Aug 31, 2010

Little Bo Peep Has Left the Building


Don't be sad Little Bo, it isn't your fault I am not Made for Competition.


Your silly little sheep knows its not his fault either.


Hold your cute little head high...you can't win them all.

Just in case my attempt at humor leaves some of your scratching your heads...
this was my little post letting you know I officially bowed out of Made by Heidi's
Made for Competition contest.

I consistently came in third to the two ladies left (by a small landslide each week), so I decided to 
let them battle it out to the end and so I can go on to craft ulcer free. Good Luck to each of them.

I also am in the process of putting together a tutorial for the sheep costume.

THANK YOU to everyone who loved my projects and voted for me! You made it all worth it.

Aug 30, 2010

When Did This Happen?


I have a first grader. What??? Ahhh. I am pretty sure I was more nervous than he was. In fact, when I woke him up this morning he said, "Mom, I am more tired than excited."

We eventually got him jump started and all ready.

We packed up the fam, put his backpack on, grabbed my camera, took my token first day of school photo and headed out the door for our walk over.

Middle little man took off running while oldest little man sweetly offered to push tiniest little man.


As we walked over, he grew more excited with only a few complaints that his backpack was way too heavy...

"Hey Mom, can you carry it?"

"No bud it is your backpack."

"Well, can you carry me?"

"Haha--uh no"

"But I am your kid!" 

Don't worry he made it AND I didn't have to carry him.


This is how I left him. All smiles and probably thinking, "Mom I got this, you can leave now".


He is right, he's got this. Sigh...so I left with my other little men in tow.

We will miss him during the day...at least for the first couple weeks right, haha.

No more than 15 minutes after getting home, Middle little man asked when his brother will be home. In 6 hours and 15 minutes...but who is counting?

After I wipe up my tears, I will have some craft stuff for you this week...including the FELT PUPPET tutorial and pattern.

Aug 29, 2010

Our Week in a Nutshell: Tired of Being Sick

Our tiniest man has an ongoing fight with his ears. They tend to win A LOT.

He is one of those kids that it takes forever to create a good habit and just one or two days to break it...and this always seems to happen when he is sick.

For example...SLEEPING....

This week him, me, and hubby have had very little sleep (with exception of one good night for me where NiQuil was taken for my cold...glory be to that awful tasting stuff!).

The worst is that he has been waking up between 4-5 am and refusing to go back to sleep unless we hold and rock him. It is a nightmare.

This is what happened this morning--





...we finally got him to sleep without rocking him. Yes it was in our bed, and yes it was pretty uncomfy...for the parents anyway...yes these pictures are totally UNFLATTERING...for the parents anyway...

...but he slept...until 9 he slept!

Sickness and no sleep...that was our week.

Aug 28, 2010

Hey I Can Do That--Baby Shoes



FIRST- Thank you to all you lovelies who gave me the great feedback on my puppets, it pretty much made my day...SO...

OF course I will get that tutorial out. I am hoping for sometime next week ( if I could just get over this cold)...so keep checking back.

Now on to my "Hey I Can Do That" Saturdays. It has been awhile...but they are back...

A couple of weeks ago I voted for this craft over at So You Think You Are Crafty. I have been wanting to make baby shoes FOREVER. I always talked myself out of it because...well it looks hard and they are so tiny.

This week I decided to throw caution to the wind and make some. While my first attempt may not be perfect, I am thinking the sweet baby wearing these will surely pull people's eyes away from the clumsily hand-stitched heel.

For the most part I found this pattern easy to follow. I did do some things a little different. 

Things I did differently--

I sewed the heel lining to the main shoe lining before sewing on the main sole. 

I did not use interfacing because I was using a heavier fabric for the shoes.

I sewed the velcro to the strap BEFORE sewing and turning out so you don't see the stitches. I also did the same for the velcro on the outside of the shoe.

I loved this project. Let's just say I have more shoes already cut out and ready to sew. 

