You Sew Silly Mama

The Demiun Rug, Finally the finished product

2011-08-21T11:11:00.000-07:00

I did a post about how i was making a denim rug, like the one from Good Luck Charlie( click here to see) It seams to have sparked quite a bit of interest so i decided it was high time i deliver the final product.

This project took on a life of its own. Birdie suggested that i "decorate it", "draw some swirls", and "put one of those right there.' So i did my best to bring her vision to life. I used ribbon, decorative thread, paint, markers and appliques to dress it up. It was actually a lot fun.

I sewed it together much like you would a quilt only i chose not to back it or use batting. It was quite thick and cumbersome when i was all done and although i had every intention of backing and binding i vetoed that when i remembered that eventually(probBLy with in days) it would need to be washed.

After placing it on her new vinyl tile floor i was not really happy with the feel of it, so I ordered a rug pad from Overstock. It has been working well and Birdie and her friends are thrilled with it.

{This Monent}

2011-05-27T07:08:00.000-07:00

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

What Have I Been Doing?

2011-04-20T12:18:00.001-07:00

Balloon Shades

More Balloon shade making (beautiful isn't it)

A not quite finished but almost balloon curtain
(only picture i had)

A Balloon curtain
in the making

And many more drapery projects that i did not take pictures of. I made a few bucks, stressed myself out(not on these two), and drove my family crazy(thanks mom),but here i am now and this is what i am doing.

I promised Birdie that when a break came from my drapery work that i would redo her hodge-podge bedroom(i made a lot of promises that fell through). She decided on some fabric, I am very excited with her choice check it out here LINK. And so Nana is now toiling away at a quilt and i am on the first phase of the redo--brainstorming.

A curtain for the long window.

two drapes for the closet (we took the doors down, they take up to much space and never get closed)

Here's what I've got so far:

A denim rug (yeah, i know it wasn't part of the plan). This baby is Birdies idea , inspired by Good Luck Charlie, thanks so much Disney Channel.

Although i have a bit of a mess going, putting the rug together has been really fun. Birdie has been full of fun ideas to personalize our creation, which is making it take longer than anticipated, but still fun. I used my old singer 185j to piece the rug and she glided easily over those thick seams while singing that sweet humming song, gotta love an old singer. I hope to keep you posted on our progress.

Whats next: a desk(creigslist find), a head board and foot board (garage sale find), paint and more paint, and oh yeah the curtains( that is where we started isn't it).

Silk Lotus Flower - Threads

2010-12-22T17:25:00.000-08:00

Silk Lotus Flower - Threads
This is a link to an easy, great,and fun last minute gift idea! This is a wonderful technique from Mr. Kenneth King.
Flower Brooches are great on anything: jackets, scarfs, hats(yes even your ugly go to knit hat), hand bags, etc.

Kids Project link up

2010-08-10T07:02:00.000-07:00

Go on over to the csi project blog and check out all the amazing links to fun kids crafting projects.

I promise i will return to my blogging soon but first my sweet little devils must go back to school, there has been no use in arguing with them, they demand every bit of my time so i give it to them, and what little i have left is being spent finishing project already on the craft table and cleaning up around the house.

Summer Vacation 2010

2010-07-25T13:58:00.000-07:00

After much deliberation Galveston was our choice for summer fun. It is not host to the most fabulous beaches in the world but there certainly was a lot to do and see. No tar balls or oil slicks to combat just clean fun.

The fairy ride was a great experience, i think i enjoyed it even more than the kids. Its simply amazing to travel across the water on such a big ship and to see the waterway from a completely different prospective.

The beach was warm and we were lucky to be blessed with overcast days-no sun burn.

]

Moody Gardens was wonderful. It takes at least two days to see everything with out rushing. The aquarium and rain forest were fun and the 3D movies amazed the kids, so when it came to the 4D film they could hardly keep still long enough to enjoy it.

Another great part of Moody Gardens was the Beach in fact i enjoyed it so much i forgot to take pictures. These are all I've got and they don't even begin to show you the fun.

{this moment-that moment}

2010-07-16T06:47:00.000-07:00

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Wishing you a beautiful weekend!--soulemama

{that moment} the one my girls capture themselves, it fascinates me to look through the photos in my camera and find little glimpses of how my children see their world. A simple, special, extraordinary moment.

A mission for a Little Bit Funky

2010-07-15T16:50:00.000-07:00

I came across this post a little while ago and was truly touched by it, so in keeping with her passion for this mission i am re-posting it and encourage anyone reading it to do the same little bit funky click there see the original post and enjoy the music.

are ya'll ready for this?

I am SO excited to be writing this post. You really have no idea...I am almost day before Christmas excited...but not why you think. Well maybe...if you know me...if you can beleive it...the finished quilt is not the most exciting part to me.

It's the fulfillment of a promise that is making me all giddy with excitement.

You see...a couple of months ago I felt the nudge to do more with my blog than just write and share...I felt like I was being led to use my blog as a catapult for showing God's love...

Honestly, I was like...ok...just what do you mean God?

And I waited...and prayed. And then things started clicking...I found the quilt pattern over at Film in the Fridge. You can find it HERE.

"YES!" Is what I wanted to scream when I saw it...I knew what I was supposed to do...and how.

And quickly, because I am human and humans both chicken out AND forget easily what God tells them to do...I emailed a small group of women that I trust and love...some who I knew would kindly remind me of what I had shared with them that God told me to do.

Basically, I told them..."God told me to do this...please call me out on it if I don't".

Then I contacted sweet Jody from Fabric Shoppe...and told her what I was on a mission to do...wouldn't you know it...she is a pastors wife and hopes to adopt from Africa one day. She almost immediately offered to donate ALL of the fabric I would need to make the quilt.

Thinking about it...that is a pretty crazy thing. That is a LOT of fabric to just send to a stranger who promises to make a quilt to benefit a charity. I cried in the parking lot after getting her email.
Then a good friend offered to pay for the batting and the shipping.

God is SO good.

God is responsible for all of this coming together. God loves all people. God loves Africa...and all those sweet people who are suffering from something that is SO easily helped...

To me...each piece of fabric in this quilt stands for a family or person...or BABY...that together we can help...and this may sound crazy...but if you are one of the many who have told me of plans to adopt from Africa...the net you buy just may save YOUR future baby. Crazy cool, right?

Malaria kills over 1 MILLION precious people PER YEAR!!!

In fact, there are 10 new cases of malaria every second.

Every 30 seconds, a child in Africa dies from a malaria infection. A child that is no less precious or loved or held dear by his parents than our own children.

By buying ONE net a family of four can sleep under an insecticide-treated bed net, safe from malaria, for four to five years.

AND

The benefits of bed nets extend even further than protecting those sleeping underneath them. The insecticide woven into each net makes entire communities safer – killing and repelling mosquitoes so that they can’t go on to bite others who may not be protected by a net.

Although $10 for a bed net may not sound like much, the cost makes them out of reach for most people at risk of malaria, many of whom survive on less than $1 a day.

Just think...to us $10 is a couple of latte's...a movie...a shirt...a lunch out...a CD...a couple of magazines...any number of frivolous things that we all throw money at...can I challenge us all to give those up for a day...or a week or a month...and give a net or two or three instead?

Can you help me show God's love to people in Africa? And wait with me for God to show up in a big way? Each net you buy is ONE entry into the raffle to win this quilt!

It's a beauty...if I do say so myself...considering that I only started sewing a little over two years ago...I feel so BLESSED that God would use me in this way to do something big.

It is approx 51in by 73in. It would be cute as a twin coverlet...or on a couch...or hanging on a wall.

And fyi--my home is smoke and pet free. :)

And as a special little touch...to help you remember what this quilt represents...I added this cute little tag. :)

God IS SO GOOD!!!

And now for the begging...

PLEASE go buy a net...you can click HERE to go to our page.

If only each daily visitor to this blog bought ONE...we would more than double or triple our goal. So YES...one net DOES make a difference!

PLEASE feel free to copy this ENTIRE post and repost it on your blog...you will probably have to check the links but feel free to post away....anyway you choose. I would LOVE nothing more than to go through my reader and see this post over and over and over again!!

We will choose a winner NEXT FRIDAY the 23rd!! So every net bought by Thursday the 22nd at midnight will count as ONE entry...and I have a totally unbiased judged in mind to do a VIDEO reveal of the winner!!!

AND there will be other prizes as well. If you would like to donate a prize PLEASE contact me...I already have several offers and I would like to extend the deadline to donate.

You guys are awesome. And I love you...truly. I can't wait to hit "publish" post...I feel like all of this before was like heading up to the highest point of a roller coaster and hitting "publish" will push it over the edge...

Now...pretty, pretty, PLEASE...go BUY A NET...and spread the word!!
GOD IS SO GOOD!

4th of July Picture Post

2010-07-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

{this moment}

2010-07-02T09:42:00.000-07:00

{this moment}

Wishing you a beautiful weekend!--soulemama

Project memory Bear

2010-06-29T19:52:00.000-07:00

Recently a friend approached me about making a ~~few~~ bunch of memory bears. If your not familiar with these cuddly little creatures check these out. Basically they are bears made from a loved ones clothing or a wedding dress or any thing that represents a memory that you would like to keep around. I am not exactly a bear person but i am quite sentimental so this project has been great fun for me--except the part where i can't seam to find the perfect pattern.
I have scoured the internet, scavenged through book store and exhausted all of the library 's resources.
So far this is what i have come up with:

To big, puffy, and non-jointed.

