Hoopin it up

Amid the craziness that is birthday planning, I decided that we couldn't very well have a basketball party without personalized jerseys to send home with each guest.  Due to the lack of tank top selection in early February, I ended up having to buy a couple 3 packs of Hanes tanks to get the job done.  These were not my finest work but they were fun to have hanging on the railing as the guests arrived.  They each had their own letter and we snapped a photo of each guest for my idea of turning their photo into a mini trading card to send with their thank you note (which may or may not ever happen)  These were a late night-before project with shockingly shoddy construction and most likely won't make it through more than one washing.  but they served their purpose!  

twirly skirt

I made this outfit for my little niece's birthday.  I have been looking for a good twirly skirt tutorial and found a great one here ( I used the extra twirly version)  I changed up the hem a bit and then added a fun little headband.  I was so tempted to keep going and do a fun fabric flower for the headband or some matchy-matchy bows but I am working on knowing when to stop.......THAT is the hard part.

Teacher gifts

Back in the summer, I thought it would be lovely to give handmade gifts to my kids' teachers and to a few friends.  I'm not sure what happened over the next few months but there I was, the night before, churning out 10-12 aprons in record time.  Thanks to a good friend, I had an amazing book to get ideas from, A is for Apron.  Since time was of the essence, there was no patterns being used, no measuring, just lots of eyeballing, pressing, and guesstimating going on.   These are a few of the ones we gave away.  And I am not making another apron for a while!

Delectable Desserts

I got to put together a fun dessert table for a church get together last week.  I was totally inspired by Amy Atlas.  I want to be like her, to have a reason to have a table like hers at my house permanently.  In the beginning I just was going to do everything red and white but then decided to add in a little green, per my friend Amy's advice.  I wish that I could take better pictures and just snapped a few quick ones before everyone got there......just to prove that it actually happened.    

My original plan was to buy some silk hydrangeas for the table backdrop but after pricing them out, I realized that it wouldn't be very practical for our budget.  I googled tissue paper flowers and was amazed at all the great ideas out there.  Martha Stewart had some amazing ones and after reading a ton of tutorials, these are the ones I came up with.  They were super easy and really added a pop to the table.  And at $5 total, much easier on the budget.

I found this great wrapping paper at Hobby Lobby and had to incorporate it into the table, the gift boxes added some height and color.

White fudge covered oreos on a stick

Yummy Christmas goodies in vintage style candy jars with a scoop adorned with ribbon and a large jingle bell.

Now......I just wish I wasn't so overwhelmed by decorating my house.  A table is manageable, fun, and simple to do.

another apron

I can't stop.  Apron making is apparently addictive......and the funny thing is that I don't even wear them.  (need to work on that!)  I made this one for my sister in law and I love it.  I found these fabrics by Brother Sister Design Studio at my local Hobby Lobby and I love them.  Forgive the bad pictures, it really isn't rumply like it looks.  This was actually one of those sewing projects that I finished in under an hour, nothing went wrong, and all my stitches lined up without any unpicking needed.  Yeah!  Love when that happens.  

Vintage patterns: my new addiction

I am slowly discovering all the treasures that etsy has to offer.  Most recently I have been perusing the vintage and supply sections and found some great stuff.  I just bought a bunch of vintage dress patterns for my girls and can't wait to try them out.  I really like using these because they tend to be very straightforward and easy to follow.  I have a lot to learn when it comes to sewing and have found that this is a good place to start.  So, here are a few of my most recent finds.  

My personal favorite.  Love the pleating and simple style.  I found a great website with the most darling kids clothing, Neige, love these clothes but won't be shelling out the big bucks anytime soon.  So, I am trying to find a few patterns to recreate a few in my own style.

Love this one, too.

Hmmm, now I just need to figure out how to add another couple of hours to each day so that I can actually work on some of these.

And, figure out a way to get my girls to appreciate MY style.

A couple of aprons

I know that the apron craze has come and almost gone but when I saw this tutorial, I had to give it a try.  These were so fun to put together and make.  No zippers, buttons, or fittings to worry about and something cute to show for it.  I think I might have a new addiction!  Luckily these make great gifts so if you have a birthday coming up.........be warned, and get ready to bring some style to the kitchen!