Pattern Giveaway

I'm giving away a PDF pattern (you choose!) to two winners!! Check out the giveaway here.

Practice Dress

I have been extremely nervous about making myself a dress. There is a lot of potential for this to go very, very wrong.

The past few weeks I've been collecting possible pattern candidates. I picked up a bunch of vintage dress patterns at D.I (thrift shop) and a couple more (non-vintage) at Joanns, but really didn't want to make something too complicated. Then last week, my mom brought me some patterns from her stash. One of those (Simplicity 7770) was very similar to the 1968 dress that I posted about a couple of days ago. It's very simple. No zipper, no darts. Just elastic. I figured that I couldn't botch it too badly.

Not wanting to waste the expensive fabric I purchased for the real dress, I practiced on some fabric already in my stash. And with a few little changes to the pattern, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. On the final dress, I think I will take in the top a little more and make the skirt more A-line. Patterns apparently don't take into consideration that someone may have a ba-donka-donk butt and need just a little more room in the back.
My only worry now is that it might be too frumpy for a wedding or look too handmade. It's not a fancy wedding, but I don't want to look like I just rolled out of bed either.

First mylar balloon dilemmas and now this. The things I have to deal with.

Passed down

Tales of the birthday sign tradition we've got going on in our family.

As a kid, my mom stuck us in front of a sign and took our picture each year.
Side note: That hat is hot. We call this era, "the Blossom years" and they would be better off forgotten. But instead, I just keep reminding you how awesome I used to dress by posting this picture on my blog. I'm sure I'll find a reason to use it again.

Another side note: Do you remember when it was so cool to get mylar balloons from your friends for your birthday? As you can see from the numbers on the sign, I was in the depths of junior high and how many balloons I got that year really, really mattered. Way more than global warming or tax hikes. Oh, to be young again. Isn't it sad that most schools have banned this practice? Nothing like a balloon popularity contest.

But I digress.

In the spirit of tradition, my mom made us a banner for Jakson's first birthday and then sent me Storey's name for hanging the week before her big day. I attempted to capture Storey with her gifts two different times, but this is the best I was able to get.Maybe she's lying on the floor because she's so devastated that she received no mylar balloons?

My parents were here last week as well and my dad was celebrating the anniversary of his 25th birthday (again), so of course we had to whip out the banner and get a picture of his milestone.
I was going to go with "Clyde", but in the end decided that "Grandpa" would be more appropriate. And of course, he is holding one of the family's famous cherry pies--tradition! tradition!

Favorite Things Friday

I don't know if I'm going to do this every Friday, but it keeps me thinking about things I love instead of how many dirty diapers I've changed lately or how much weight I've gained--so maybe when I need a pick me up.

In that case, it could definitely be a weekly thing.

Yes, I change THAT many diapers.

Disclaimer: Before they get offended, I am not listing my husband or children (or my mother) because they are not NEW favorite things. Don't worry Zak, you are up there on the list of "all time favorites"-I'd say at least top 5.

So here goes. This week's top three (new) favorite things.

1. Chalkboard spray paint.
That miracle can turned this ugly Goodwill find that I hid away in a closet......
into this!!
Not quite Pottery Barnesque (those plastic chairs would NEVER grace the pages of a PB catalogue), but close and 1/20th the price.

Just in case you're curious, I didn't sand anything. Just sprayed the legs and edges white first, let it dry. Then taped everything off and sprayed the top with the chalkboard paint.

2. Vintage Dress Patterns
My sister-in-law Megan is getting married in a couple of weeks and I have yet to find a dress in the wedding colors that costs less than $80. This jobless-for-three-months family can't afford such luxuries right now, so I've decided to attempt to whip something up for myself using a TBD vintage dress pattern.

This could be interesting.

So, if you see me at Megan's wedding wearing what looks like a potato sack, chances are, that's what it is. And you will know that my dress making experiment went terribly wrong. Dang Project Runway always makes me more ambitious than I really ought to be

During my search, I came across Stephanie's blog Barefoot in the Kitchen, where I found that she will actually MAKE you a dress from a 1968 pattern for only $75!! Custom Dress + Vintage Pattern? Where could that possibly go wrong?!? See details here.3. Happy babies riding horsesDefinitely a NEW favorite because frankly I'm not a fan of horses....or dogs....or cats. You could say I'm not a real animal lover. I don't kick them as I walk by, but my eyes don't well with tears every time Oprah talks about her pets.

