Monday, January 24, 2011

Hat fail

Remember when I made Jake a t-shirt gown with a matching pilot cap?  I didn’t.  I completely forgot about the entire set.  It was going to be my favorite hat ever.  Now, not so much…

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The gown fits him really well which means that the entire outfit never would have fit him at the same time since he’s just starting to wear a 3/6 months and the hat is obviously newborn size.  My boys have a rep for having a large cabeza but not Jake, he’s in the 5oth percentile so it really is the hat, not a large boy noggin.  I’ll save it though because who knows, I might have another 12 boys and I’m bound to remember it for one of them.  I kid! maybe.

Speaking of the littlest boy, here are some pictures and an update for Grandma.  Not the cutest background ever for a photo shoot but you’ve got to get them while they’re willing!  He’s 2 months old and 12 lbs of cooing smiling mama’s boy.

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Back to snuggling I go.  Have a fantastic Monday!

Thursday, January 20, 2011

A little nip and tuck

 

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I’m giving the blog an updated look over the next few nights so don’t be alarmed if you can’t find something or things are moved around for the next few days.  She’s way over due for a little sprucing up.  Thanks a ton!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Saving soap one bar at a time (a tutorial).

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A bar of soap wasting away on the bottom of the tub in slimy, over soaped, scummy bath water. Did a part of your soul shrivel like mine? If you come in regular contact with kids and bar soap it’s a problem.

We’re going to fix that today. I’m going to show you how to make Monster Soap Savers!

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You need a bath sized washcloth (makes enough for 2), 12” ric rac trim, and black fabric paint for eyes. You’ll also need a sewing machine and basic sewing supplies.

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Here’s a picture of how to cut out your pieces.

Cut the side of the washcloth so it’s 4” across. Cut that piece again so it’s 10” tall, that’s the body. You’ll have a little 4” wide by however long little snippet of washcloth which you’ll use for ears.

The extra larger portion you can use for bigger rabbit ears, arms and legs, or another monster. Or you can save it and pretend you’ll use it but really you’ll toss it in a few months when you forget why you were saving it.

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Now take your Monster body piece and measure down 3” and cut again. Set them both aside for a second. Make that 60 seconds.

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Grab your ear piece and cut it in half so you have 2 squares. Pinch your pieces so the finished edges meet and pin. Sew them down along the bottom of the pinch and trim. Ears!

00ss7Pin your ears to the top edge of the longer body piece. Cut a piece of ric rac about 8” long and make a loop. Pin that between the ears. Set aside for another 60 seconds.

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Grab the 4”x3” smaller body section and sew ric rac to the finished washcloth edge on the underside. I purposely (um yeah, on purpose) chose the rounded edge for the ric rac so he would have a crooked smile. If that bothers you use the cut edge and turn it under before you sew the ric rac on so it’s straight.

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Take your monster body with the ears and loop pinned to it and lay your smaller body section on the top, sandwiching the ears and loop, making sure the ric rac is facing you and matching the top edges and pin in place. Fold up the bottom over lapping your ric rac edge by about 1” to 1 1/2” and pin in place.

Sew around the outside on the 3 open sides to close it all up. I would zig zag around the edges so it doesn’t come unraveled later.

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Turn it right side out and you have a very handsome and very yellow cast eyeless soap beast. I tried shoving some white eyeballs into the ears for pop out eyes (instead of ears) and it was really cute until I smeared a pupil with my paint, gave up, and just added 2 dot eyes to the body instead. The possibilities are endless for making it look as unique as your own little monsters plus you can have several in different colors. Everyone can have their very own with no mix ups and it can be washed and used again and everyone loves that. I have an order for a bunny and dog next.

Here’s the necessity behind the invention- I used to buy the kids soap that comes in a green super sudsy plastic cover for several reasons but really, unless you have one kid it gets a little dicey when it comes to who’s soap is who’s and who used it where last. Nuff said.

Have a fantastic and squeaky clean Tuesday!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

A Cozy New Year

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Ashlyn has been getting right to work with the new machine Santa brought her. I’m a little jealous that I don’t have it in me to join her this week.  How fun would that be, dual machines humming away.  I can’t begin to tell you how fun it is to teach an 8 year old to sew.  I can give her instructions and sit back and watch her actually follow through.  She’s a natural!  I’m not just saying that either. 

 

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She quilted a cozy new doll quilt for Kennedy.  18 squares front and back and she did it all by herself.  For her first time touching a machine she did a phenomenal job. I’m so proud of her!