To small, big nosed, and non-cuddly.

To strange

To long armed.(but really cute)

So the next step is the one i was trying to avoid, i must now draft my own pattern.

My plan was to keep it simple and just get a tried and true pattern and use it well so much for that. I am pretty sure that the problem lies with in me, obviously no one else has my vision of what it should look like and the one that does(click here-Bears)) is not giving away her money maker. We will see how this goes, wish me luck .

I Got a Package from FedEx Today!!

2010-06-29T13:47:00.000-07:00

Yeah, that's right i got a package from FedEx and guess what was in it?

Free grub of course.

I was selected by the lovely Ms.Emily from not so idle hands for her "reader giveaway".(read about it--click here)These are truly yummy, we eat a lot of granola bars around here and these have passed the taste test!

And how perfect that they came today, we were almost out of treats.

But not any More!

Along with the delicious snacks i received a gift card to Sam's Club, so now when these are all gobbled up i can buy more!

I would like to give a big thank you to Emily for choosing me, to Nature Vally for creating such delicious treats, and to My BLOG Spark for making this all possible. Thank you, thank you, thank you--with all that thankfulness youd think i received an Oscar!

Summer Time Fun!!

2010-06-27T09:46:00.000-07:00

We finally found some time to go to the fountain, it was Pemmies first water extravaganza and she had a blast.

First we ate dinner at Agave-yummy. The view of the fountain was blocked only by an iron fence that surrounds the restaurant, for the girls this was like being in restaurant jail. They tried to escape, one over the bars the other under but the waitress brought the food and Bridie couldn't resist. A bowl of beans and a SEAFOOD CHIMICHANGA later we were off to have some fun.

Pemmie was not to sure of the giant spouts of water but after a bag of popcorn and some serious thought she suddenly ran into the water.

A great time was had by all. Nana, Papa and I could do nothing but laughed at my silly crew of girls.

Suburban Snapshots: Why Having a Toddler is Like Being at a Frat Party*

2010-06-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

CLICK BELOW TO LINK TO THE ORIGINAL POST:
Suburban Snapshots: Why Having a Toddler is Like Being at a Frat Party*

When i read this i laughed and thought i would share it with you, if you have ever been to a frat party you know this is so true.

I just peeked in the living room to find one passed out and slobbering on the couch and the other two rug-rats roaring with laughter while bopping each other over the head with a stick --frat party it is!

{this moment}

2010-06-11T07:28:00.000-07:00

Inspired By soulemama

Crafting / Entertaining My Girls

2010-06-10T09:06:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to share a few crafty things we have done, just encase you are in need of ideas.
We covered recycled jars with "pretty"paper let them dry and then made paper flowers for our "vases". This project took a while so it was great. The more time it takes up the more entertained they are.

I used scrap fabrics and little bits of paper. The paper and fabric are threaded on to floral wire with a bead stopper on one end, then just slide the wire through a straw(cut to desired length) and tie it down by wrapping it with floral tape. The girls got creative and beaded the entire stem, it was a little floppy but fun.

Next we spent quite a bit of time finding all the broken crayons and unwrapping them. The results, new and bigger crayons. What a great project for my girls -time consuming (the unwrapping) and fascinating (the melting).perfect!

This week we should get to a few more fun projects. Hopefully i will find the time to share them with you. I have a list of things that need to get done around here and i have used up all the excuses i give myself. I will let you know how that goes too. SEE YA!

sewing with Oliver+S

2010-06-09T06:13:00.000-07:00

Sewing with a pattern is difficult for me as that if i feel like i am getting confused i just toss the instructions aside and do it my way. The problem with this is that patterns come with instructions because there is a specific way they are meant to be put together, DUH. If you do not follow the instruction odds are your result will be less than what you intended.

My journey with Oliver +S starts with THIS post from Sweet Pea Fabrics, "How cute" i thought "the Ice Cream Dress" So i went on over to the Oliver+S website clicked on find a store and i found a little place here in town called Heirloom Creations. I called them and i was delighted to find that not only did they carry the pattern but they are only a block from my house, weird because i pass them almost every morning on the way to school but i never noticed that they are in a shopping center in the middle of our neighborhood (probably because i am such a good driver that i never take my eyes off the road, nOt)

The ladies at Heirloom Creations are an extremely talented bunch with sewing skills that far surpass mine in every way. The great news is that they teach and give sewing advice on every level, they even give classes. Before i left the store i had picked the ladies brain silly and was armed with a roll of tracing paper. The coolest stuff ever, its a roll of paper like used at doctors offices on exam tables, cheep and effective, 7$ for enough paper at least a year.

The pattern although not cheep was wonderful to work with. The pattern itself is printed on sturdy white paper making it a breeze to handle and easy to see the cutting lines. Tracing out the entire pattern was time consuming but well worth the trouble. The original pattern remained nice and neat and best of all, ready for its next use in any size i choose.

The cut of the dress is wonderful and the double fold hem creates a great hang for a perfect finish. Sewing with a pattern was great. All the kinks were already worked out for me, saving so much time and frustration. The Oliver +S pattern is a winner in my book. Simple design with attention to details that make it easy to sew and beautiful to wear.
Lou-Lou's fabric choice was also a winner. She was happy to help with the entire process, in fact she loved the finished product so much that since its finish i have rarely seen her in anything else. She folds it up at the end of each day and brings it to me to wash. She is very careful not to stain it and lets me know if she needs me to fix and spills. I love that she appreciates the work i do for her, it makes me wont to sew more and with this Oliver + S pattern I think I will.

{this moment}

2010-06-04T07:10:00.000-07:00

Inspired By soulemama

Beauty?

2010-06-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

I was just cleaning house and ran across an advertisement that had somehow managed to slip under the couch. When i turned the add over i remembered why it was still floating around the living room.

It was this beauty with her long shinny hair and bellowing bust. The reason i kept the add is that my children insist that we look alike, this my dears is so not true. I was touched and then thrilled when they saw another magazine add with a similar vixen and expressed the same lovely comments.
I am conna smitten with the idea that i am truly beautiful in there eyes. I suppose that what ever they see in me that makes them think i am so lovely is sort of the same thing that i see when i look at then. Everyone believes that there children are the most beautiful children they know, its a natural thing, we see them from the inside out. Children wear there joy and seance of wonder right on the front of there unblemished faces and it is those endearing emotions which we as mother and fathers see.
Don't get me wrong i have been told that i was beautiful a few times in my life, we all have, it really is true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Having my children think that i am beautiful is a whole new emotion for me. They are not presented with me in my best designer clothing or my freshly coiffed hair. They get plain old mom, the lady who need a pedicure and can't seam to find the time to shave her legs, yet still they see beauty. I am strangely reassured by this because I know that they see who i am not what i look like. I am somehow reassured that i am still a good person in spite of my constant feelings of overwhelming stress and anxiety coupled with tiredness which has led to sloppiness not to mention my regular bouts with extreme impatience. Maybe they are seeing me and not the person i implicitly fear i am.
Well enough of all that craziness how about those boobies i think i have a girl crush, whats up with this mom how come no body in our family has ample cleavage, well none that hasn't been bought, maybe i should get me some, in my next life i suppose.

On a note of craftiness i did finish the Oliver + S pattern and Lou-Lou has been wearing it for three days straight, it's a hit. I will post about it as soon as i find my camera and download the pics.

A Completed Dressing Room for Lou-Lou the Princess

2010-05-28T22:18:00.000-07:00

Well let just say that i have exceeded my allotted VOC emission for the month. No more pink spray paint please!(ahuh ahuh,excuse me while i cough ). Oh well whats a few brain ~~sells~~ ~~scells~~ cells for the sake of childhood.

The pinkness of Lou-Lou has once again consumed our lives but I must say i rather like the finished product i almost wanna just sit in there and pretend i am four again.

This was a group project Daddy made the addition to the dresser, Mama painted(ahuh ahuh) and the girls had a blast gluing on those great vintage buttons(2$). The dresser and mirror cost me a whole 5$-garage sale, the wall paper is scraps i had left over from another project, and with a little paint they are all now princess approved.

Sweet Lou-Lou truly loves her new ultra pink dressing room, in fact she loves it so much she wont let anyone sit at the vanity and she has not moved a thing on it sense we set it up "Its par-fekt "

Thankfully i am done with the pinkness for now, Birdie is getting a bit jealous- shes thinking yellow and blue. I am thinking brush and can, not so sure my lungs or the environment can take any more spray paint.

Lou-Lou's Dressing Room

2010-05-18T19:15:00.000-07:00

Lou Lou has been asking for a dressing room for quite sometime now so i thought i would oblige her. The door to the closet and the door to her room opened back to back, this caused a problem. The handles would get stuck together and i would have to play acrobat to get into the room. So "bling" light bulb, I took the closet door off and gave her the dressing room she, "need it". Well its not complete but here are the curtain i came up with. I am pretty happy with these, they matched up perfectly. There is only one little crocked seam and i love it because Lou-Lou sewed it herself.