Aug 26, 2010

Sea Salt Caramel Brownies



Umm....YUM. No seriously....yum. AND these are even better after chilled. I LOVE when brownies are good warm and chilled. Since I heart a great brownie...you know if I am willing to share this one it means it must be pretty gosh darn good. I am so glad I found this over at Nie Nie on her recipe blog.

I might have plans to make some today...and BOY do I need them. Littlest man is sick AGAIN and he was up from 1 am...oh until now. Still really hasn't slept. Fingers crossed he crashes all afternoon...and instead of taking a nap I will probably make these and then devour them in hopes to forget my misery last night!

Sea Salt Caramel Brownies



Caramel Sauce--
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/4 cup sour cream


In a small saucepan, combine the cream and the salt. Simmer over very low heat until the salt is dissolved. set aside.
In a medium saucepan combine the sugar and corn syrup carefully. They will not combine well until the sugar begins to melt. Cook over high heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 350 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes. Without a thermometer, just pull the sugar off the heat when it is a medium goldish brown – it will continue to cook in the heat of the pan. Better to pull it too early than too late. Remove from the heat and let cool for one minute.

Add the cream mixture and the vanilla to the sugar mixture. Whisk in the sour cream. Let the caramel cool to room temp, then follow the brownie instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate any leftover caramel. 


Brownies--
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup all purpose flour
pinch salt
1/4 cup Chocolate Syrup
half of the above caramel recipe (I used all the caramel)


Preheat oven to 325F.
Melt Chocolate and butter in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
In a bowl, mix together sugar, eggs, and vanilla, and mix until well combined

Add flour, salt, chocolate syrup and chocolate mixture and blend well.

In a greased 8×8 pan, pour a little over half of the brownie batter and bake for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and pour in the caramel. On top of the caramel, add the rest of your brownie batter. If it doesn’t pour smoothly, just plop it in a swirl it around a little bit. Return to oven and bake for another 18-22 minutes. Brownies will still appear a little shaky, due to the caramel, but they will firm up once cooled. Do not overbake.

Aug 24, 2010

9 years

August 25, 2001...

I went here...


and started my life with this man.


It was a day of pure joy...



that I spent with my best friend...



the love of my life...


my brand new hubby...

Nine years later into my life with hubby I have a more complete and deeper joy with an even closer and bester (totally a word) friend...

he still is the love of my life...

I sure feel blessed. Nine years of blessings.

Love you hubby.

Aug 23, 2010

E-I-E-I-OH So Cute Puppets

FIRST: It is a new week of competition over at Made by Heidi. It is down to only three ladies. The voting has been INTENSE. I APPRECIATE and am so grateful for those of you who went and voted...even if you think this whole thing is silly...but did it just cause you love me. ONLY 3 more weeks of it...I promise. 

So head on over this week for our Nursery Rhyme themed projects and vote for your favorite.



Last week for I'm Made for Competition (which the thinning in the lining of my stomach and the thickening of my rump is telling me I am NOT made for competition...oh and the fact that I am getting BLOWN away in the voting...) I made some pretty stinking cute felt hand puppets.

The theme was On the Farm...so Old MacDonald had to make an appearance..


Old MacDonald (aka Santa in the off season...haha...) 


had a whole farm full of THE cutest animals



E-I-E-I-OH SO CUTE.



My favorite part was the back of these puppets. LOVED each little tail, spot and feather. I also LOVED that my boys begged to play with each one as I finished them. 

The fam favorite was this guy...



with a Quack, Quack here and a Quack, Quack there.

Since this was a pretty time consuming project I wanted to see exactly how much interest there would be in a tutorial with pattern. I have a simple photo instruction of how to assemble the horse puppet, which would give the basic instructions for all of them.  The labor intensive part...for me that is...would be to make my pattern ready to scan and download since I would have every teeny tiny detail of each puppet available to you.