Tonight I’m so glad to be spending my New Years Eve watching movies with the munchkins, eating soft pretzels, and listening to little Mr. Mister coo and smile into the wee hours.  Here’s to catching the last days of sleeping in before school starts again.

Have a fun and safe New Years!

Monday, December 20, 2010

Merry Christmas!

 

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The super cute half dozen and I wanted to take a second to wish you a Merry Christmas!  I truly hope you all have a happy holiday filled with family, friends, chocolate, lots and lots of eggnog, and light traffic with dry roads.

See you next week!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Old school

I’m 98% done with Christmas this year and have been for a month.  Don’t you just want to hit me now?  It feels sooo good but there are a few things left I really want to make.  Just a few small crafty things for special people on my list.  I can’t do all store bought or my soul will shrivel and die.   In case I don’t get them done I scrounged up a list of things from Etsy that are along the same lines as one  of the gifts on my list to make.

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Pictures are linked to their item listings.  I don’t know these sellers or stores so I can’t recommend them, I picked items I liked and linked away willy nilly.  Enjoy!

I would show off my other gift idea but the other person reads my blog and will know it’s for them.   Dang you caring family members who listen to what I have to say twice!  It’s going to be so fun to make and I can’t wait to gift it, but first I have to get started.  I’m really bad at keeping presents a secret so I have to leave one clue or I’ll explode… it involves wood but not really.  I feel better now.

We’re off to take the kids to see Tangled.  All of 6 of them.  It will be Kennedy’s first theatre experience and I’m a little scared.  She loves movies and loves “Plincesses” but I’m not expecting much since she is 2.  Should be interesting…

Have a fantastic Friday and fun weekend!

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Fake it till you make it

Sorry it’s been a while since my last post.  Jake and I are trying to work out a couple issues and my days are over before I even start them.  Newborns kind of put a damper on craft stuff.  Not that I’m complaining, there’s no where I need to be or want to be more right now that parked in a rocking chair every waking second with this handsome little man…

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And his cheater quilt I made to bring him home in.  I love that it looks like a 100% handmade patchwork baby quilt- but it’s not.  I bought the patchwork fabric already patched by the yard.  Ingenious stuff.  Thank you Grandma’s Attic!

 

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I added a bit of cotton batting and threw on some awesome grey Swiss dot fabric for backing.  I even quilted it a little.  I freehanded swirls in each corner of the patchwork to keep the sandwich together.  See, I quilted sort of.   

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I have a couple other quilts and projects ready to make for the little tyke but for right now it’s boxed dinners and cheater quilts. 

I was going to look like super mom and wow the masses with all my tutorials, features, and scheduled posts I saved and stockpiled to share with you while I was occupied with mini me but the pre-baby computer crash put the kybosh to my master plan.  Here’s the revised post computer death plan.  If I put off my hygiene and bathroom breaks for another day I might be able to crank out a stocking stuffer idea or two to share soon.  Just keeping it real folks, because I have to now  ;).

Have a fantastic Wednesday!

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

I'm 7 lbs lighter...


7 lbs 12 oz. lighter give or take a couple other pounds. Jacob Asher was born at 3:32 in the morning on Monday the 15th. He has quite a bit of brown hair and the prettiest dark blue eyes. He's 20 3/4" of laid back sweet boy. Everyone is completely in love with him, especially his older brother who checks on him every 2 seconds and doesn't want to leave the house now.
I hear some squeaks so I'm off to go snuggle and ooh and ahh some more.
Have a fantastic Wednesday!

Sunday, November 14, 2010


It finally happened. My home computer kicked the bucket Friday. It's no more. We backed up our system a couple months ago so I still have most of my pictures from August back but everything else (Halloween, projects, videos) are gone. It gave us some warning this spring with all the problems it was having so we did back it up. I'm choosing to look at the glass half full even though I've lost a lot of hard work and a bunch of stuff I had lined up. At least it died before the baby came so I don't have to cry over lost newborn pictures.
I'm off to mourn the loss and hope these contractions pick up. You might have to put up with chubby baby pictures instead of projects for the next week though... sigh.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Oh happy day!

Random.org has picked the winner for the giveaway!  Even if it’s not your lucky day today there’s still a great deal to be had and you can check it out here.

I have got to get off here and jump in the shower, just gave Jim a haircut and I’m itchy as all get out.  Couldn’t have him and his sasquatch hair roaming the neighborhood anymore.  Another 1/4” of growth and he would have been snatched up by the game officials and put back in his natural habitat.

Have a fantastic Thursday!