They coordinate with the window curtains and the upholstered bed which we did also at her request, its our version of a princess bed on a paupers budget around 40$ All the fabrics are Hobby Lobby, at 30 % off so Lou-Lou is free to play with what ever she likes. I call these no fear fabrics, fun, inexpensive and washable.
My husband has promised a vanity inside the closet and a little painting must now come to pass, then and only then will i revel the inside of the closet.

Ribbon, Ribbon Everywhere

2010-05-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

De-stashing is not sew much fun! Lots and Lots of ribbon to down size. I am making headway but I am already over it and ready to get back to sewing with my new pattern by Oliver + C. I have actually used a pattern and enjoyed it so far. i will let you know how things are going a little later. But for now if your in the market for a few (lot ) of ribbon check out my shop or e-mail me i have plenty to get rid of.

A Mother Day Gift for Mom

2010-05-09T05:30:00.000-07:00

It's hard to shop for my mom she is not in need of many things and those thing that she does need i can't afford or just don't wont to give as a gift. I love to make thing for her that are keepsakes so that is what we did.

It started off with a borrowed curicket machine. My friend Kerrie is a super scrap booker and brought her mechine for me to experiment. I am no scrap booker. I do love paper crafting just not my own creations.
I found a great templet for a bird on a branch and we were off to a great start.

I took out an artiest panel and Birdie and i went to work on the back ground. A bride needs a sky so that it can be free to fly. The tree needed a ground, where its roots could grow strong, a place for the bird to always call home. Three flowers appeared beneath the protection of the trees branches, red and vivacious growing strong and advancing. Old vintage buttons surrounded the edges, memories of our past put in place by the small hand of our the future. Shinny crystal like giant dew drops give rainbows for chasing. We added ribbons and flower and thing we need for creating.

On the back are the signatures a hand to hold from Birdie, a foot thats part of the feet the need chasing form Pemmie, and a heart filled with love from Lou-Lou.

I hope you are enjoying it mom we really enjoyed making it! Its my turn now, i gotta go,there a are little people creeping up behind me.

My Unhappy Garden

2010-05-05T20:58:00.000-07:00

This will not be a funny post in fact i am down right sad. My Garden will not grow,and the things that were growing are now dieing. My green thumb is shriveling and it hurts. My gardening buddy Lou-Lou says that" we just need to feed them Mama and then the plants will feel better" but thats not working. Lou-Lou even tried singing to them, they don't seam to be fans of the A BC song.

My great husband did such a good job of getting our new garden together, he knew how important it was to me and how much i missed my yard at our previous house but i fear that the soil is bad and it is not getting enough sun. I would love to just start all over but i know better, the summer heat is fast approaching, there were 86 degrees of heat today...yes in the shade.
I will just keep watering and weeding and Lou-Lou will just keep feeding and singing, who knows maybe it will pull through.

Well, i guess there are a few thing that are growing. Mushrooms in my potted plants. Pemmie-none of my girls listen, i tell them every day to stop, but no. My Louisiana plant- the hummingbirds love this one. Mint-smells so good. Birdie-see i told you no one listens.

Finish what you start..Sure I will...Someday..Right?

2010-05-03T21:13:00.000-07:00

Live. From Sunshineyrain studio. It's the FINISH WHAT YOUR START SHOW staring Silly Mama and the three girls that make her that way!! (applause) Thank you thank you!

What a week. I started off determined to sew myself a night gown. I found some beautiful fabric on sale(yeaH) and even bought a pattern--i thought the pattern would help keep me on track, its a pattern you just follow the instruction so you can't make your own up as you go--the beautiful fabric is still in the bag and the pattern, well i just can't seam to bring myself to unfold it, all those fragile pieces of paper just scare me. So being that i didn't even start this project it doesn't count as unfinished..right?

Musical interlude--theme from Gone With the Wind~~~ dahh da dahdah

I promised my husband a pj pant, like six months ago. I cleared the cutting table ,measured out a pattern(my husband is picky) and lade out the fabric only to realize that i hadn't ordered enough for both pant legs. And yes, i actually considered using two different fabrics right up until i realized that he would get way to much of a kick out of teasing me about my lack of math skills. Hay, hes waited this long whats six more months?

Another one Bites the Dust--and another one gone and another ones gone~~~

Now about that black envelope purse that I promised a friend. Oh yeah mamas got that! It only took me a whole ~~three weeks~~ thirty minutes to finish!

Que the music...~~And we are the champions,...of the World...

Now that I am on a roll and have such a good thing going , why not start another envelope purse. No this was not a good idea but i couldn't help myself, just look how cool it is.

I did realize that i had several other thing i need to finish before i coud justify starting this little ditty,so here is what i did.

I turned this sweater tank into that beach towel tote. Its huge, I managed to get six beach towels in to it and will probable try to put on more. You gotta love knit fabric it's all about stretchability.

For my encore I sewed the buttons on the check book holders that have been patiently waiting on my ironing board for three months, yes three months. I would move them and put them back, move them and well you get it. No more moving they are all finished.

Now I we are going to cut a few scene from our script so that we may bring you ( My mom Mostly) a sneak peek at her mothers day gift which we have all been working on in between everything else that goes on around here.

Closing music~~~ Tiny Dancer~~(just because i like it and my girls know all the words)
Tune In tomorrow for the continuing saga of Finish what you start. ( don't worry this is only a mini-serious,please bear with me)

A Few Thing I Likie

2010-04-28T19:23:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite casual wear necklace. Its handmade art and the cord adjust to any length so it fits with any neckline. What not to love? I have been wanting a new one but hadn't run in to Mrs. Maxie. I found her this weekend at Festival International and you can find her here: Cajun Clay .

Bridie and i each purchased a new necklace. Mrs. Maxie has changed her style a bit scene my last purchase but when she saw the older one on my neck she was pleasantly surprised and inspired by her own work. I think she may be making a few more like my beloved tile.

Fit to be tied how fun are these? Recycled ties by Annie Odell. I love the gray bag in the picture to the right it has a Dior broach on the front. Lou-Lou insisted i take a pic of the butterfly one. My girls love this stuff. Mostly because they see me always transforming one thing into another. When they see other people who do the same it makes our lives a little more sane.

These are super cool and fun creations by artiest Anne Bulliard Crownover of My Cuckoo's Nest I borrowed the pic from her wed site(i accidentally deleted my photos of her work) just click on the link to check out the rest of her unique & non-traditional style.

What i saw at the Woodland Waterway Art Festival (better late than never)

2010-04-24T10:20:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago i had the pleasure of attending the Woodland Waterway Art Festival. I thoroughly enjoyed the festival. (except for having to pay to get in) It was more of a gigantic art fair and the weather was quite dreary but the walk along the waterway was great and the artiest even greater. I took a few photos and would like to share them with you.

The Women and Wine Series by artiest Kathy Womack were my favorite her paintings. Colorful and bellowing with textures. If i was in the market for art I surly would have taken one home. Click on the link to see lots more.

OK check this out! This silliness was just delightful, a wonderful oil painting by Betty Nash. Betty's art work is beautiful but i was thrilled by the subject in this painting. She took rock, paper, scissors and painted it with such grace and elegance that I was truly impressed. You rock Ms. Betty Nash!( she is quite an elegant traditional artiest check out her web page)

I love modern abstract shinny things. These glass panels by Presteau ,just fabulous. The table, even more impressive.(you can see the rain drops collecting on the table, it was a rainy day but i didn't mind))

This little piece of folk art is what i took home. I have been into bees lately. When i get lost in my projects and don't know what to do next, I just follow the word of my Lou-Lou " If i were a bee, i would just make honey". I placed my 3x3 piece just above my sewing machine so when i look up, i can rember to become the bee and just do what i do! My bee is by folk artiest Irene Gates of Douglas,Mi. she does not have a website to link to but she was a very nice person and i enjoyed meeting her.

As you can see my taste in art is all over the map. I believe beauty comes in many forms.

How we spent Earth Day

2010-04-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

We cleaned house....
Well yes we did clean house but afterward the girl went on a walk around our yard, their assignment was to photograph thing that are important to them that the Earth has gives us. I wonted them to understand that all of the thing that we enjoy on a daily basics are of the earth. The grass they walk upon, the wonderful scent of flowers that fills the air, even those cute cotton dresses they wear. I gave a big speech about why we recycle and how recycling helps to keep the ecosystem functioning properly. Before it was over I had created a couple of eco-worriers which turned out great because they stopped complaining about my constant "Could you please go put this in the recycle bin?" no one ever said the recycling wasn't work.
So here are a few of my eco-princesses photos.

I think the girls did a pretty good job with the photos! Birdie is very proud of herself Her favorite photos are"the bee flowers'(clovers),"those purple ones", "the fed one that i pressed the T button for"

Now here are some of my favorite pic that i have taken over the past couple of weeks.

The Best Reason to Keep your wedding dress

2010-04-19T19:12:00.000-07:00

I planned to post today of my attempt to clean the oven and refrigerator. Instead I will have to post about a slightly more romantic thing; my wedding day.