SO are you interested??? Would you like to have this loverly projects on your to-do list? Let me know. If there is enough interest I will bust that out this week.

Linking up here-

Made by You Mondays- Skip to my Lou
Just Something I Whipped up Mondays- The Girl Creative
Making the World Cuter Mondays- Making the World Cuter
Weekend Wrap Up- Tatertots and Jello

Aug 20, 2010

Slushies for a Hot Day

Not too long ago I did this fun summer post over at 30 days (by the way she is wrapping up an awesome giveaway week). Today it is going to be 90 DEGREES and HUMID and MUGGY. YUCK.

This calls for some serious cool refreshment. 

Drinking water is good, but these are WAY better.


Whip up a batch of Kool-Aid Slurpees. They are super easy, super yummy, and your kiddos can help you make them.

You will need:

1 packet of Kool-Aid, your choice
2 cups club soda
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 cups crushed ice
blender

To make this sweet summer drink--

1. Pour Kool-Aid, sugar, and 1 cup of club soda into a blender and blend on high until sugar is dissolved.



2. Add all of the crushed ice and blend until smooth.



3. Add last cup of club soda, blend.

4. Stare longingly at your soon to be drink.

5. HARDEST PART- put it in the freezer for 30 minutes for perfect consistency. If you are making 1 batch, just keep it in the blender to freeze. 



Stir slightly, pour into a cup, and add a straw. Now it is time to serve it up to your kiddos. 









Okay, so go ahead and make one for yourself. Picture courtesy of my 6 year old...I do actually have eyes and a forehead.



Can you say "Ahhhh, refreshing"?

You know what else is good to do on a hot day...well besides hanging out poolside...

Go and VOTE for me. 



This weeks competition is wrapping up and I sure wouldn't mind all the votes I can get. Remember even if you already voted this week...you can vote each day, so go on over and vote again. PUH-lease. 

Okay I am all done, you can go back to your beverage and suntanning now.

Aug 19, 2010

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Link fixed! Thanks for letting me know.

PS. All my lovely readers...don't forget your vote today. It'll only take a second...I promise and then you can come right back and get this YUMMY recipe.


As long as there is banana in it and it is a muffin...it is totally okay to have chocolate chips in the morning, right?? 

Are my kids the only one who grow tired of cereal in the AM? This recipe is really quick and duh it has chocolate chips in it, so what is not to love. My little men and hubby LOVE these.

Give them a whirl.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins


2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 ripe bananas, mashed

Combine ingredients. Divide batter in a muffin tin (you can use liners, I prefer the look the muffins has without liners. If you do that you will need to grease your pan). Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.

Eat warm, eat cool. Eat for breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, and/or dinner.

They are also lovely to give to someone, all nestled in a basket lined with a simple square of pretty fabric.

Aug 17, 2010

The Smartigan: Sewing Time

FIRST- THANK YOU, THANK YOU for all your sweet words and support. I heart you guys! 

SECOND- Remember today is a new voting day, so rock the vote my blogging peeps! Pass it on spread the love.

Okay it is sewing time. HUGE disclaimer first...this was my first time sewing from my own pattern AND I was in a hurry to meet my deadline...so I found some pictures missing and I might sound like a sewing ignoramus as I try to explain...but since we are blogging friends hopefully your brain will understand my brain.

The Smartigan 


Materials:

Your Own Pattern: tutorial here
1 XL mens sweater
1 mens tshirt, cut into long strips, 2" wide
scrap of tshirt or fabric, for elbow patches
coordinating thread
3 med coordinating buttons
1 smart kid

Start by cutting the mens sweater apart. Cut off sleeves.



Cut front of sweater from back of sweater up the side seams.



Place both front pattern pieces on the front of the mens sweater, making sure to match up the bottom of your pattern with the bottom of the sweater. This will make it so that you don't have to sew up the bottom edge or learn to knit...haha. Cut out.