You're right. I also don't watch Oprah-I just know she has some sort of obsession with her dogs.

Anything that makes my baby this happy though....

Bow Holder on the Cheap

Storey got quite a few clips for her birthday.

Many of which we promptly lost.

As a result, I decided that I needed a permanent place for girly hair things (still getting used to the whole "girl" thing).
I loved this idea from Nannygoat, but was disappointed to come back with nothing like it after scouring the local thrift shops.
And I needed somewhere to put the clips right away.
So, as a semi-permanent fix, I used things I already had in the house to create a cheap bow holder.

Materials:
Two 8" x 10" wooden thrift shop frames (one had been painted previously). I always look for frames with a lot of dimension.
Ribbon or trim-I used some vintage trims that my mom gave me.
Spray paint in your favorite color-craft paint works for this project as well.
Glue gun.
Below: After the spray paint (that matches her crib). PS-I didn't sand the frames, just started to paint. The one that was already painted was coated pretty easily with the new paint, but I added a few extra layers for the one that was plain wood. I'm lazy.
Hot glue both ends of the trims to the inside lip of the frame. My trims were about 1.5 inches apart. This will change depending on the width of your trim or ribbon.
I wanted the trims to run horizontally, but you could also attach them vertically in more rows.Hanging on the wall. Now the hard part will be remembering to put the clips away.

I just finished this combination above Storey's bed using fabric scraps and embroidery hoops.It was another a cheap, easy way to add some color to the drab walls without painting.

Check out this giveaway!

I'm giving away not one, not two, but THREE!! copies of The Favorite Skirt Pattern on Grosgrain Fabulous. Check out the giveaway here. Good luck!

Skirts

Thankfully, I have some very talented friends who came to the rescue when I needed pattern testers recently.

Here are some of their fabulous creations from the patterns. All of the little girl's skirts are made from the Flip Flop skirt pattern and the women's skirts are made from the My Favorite Skirt pattern. Both are available in the shop.

Sabrina's
See more of Sabrina's sewing talent at Noodles & Milk.


Hillari's

Elizabeth's-this is my favorite pose from any of the testers, by far. Love it!
Sarah's-this pose is definitely a close second
Shauntel's
See more of Shauntel's talents at The Avocado Tree.

Katie's (can you believe this was her first sewing project EVER!?!)
She used this pattern to make a fabric headband to match.

My cousin Jenny's

Stacy's
Danielle's
Stephanie's-she's going to use it as a maternity skirt too!Thanks Ladies!! I really really appreciate all of your help!

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall

Ever since I realized that Jakson is the kind of kid that has "dare devil" written in his file at the doctor's office (true story.), I've been waiting for the day that he hurts himself.

Like really hurts himself.
Broken leg, arm, nose, head. I'm just waiting for it.
I know it's inevitable, as it would be with anyone else who hurls themselves off of things 4 or 5 times their height.

So yesterday when Jakson came downstairs bleeding and crying, I thought, "It's here, the wait is over."

Zak took him into the bathroom to wash him up and try to decipher Jakson's rambling.

All we got out of him was "hurting" and "castle."

Background: When we moved to this house, I brilliantly decided to put the castle upstairs in the loft area. Since it snows the majority of the year here (Zak says no it doesn't, but I say it does) and the kids can't play outside, I thought I'd bring some of the outside in.
Jakson has loved having it upstairs and spends hours playing what he refers to as "Flushed Away." He is currently obsessed with the movie of the same title and enjoys throwing his stuffed animals down the castle tower and yelling "Flushed Away!"

Entertaining at first, annoying after awhile.

To get into a position where he can effectively throw the stuffed animals inside the tower, he balances himself on the top of one of the castle walls.
Because neither of us saw it, our best guess is that he slipped off the wall and like our friend Humpty had a great fall.

And almost knocked his tooth out.

Or possibly DID knock his tooth out. We're not sure yet.

And this is why.
His tooth is incredibly loose (hence, all of the blood), but after an emergency trip to the dentist last night, we've decided to let it stay and hope that it heals itself.
I had no idea that teeth could do that (like the liver!!), but apparently they can.
It might also turn black and fall out or get infected which would result in something akin to a root canal.
Nice.

