and we have already decided to go back again before the summer ends.

I can't say enough how important it is to just hop in the car and take off for a couple of days.

We had the best time just being together and enjoying our surroundings.....but I think Brian may have enjoyed the food the most!

Eye Candy

2011-07-26T06:09:00.000-07:00

I have had a minor obsession with a little site called Pinterest.

Um lets just say there are days when I might possibly be drooling over the amazing pictures for hours.

Okay there are many days like that and seriously it is effecting my housework. Funny how that is always the first to go....oh well.

Here are some photos that are filing up my desktop that I thought I would share

{in no particular order}

enjoy!

Sunday Morning

2011-07-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

There is nothing that brings me more happiness than these two little munchkins and when they are getting along....WOW it's like a little bit of heaven on earth!

Here is what we were doing around our house this morning while the rain FINALLY came down outside

Tooth Fairy

2011-07-17T07:32:00.000-07:00

We had big things happening around here this weekend!

Who knew that a missing tooth could only make your kid cuter?

The Chair Dilemma

2011-07-15T07:14:00.000-07:00

Have I told you lately about my chair dilemma?

Our kitchen chairs are old! I don't mean we have had them for awhile and I am bored with them. I mean they are old and have been known to fall apart while guests have been sitting in them. Not a good host when the chair falls apart. Opps! I guess that has to do with me spending $1 on a chair. I guess its time for a little more of an investment.

The good news is I have found "the chair" which would happen to be the

Tolix Chair

Its so industrial and cool and would look so good in my kitchen

and well the thing is, at $245 a chair it's not going to happen. Blah!

This has sent me on a hunt for the next best thing or should I say the next best/cheapest thing.

That is when I came across this chair. Its called the Jackson Metal Tub chair and its from World Market. Nice, right?

Now at $109 it is a much better price and I even checked them out in the store and well I love them a lot!

The only thing is I'm just not sure about the wrap around arms? Hmmm?

So you can imagine my surprise when I went to TJ MAXX and found these.

They are not nearly as smooth and pretty as the chairs above but for $25 a chair on clearance, I think I can live with a little imperfection.

So here they are. My $100 investment.
What do you think because I'm still on the fence a little and well of course

I had to leave Brian's comfy chair. Its where he sits and watches his TV in the evenings and I think I even kind of like it there anchoring the rest of the table.

The bench even fits perfectly against the wall and can easily be pulled up to the table when we have a house full of kids. Perfect!

I think I still might want the World Market chairs?

I don't know? What do you think?

Dining room update

2011-07-13T13:53:00.000-07:00

So you may recall that we moved in to our new house in December and I have been working on it between everything else going on and so the progress is slow but good.

Awhile back I bought four parson chairs from IKEA to replace the ladder back ones that we came with our dining table. I was over them and ready to move on to something a little softer.

I left the arm chairs on the end with the hopes of soon replacing those too but with something a little different.

Old House Dining Room

I then came across this picture on Holly's blog ( you must check her out if you haven't yet, she is super talented) and I fell in love with the skirted chairs!

LOVE THEM!

Don't you love the gray hutch?
I have an idea for that too which is soon to come!

With all this inspiration I was on a mission to find some arm chairs of my own.

It has taken 6 months but I finally found them a couple of weeks ago at, what else, an auction.

Before

After

I am by no means a slipcover pro but with each project I seem to get a little better although the one on the left seems to need a shorter hem. Totally fixable but honestly I probably won't fix them because I'm just glad their done. Besides they will be under the table anyway. Oh and if you are wondering I used a 9x12 drop cloth from Home Depot. Yup, just one and so inexpensive!

I always felt that slipcovering was way to difficult for me but I found this other awesome blog called Pink and Polka Dot where she actually sells a slipcovering ebook! You can imagine my excitement! So make sure you check her out too!

New House Dining Room

The plates on the wall have a purpose for being so off centered. I swear!

That would have to do with my little project in the works and now that I see this room in a picture I realize that I really need to do something about the lack of color in here.

I do have to say that I am happy with how they turned out and I think they definitely soften up the room.

I guess now I am on the hunt for color inspiration.

Summertime

2011-07-12T06:21:00.000-07:00

I was looking thru my pictures this morning thinking I haven't got a whole lot accomplished lately and then I came across this...

and I realized it's because we have been enjoying our summer!

I will only see photos like this once in their little lives so for now I will just sit back and enjoy not getting a whole lot done.

June 2011 part 2

2011-07-08T11:39:00.000-07:00

The birthday weekend

Friday

We started out the birthday celebration a little different this year. The weather this year wasn't looking good for our annual "pool" party (we use one of those large blow up pools) and I was worried that this year party would be kind of a drag without something fun to do so my dad suggested the Bounce Castle. Yes it was our first one ever and I have to say it was a hit!!

We got it on Friday night and I think the kids bounced non stop till the end of the party on Sunday!

I do have to say you do meet a lot of your new neighbors when there is a giant bounce castle in your yard for 3 days!

Saturday

The next morning was Avery's birthday morning with our traditional birthday morning cupcake.

Which was followed up that evening with our "family" birthday party. Everyone in our family on their actual birthday gets a rainbow cake. It is just another little tradition that we have acquired over the last year or so.

It was so fun.

We had all the neighbors over and finally at midnight ( no lie ) we had to wrap up the festivities and go to bed for the actual PARTY the next day. Phew this is exhausting!

THE TANGLED PARTY!

Sunday

After looking at all of the party pictures I really wish that I had taken better pictures!

So with that said, these are by no means great photos but they will give you an idea of how it all went.

Little boats in water (oranges and blue jello)

flower cupcakes

Our little Repunzel

We even let wish lanterns go once it got dark.

It was a super fun weekend!

Happy birthday bug!

June 2011 ( a very busy month)

2011-07-07T19:49:00.000-07:00

June was crazy over here at our house! It all started with the fair on June 4th and then our anniversary, Avery bugs birthday, my birthday and then the forth of July!

Holy smokes that is a lot to do and plan for in one months time!

SO what can I say other than blogging has been on the back burner.

Well now is time for me to catch up with all that we have been doing.

Let me start with Avery bugs 6th birthday which she was very clear needed to be a Tangled party.

Okay so how do I manage that?

I googled Tangled party!