*missing picture of back pattern piece on back sweater piece, so here goes my written instructions...

Fold back sweater piece. Place pattern on sweater with the fold edge of the pattern matching on the fold of the sweater. Cut out. Hopefully that made sense.

Cut open your sweater sleeves at the seam. Use pattern to cut smaller sleeves. Again, bottom of sleeves should match up with the ribbing..



Cut several 2" wide strips of a coordinating t shirt. Leave all but two of the strips long, they will be for the cardigans front edge binding. The other two pieces need to be cut down to 15" in length.



Pockets:

From remaining scraps of the sweater, cut 2 5x5" squares.



Iron in sides and bottom about 1/2 an inch, maybe a little less. Fold down the top about an inch.



Sew two lines on the top of the pocket before attaching to the cardigan front. Pin each pocket on either side about an inch from the bottom and 3 from the inside edge.



Sew pockets on.



Sleeves: 

Iron the two 15x2" strips in half lengthwise. Sew along the bottom edge.



Turn out. Flatten so seam is at the back. Iron flat.



Pick a sleeve, any sleeve. Pin the strips on. Make sure the edges will meet up when the sleeve is sewn closed. Sew strips on with a coordinating thread. I chose gray thread, it looked really good.



Elbow Patch:

Make yourself an oval pattern. Cut out 4 from a coordinating t-shirt.



Sew two together, leaving a hole open to turn out. Sew the next two together. Turn both out. Iron flat.



Pin first patch on striped sleeve where the elbow would hit. I measure my little mans arm to make sure. Sew on.


Sew second patch onto the second sleeve. Then fold sleeves in half, right sides facing, and sew the sleeves closed along the bottom edge. Turn out. Now you have 2 sleeves. Woohoo.



Time to assemble. Pin front pieces to back piece, right sides facing, at shoulder seams. Sew with a 1/2 inch seam allowance.



Sewing Ignoramus enter here...

I am pretty sure this is not the most correct way to sew on sleeves, but it worked for me.

With the cardigan wrong side facing out and the sleeve ride side facing out. pin the arm hole opening to the sleeve opening (so it is like right sides of fabric are facing each other). Sew along the edge with a 1/4-1/2 inch seam allowance. Start and end at the armpit area.



Once your sleeve is attached, pull sleeve through, now wrong side out. Starting at the sleeve side just before the armpit, stitch the armpit and the sides of the sweater closed with a 1/2 inch seam allowance.

Repeat on other side.



Insert picture here of how the sweater looks to this point. Oh wait, that is right I don't have one. Shoot.

Binding:

Measure the cardingan's front edges from bottom of one side all the way up around the neck and back down the other side.

Take long strips of t shirt from earlier, sew several together to get match your measurements..



Iron in half lengthwise. Iron in half again, to make a type of bias tape. Make sure to fold in and iron the small edges to make a clean edge.



*once again picture missing of the next several steps...

Take your bias tape and sandwich the raw edge of the front of the cardigan in between the edges of the t shirt bias tape, this will make it so the new edge of the front of the cardigan will be the folded edge of the bias tape. Pin in place all the way up the one side around the neck and back down the other side.

Sew, with your seam riding along the edge opposite of the fold.

To finish it off, mark off where you want your three buttons. I hand sewed mine on. You can do button holes on the other side if you want to, or leave them off. They are more decorative then functional for this little man cardigan.

Since I didn't have pictures for the last---oh like 5 steps, I tried to pick a picture of the finished project that showed the bias taped edges and the buttons.





Honestly this was the most fun project. I loved the end result. It was one of those jumping up and down, so excited what I just finished moments. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

ALSO...I am pretty sure with some different colors, this would also make a rockin' little girls sweater.

Linked up-

Made by You Mondays- Skip to my Lou
Market Yourself Mondays- Sumo's Sweet Stuff
Take a Look Tuesdays- Sugar Bee
Strut Your Stuff Thursdays- Somewhat Simple

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