Jakson + root canal=no fun.

Is it bad to say that I'm really praying that he keeps the tooth and the main reason is that we're taking family pictures soon and, folks, I don't want Toothless Jak?
Probably.
Don't judge me.
Maybe I can just get Kelly to photoshop in a tooth.
Yes, I love technology....

And, by the way, the kid is fine.
In fact, he was back to jumping off of his (loft) bed last night.
I think he might be indestructible.
Or just Kamikaze.

Dear Dad,

Happy Birthday! My gift to you is this post full of videos of the kids (hey, we're poor). You get to see them in real life in less than one week!! We love you!

This video is actually from 8 months ago (January), but I thought you'd like to see Jakson "reading."

.

Proof that the kids do actually like each other sometimes.

Trampoline jumping.

It smells like BBQ? Oh, that's just me.

Every Saturday, our family spends the day at the Farmer's Market serving food at the Charlie Boy's booth. The big smoker envelopes us in so much smoke that by the end of the 8 hours we are saturated with the BBQ smell. Our clothes, hair, even the stroller!! Last Sunday I realized I had forgotten to give Storey a bath before church when I was holding her and could smell BBQ.

Despite our smelliness, I have fallen in love with the Farmer's Market. We serve food to some of the friendliest people and when it isn't busy, I walk around with the kids looking at the other booths of handmade and home grown items. Zak has decided to take a book binding class from a girl who sells books (and teaches the class!), I was able to find Storey the perfect hair accessory for an upcoming wedding, Jakson and I share HUGE cookies from Flour Girls and Dough Boys, and the weather is fabulous. Plus, it's convinced me that Zak should go into sales if he should ever lose his job again, though he's not so keen on the idea.

Jakson is bribed so often with chips that he now refers to his grandparents (Zak's parents) as Grandpa Chips (no gender distinctions here). And Storey spend her time doing what she does best, eating. As long as we keep her fed, she is happy. She is definitely related to Zak.
The Farmer's Market makes for a long day. By the time we all get in the car to head home, it is WAY past nap time.

Flip Flop Skirt Pattern Testers**CLOSED**

*Thanks to all who have volunteered to test for me. I have my ten testers, but I'll hopefully have another pattern to test very soon!!**

I'm looking for just a few more testers who want to try out a new pattern that is going to be sold in the shop!! I have six testers signed up already, but I'd love to get ten!

The Flip Flop Skirt is a girl's skirt and includes sizes 6 months-5T. It is completely reversible and can be customized in lots of different ways, with pockets, appliques, rick rack, etc. A great way to get creative!!

If you'd like to test for me, please make sure that you can complete it and send me finished project pictures and any comments about sizing or instructions by this next Saturday, August 22nd. If you will not be able to test it out by then, please do not volunteer.

This pattern is for personal use only. Please do not sell skirts made from this pattern.

If you are a tester, I ask that you only keep a copy of the pattern for yourself and do not share it with anyone else.

Thanks so much!!

If you are interested in testing, please leave a comment on this post or email me at bethanycr {AT} gmail {DOT} com.

And thanks to all the ladies who sent feedback and pictures of The Favorite Skirt! The pattern will be available in the shop on Monday!

Happy Belated S'mores Day

I do realize that the ever popular National S'mores Day was actually three days ago (Aug. 10th), but I had more pressing matters to blog about (like my daughter's birthday), so this post was postponed, but not forgotten-you can thank me later for that.

Honestly, I'm not a big fan of the S'more in its original form. Haven't quite pinpointed the reasons why, I just don't. But I recently discovered that I DO love S'mores in brownie form. And you will too-though your diet may not. This one is worth the calories. Recipe from my new friend Maren.
S'mores Brownies

BASE
1/2 cup butter
1 oz unsweetened chocolate, cut up
1 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 t. baking powder
1 t. vanilla
2 eggs

FILLING
6 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup margarine or butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 T flour
1/2 t vanilla
1 egg
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups miniature marshmallows

FROSTING
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/4 cup milk
1 oz unsweetened chocoloate, cut up
2 oz cream cheese, softened
3 cups powdered sugar
1 t vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. In a large saucepan, melt 1/2 cup butter and 1 oz unsweetened chocolate over low heat, stirring until smooth. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. Stir in 1 cup flour and remaining base ingredients; mix well. Spread into greased and floured 9x13 pan.