I found a ton of fun ideas but the one thing I loved the most from the movie was her mural of the lights. Not to mention my bugs sing this song on daily basis while carrying my i touch around listening to the soundtrack. What can I say, they love it! I don't love that Avery bug will no longer let me cut her hair but I will choose my battles one at a time.

I had to recreate the mural the best I could so I went to our local art supply store, bought a piece of canvas for $5 for a yard and began to paint.

My sister snapped all the pics for me as I painted away. It was actually pretty fun, I haven't really painted anything since high school so I really enjoyed this little project.

Tomorrow I will post the rest of the party!

8 years

2011-06-09T05:44:00.000-07:00

Eight years ago yesterday I married the greatest man I have ever known.

I fell in love with his humor, his kind spirit, his loyalty to family and friends because he is sweet and sensitive and because from the moment we met I just knew I was meant to be with him. We say it all the time but two people really couldn't be more perfect for each other.

We have had an amazing eight years of marriage together.

Thank you my sweet, sweet darling for making me feel not only like your princess but above all else filling me up with so much love I can't imagine a life with out you.

Upcyled twin set

2011-06-07T12:38:00.000-07:00

Today I woke up and said to myself I have, have, have to clean my bathrooms! Oh and dusting wouldn't be a bad idea either. So what did I do......I made an outfit for Emma bug out of an old t-shirt.

Makes sense, right??

Anything to avoid the obvious.

My friend Teresa gave me this super cute T shirt a long, long time ago. I actually wanted to wear it myself but way to short, obviously the reason she passed it along to me. I so wish I would of taken a before picture of it.....someday I will catch on to this blogging thing. UGH.

All I have to show are the after pictures...but in my opinion the outfit is so super duper cute.

The shirt had a design on the front that is now on one leg of the leggings and I used the neck of the shirt (it was a scoop neck so I had more to work with) as the trim along the bottom of the new shirt. The new shirt is made out of a cream knit I had on hand. I also added a little ruffle to the neck for fun.

She thinks she is so sassy!

54th and Monon Art Fair 2011

2011-06-06T07:11:00.000-07:00

Wow!
What can I say, other than this year was great! I had such a good turn out and everyone really seemed to like all of my stuff!
So glad because honestly this is what I am thinking about the entire time I am preparing for a show....WILL THEY LIKE WHAT I MAKE???

But apparently they did because I just about sold out of all the clothing! It's weird, last year was a huge success for hairclips (they flew off the shelf) and this year I couldn't keep the clothes on the rack! So nice to have so many people wanting to dress their little bugs in the clothing I make.
Makes me a happy lady!

It was a super hot day and I wasn't sure how busy we would be?

but boy did we get busy

The bugs were with me most of the day and they were so good and had so much fun

My sister was there to snap all the pictures!
Thank you sis for coming in to town all the way from Naples just to help me out!

I have to mention that my great friend Emily made me this adorable apron so I would have a place to keep all my things (calculator, pen, money) for the day, I was actually organized and it is so super cute!

I got to see a lot of old friends who came out to see me and support my little business....thank you!

I can't express enough how much fun the day was and how grateful I am to my family for being so supportive and helping me the whole day long!
I couldn't ask for a better husband, sister and daughters!

See you next year!

Its just about here

2011-06-02T15:41:00.000-07:00

My poor family and their patience with me!

I have made them live in a crazy mess for a month now, just getting ready for the fair.

This is the state that my poor kitchen has been in for awhile now. But boy do I love my island and how it transforms in to such a perfect cutting table!

EEEK!

My once lovely dining room has become my sewing room

double eeek!

Sorry family. I didn't realize what a sloppy sewer/crafter I could be?

Only 1 day left and I think everything is almost complete!

2011-05-20T05:06:00.000-07:00

Enjoy your weekend!

Art Fair!

2011-05-16T08:16:00.000-07:00

Its that time of year again and the 54th and Monon Art Fair is upon us!

I will have a booth at this years fair right in front of Posh Petals again.

The fair is a ton of fun {please no rain} and it is free! They also have free hotdogs and lemonade all day!

Its a great neighborhood fair I am happy to be returning for my second year.

I hope you will come out and see me and all the new things I have been working on.

I will try to keep posting some of the things I have been working on and I will have them all for sale at the fair.

See you there!

54th and Monon Art Fair

June 4, 2011

9am to 4pm

Flowers for you

2011-05-10T06:08:00.000-07:00

Nothing is better than receiving a bouquet of flowers so why not wear your little bouquet around your waist?

Here is a little belt I put together on a whim.....kiddos were sleeping and I had a very small window of time. I was messing around with some of the flowers I have been making and this is what I came up with.

I think it is lovely and now I keep looking for things to wear it with.

Race Day

2011-05-09T08:10:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday I finished my 3rd half marathon!

I am so happy to be running again and the race was awesome! It is the best feeling to finish a race and see how strong you can be when you decide that you will do this.

I always finish telling myself, "you are stronger than yesterday" I say it over and over in my head and it helps. It also was a huge bonus that this time I got to run the entire race with Brian. Granted he was ahead of me a few times but I always had him in my sight. Even if I felt like a horse chasing a carrot on a stick, he kept me motivated to push myself a little harder than I probably would have if I were on my own. Unfortunately for him it wasn't his best time......I beat him by a second! Seriously, one teeny, tiny second! But for me it is shear victory because in our 11years together I have never beat him at anything! We tend to have a little healthy competition with each other. But this time I am the winner and I have enjoyed reminding him of this repeatedly.

We have another race in 2 weeks and I'm sure he will take the crown but for now, it's all mine!

Happy Mothers Day

2011-05-09T06:15:00.000-07:00

Hope all you mommy's had a terrific day with your children. I know I did. It was pretty much a perfect day with my girls and hubby. We even got to have a wonderful dinner {prepared by my darling husband} with his Mom and Dad. It was awesome.

My girls, with a little help from daddy, surprised me with my favorite perfume. Tocca cleopatra.

So perfect!

{here it is wrapped with drawing paper and my hairclips}

and this beautiful book made by Avery

the bugs giving their Nana her gift

It was a lovely day!

I am blessed to have a wonderful family and I can't thank you all enough for making the day so special for me.

Spring Frock

2011-05-05T12:44:00.000-07:00

Today I am sharing another little dress for spring and summer.

It is the same style as the String Bean Dress from last year except instead of tying up the neck, I have added a button closure this time.

I love it because it's navy blue and I go crazy for anything in that color!

