Love it.

I'm book marking this awesome tutorial I found while blog surfing.

These cushions would be so fun for presents and gifts, playing...oh lots of things.

To see these floor cushions click here (or on the picture) for the tutorial.

Aunt Cammy

This year, for my Mom's sisters I'm making them a pleated tote.

I love that I get to do this. because I REALLY love and admire my Aunts. And I got to go fabric shopping with my mom. And spending time with her (and in a fabric store) is always priceless.

Her bag is the basic... I did do the inside pockets a little different.

Here is Cammy's bag.

Love it.

one pocket and pen holder

Two pockets and Key Hook

Big Leather button

Aunt Cammy

30 minute dandelion skirt tutorial

Syd pretty much wears skirts 24/7. So last year when a friend asked me if I wanted to make some cute skirts for our girls I was all in. This was the tutorial I followed. I made a couple of these and decided there were things I personally didn't like about the skirt, and I would like to change.

{I'm so grateful for the tutorial, because I did gain lots of sewing knowledge}

I like a bigger hem, a longer skirt, simplicity etc.

I also like decoration- fun pockets and crazy flowers....however- the tie has just become a nusance to the girls- no matter how I try. so I don't put ribbon in anymore.

The skirt it SO easy- you honestly don't even have to have the measurments right for the fabric...just know the steps and you can put any fabric together and make a darling skirt!

Here are some round-about measurments.

*If you know this when you go to the store, ladies will cut your fabric for you...save you a whole step.*

we are all different on how we like our skirts.... I like mine longer, chunky hem. But some of my friends prefer their girls skirts hit above the knee. up to you. just MEASURE your girl and decide where it should fall.

if your going off me- here is what I do.

5t- 14 inches overall.

you will need 12" of one fabric for top.

9" (1/4 yard) of cordinating fabric for hem

21 " waist

4t- 13 inches over all.

11"/9"

20" waist

3t- 12 inches overall

10"/7"

19.5" waist

2t-11 inches overall

9"/7"

19" waist

Other things you will need:

1/2 inch elastic, cut 1 inch larger than waist size.

Iron

2 safety pins

thread.

optional:

fabric for pockets

ribbon for tie, button, flower, ric-rac for decoration.

if the widths of your fabric are different, for instance your main fabric is wider (46") than the hem (44") cut to same size. Otherwise you can leave them as they cut them for you in the store.

(unless you are a "always wash,dry, iron" gal, then finish that step and your caught up.

Lets GO!

All Seam Allowance 1/2 inch.

Righ sides together- iron & sew the bottom main fabric to top of hem.

Iron the seams DOWN toward the hem band.

on the hem, turn edge in 1/4 inch towards wrong side and press.

Turn again 1/4" and press.

fold up towwards wrong side of skirt and pin the folded hem RIGHT under the seam stitches.

as close as you can get without going over. Sew this 1/8".

Hem DONE! yay. easy right?

now the waist band.

Top of your main fabric...

Same as above- fold in 1/2 inch toward wrong side. press

and the fold over 1"....a whole inch, because this is where we will thread through the elastic.

sew 1/8" from the bottom

Now we need to close the skirt.

Pin the last to raw edges. "side" right sides together.

you will want to stop 1- 2 inches from the top. place a pin to help you remember

sew the right sides together, backstitching where you placed your pin.

*pink or zig zag this edge is a good idea*

Pin one end of your elastic to your skirt.

place a pin in the other end of your elastic. (pin ribbon here too, if you want a tie)

Thread through.

Sew the elastic. I do it in two places...nice and tight

I added pockets and ric rac... I think it needs a little somethin-somethin. but yours may not :)

Adventures in my new home- Kids room.LaMe.

kids rooms are hard.

Why?

What is cute, is not always practical- for KIDs especially.

There may not be enough space, right sleeping arrangments, toys are just annoying, books always look messy. And for those reasons I don't think I will ever have a "pottery barn kids" room.

kill for one though.

I LOVE our new house. with that being said however we are kind of squished in here and I'm still trying to figure out how and where to put things. I still have a pile of pictures sitting in the corner of my living room. (you'll see how the kids walls are picture-less).

Because of that we decided to do a trial run of putting Jack and Syd together! {*calm down*} In the same room {I'm never going to sleep again}

Jack LOVEs his crib and LOVES to sleep.

Syd has ALWAYS been the VeRY opposite. no nap. no sleep. who needs sleep.

So why change my perfectly happy lifestlyle? For space?

Yup.

When we visited my parents they slept in the same bed together and loved it.

so, why not try at least try it... and use the other room as Den/study/computer/sewing&craft/toys. It's so crammed in there.

So their room started out like this.

its ok cute. nothing spectacular. little too girly for Jack. My plan was (kind still is) to put up his antique cars on a ledge and make them their own pillow shams (wanna be PBk style) and quilts so half the room/bed is boy and girl. i haven't got that far. I'm slow. I tell ya, moving this 3 times in 2 1/2 years has really taken it out of me. My house is suffering. and I don't care. ok I care a little.

*I did find the awesome duvet, shams and decorative pillow, bed skirt for $5 at a garage sale!* cant beat that.

This is the other side of the room.

I know books spilling out, blankets falling from the closet. I care so much about you that I didn't even clean up. (but honestly I wonder if there is a you out there reading this)

Here is the problem with this arrangement.

by the window my butt doesn't even slide back there. and the kids hit their heads on the window ledge.

and its a slim fit between the foot of the bed and Jacks Dresser.