For quite sometime now Lou-Lou has been asking me "When you gonna put on your big puffy dress and twirl with me mama". Usually i can come up with a ~~good~~ excuses but today i was out witted. The dress and the shoes were laid out and the invitation mandatory. There was no way i could refuse the little doe eyed girl and her equally "puffy" and "twirly"dress. I sucked in as much as i could, wiggled it gently over my hips and thought for a moment that i would never get it zipped, but i did,although breathing was quite a task. Lou-Lou assured me that i was going to be alright. She breathed in deeply as though she was going to blow out a hundred birthday candles, placed my hand upon her chest, and exhaled. "See mama you just do like that." Luckily the zipper was stronger than i thought and it made it through my burst of laughter.
We thumbed through my tiny wedding album and she was amazed by my cake, flowers,and how hansom her daddy looked. My eyes welled with tears. Our wedding had only three people in attendance, my husband, myself, and an odd little preacher. I loved this day for its simplicity and the dress was an afterthought. Who knew that five years later it would become the catalyst to sharing our love story with our children.
Lou-Lou and i danced to my favorite Allen Jackson songs as Pemmie chased the hems of our twirling gowns. I wonted my husband to be there; I found him in Lou-Lou's smile.

Caine, thank you for marrying me at that little cabin in the woods, for thinking it was funny that i wore pink flip flops, for gently wiping my wedding day tears, and for loving every part of it just as i do.

HEADBAND SHOW DOWN featuring pattern Links to other Great Blogs

2010-04-15T09:17:00.000-07:00

Our show case today features some lovely head band patterns from my favorite blogs. In the quest for the perfect headband i came across several pattern, so i picked out a few from trusted sources and thus began my quest.

Our first contestant is this lovely little number from mmmcrafts (click for pattern and link to post). What a great idea! What a great pattern, all instructions are are printed with in the patter piece. No guessing where it came from, no having to copy instructions on to the pattern. She truly has an eye for details and is offering up the goodies for your taking. this band is great, i made several and have been changing the covers to match my outfit. Having one headband with several covers diffidently eliminates the clutter of having several hard bands.This is fun and fast give it a try.

Next up in our showcase the fat and skinny of it, better known by foofanagle as the Best Band Ever(narrow and wide versions). I do like this pattern, i like the wide for its unique shape, and the with of the narrow is perfect for wearing my hair down.

I chose to cover the band. Simply cut a 1.5 x 8 inch strip of fabric, make a tube and thread the elastic through the tube sealing it at both ends. Insert it into the open ends of your headband before closing and wah- la, a covered elastic band. Now before you do all this measure your head i found i did not need quite as long a piece of elastic(although my but is big my head is small???) All in all this was a nice band its length was easily adjusted and it looked great on. In fact i received the most compliments while wearing it and had several friend request one. Stand in line girls i still need a few more.

It's bonus time at the long thread where a great pattern exist featuring a nice wide band with a child size version. Hurray!!headbands for everyone(well except my husband, the girls couldn't convince him to wear his:) I covered the elastic here too. This way if you wear a pony and a headband it still looks cutie.

I loved doing all of these and have even come up with a few versions of my own that i will share with you a little later. Here are a few tip for happy head band making.

Do cut the edges with pink-n -shears: it will turn easier and iron down better.

Do use a light weight stabilizer:the added body helps to keep it nice and firm on the head

Do get a pair of hemostats they flip any thing in seconds.

Do encase your elastic: presentation is everything!
Always, always iron down your work: saves on time and will help straighten things out, if you know what i mean ;)

Tatertots and Jello: Spring Project: Ribbon Wristlets!

2010-04-06T09:50:00.000-07:00

Tatertots and Jello: Spring Project: Ribbon Wristlets!
OK I found a Project I Love, So i thought i would do a quick share. I love this blog and i think i love it a little more now. I will be adding this to my "pile of To-Do".

****Update: I made these for my girls, they love them! I will make more when time pernited.

Upcycling Lou-Lou's Memories

2010-04-05T14:56:00.000-07:00

This lovely little number was Lou-Lou's favorite winter dress. It has been worn to the point of no return. Stains, tares, and a growth spurt has rendered it unwearable. Lou-Lou loves her cloths and does not relinquish them easily so i have come up with a solution, recycling this old girl . Truth be told i also have developed an affection for the dress, every chocolate soy milk stain, drop of pink nail polish, and smear of blue paint represents a season of her life that will never return. I must admit that i fussed every time she produced a stain, this disappointment has now been replaced with a bit of sadness. As i wait for her to grow out of this messy stage of life i watch her personality and body grow into the big girl shes been longing to be. I now long for my little messy baby girl.

The First step is to draw out what ever kind of critter you would like to make. I am making a Bunny. I freehand drew with a washable marker, i uses these a lot as that my girls are always leaving them lyeing around and they wash out with water, if you are not going to wash your creation do not these instead use an air erase marker.Next sew it up! I used a stitch on my machine that is for sewing heavy weight knit fabrics. It worked great. I then cut out what i had sewn leaving openings for stuffing.

Here is what it looked like when it was all cut out. This was the hard part now time for the fun stuff!

Stuff the body parts but do not over stuff. I removed half of the stuffing before sewing bunny together, the over stuffing distorted the body shape and made her a little scarry looking. I sewed on the head first, this always seams to bring things to life. You don not have to get fancy. I found the sweater fabric very forgiving.

I used mismatched buttons to attach the arms to the body. By looping the thread through the shoulders i was able to keep the arms somewhat movable.

Next I contoured feet by simply stitching a little fold into the end of the leg. This is super easy and adds a great deal of detail.

To add a little bit of fun to the floppy ears (which is an essential part of a bunny) After stuffing i ironed on a little pink fabric applique style and stitched around the applique using a straight stitch. this created a slightly quilted look which turned out to be great.

For the puffy tail, cut a circle, and do it up yo-yo style. Stuff and sew.

Now to put a little soul into this bunny i chose the eyes form a collection of buttons which once belonged to my great grandmother. I painted black centers and sewed them on tight.

The final steps are the most fun of all, creating personality with nothing but string and scraps.

It turns out that Lou-Lou was actually very excited that i had turned her favorite dress in to a toy. She carried her to the store with us and told every one that Her bunny was once her favorite dress. This got me quite a few looks as that most people couldn't imagine what she was talking about

Crawfish and Conversation-oilfield style

2010-03-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

My husbands company puts on a crawfish boil every year and it is a wonderful event. There are lots of things for the kids to do and a mass of door prizes to be won. No one is shy when it comes to eating crawfish so the event goes over well. There is plenty of good conversation and the adult beverages flow like a bayou of brew. It is great for the men to be able to meet each other family. Some of these guys i had never met but they all knew me and the kids by name. When your stuck on a platform in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico missing your family you tend to share your thought with whom ever is willing to listen. It seamed they couldn't wait to met Lou-Lou as that she is the subject of many a conversation about our children, "shes to pretty to be so bad..." was there response. Lou-Lou is not bad but just a bit like Curious George. She doesn't mean to make a mess of things but her curiousness often bring trouble. It was a happy night for all.

Face Paint, gotta love it!

This is the door Prize Birdie won, a giant off shore bag, she was thrilled and so was Pemmie.

A New Dress for Lou-Lou

2010-03-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

Well it is safe to say that spring is here and sew are spring cloths. Last night i managed to coax lou-lou into a measuring session, whipped up a little drawing, and brainstormed a few pattern pieces. And so today i was determined to put my doodled picture into fabric.There were a few snags along the way--forgot to add allowances for a zipper, hello how did i think she was going to get in the thing-- didn`t actually have enough fabric,oh well just not quite as fluffy as i would have liked---"You wont a what, ruffle on the bottom?"

It all worked out and Lou-Lou is very pleased, so much so that i had to hide it from her so that it will stay nice until after the crawfish boil on Friday. I just hope no one notices my botched zipper and lack of pleating on the third tier. I do like the dress(with a few changes of course)and will do it again soon, Birdie want's one.

Please excuse Lou-Lou's dirty face, she marker-ed pink polka- dots on it; "so I look pretty for the tramp-O-lean party mama, do ya like It?" ..."Its beautiful Lou-Lou." What more could I say?

The Fabric We want in Our Lives!

2010-03-20T10:22:00.000-07:00

There is one thing that i have learned over the year that is a true constant. No design, no matter how great, is ever good enough if the fabric we choose is bad. I have often seen horribly made items selling like mad for seriously mad prices all because they "looked good". And what a shame it is when a person of great talent can't sell any of there work because they wouldn't spend a little extra on fabric or simply just didn't know that there taste in fabric did not suite current trends. I have been guilty of both crimes and i am trying very had to break my "poor girl" mentality and give my work the beautifully designed textiles it deserves.
I do have a list of favorites, some are specific to my personality, some are just simply great works that i appreciate. I have done a lot of searching to find these favorites. Local store are a great source for fabric but often do not carry anything that is different from what they know they can sell, the result of this is that new designs are slow in coming. So the local crafting markets are flooded with lots of the same old patterns. Since most of us are all making the same or similar items, who ever gets the new stuff wins.