I would like to use more knits this summer and I have all kinds of ideas, of course it's the actual execution that seems to be the problem. I know, I know, I'm singing to the choir.

Its just that I lay in bed with my brain swirling with all these ideas and then I sit in the afternoon while the kiddies rest and blog stalk and well that leads to more jump out of your chair, I have to make that episodes! Good golly, I should be cleaning.

{ENJOY}

{ a dainty flower from our basket is now a hairclip }

Flower Love

2011-05-04T11:18:00.000-07:00

Here are more little flowers just waiting to be made in to darling accessories for your hair!

breathe mommy breathe

2011-05-04T11:09:00.000-07:00

Let me start by saying with Mothers Day right around the corner I have been thinking a lot lately about what it means to be a mom and what kind of a mom, I hope that I am.

I think I'm pretty good at this job I have so happily agreed to take on and although I do have moments where I think I might be failing, something always happens to change my mind otherwise.

I love my children more than I thought I could love anyone or anything and the best part is that they love me back the very same way.

With all that said, Mommies jobs are hard!

I'm digging deep in to my patience pockets today because it is

"ONE OF THOSE DAYS!"

Im saying this with a smile because even though Emma is in some serious trouble I can still see the humor in this....or at least I'm trying.

See all that white stuff floating, it's feathers from the down comforter on her bed. She bit a hole in it the other day {she was playing "doggie" with her sister, don't ask) and I didn't fix it soon enough apparently because today she decided to pull out all the feathers and spread them all over her bed.

What is truly baffling to me is that she seems to be quit please with herself?????

The feathers are EVERYWHERE, look close, they are even in her eyes.

I would love to show you her bed but I think you get the point.

Deep breath in and out.

Who ever said terrible two's never met my three year old!

Flowers

2011-05-03T08:55:00.000-07:00

Pretty flowers always make me happy and what is better than seeing pretty little flowers all up in your hair?

Here are some little clips that I am working on for the upcoming event where I will be selling all my wares!

{more info, on that later}

This is where I have started but the wheels keep turning so I'm sure I will have more to share with you soon.

Running

2011-05-02T05:50:00.000-07:00

Its that time of year again when all the things that got packed away for the winter have to be brought back out for warm weather and one of those things would be my running shoes. I wish I could say that I run all winter long and I am diligent about not letting all the hard work from March to June go to waste. But that is exactly what seems to happen! Give or take those few days over the summer when I think, sure, it's totally fine to run in 90 degree temperatures.

Which in turn makes me think the pool is a much better place to spend that time.

Then March rolls around and I think, here we go!

All this talk leads me to the topic at hand. My next race. It's this weekend and even though I have done it before I can say that I'm always a little nervous right before. To many things to think about...are my shoes okay? Will I do better than my last race? Will I finish? Hahahaha

Yes, this is my head tormenting me.

Everyone that doesn't run asks me why on earth would I do this?

Why is running 13.1 miles a good time?

My response: It is awesome!

Its that feeling of pride and accomplishment that never gets old.

It is knowing that my girls have a mommy that gets out there and does stuff even when she isn't sure she can do it.

It's the thing I do to show myself I am stronger than I was yesterday.

For everything I do for everyone else.

Running is what I do for me.

Wish me luck and a good finish!

Cheer Up Dress

2011-04-26T08:25:00.000-07:00

Another little dress made from an upcycled T-shirt from Goodwill.

I love the way it turned out but a little word to the wise.

If you are working with older knits that have been washed a lot and are super soft and worn. You know the kind you love but are sooo not good for sewing.

I have made two dresses out of these kind of shirts in the last few days that were meant to sell but because the needle made little tiny holes along the seam they unfortunately are not sale worthy.

Back to work, but this time with newer, better knits.

Oh well, the bugs need some frocks too I guess.

Hello Again!

2011-04-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

It has been awhile, yes, I do know this is a fact.

I am so sincerely sorry for that and I do hope I haven't lost to many of you during my, well I guess you could call it an extended absence from the blog world.

Not to mention the fact that I haven't done much sewing the past few (long) months!

BLAH,BLAH,BLAH

Okay enough excuses......I am back to say I have new frocks to show you and that makes me a happy sewing mama!

Here is just a little peek at what is to come and I can't wait to show you all what I have been working on because I feel like you, well, you just might really like it.....I know I do.

Avery bug was more than happy to show off some new clothes (she hasn't had to do this in awhile so it was fun) and maybe she even wants to keep them for herself.

I purchased this fabric last summer and I really loved the large print on it. So fun for a little girl. But I just couldn't quite figure out what to do with it. This little frock came to me this morning...about 6am over an apparently inspiring cup of joe.

I have a lot more to share and hopefully this weekend will bring some good weather so we can get outside and snap some pictures of our new clothes.

Oh, and did I mention they will all be available to purchase at an upcoming event?

More about that later.

So glad to be back doing what I love most!

2011-03-03T10:58:00.000-08:00

I go through these fazes where I start something, stop, start it again, change it, scrap the whole project and move on to something else. But there are also times when I think, "okay maybe I'm done with this" at least for awhile.

The bugs room in our new house was giving me a headache.

I couldn't figure out the lay out of the room and I couldn't decide on what furniture was going in there and all in all it was becoming a pain so I scraped the whole thing for awhile.

I mean it's not like they cared where their beds went or what or wasn't on the walls.

But ahhhh I think I figured it out.

All I needed to do was move them in to a totally different room in our house! Of course. right?

So now my old sewing room is the bugs room, the playroom is the bugs old room and my new sewing room is well more like a large closet under the stairs. But it works so I'm good.

old room

this room is very long and narrow and I felt like I was wasting a ton of space

new room

the room is a bit smaller but so much cozier

Avery's self portrait of herself as a fairy and Emma's own unique creation

hang above the nite stand along with Avery's watercolor of a dinosaur

I love kids art framed and they love seeing their work on display

both of the girls have these chalkboard signs from Pottery Barn hanging at the ends of their beds

2011-03-02T15:50:00.000-08:00

I am making some serious progress at a snails pace.

Does that make sense?

I don't know? But what I do know is that I have yet to have the bedroom I adore.

I mean we have lived a lot of places by now and seriously my bedroom has yet to be my focus. I don't know why?

I mean doesn't Nate Berkus say it is our "sanctuary".

Well, awhile back I made up my mind that I would finally just go ahead and plunk done the money and have the bedroom I wanted!