So since the tikes are so little we figured they can sleep as they were on a sideways bed.

It's not as pretty- right? Tell me what you think.

It does give a lot more playing space.

*gotta find their rug...* still missing to many things.

I moved the bookshelf over under their painting.

Story about that bear? He is an MP3 bear. hook up the IPod and he sings kids to sleep. I love it. It was so cheap at a PB Outlet. Lets all write PB and get them to put an outlet here? PLEASE. You will love it, I will love it.

Things are actually reasonably priced at the outlet, some even CHEAP! (like this bear)

ummm don't know what to do with this, neon pink thing. but we need more bookshelves...I'll put it here.

yup not even 5 min after nicely putting them in, he's destroying.

I really like having hooks.

why? Because I can teach my kids to pick up their stuff easier.

They can hang up their towels and jackets here. Teaches them early...and takes 2 more things off my list.

ok. The end. Not that fabulous but it is working :) we might just keep it this way. haha.

To Heather:

Guess what people, my machine is broke. I need to fix it, I don't know where. If you have a good place PLEASE let me know. The sad thing is I have about 4 tutorials I need to make and post. I'M SOOO excited for them!!!!!!!!!!!

on with what this post is originally about...

I got this sweet email from a Lady named Heather:

Hi there! Just recently found your blog and LOVE it! Made the super huge bag too ----looks like I got the fabric from Joann's online just in time. Did you notice that like 2 weeks after you posted your tutorial and told everyone where to get the fabric, they are COMPLETELY sold out??!

My main question though---I love the fabric that you used to make your church bag. I have tons of red in my kitchen and would love to incorporate the white with the red flowers into some curtains, towels etc. I have looked everywhere online but can not find that fabric anywhere. I also love the gray with the flowers that is the accent to the red and white. Do you mind sharing either the designer or where you found it? I would so appreciate it (and so would my red kitchen!)

Thanks and keep up the great tutorials. Love reading you.

Heather :)

So here is the answer to Heathers question, just in case anyone else wants to find this fabric....

Its made by Windham fabrics, called Botanical Pop! They have several other fabrics all in coordinating colors....

Happy sewing

Adventures in my new house- rugs...

a secret confession...I really love rugs. But I can't afford to buy them. I have even started to fully appreciate the wool, oriental, thousands of dollar rugs that I used to despise.

I LOVE love LOVE Costco's bathmats. They are the only ones that have washed up well for me. They don't "mat" or loose all their fibers and strings in my washer. They {air} dry all nice and fluffy. They totally hold up for YEARS. I'm not talking months, or one year, I'm talking YEARS. I've had a deep purple mat (ok, it has faded some, but I wash with a little big of bleach since....oh ...4 years? and you would never know. its luxuriously soft and plush and feels REALLY good on my toes when I'm stepping out of the shower.

They are reasonably priced too. like $13 for a large mat. (that hold up remember)

Never buy Walmart mats, I've learned.

Targets are hit and miss.

Ross/TJMaxx you really need to know your fibers and construction to tell if they will hold up or wash out on you.

JcPenny's color washed out and corners turned up. trip on the dang thing every time I walk by it.

And Bed Bath and Beyond are too much {$$} for me to justify. so no, I haven't really tried them.

So- for bathmats, Costco's won my heart. I can't remember the brand name- think it starts with a D? Ill look later. We finally live by one...

oh I ALSO love their big kitchen rugs...beautiful. Hold up AWESOME.

Which is why I'm going to Costco today....to price out a large rugs.

We moved to a city. (goodbye my lovely small town life)

A new house with lots a new floors for new rugs.

ok not really. Sadly the doors are too close to the floors so I can't have my rugs by them.

BUT our new house has nice clean ivory colored carpet! I'm glad it's clean, plush and soft...but NOT that its nearly white. No speckles or anything. Everything will show.

Our kids hate the new rule of no food or drinks...not even the no-spill sipee cups allowed. because, they still spill. and then after a week you can see the drips and drops where dirt has stuck to the sticky juice.

Ive been eyeing {large area} rugs, for a very low price lately. {haha I know how it sounds, impossible right?}

I have no doubt that Pottery Barn and all those wonderful store have gorgeous rugs, but I'm on a beggars budget. So I'm not even going to look.

$100 the max, hopefully WAY less than that.

Where do you get your rugs? do you have a place you love, or brand?

I was at Target yesterday and they had some beautiful ones...Syd and I were loving looking at the wesbite today...thought I'd show you some of our loves.

my NUMBER #1 choice for my living room...

Home Exploded..neutral.

I LOVE it because it is colorful but not tooooo crazy. I can choose to decorate in any color, and change it up and the drop of a hat- without having to go out and buy another rug.

I can get sick of floral, but I like this flower, it kind of has an arts and craft feel. lovely huh.

I don't love the price.

so unless you want to make a charitable donation to my living room

....I'll just gawk at it

.

Syd's favorite: totally looks likes like her, match her room too.

White Floral

Other ones I love...

I didn't write this one down?

Nikita Rug

Shabby Chic Damask

Stick Leaf Carolina...love it's simplicity. It kind of reminds me of Katy's Master bedroom...wonder what color her carpet is..if it would really go?

Typography wouldn't this be cool in boys room...or office.

Flower Check rug...thought it was interesting.

Poppy (love poppy's) and in lots of colors