Tip: You do not have to personally LOVE a design for it to be a good one!

I can not tell you how many times i have heard "that s ugly,who would wear that", Everyone ThAtS Who AgnUs! Different does not mean "Ugly"

To help you stuck in a rut ladies here is a link to SpoonFlower this site has wonderful designs by everyone and anyone(even you if you get brave). While your there check out there blog. Just Click those purple letters for a great post with a list of new designers and view there creations.

I love The Fabric Worm and their Blog! Here you can educate yourself on all the options that are out there and don't be afraid to buy a few yards, i have and their fabulous.

This post is getting long so i will leave you with just two other Anne Marie Horner (as always), its like she read my mind- her design suit my personality, and a new one i just came across Ashley Thomas. I am truly digg`n her unique designs. .....Filling your mind with new designs will make your creations shine! (how corny, gotta love it)

Princess Journey to the Book Store

2010-03-12T20:40:00.000-08:00

With all the buzz of Alice in Wonderland i thought it only fitting that i read the story to Birdie. Not the altered version of the fairy tale, we have read that one a thousand times, but the actual original fairy tale in a book without colorful pictures. I did once own this masterpiece but could not seam to find it ,to the book store we went with my girls dressed in there finest attire--not.

;

We had a grand time which only increased Birdies enthusiasm to read the book. Every night we have read a few pages(see falls asleep on me) and surprisingly she has had no problem keeping up with the story or Alice's lengthy conversations with her self. I am not sure she completely understands all of the wording but she surly has not lost interest.

On now to today 's project. Spring clothing for Pemmie.

The pant is a little longer than i intended, thats what you get when you don't measure the child before she takes a nap, I think they still looks nice. I used an old top i had for the shirt pattern and winged the bloomer pant (perhaps next time i should get out a pattern )

Great Ideas that are not Mine!

2010-03-10T07:31:00.000-08:00

Check out Larissa Holland at mmmcrafts! This is truly a revamp to be reckoned with--gotta love her photos too.

See these fabrics, check out what anna maria horner has done with them now!

And check out whats on Anna's blog noodlehead. Simple, fun and oh so cute, go ahead and fetch this easy way to make your crew flennel jammies from Handmade Mommy....(.Anne Marie Horner has great flennels)

These are pieces of the blogs i read everyday. I always tell everyone to check out the blog links to the right of my post but no one ever does. The world is felled with so many talented people who just may have the answers to Your crafting dilemmas.......mom if your looking for pics of the kiddos check back later...

I'll Catch you up If I Can

2010-03-07T13:38:00.000-08:00

I have been so busy i don't know where to begin--I suppose the beginning would be nice.

Happy Birthday Dadoo and Emma!

Dirty Baby--Clean Baby!

Prettty Yellow Flowers and Linen Key Fobs

Check book covers and Glass tile pendents.

I am tired just thinking about everything that has been going on around here. If you have any questions about anything you see leave a comment i would love to know what you think. We also made a bit of progress on my studio i now have brighter lighting and all of the walls have been painted. Next we will start on the shelving and work tables. Did i forget to mention that my husband is awesome and i am the luckiest girl in the world:)

Actually recycled/upcycled!

2010-02-27T18:37:00.000-08:00

I have accumulated a massive stack of items to be recycled or upcycled if it pleases you, jeans, shirts, sweaters,t-shirts,tank tops,etc. etc.etc..... Well needless to say, all of these things are not fitting into my designated recyclable space. So the answer my friends is to ActuUaLLY do some ReUpCycliNg. Here we go--

This bag is constructed using the sleeves of two shirts. I was able to successfully incorporate the cuffs and collars in to the handle, i am very happy with the out come.
I also did a check book cover, key fob , and make-up bag. All thats left are a few small scraps from each shirt that will go into my scrap jar. These pieces will be transformed at a later date.

I cut off the sleeves of both shirts(size large)then cut down the center of the sleeve seam to open it up.

I then laid them on top of each other and evened them up to equal sizes. Then sewed each like sleeve together leaving only a space to flip it to the right side. (Automatic lining is what i call this)
After ironing, I folded the pieces in half to form two triangles. i boxed and french seemed the bottom.
It took a bit of faniggling to get the cuffs on and the handle so i could not begin to explain this process but i will try it again and hopefully have a better grasp of it.

When it was all done i added the little roses (another thing i can't explain how i do) All in all i am quite happy with the results.

I have now sorted the stash of clothing and have another project on the table, hopefully i will get to it tomorrow.

Lou-Lou picked me flowers while i was working, about 6 flowers, i have a photo of her with each one.........I love you too Lou-Lou.

(late but better than never )Pic from Mardi Gras

2010-02-20T18:41:00.000-08:00

I have been a bit under the weather, well more like under the blankets in my bed. It seams there is something wrong with my stomach. Who knows, maybe its all the coffee and chocolate. I will go to the doctor on Wednesday to find out. But for now i would like to share my pictures with you.

The long wait for beads was filled with junk food and games.

The crowd was big and so were the smiles!

The rewards were sweet! Everyone had a great time!

Let the Parades Begin!

2010-02-15T14:26:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pic from our first parade. It is a bit chilly out so we are having to limit our Mardi Gras activities to the middle of the day when it is warmest.

I loved this costume, the pic does not due it justice but take it from me it was nicely made and the colors and sparkle are just perfect.

Lou-Lou was cold and stayed bundled up until the very end when a great band came by and she couldn't resist rocking out.

Throw Me Something , I need Beads!!!!!!!!!!!

More pic to come tomorrow is the day!

Valientine Day

2010-02-15T14:07:00.000-08:00

Here is Lou-Lou in the skirt i made from the wedding dress . The perfect valentine present for my frilly girl. And Birdie was excited to finally get her hands on her love doll. The last pic is my fashionestias, they ask if for a" special surprise" we could go to the mall, so we did and most of our mall trip was spent posing with the manikins, riding escalators,and eating Chinese food. They had a blast and so did i.

snow?

2010-02-12T17:04:00.000-08:00

Yes the saints won the SUper Bowel and it snowed for Mardi Gras, coincidence, perhaps but what next, will i finally win the lottery!

I meant to post this earlier in the week. Here is my garage sale find from last Saturday. These are two petti coats from the 60's. How awesomely, girly. I can just imagine the places these have been and the beautiful dresses that once covered them. The granddaughters of the lady that once wore them were so excited to see my girls faces as they dug them from the bottom of a box that had obviously been in an attic for quite a while.I love them so much that i have yet to relinquish them to the dress up box.

Two of my favorite things, ~~too bad~~ good thing my butt is way to big for them.

Valentine, Oh Valentine what ever shall i make you.

2010-02-09T18:03:00.000-08:00

I have been hard at work on several new projects. I started the week determined to secretly make valentine gifts for my girls. The gifts are now made but every one knows what they are getting. A little birdie found a small drawing on the corner of a paper that i had doodled her doll on, and smarter than me she must be because she immediately asked if she could pick the fabric for her doll. Not being a good lier and being an even worse surprise keeper i said "well sure but maybe its not for you", with a little sideways grin she winked "well i will just pick out the fabric like it is mine,...OK mama?" i laughed and the joke was on me.

"The Doodle"

"The Pattern"

"The Cut Out"

"The Sew Up"

"The Stuffed Up"

"The Hand Work Stager"

"The Zoe Love Doll"

It's Been a While

2010-02-04T19:03:00.000-08:00

Its been about two week since my last post, I'm not real sure where the time has gone but it definitely went there fast. Whats that, "have i been crafty" you say,....... well yeah. I would find time in a hurricane, in fact, if i unhinged my craft table i could use it as a raft so when the waters rise i won't miss a stitch.

Mom came to visit and with her came her new obsession, polymer clay. I must admit this is some handy stuff. It took me a little while to wrap my brain around making "canes" and I still have yet to try checkerboard patterns or swirls. What i did manage to create was a stack of clays that i layers to produce a marble effect. I was pretty happy with this and made several beads and a bracelet(forgot to take pictures). Even my girls got into it. As you can see above i set up a bigger table and every one had a space to roll clay.

I have also been working on a few more flowers brooches and i am thrilled with them.

.

I cut out quite a lot of petals from many different fabrics. i will have plenty to work on when i am short on time. I like to make these when i am to busy to sit at the sewing machine. Unlike the sewing machine I can stop and start these with out much fuss or confusion. In other words when the kiddos call i can literally drop it and go.

We Celebrated the Big 100th Day of School . I was told that i needed to create "... the best shirt ever." Bridie gave me strict instructions and a lot of help. She loved her shirt.

Ahhhh! Sucess

2010-01-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

Guess what? I finished the duffel bag, i was going to embellish it a bit( i had a huge plan) but when i started to add a few yellow roses It all just got lost in translation. So plain and practical is how she will remain.

Now on to the next project! I finally got up the nerve to cut my Anne Marie Horner fabric. I purchased it from Fabric Worm (they have such wonderful fabrics and a kool little shop which you can see if you visit there blog). I love these prints so much that i have been hesitant to cut them. Out of the two pieces you see below i will be making a hinged frame hobo bag. I think this is going to be the perfect application for the "modern gypsy" feel that these pieces have.