Then we had to pay taxes.

Ho Hum

So now I am on the "budget plan" and honestly it's fine because well I just can't imagine really spending $1800 on a bed, even if it is the bed of my dreams.

My kind and loving husband has decided (with much prompting) that yes he will make me my upholstered headboard.

( hopefully I will be able to show it soon)

But while I patiently wait I have started a little decorating to move the process along.

I keep seeing collage walls all over the place and I have to admit I kinda love 'em.

Source not sure?

pottery barn

Domino (oh how I miss you)

Isabella and Max Rooms

{Here is a little peek at what I have been working on}

I am sure that it will change ( I need some letters or something else still) before the big reveal but I was excited with the start of it all

my new drapes are what else....drop clothes

I saw the quote on Mary Ruffle, wrote it on a piece of brown package paper and stuck in this frame

I love it when things are pretty and free!

my pillows are waiting patiently for the headboard too

Hopefully it won't be to long now....FINGERS CROSSED

2011-02-25T04:42:00.001-08:00

2011-02-22T16:15:00.000-08:00

Somedays a nap sounds so good

and I wish I could go back to my grandma's house in NY and sneak in to that peach colored room (oh I said peach) and fall asleep as the warm sun streams in thru the window. I miss that room and I miss being 5 when a nap was on the daily schedule.

I can't go back to that room, it's not there anymore, but I love these pictures because they make me think of that place that I loved so much.

what a perfect place to nap

and while we're on the subject of places I would like to spend some time...

I wouldn't mind spending a little here

and I think I would like to end everyday right here

or something close to it

ahhhhhh...........

~Mary Ruffle~

2011-02-18T04:58:00.000-08:00

Life, as always has been a little bit crazy around here.

I decided to start working full time and it has prevented me from being able to devote all my spare time to my sewing and blogging.

Such is life and the bills that come with it!

So bear with me and my non tutorial doing and non sewing posts!

But until then I will keep you entertained with lovely pictures of lovely things I would love to have one day.

Which again brings me back to that "job" thing again!

2011-02-14T11:37:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day!

Hope you have a wonderful day with all the people you love!

2011-02-10T13:19:00.000-08:00

I had this bright idea the other day that instead of buying really expensive pillows for the grey chairs in my living room I would try to make some that would be close to these

I started with 2 rugs from IKEA, black fabric paint, masking tape

I lined the tape to make my 3 stripes.

in retrospect I could of been a little more creative with this process but I was trying to beat the

"children napping clock"

a little paint

then its sew the sides, turn inside out, add insert, sew shut

and here are my cheap version of the beloved

Grain sack Pillow

Oh and they are giant so they would of been really $$$$

food for thought

2011-02-10T12:18:00.000-08:00

it's just something to think about....

2011-02-09T05:33:00.000-08:00

Do you ever come across a picture of something and it just stops you in your tracks?

I mean in that really good way that makes you swoon a little and think what if?

No, I'm not talking celebrity crushes here (although I understand that completely)

I'm talking about this....

{justine taylor}

It's just so lovely and perfect and yet so practical all at the same time.

I have been on the hunt for exactly these two cabinets and although I know they are sitting in some barn or yucky basement waiting for me, I can't help but long for them.

Oh one day this will be my kitchen too.

A girl can dream.

2011-02-08T04:30:00.000-08:00

So I was saying on Saturday that I was so excited to go wedding dress shopping with my girlfriend.

She has this very cool vintage style about her and I was dying every time she came out of the fitting room wearing one amazing gown after another.

Her favorites all looked like a cross between Anthropologie and Vera Wang.

It was such a fun day full of gorgeous dresses and women acting like little girls playing dress up.
Not only were the dresses simply stunning but the accessories....oh my goodness, I can't believe how many options you have now!

Unfortunately I don't have actual pictures to show you from Saturday ( it seems some stores don't want you taking pictures of their dresses) but I searched and found pictures of the belt she is going to wear with her dress.

It is AMAZING!

are you dying? I am.

Here are a few more options she had to choose from, all of them just gorgeous

Oh it makes me want to do it all over again!

2011-02-07T05:17:00.000-08:00

We have been in serious need of new lighting in our entry way.

Lets just say that I am not a fan of the overhead lighting that came with this house.

So I am on a mission to change all of it and sooner than later.

Which leads me to this lovely little light I found at where else...goodwill.

Granted there are tons of other lights I could see myself wanting more than this less than beautiful one but none that could compete with the $6.99 tag.

{BEFORE}

black spray paint later

{AFTER}

I figure for that price I can get sick of it sooner and change it without guilt.

But for now, I love it.

2011-02-05T05:53:00.000-08:00

Last summer my friend asked me to be in her wedding and I'm so excited....do you know

I LOVE weddings?

Well that is to put it lightly because I LOVE LOVE LOVE them!

That is why, even though I don't normally post on Saturdays, I had to because well, she asked me to go wedding dress shopping with her this weekend!

Hopefully she lets me bring my camera along but for now here is some eye candy in honor of the upcoming event

{all images mary ruffle}

2011-02-04T05:46:00.000-08:00

I came across this the other day while traveling in blog world and it reminded me how true this statement is and how lucky I am to be able to stay at home with my kids. I realize that while laundry and PB&J's aren't glamorous work they have somehow become my most fulfilling.

Have a great weekend!

2011-02-03T04:49:00.000-08:00

I've been interiors crazy lately and I know this is a direct effect of us moving in to this house 2 months ago. I love to decorate and get all my furniture all arranged perfectly {if only for a few days} and I LOVE LOVE LOVE the hunt for the perfect pieces that will make our new home exactly how we want it.

Which brings me to this lovely "couch" I found while tooling around the blog world.

I know everyone has different tastes but SERIOUSLY?

Emma thought it was a hotdog.

Snow days

2011-02-02T11:57:00.000-08:00

The weather is going crazy around here but we have heat and electricity so who's complaining.

Im trying to take my own advice (below) and use these days cooped up inside in a productive way.

Here are a few photos of what I have been doing around here....what have you been doing to keep from going stir crazy??

{paint some tables that were gifted to me}

I am painting them the color on the left. They were a little to yellowy cream for my house.

a can of paint and a very long day later....everything is painted!

I've also had a lot of motivation to get this house in order.

We have been here 2 months now. Its coming along.