In small bowl, combine the 6 oz cream cheese and all the remaining filling ingredients except chocolate chips and marshmallows. Beat 1 minute at medium speed until smooth and fluffy. Spread over chocolate mixture. Sprinkle evenly with chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 for 25-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven. Immediately sprinkle with marshmallows. Return to oven and bake an additional 2 minutes.

Begin frosting while marshmallows are baking. In large saucepan, combine margarine, milk, unsweetened chocolate and 2 oz. cream cheese. Cook over low heat, stirring until well blended. Remove from heat. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Immediately pour frosting over puffed marshmallows and lightly swirl with knife to marble. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Cut into bars. Store in refrigerator.

The search is over

After many hours of agonizing over Jakson's potty training "issues" and his (slash my) desire to go to preschool, I finally prayed that I would be able to find someone who would take him despite his diaper laden bum.

I spent hours looking at preschools online, visiting teachers, calling for information.
Many teachers (understandably) won't take an untrained child and when I finally did find one that would, the preschool situation didn't seem like a good fit for Jak.
I was feeling discouraged and he was feeling lonely.

But today the search ended.

I met Zak at lunch (so nice that he's close enough to do that now!!) and we went to tour another facility.

It is a perfect match.

It's close enough that if he does have an accident, I can be there in just a couple of minutes, it's within our budget and it seems like an organized, happy place to learn.

What a relief.

It might sound silly, but this is an incredibly big deal for us, especially since we are all having a hard time adjusting.
He'll make friends, interact, learn structure, take turns, and grow.
I know this will make his adjustment so much easier.

Such a blessing.

The Favorite Skirt Pattern Testers**CLOSED*

** Thank you to all of the wonderful ladies who have volunteered to test the pattern for me. I have ten testers to help out! Thanks!**

I'm looking for ladies who want to help me out testing a new pattern that is going to be sold in the shop!!

The Favorite Skirt is a women's skirt and includes sizes XS-XL.
After reading the pattern over, Zak claimed that he could sit down and make one, which proves it is the perfect project for a beginner. It will take 2 hours (TOPS!) to make.

If you'd like to test for me, please make sure that you can complete it and send me finished project pictures and any comments about sizing or instructions by this upcoming Saturday, August 15th. If you will not be able to test it out by then, please do not volunteer.

This pattern is for personal use only. Please do not sell skirts made from this pattern.
If you are a tester, I ask that you only keep a copy of the pattern for yourself and do not share it with anyone else.

Thanks so much!!
If you are interested in testing, please leave a comment on this post or email me at bethanycr {AT} gmail {DOT} com.

Where has the time gone?

We celebrated Storey's first birthday this weekend. I still feel like she's a newborn, so it's hard for me to grasp the concept that she's walking and saying some words already. Storey is such a blessing to our family. She's always so happy and curious. And starting to get along with her brother!

Storey Jannette Day One
Day 365 If you're really in a reminiscent mood, we sat around and watched this video for remembrance sake.

To celebrate, we had a small family party. It's nice to have quite a few family members close by, especially for special events like this.

Storey wore her semi-handmade birthday dress (actual dress off the clearance rack and I added a birthday embellishment from my fabric scraps). She looked adorable. Oh, and notice the long sleeves? We're currently experiencing Phoenix winter temperatures here in Utah.
I've had some traumatic cake decorating experiences in the past, so wanted to make a cake out of cupcakes instead. Who can mess up a cupcake, right? When I found this one at Coco Cake Cupcakes, I knew it was perfect for our bookworm family. Here's my version:To create the kinds of colors on the Very Hungry Caterpillar book cover, I put the buttercream frosting (recipe here-so good!!) in three different bowls. One bowl I dyed red. In the other two I added green food coloring. Then I added a little yellow to one and a little blue to the other. I frosted the cupcakes every other one or so. I thought it added a little dimension to my caterpillar. I realize that my cupcakes don't look nearly as professional as Coco's, but then, I'm no professional. And let's be honest, Storey could not have cared less.

As long as it tasted good.

At least the frosting did.

She got her first baby dolls, a little stroller and a purse. I'm getting better at this girl stuff!
Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate with us!!