This next photo is the result of my husbands craigs list obsession, i now own more craigs list furniture than anyone else i know, but you know, i love it.

This baby sews just fine and is making a great replacement for the small sewing machine Santa brought that only lasted a week. I love the old girl and with any luck she will love us back for many years to come.

Photo post we will chat tomarrow

2010-01-11T20:06:00.000-08:00

A peak at our day! .....need sleep now...... i will elaborate later

Mardi Gras......

Bad Mama won't let me eat the batteries...I'll show her

I will eat the hot chocolate

pretty pink flower

Birdie loves her new shoes, me too.

The duffel bag is not getting any attention.....

Vintage Wedding Dress Rehearsal

2010-01-10T21:45:00.000-08:00

We had a short outing today. As that children learn what they are taught, mine have picked up my thrift store and garage sale addiction(yeah!),they requested that we go to Goodwill(not my favorite but it will do). We rescued a child size lawn chair, purple puppy, roll up toiletry bag, and this simply wonderful vintage(70's) wedding dress.

Just before she asked me if she could try the gown on i had forced up the nerve to begin deconstructing this little piece of history but it turns out that won't be happening any time soon.

Just yesterday i caught myself staring at her wondering where my little dressed up Cinderella has gone, and now if but for just a moment she has returned. Those beautiful flower brooches that have been making themselves in my mind will have to stay in there just a little while longer. I rather enjoy Cinderellas company perhaps i will even get her to have a tea party. A mother can dream.

Winter Flowers are All Sewn Up

2010-01-07T19:47:00.000-08:00

So, back to crafting.
I have been trying out several different was to create flower brooch/clippies. My goal is to fill my etsy shop with these lovely blooms and post a tutorial so those of you who are feeling crafty can give it a go. As I was trying to get the tutorial together i realized that my lighting is so bad that the pictures (can't have a tutorial with out pics) were not exactly clear. So with any luck, perhaps next week, i will make a few more and photograph them during the day when my lighting is better. Here are a few examples of what i have been doing.

These are three different sizes each with different fabrics, i can't seam to pic a favorite, each has something different to offer but I did enjoy working with the chiffon(1st photo). I was excited to dip into my ostrich feather stash, i am going to have to hunt down some more.My girls are begging for the pink one but i think i will put it for sale in my etsy shop. Perhaps they will get lucky and it won't sale

I have also gone back to work on the duffel bag. I will not let this project get the best of me. I will Finish it before i start anything else and i am just itching to attack my Anne Marie Horner fabric.
If your interested just click on her name to view her blog and check out what she has to offer. I revieved her book "Seams to Me" for Christmas-Thanks Mom! Its beautiful and informative.

This last part of my post is dedicated to my husband. It seams that my craftyness is rubbing off on him.

In our home we have a bag/ purse problem (go figure) we all LOVE bags including my husband. The problem is storage. But my man has a solution (as he does for most things).

A few left over pieces of wood, a few coat hooks, a few cup hooks, a little paint, and POOF we have a purse holder / belt / scarf holder.

I know that its hard to tell for the pictures but we placed this on the back wall of Birdies closet. Scarfs and hats hang on the large hooks at the bottom and all those purses she loves so dearly, well ,she gets to keep them.
Next week it Lou-Lous turn.

The Pinkness that is Lou-Lou

2010-01-07T19:13:00.000-08:00

Shopping for pink shoes.With Mom

Twirling In a Pink Frock!

Mimi Model in Outfit of her choice.

Fluffy Pink towels she picked out for her bathroom.

A Clean House = No Crafty Progress

2010-01-05T11:13:00.000-08:00

My crafting efforts have been met with much resistance lately and not much of anything is actually being created. I cut out a duffel bag and was so looking forward to completing it but, alas i have failed to do so, because THERE'S TO MUCH DRAMA AROUND HERE!!!!

First we held a birthday party which according to my husband meant that we needed to- clean out flower beds take down Christmas decorations, clean out the garage, rake the three leaves in the yard, paint birdies scratches on her bedroom wall, and do about twenty other little thing that no one noticed. Needless to say no craft projects were completed but my house looks pretty spiffy. And although i hate to admit it, i am glad it all got done. Then there was the new t.v. which required a new entertainment center, which i am also impressed with. Then there was an invite to a neighbors after dinner gathering that lasted longer then expected but it was a very pleasant evening (i may host the next one), until LOU-LOU decided to give her self a hair cut (she is still cute). Well, then i was just to tired and put the zipper of my new duffel bag in backwards, what up with that?

Here is the duffel bag all cut out and ready to go. This was a week ago, it now resides under the table as that i had to make room for birthday gift wrapping and a few other little necessary projects.

Lou-Lou had a wonderful party, I mean PARTY HEARTY as she put it. She and i are both loving the trampoline she recieved but it would help if it wasn't so cold outside.

Here is the hair cut!!! See still cute.

And Here is the AWESOME entertainment center courtesy my talented husband, yeah Dadoo!!!

New Years Meal

2010-01-05T09:55:00.000-08:00

This new years day was somewhat different for our family, daddy was home and no one other family was around. We normally have the opposite where as he is the only one missing. In an effort to celebrate a traditional New Years Day I cooked a feast for my gang.

This is only impressive because i do not eat black eye peas and cabbage. Having go through all the trouble of making this meal perfect i decided to try a little and found that i must be getting old because it was quite tasty.

Good Bye ,Sweet 2009

2009-12-31T19:44:00.001-08:00

I often loose time within the hustle and bustle of my everyday life and I was truly stumped a moment ago. I began to read the blogs i love to follow and for a moment thought "whats with all this end of the year stuff?" then i caught up with myself-hello!there are fireworks popping all over the neighborhood.--My life moves entirely to fast.

This year has been a big one. We bought a house-painted walls, laid tile, changed almost every light fixture,cleared trees and shrubs, made flower beds, built a fence, started work on my studio, changed electrical sockets( about 5 minutes ago)and we still have a ways to go. We had our third baby girl-completely redid a room for her, breast fed, made baby food, made diapers,(hay i'm pretty crafty) and i also managed,--with the help of her sister-- not to forget her anywhere. We made visits to my mom several times and even made a few trips to New Orleans(ye-ah!) I worked hard at keeping ( myself) our home together and my truly incredable husband worked really hard to fill the bank account and our lives with riches.

As I have now pondered this past year, I do truly believe that it really was a good year. Our life together as a family went through many good changes, this may very well have been a landmark year.

ME!!!

....Soon it will be Christmas day...

2009-12-23T19:55:00.000-08:00

Christmas is upon us and it starting out well, I am happy with all the gifts i created and so are the recipients. Although I officially finished yesterday, I have found myself back at the cutting table for one last gift. An i-pod case for my nephew(just a little something extra).

We have also been busy baking, so far we have two loves of bread and a pear pie. lou-lou (as always) has been eager to help.

We started our Christmas early unfortunately my husband will be going to work tonight. I am trying really hard not to dwell on this. We opened many wonderful gifts and had a wonderful day filled with smiles.

Tomorrow will bring even more joy, my girls will spend a day in the country playing with their cousins and opening gifts with Nana. Merry Christmas to all and to all A GOOD NIGHT.

New Again now Wear that shoe Again

2009-12-15T19:08:00.000-08:00

Little Lou-Lou gets very attached to her shoes , they always seam to wear out before she is ready to ~~retire~~ lay them to rest so we have gotten creative(can you believe).

This is the result of water puddle jumping, jungle gym climbing, and some crazy fast bike riding. I assure you these month old shoes have earned each and every scuff. But as loved as they are I refuse to let Lou-Lou wear these outside the house which brought her to tears but since we have been down this road before(the black patine leather--ugh!--) I knew just what to do.

Their is nothing that can't be made pretty with a little paint! While I was "being creating" my husband commented that we would never get out of the mall because everyone was going to stop us and ask where we got those shoes. I passed his comment off as part of his relentless support but as we walked through the mall i was stopped several times.

Here s How You Can Do It!

Upcycle or Recycle those worn out Shoes In to A wearable work of art.

No artiest skill required, Only the ability to think like a child.

I use everyday craft paint or artiest acrylics or just any paint i have near by. It should be noted that painting the shoes will not make them armor plated and they will get scuffed again which is why you should just have fun with this, the only person you need impress is your child. If your shoe is dark in color (black, brown,navy) choose paint colors that are bright. If light in color choose colors that are complimentary to the shoe style or an outfit they are to be worn with.

A small paint brush or brushes is/are required as that the shoes are small.andd uhh yes a good paint brush will make things a little easier but use what you have.

A little cup of water and a few paper towels are uses to wipe paint from brushes when switching paint colors and the water can be used to thin thick acrylic paint

Now do Your thing MaMa. If you have trouble with the way your design looks try going back and outlining your with a dark color, you can use a Sharpie if you like just make sure your paint is dry. If you are doing polka-dots apply them is threes so that you do not accidentally make dotted lines. Do the entire shoe then go back and tweak it. As with any art just go with it, use your mistakes to create something new or let them dry and go back over them or if you can wipe them off, just don't be so hard on yourself that you keep wipeing them off , you may never finish if you don't leave something on the shoe.