Here is some of my progress so far!

this mirror was also painted yesterday...i was obsessed

this picture bugs me a little (i don't like the way the dishes in the back look but I am trying to be less OCD about this stuff so I decided to show the picture anyway. Trying.....

the ruffled pillows I made and decided to fill with real goose down and now they shed everywhere

tip: always line any goose down pillow...oops

pretty things

umm, yes the wardrobe is no longer in the girls room and now it's for coats by the back door....nothing ever stays the same for long around here

yes that dresser is missing its hardware....still a work in progress, its another goodwill purchase

Meet Punkin

he is our little house guest for a month

so sweet and what a good lil' doggie!

a little inspiration on your way upstairs

my slipcovered chair made it's way to the living room already!

giant spoon {auction}

{awesome goodwill find}

we had to paint it and put new pulls on but all the other hardware came with it...WOW!

Hope you are enjoying your own snow days

Stay warm!

Oh the snow

2011-02-02T06:17:00.000-08:00

even during an ice storm!

Slipcovers

2011-01-25T11:40:00.000-08:00

I am in love with white slipcovers and it only makes my obsession worse when every single home interiors magazine I look at (which is a lot) has rooms full of them, not to mention all the blogs that feature these awesome homes with non other than white slipcovers on all of the furniture.

Yes they do have their list of pros and cons that go along with them.

Yes they get dirty. But you can wash and bleach them.

I guess it just comes down to whether you want to be washing covers every couple of weeks? I spend most of my day in the laundry room anyway so not that big of a deal for me.

But slipcovered furniture can be expensive....$3000 for a couch. Um only if it will wash itself oh and drive me to the store because well I could buy a car with that kind of money. Not the greatest car but still a CAR!

I thought about the IKEA couch for $399 but then the best thing happened.....I found this lovely lady over at Pink and Polkadot and she will teach you how to make your own! Perfect.

I set out to find a chair to cover because there is no way I was starting with a couch!

This is what I ended up with

Goodwill $20

Okay, so this will take a little practice and I would suggest giving yourself more than an hour before your husband gets home from work to finish, just so he doesn't ask why you bought this awful chair

here is a peek at the chair midway

I used a tablecloth that I already owned just in case it was a total flop. That way I wouldn't feel the pressure of potentially ruining good fabric. It worked well because I just used the hem that was already there and matched it up as I went along.

Okay so this is it all pinned and inside out.

Little tip: Make sure you have enough straight pins for this project before starting, you will need a TON!!

I sewed all the seams and turned the cover right side out and

here she is all covered up

Not perfect by a mile but also not bad for an hour's worth of work

Next time around I will take my time, have more pins and try to sew a straighter line

It was a good practice run and now Im thinking its time to find a couch. hmmm

Emma is 3

2011-01-24T05:52:00.000-08:00

My baby girl turned 3 years old

and all she wanted for her birthday was a Rainbow Cake!

So we had a Rainbow themed party

Happy Birthday Big Girl!

Collector?

2011-01-20T12:15:00.000-08:00

So I had this feeling that this past weekend was going to bring some goodies at the auction.

I set my eyes on these fabulous cupboards that I saw online ahead of time and thought maybe this would be the very weekend I would FINALLY get to bring one home.......

Nope notta one!

I guess me being a big ol cheapo doesn't help matters but I just can't seem to find one within my budget....um that would be about $25.... but it's out there waiting for me, I just know it.

It also helps that Emily is there to remind me of this too!

So no good on the furniture hunt this weekend but

OH MY what I did find is going to to knock your socks off!

Say hello to my sweet, beautiful, oh so lovely, oh my goodness I can't believe you belong to me, amazing collection of Ironstone dishes!

I'm a little excited...can you tell?

I have always been in love with Ironstone and have collected the few pieces I can actually get my hands on here and there but nothing like this

I look at all of it and think

I wonder how long it took to make up a collection like this?

I wonder how the previous owner displayed the collection?

It was a little more than I would normally spend and I reserve the right {for the happiness of my marriage} to withhold such information. Thank you. Although, the large platter above was free because when I asked the lady who bought the box of stuff that it was in if I might buy it from her, she just handed it to me and said, "Here you can have it." HUH? Okay, she might be the nicest person ever!

The best part is now I get to use it and here are some ideas for what I might do with it

{ all pictures courtesy of Design Sponge}

If you have your own collection or are interested in starting one of your own

Click on the image above to find out more about it and even tips on how to clean it!

Goodwill is good to me

2011-01-13T17:21:00.000-08:00

Here is another goodwill find for me. Target soft burlap curtain panel $5.99

I'm very happy with this find especially since I heard it was at the goodwill and it was still there when I finally got to go buy it.

{emily was there first and told me about it}

What to do with one panel?

Boy, I wish it would of been two but still to short for my windows...rambling...okay so what to do?

PILLOWS!

Laying on the floor is the old pillow I was using as the insert for these (below)

um Emma wasn't really up for a picture but also wouldn't move out of the way

....on another completely unrelated note....

her hair has that baldish area now because she and her little friend decided to give her a nice new haircut for fun. UGH!

You may not notice but I do and hence feel the need to explain.

The pillow covers are from IKEA and well I'm over them

A little snip, snip and a run through the sewing machine and voila

NEW PILLOWS

They are also in keeping with this neutral faze I'm in

this is where I have them in our house

We have this kinda weird area between the entry and the kitchen that has doors on one side and not really a wall on the other?

I have been perplexed on what to do with it???

Any ideas?

So for now this is where they will sit (in perfect range for my children to wipe their little hands on them EVERY SINGLE TIME they walk pass them) until I can come up with something better.

Oh well.

Seriously though, any ideas?

She's so pretty!

2011-01-13T06:19:00.000-08:00

Oh I'm so happy to say that my sweet little $15 dresser is finished!

{ BEFORE }

{AFTER}

I'm hoping to score something cool this weekend!! Hopefully I will have more furniture finds to share on Monday. Fingers Crossed!xxx

The dresser part 2 + a lil' pin for me

2011-01-12T17:46:00.000-08:00

Okay so a few days back I posted about this $15 dresser I got at the auction. So happy. It has been sitting in the entry looking all yucky. Greeting each person who enters my home. Just lovely, I say.

Well she is on her way to looking beautiful again { I am assuming that was many, many years ago} and then I will have something pretty to greet my guests!

Brian slaving away in our kitchen/work room because even with a space heater in an insulated garage it is still to stinken cold outside!

Primed and ready for some paint

I will show you the finished product tomorrow!

On another note I wanted to show you this little pin I made myself early this morning while I drank my coffee.

Can you believe it's that darn drop cloth again...I don't know, maybe now i'll be going to the hardware store for sewing material too!

not the best pic but the pin is cute.

$2 Table

2011-01-11T10:32:00.000-08:00

Well I think that the table is finished for now.

That is if I don't get the urge to have Brian scruff her up a little more. But for now she is done.

It was a little more than my poor husband had in mind when he started this "simple" project for me. She was "done" a few days ago but I decided that the grey paint I had chosen was just not right. So back to it he went and this is where I found him last night after I had already gone to bed and was wondering where he might be....

yes, there he is all blurry eyed and exhausted but ready to finish this darn project once and for all!

That is how I left him and this is what was waiting for me this morning!

Oh, so much better!

Thank you honey!
So that leaves how many projects left on your list?

The Bugs Room

2011-01-09T09:09:00.000-08:00

When we moved in to the new house I decided that the girls would share a room. My hope is this will make them better friends over time and I think that it is important they become best friends even thru all the bickering!

Bedtime was a challenge at first but it's definatly improved over the last month.

Here are my inspiration photos of what I eventually would like to achieve in my "own" way.

Isn't this lovely?

You can find more photos of this delightful room here at www.vivafullhouse.blogspot.com

Another favorite

www.littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com

The bugs room so far..

as you can see it still is a work in progress.

I found the beds at a barn sale. $100 for both. They were a putty grey originally so I spray painted them this turquoise color, which I LOVE!

The wardrobe is from my friend Emily {big surprise} which used to be an ugly brown and now beautiful after she got her hands on it.

I found these down comforters at Walmart.com which I have to say I am very impressed with! For $30 each they are awesome!

The mirrors are goodwill finds at $2.99 each.

I have to paint the mirrors still and some dust ruffles are in order. I am toying with some other ideas but still undecided

What to do, what to do????

I will keep you posted!

Work in Progress

2011-01-06T19:09:00.000-08:00

It is coming along! I have to thank Brian. He has been diligently working on my table since he got home from work tonight. Not to mention this is his tenth day in a row at work so he scores major points with this!!!

Awe she is going to be so pretty!

Keep up the great work sweetie!

Before and After

2011-01-05T12:35:00.000-08:00

I'm so lucky to have such a cool friend.

Seriously, I'm blessed to have a best friend that not only lives 5 minutes from my doorstep but also loves all the same things I do.

The best part is, we trade our stuff. Remember junior high when you were constantly swapping clothes with your friends and your mom would get so upset because your friend, the one you loaned your sweater to, cut out the shoulder pads and.....okay maybe that part was just me, oh goodness shoulder pads? BLEK!! I should of thanked her.

Sorry I'm rambling, okay back to the subject

Well anyway what I am saying is we trade stuff, not just clothes but furniture, decorations, linens, etc. I have many things in my house that once were in hers and vice versa. It's great.

So the before and after today is a chair that once was hers and now is mine. I just changed it a little.

{THE BEFORE}

very cute this way but I'm "trying" to achieve a more neutral look for this house.

So this is what I did

{THE AFTER}

Black gloss spray paint, new fabric and now a brand new chair to me!

I agonized a bit about what I would redo it in and what I finally settled on was.....wait for it......

a DROP CLOTH from LOWES!

Yes its a drop cloth and yes I actually used it as a drop cloth prior to this little project. Surprising thing is, I didn't ruin it and it was still in perfect shape.

I cut out the cloth with the seam just off center. I didn't need to use the seamed part but I thought I'd try it and I like the way it turned out.

Now I need to figure out where to put it?

Hurray For a New Year!

2011-01-04T12:03:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!

Im so glad to be back and I'm so glad that I took some time off too!

I needed a bit of a break with the move to a new house and the holidays, it was a little overwhelming! But now Im getting in to a routine and it feels good to be back doing the things I love!

The holidays were great this year! I was just looking through some of our photos taken and this one makes me smile...it is our entire family outside on Christmas day, freezing to death just to watch the bugs take the first spin in their new jeep!

So simple but this is what makes our family so special.

That is one happy kid on Christmas morning!

So this post is a bit of a hodgepodge because I also wanted to share some of my recent auction finds with you. The thing is that Brian and I have this deal that for now that I'm not allowed to put anymore stuff in the garage.

UMM lets just say its a little full still from the move and this spring we are having a massive garage sale, yet again but that's another thing altogether.

That is why this stuff is inside the house already and not in the garage!

I have big plans for these two pieces

The first is this table I got out of the stinkiest, old, metal, barn I have ever been in.

Worth the stink because it was....drum roll......

The above picture is deceiving because it needs some TLC as you can see better in the picture below

I'm hiding those spots with books for now!

The second piece is this dresser for the entry way. I was desperate for something the bugs could throw their hats, gloves, school stuff, etc. in, that was by the door and something they could actually get in to themselves.

This one cost me a little more for than I normally would pay but I waited all day on Saturday for this piece and I wasn't going to let anyone else take it away from me. So $15 later and it is sitting in my entry way.

Still very cheap, I just sometimes have a warped sense of how much things should cost.

Again the picture is deceiving because this is what it looks like up close

Hopefully I get to Home Depot soon! Im anxious to start these projects, not to mention it is killing me having these in the house this way!

WE"RE MOVING!!!!

2010-11-23T07:06:00.000-08:00

Hi all!

In case any of you have been wondering where I have been, we are moving to a new house and phew it is a ton of work! I should be used to this by now considering it is our 6th move in the last 7 years!!! Im hoping this is it for awhile! So bear with me and I will be back soon!

Until then,

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Felt Flower Tutorial

2010-11-04T14:08:00.000-07:00

I know I promised this last friday and well it is finally here

The Felt Flower Tutorial

and a little more...

Here are your supplies

add to this some stuffing for your pillow

( i forgot it in the picture...oops)

1. glue gun

2. scissors

3. pins

4. felted wool

5. material for the pillow ( i used a cotton canvas)

6. stuffing

7. oh and your sewing machine!

Cut your felt in to a large square, mine was about 19x19

Start cutting your felt making a long continuous strip as you go

Keep cutting toward the center until you reach the end

Working from the center start gluing your strip around itself to make your flower

Hot gluing as you go...