The final step is the most important. If you have used any paint that is matte or dull in color don't worry Just use a Clear glossy glaze. Or if for you like that look use a matte glaze. You must seal your design, this can be done with and clear glaze. I use a clear acrylic made to seal feaux finishes on walls or a spray on gloss. Any clear glossy paint will do just make sure that the shoes are dry before doing this or your design will smear.

Your Child will love these. I let mine help but i know not every one can do this. Her little sloppy dolka-dots make her smile when she looks down at her feet. I am OK as long as the scuffs are covered.

Try this its fun and makes for a great conversation starter for both you and your child.

I WILL bare gifts

2009-12-15T17:46:00.000-08:00

I have been neglecting my blog but will soon be done with all the holiday preparations and free to enjoy the rest of the season.

A scarf for our family gift game.
A gift basket of my soaps and a hand knitted bath cloth for teacher.
A couple of black sling purses to fill a request.
Eyeglass cases for the grandmothers.
A tag monster for our baby cousin
And i am still not done.

mmmammma

2009-12-10T20:24:00.000-08:00

I have been so busy doing lots of little things that nothing is truly getting done. I thought Christmas was suppose to be fun, well i guess it was until i started having that hurry up and get it done feeling. The Great news is that I have a new sewing machine. It sews so good that it has taken me a week to get use to it. But after tonight it should be smooth sailing on those presents. A big THANK YOU to my understanding husband(he figures its cheep therapy).

My husband has gone to work againe, little lou-lou was sad all day she is so lost with out her dad.

I finally got a MM-MA-MA out of Pemmie, i was so excited and my reaction lead to MMaMmmmmmaaamamamam! Now What ada-da-dada?

My sweet Bridie is still pretty impressed with herself for being so good at the dentist, I think that she did better than i do. Hopefully pulling that extra tooth will straighten thing out.

This was about all the snow we got, just enough to dust the roof tops. My girls stayed up all night, to say the least they were disappointed.

Sunny with a chance of snow

2009-12-03T20:59:00.000-08:00

My house is clean there is not a stitch of clothing that is not washed, my floors are sparkling, the dishes are done, toys are put away, my husband is home!!! Yeah!! I have only one problem, my sewing machine is not working so good and my embroidery/sewing machines touch screen is out of whack.
I am down to hand sewing and light duty on the machine so its dolls and pattern cutting for the weekend.
I have made some progress on a doll that started sometime ago i will post a pic tomorrow. I think i finally painted a set of eyes that look like what i intended. I am quite proud of myself.

I am determined to get Christmas present making completed, i promised lou-lou she could wrap the presents( this is going to be fun) she ask me everyday if its time.

The local weather man says that it may snow(lol). This means that the ground will be a giant muddy slushy and though it will be cold and wet , birdie will try to make a snow angel and end up a happy smiling, cold wet, dirty mess. If i close my eyes I can almost conjure up that feeling .......you know..... that feeling of amazement with the world, the feeling of eminence excitement you get when you experience something you thought you never would. Birdie wakes up with that feeling every morning, i can see it in her eyes. This is how she will bear the cold wet mud just to say she made a snow angel. And i will let her because i know that feeling too. After all its how you know your truly alive.

time to get to work.

Many Things

2009-11-28T20:06:00.000-08:00

So much has been going on that i don't know where to begin.
The trip to Texas went well, we did not get to visit with nana pat pat very much but we will try to see her againe.
Here are some pic I took at the gardens where my mom volunteers, the cold weather has spared many of the flowering plants, how wonderful for me.

I have been busy with the kiddos but i managed to finish a great bag. The fabric is nice and sturdy it sews well and has a fun print. I think i will get a few more pieces. I found it at a little known outlet here in town she has lots of fabulous prints in this great fabric.

I finally ordered the fabric i have been pining for- Good Folks Anne Marie Horner for Free Spirit-- it so me , i have a plan for a wonderfully fun bag. I can't wait to get started on it.

My super husband put up our Christmas lights and the plan is that tomorrow i will put up the tree. This means that i have to clean the living room and rearrange the furniture which will require my three girlys to cooperate, any body wont to take bets on how long this will take?.... I will post pic when it is all done.

A Thought to Share

2009-11-18T21:37:00.000-08:00

I just posted the post below and then decided to click on the "Next Blog" button on the top bar. I like doing this because I most always come across some interesting people but its the tragic story that always compels me to read. I often feel as though i am reading a strangers privet thoughts and that i should stop but i don't. The reason being that i either find a place where i don't feel alone in my madness or that i feel grateful for every thing in my life. Tonight I am grateful for my childrens health, my husbands love,and happily being called "..silly moma".
I read of a broken fathers thoughts on his dieing son, a sad mother who moved across country, and a sweet lady unable to sleep. I learned that life can be horribly sad, but it will get better,and that i will never get any rest.

Red Bag Brag

2009-11-18T20:47:00.000-08:00

I have so many thing on my mind that I have wasted away the day with confusion. The house is semi-clean and my sewing table is full. this week is going to be hectic-- I start my weeks on Thursday so i can keep up with my husbands schedule--we are going to visit family and the trip wears me out. Packing is a true task, i always pack to much or to little. Pillows, blankies, bottles, diapers, wipes, coats and sweaters, shorts and pant, snacks and drinks, and then there's my stuff which is usually the things left behind because 4 girls can not cram into one suitcase and 4 suitcases make me feel guilty as i watch my wonderful husband tote them upstairs. It will all be fine once we get there, i am sure i will get lots of wonderful pictures to post.

Check out my shopping/ tote bag it is my masterpiece for this week. I made it for my etsy shop but i am not so sure i will be able to let go of it. It is made from recycled and scrap fabric. I found this great house dress with lots of embroidery on it, half went in to this purse and the other half will be a blouse for Birdie( She loves bright colored embroidery). The bag snaps on the sides so that if you shop to much you can fit it all in. How is this for a reusable shopping bag, The zip pouch keeps keys, cards, or make-up within reach.

I love pic of my sewing table the colors and patterns excite me.

Stylish tote

2009-11-14T20:35:00.000-08:00

I have been working vigorously on my new bags, I may have finally perfected my pattern. This is a great shopping tote, it has a zippy up pouch attached to the inside. Sized perfectly for a wallet, keys, lip balm, and phone this tote is shopping with style. I read an article the other day suggesting that using a pretty reusable tote would keep us from forgetting those plane reusable bag in the car, lets see if it works.

I am making some progress on my dolly she is truning out to be a lot of fun. She is a" golden girl"- or older lady-I found some fabulous gray yarn and thought i would give it a try. I will post on her again tomorrow.
I must go now, i have to finish cleaning. I cooked three meals today and it seams that i have managed to dirty every pot in the house three times. MMMmmm but it was worth it, I think?

New Orleans Ladies

2009-11-09T18:29:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful weekend in the "Big Easy" thats New Orleans for you northern folks.
I have always held deep affection for this city. It is true that she hold lots of dirty secretes and she often reeks of filthy smells i don't care to mention but she has the power to evoke a feeling of freedom and relaxation like no other. She is overflowing with southern charm: it tickles me to sit and watch the rich older Ladies on there way to church. In big brim flower covered hat , dripping with pearls they parade down the dusty streets, shoulders straight with heads held high, they are the pride of New Orleans.

The city is so much more than Bourbon street. Art and leisure rein supreme.
Overcoming the destruction of hurricane Katrina has been a slow process. A tremendous amount of work has been done but much much more is needed. The city will recover but i am not sure it will ever be quite the same.

We walked the streets, took a carriage ride, went to mass at the cathedral ( the castle were they have church: lou-lou), saw fish at the aquarium, and art every where. My Girls loved watching all the street performers and seeing all the old buildings. Decator street has a great selection of shopes we found a wonderful yarn shop and a fun VOODOO DOLL shop the Jamie Hayes Gallery.

On the cutting table

2009-11-06T10:14:00.000-08:00

These are the things I we have been working on. A dye bath of tea for a dolly, blue stars for my embroidery bag -perhaps they'll be ornaments- a make-up bag turned purse, and a shopping bag whose pictures are to come. I am thinking of making tutorial on the make up bag, this would be my first tutorial, how fun.
Birdie took all the pictures you see I think I have a budding photographer.

Silance Surrounds Me?

2009-11-06T09:54:00.000-08:00

It has been a quiet morning, odd yet so enjoyable. With my husbands homecomming a blanket of contentment has envelopes my house hold. There are no frowns or boredom to contend with, the warmth of a fathers love brings security to our little piece of the world. The house is clean and I am now free to create.

They say the eyes are the window to the soul, as i look into my children s eyes i see many thing. Birdies eyes are insidious with in them lies a smoldering spirit patiently waiting to ignite. Lou-Lou's eyes are prudential, with in them glairs back at me the semblance of De Vinci's gears, something wondrous this way will come. Pemie's eyes are amiable, as they drink in all that surround her. My eyes have feasted upon all my souls desires. I have fed my soul until fat, it troubles me no more.