Patience, Patience and here is your flower

Take your scissors and trim your flower to achieve that perfect look

Now cut a strip of

material to make your ruffle...mine was roughly 2.5" by 34"

Sew a stitch using your LONGEST stitch length so you will be able to pull the thread to gather the fabric

( sew 3 lines next to each other in case one breaks )

Carefully pull the thread (try not to break it) and see your ruffle appear

Cut your material to make your pillow

Cut 2 of the size you want your pillow to be

I cut mine roughly 8x15

Sew your 2 pieces ( "right" sides together) all the way around the edge, leaving one side completely open

turn your pillow inside out so that you are looking at the "right" side of it

Pin your ruffle down on to the outside of your pillow and sew in place

( this is why one side stays open, to be able to sew the ruffle on )

Turn it inside out again and sew it shut leaving a 2 inch opening at the end

Stuff away!

Pin your 2 inch opening shut and sew it up

You can use a needle and thread but I just used my machine since I was going to put the flower over that spot anyway

Lots of hot glue on to the back of your flower

Push down to make sure that it is secure

I put some more glue around the edge of the flower to secure it

Here's your new pillow or maybe it's for someone else....it would make a darling little gift for a girlfriend's birthday!

Now that you are a pro

why not try out this wreath too!

I used the same canvas material, cut in to a long strip and wrapped it around a foam wreath, secured it with straight pins and

made a bunch of smaller flowers and glued them to the wreath

Can you tell I'm thinking gift time is around the corner!!

Trick or Treat

2010-11-02T08:20:00.000-07:00

I haven't forgotten about our upcoming tutorial but first I had to share some of our Trick or Treat fun!

Avery and Emma Bug were Dorothy and The Wicked Witch this year

It is so fun now that they are both old enough to go out together

They met up with their best buddies and off we went to collect LOTS and LOTS of TREATS!!

Emma bug was hidden under her witch hat all night!

We had to get started early because we had a lot of ground to cover and boy oh boy were there a ton of kids out!

Hope you had the best night ever too!

2010-10-29T13:42:00.000-07:00

Book Page Wreath and Mini Makeover

2010-10-27T07:14:00.000-07:00

A little while back I wrote about how I was over my living room. Basically just sick of the set up and the colors. I needed less clutter and more calm. I wanted a more neutral palate. So after a few minor changes I think I am a little closer to my goal.

I started by taking everything off the walls and starting fresh. I made this darling book paper wreath from the tutorial over at Jones Design Company and I love how it turned out! I think I am going to make a smaller one soon that I can change the ribbon on depending on the season, holiday.

I just shopped my house and found all this other stuff.

I found the silhouettes in a box in the garage

{ I bought them years ago and wasn't ever sure what to do with them}

The round mirror I stole from a bathroom

{I love it and didn't feel it was getting the attention it deserved in there}

That is just a piece of cardstock in that frame, I needed a little color and for now, it works for me.

The Z is black paint stamped on to a piece of recycled brown cardstock.

I recovered the pillows with white linen and pinned some flowers I made on to them. Nice quick fix.

I have had this stand since I was a kid.

I think it has been about 5 different colors.

It was an army green so I spray painted it milk white and added the over sized glass knobs

{Hobby Lobby} and I love the way it turned out!

The large picture is a print I got a million years ago when I worked at Banana Republic. They were throwing it away and I saved it. So glad I did.

This silhouette is Avery bug and every time I look at it, it makes me feel guilty I still haven't had one of Emma bug done yet. Poor second kid! I am the second kid so you think I would be better about stuff like this!

That is Emma is the picture frame below.

My $7 lamp from Lowes

Coral, a gift from my mother in law

and one of my little cast iron dogs

{ I love these and they are so hard to find}

The new pillow covers:

IKEA $7each

LOVE THEM!

I have wanted a sunburst mirror for sometime but died every time I saw the price tag! I finally found this one at Micheal's. Although when I got it home I wasn't sure where to put it? I think it may have finally found a home.

The prints are Crate and Barrel. I actually have six of them but I finally had the courage to break up the set and just use two for now.

Mirror jewelry box is a Target clearance find

{it feels a void for the night stand I would love to own some day}

Black vase is from Vietnam, something my dad brought back with him from his time in the Air Force.

I have two and I'm glad I was able to find a special place to show them off.

Glass vases are just some from my enormous collection that I own.

I already owned a ton and then my sister had her wedding at our home last year and well now I have....enough for a wedding!!

This chair is a makeover waiting to happen!

It is a hand me down from my friend Emily and for now has some IKEA fabric draped over it.

I know it's going to be fabulous once it's done!!

The Lola Headband Tutorial

2010-10-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

I'm finally doing a long over due tutorial for all of you!

I think this is one you are going to love!

Now let me say that yes, I have seen the tutorial's all over {BLOGLAND} for these darling little flowers here, here, and here

but thought I would try a new spin on it.....again, yes there is probably someone out there who has already done this but for me and anyone else that has yet to see it.....here we go!

First, if you are not familiar with FOE it stands for FOLD OVER ELASTIC.

I have found that it isn't the easiest thing in the world to find locally especially in cool colors so if you need help finding it, look HERE and you will!

Here is what you will need to get started....but of course I forgot something in the picture (thank goodness I'm not being graded on this project) which is a small circle of felt. You will see why at the end.

Notice the little beads...I felt I needed to point them out because they look so tiny in the picture!

{Supplies}

1. Candle

2. Beads

3. Satin Polyester (so that it burns)

4. Scissors

5. FOE (fold over elastic)

6. Hot Glue Gun

7. Felt

8. Something to measure with...Ruler, Measuring tape, etc.

{Headband}

First Cut Your FOE to the size you need...I found that 18 inches was the perfect size for the bugs heads

Hot Glue the ends together

{oh how i wish i would of put lotion on my hands before this, oh well}

{Leaf}

You are going to cut out some leaves now so grab your green polyester satin and cut the best leaves you can

Singe the ends by slowly working your way around the edge of the flame with the fabric. Keep it low on the flame to keep it from smoking and turning black. The fabric will melt and curl.

{Petals}

I like to save time so I love a short cut. Fold your fabric accordion style and then cut it close to the size you want your petals

Okay now cut your petals out from your folded fabric this way you get them all cut at once

Ta Da

Time to singe again (be careful not to burn yourself, use tweezers if necessary!

One petal at a time

Once you have finished all your petals, you are going to glue one petal at a time to another.

Place a strip of glue to the BACK edge of the petal and place the next petal on top, working you way around until the petals meet

{Beads}

Add a drop of hot glue to the center and drop some beads on top to make the center of your flower

Hot Glue your leaves to your headband, right on top of where you glued the ends together

Hot Glue your flower or flowers right on top of the leaves

(confession: i forgot to take the picture of this step, seriously?)

{Felt}

Now it is time to turn the flower over and hot glue a piece of felt, cut into a circle on top.

It gives it that finished look

You are FINISHED!

Enjoy!

I also did one the "original" way and added some tulle in between layers, cut a tiny hole and used a brad for the middle

Here are a few more to inspire you

Have a great weekend!

We have a new Flicker Group!! Add your own pictures of the Lola Headband HERE

We Have A Giveaway On MADE

2010-10-21T14:00:00.000-07:00

I'm so excited!!!

Dana over at made is hosting a giveaway for me!

I have been so excited to share this little dress with all of you and there she is on the cutest little model!

CLICK OVER TO HER SITE HERE AND ENTER TO WIN!!

Good Luck!!

More New Frocks!

2010-10-20T12:32:00.000-07:00

Like I said I have been very busy!

Oh what an awesome week though! I mean really awesome!!

I am so excited about the new pieces that I have to show you all and I hope you love them, I really do because I get excited when I see the pictures of my bugs wearing them.

I don't think that feeling of seeing something that you have made on someone you love will EVER get old for me! Seriously I hope it doesn't because it makes my heart sing when my bugs actually love something their mommy made!

Not to mention when Avery bug goes in to her little spheel about "mommy's company" to anyone who compliments her on her clothes. She really is the best little assistant, she really should get paid more. Poor kid!

This is our new Love Birds Knot Dress....what can I say, I just have always loved toile on anything.

Emma is wearing the new Goldie Girl Knot Dress with the Royal Blues Ruffles

Okay, I LOVE THESE RUFFLES!!

Maybe it is because I am always attracted to blue, it has been my favorite color for sometime now and I think these will look great with just about anything!

Daddy's idea was to put them in this tree...cute picture but Emma bug wasn't so sure about this whole thing

Check out Avery Bugs leggings. I used a womens turtleneck from Goodwill to make them.

I used the neck of the shirt to make the waistband so they ended up being like little yoga pants for her.

This is definitely something that I want to share with all of you at a later date. Sorry orders are my first priority right now so Tutorials are taking a backseat. UGH!

Daddy and his girls

2010-10-17T20:15:00.000-07:00

Oh my, what a busy week I have had!

It has been my goal for awhile now to get some new {FALL} items out for you!

This was the week I have been diligently sewing my little heart out.

What can I say, I love Autumn!

Just the idea of making some new little items , gets me excited!

You know that feeling when you come home with all these new beautiful fabrics and you just can't wait to get started. You are so excited to sew that you don't care that you haven't really cleaned up the house in awhile. I mean like you REALLY need to dust and do that laundry piled up in front of the washer but you ignore it so you can just get started!

Okay maybe not all of you know what I am talking about and maybe some of you do all your housework first but I was always the kid that ate my dessert in my school lunch first.

So little has changed as you can see and I rambling now because I have "housework guilt" but I will get in to that another time.

But for now let's just think of the colors.....

Oh the colors!!

aren't they just the best right now

The weather is pretty much as perfect as it can get with all these cool, crisp days while the sun still continues to shine away.

So let's enjoy these days

each and every one of them

We are just crazy for our new clothes and we hope you will love them too because there is even more to come in the next few days!!

I know, I know "NOT MORE PICTURES MOM!!"

Sorry Emma Bug

Ladybugs In Charcoal

2010-10-10T14:22:00.000-07:00

We have had some beautiful Fall days around here lately and yesterday was a perfect day to take some pictures of the NEW Charcoal Ladybug Ruffles!

My good friend Emily was so nice to be my model for the day and i'm so glad because she looks so darn cute in them!

Emily's daughter Kate was even there to show off her little Two Little Bugs Ruffles!

Emma Bug was enjoying this beautiful fall day too!

What a little tomboy!

Our new Charcoal Ladybugs will be listed in the store soon!!

$2 Find

2010-10-07T08:48:00.000-07:00

As you know I love the Auctions and I love all the treasures that can be found there.

Some Saturdays are definitely better than others but just when I think its time to leave and go home empty handed, all of a sudden I see something that I MUST have.

This past Saturday it was a box of old juice glasses for $1 just like we used to use at my Grandmas house, anything that makes me think of being a kid, I just love!

But my most favorite find was this old green tackle box.

Still full of old fishing supplies

Well I haven't found a use for old sinkers and fake bugs yet so all this went in to a Ziploc.

A little soap and water later

Now its my perfect little organizer for Hair Clip supplies

Now if the rest of my sewing room was this organized

UGH!

Good People

2010-10-04T19:31:00.000-07:00

Have you ever met someone and thought "Wow, what a great person!"

I have.

Actually I have met a few so I guess I'm pretty lucky.

You know what I mean, the kind of people that touch you in a special kind of way where you know right away that not only would you like to be friends with them but that you could also learn a thing or two just by being their friend.

We have been so blessed to have moved to a place where we not only have neighbors but they are also our very good friends. We live on the kind of street were people wave as they drive pass and stop to talk if they are walking pass.

The kind of street where if you have a bat flying around in your house at midnight, you CAN go to your neighbors house because not only will they help you, others will come out of there homes to assist!

{this has happened}

{VERY FUNNY STORY, BUT NOT AT THE TIME}

The kind of street where you hope you will never have to leave it.

This is my street. My neighborhood. My neighbors. My friends.

I am saying all of this because it was one of those neighbors that did a very kind thing for me and I love her for it! She is one of those great people!

As a token of my gratitude I wanted to give her a little something to say thank you.

Brian was in charge of the wine. I made two satin flower pins for her which I pinned to a chocolate brown ribbon. She is always dressed so cute so I thought that she would be able to use these.

This is my favorite part.

I looked up the word Thankful and then using Word, I copied and pasted the definition

under the word itself and then wrote in my own personal examples.

Printed it on to brown recycled card stock and used my pinking shears to cut the sides.

I really like how this little card turned out so if you know me don't be surprised if you receive something like this is the future. I have a feeling this idea is here for awhile.