2009-11-02T19:54:00.000-08:00

O.K. so the house is filthy and I have so much to do that i can't do anything. I am tired, so very tired but so is every mom I know so why am I complaining. Snap out of it girl.

Self petty was taking over for a minute but i think i have it under control now.

Hay! do you smell that... Nooo... well I dooo . Check out what just came out of my oven.

Pear pies and they are very yummy. Everyone thought i was wasting my time canning all those- as lou-lou puts it- " juicy pears"(except lou-lou) this summer but look what i have now. I made them individual so that i would be sure to not eat to much but i don't think that idea worked. If fact it backed fired, you can't just take a bite of the second one, its a waist, right. Back me up on this one mom.

Speaking of Mom, her crafty bone been a itche'n and boy did she scratch it.
The photo below is one of the three scarfs she made for the Etsy shop. It is nice having someone to bounce ideas around with. But when we're together we don't seam to get very much done.

My Moms Greatness

2009-11-01T20:53:00.001-08:00

My mom came to visit bearing gifts and not just for my girls. She created the wonderful scarfs, I wonted to keep them. But, I can't keep everything can I?

A bamboo spun rose colored crochet scarf. the feels oh so soft.

Halloween

2009-11-01T20:24:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Halloween! Our neighborhood buzzed with fun, everyone came out in costume and we even had a haunted garage which really drew a crowd. The girls both started out strong, when it was over lou-lou was the only one standing. We made it home to give out treats to a few stragglers and surprisingly this turned out to be just as much fun. I was glad that my mom and dad were here to join in on our fun, they often miss all the silly things that thrill my family. I can't wait until next year. It's so great to live in a neighborhood where the neighbors are neighborly.
Here are some pic. of our haunted"village".

<<<-- This guy insisted i take his picture and wouldn't leave until I pledged my vote (on left)

that a make-up job, this photo does his costume no justice (on right)--------->>>

My Neighbor and her son, great costumes..

Yes I know,I cut off his head but you can still see how great this costume was. This was my favorite of the night.

The beginning and The End

Whats on the Crafting Table

2009-10-29T08:30:00.000-07:00

I Have been busy starting new project which is great except i havn't finished my old one. Here are a few pics. from my crafting table. Lip balm for Etsy, boots form Pemie and Etsy, wooden pendents for everyone.

Lonesome

2009-10-22T22:18:00.000-07:00

The day has been long, i have many things on my mind, i am lonesome for my husband and cant seam to get my etsy shop projects complete. On top of it all I CLEANED THE HOUSE FOR NO REASON YESTERDAY not only did i wash sheets, dust the computer, and shake out all the rugs but i moped all the floors and no one came home to look at them. Needless to say they are dirty again.
Hopefully the weekend will be fruitful and my brood cooperative. Sorry I have no photos to post today but with luck and determination tomorrow i will have something to share.
I have posted a link to my etsy shop. I am getting a new banner and changing the name to my user name, i can not change my user name and do not wont a new shop. So the name is Sun Shiney Rain which i am OK with because its me, misspelled and all. Does anyone have a suggestion for a tag line. If so leave a comment.

A Lou-Lou conversation to share: Shouting lou-lou said "you hurt my feeling moma i'm gonna sleep in da liv'n rum" all because i would not let her write out a check.
one minute later while crawling into my lap "OK moma i forgive you cuz you looovve me, but birdie, i will never forgive her cuz, cuz she wont sleep n da liv'n room wit me, never never never" she stormed out of the kitchen clacking her shoes firmly against the wood floors. She then quickly turned and reentered the door way where she every so softly sweetly said" Alright Birdie i forgive you, can i sleep with you."
manipulation or determination?

Boo at the Zoo!

2009-10-18T20:39:00.000-07:00

I struggled with my children s decision to force me into buying costumes. I AM CRAFTY, I make costumes, its part of the fun of Halloween. My girlies , not interested in moma s silly sewing.

YES, rainbow unicorns, but I have grown to love them. Not the unicorns but the costumes, they created joy that oozed from my children. I smiled and laughed the entire day at my two proudly frolicking rainbow unicorns.:)They are worth every penny daddy(:
They ate unicorn food and posed for plenty of pictures.

BOO at the Zoo was great. The sun came out to warm us ever so slightly and the clouds held on to the their moisture. It seamed as though every animal in the Zoo came out to great my rainbow unicorns. Even little Pemmie enjoyed the festivities.

No crafting today just Chutes and Ladders, Polly Pocket,and writing Christmas List.

Just a Villager

2009-10-18T19:45:00.000-07:00

Our weekend was great! The weather was chilly, slightly chillier than i prefer. It seams that we may have skipped fall and gone straight to winter. I took some photos today, contrary to the weather the foliage is flourishing, perhaps because mother nature knows it will be hot next week, my fingers are crossed.
.
My neighborhood hosted a garage sale this weekend. How strange what can bring a neighborhood together. Children played, while neighbors gathered as friends sharing bits of themselves and exchanging items for sincere conversation instead of monies. I felt a reassurance in my decision to purchase our home. Our mortgage payment is not so bad when considering all the amenities: neatly kept homes, good schools, great neighbors, and the security of knowing i am never alone. I have the "village" right in my neighborhood--babysitters,swimming lessons, teachers, politicians, gardeners, carpenters, the old, the wise, and the know it all. I consider this a well rounded social circle.

Lights, Fabric, Action.

2009-10-15T19:27:00.000-07:00

My New crafting space is WONDERFUL. My favorite part is the great new lighting my handy husband installed or perhaps the fold out table that is just the perfect height. I am working out all the decorative details and hopefully will get to finish the painting soon.



I completed one of three hand stitched pieces that will become baby changing pads, these are pretty and functional. I love them for at home and travel.

We should finally get a taste of fall sometime this week, lets hope the weather man is right this time. I will miss the summer but not the humidity.

Just another Day

2009-10-10T19:30:00.000-07:00

We had a very busy day. Caine built me a new table for my craft studio while my girls and I painted one wall, because one was all i had the patients. We were all covered in paint but it was worth it. Tomorrow the plan is to build a new sewing table, I am so excited. I think i will make new curtains. I will post pictures when it is all done. And just in case your wondering yes in the mist of all of this remodeling I am working on a small embroidery project . I will post pic later.

Quotes of the Day

2009-10-08T18:34:00.000-07:00

Not much of note today just a few cute words from my children.

"....but mom all i wont do is swing in the sunshine fa ever." Lou Lou s plea to get me not to wash dishes but to swing her.

".... wow mom may-beee she can finlee talk ta me" Lou Lou s excitement about Pemmies ( my 7 month old) new teeth.

And this is what Birdie thought about the two first graders who got caught kissing on the play ground."....yeah mom that is for privet, like at home with mom and dad, right mom."

The Cleaning Lady

2009-10-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

Here is whats on my sewing table, well this and a stack of cloth that need mending or hemming. I have been working on this for a few days but i think that my pattern will require a lot of tweaking I had to alter the strap quite a bit from my original plan an i am pretty sure i will not be happy with what i pieced together tonight.
Oh well, i will have a week to think about it because tomorrow morning when i awaken i will have been magicly transformed into the cleaning lady on wednesday i clean (YUCK) in perpetration for the arrival of super husband (YEAH ME!). I will mop, scrub, wash, fold, and dust until i just can't take it anymore-- this usually takes about five minutes--then i will do it again because my children will happily wreck it just as i finish and then again just before my husband gets home. Luckily i am blessed and he will speedily re-clean the house for me so that i can , ummm ahhh oh yeah, relax. I know this makes little sense but i will have no cloths to wash , no dishes to do, no floors to mop; sound great right, well i struggle with it, because if hes cleaning i feel guilty about making a mess, the result--no crafty projects for moma--i won't make a mess. But than again, perhaps, just maybe my children will need me to start on their Halloween costumes. I love Halloween HEE Hee HEE.

A Hot Dog of an Idea

2009-10-02T21:08:00.000-07:00

Seams as though its safe to say that my children(my sweet babies) and i do not have the same idea on things.
For instance when the phone rings i answer it (it's my sister in law,lets talk) they start yelling and suddenly need my help then somewhere in the middle of all the yelling decide to paint their feet with blue paint and walk across my clean dark wood floors. As if this was not enough, the brand new sofa that i waited 5 years for also fell victim to their graffiti. I guess waiting five minutes for some paper was just to hard.
I told my three year old(who we will call lou-lou) to help me and my six year old(birdie) clean up. With great vigor she said" NO, it to hard" I urged her to help but my demands were swept aside. "it to hard cuz i can't eat my hot dog" she announced. Do you laugh or cry? I just kept cleaning and sent her to the kitchen.
Did I really think she was going to the kitchen? No. And of course she didn't. After i moped the floor for the fourth time i heard a little voice sweetly calling,"mommy....Hay mom come see" Fearing the worst i ran down the hall, opened the door, and found lou-lou's lovely smile " Do you like it mommy? Is it great?" Who knew(accept lou-lou) that although cleaning floors while eating a hot dogs is impossible, cleaning your room while eating a hot dog, well thats just Great.
So much for the five projects sitting on my crafting table. Maybe tomorrow?
Stay tuned for further adventures.