Monday, June 23, 2008

Freezer Paper Fun!

I have seen a lot of this around and thought I'd give it a shot. I had no idea what I was doing, but I knew freezer paper, an iron, paint and an x-acto knife were involved. So, after seeing what my crafty stash had, and what it didn't, I headed off to the craft store with the Monkey Boy. We picked up a couple plain shirts on sale (woohoo!) and some paint in the colors he was really wanting, since the stash at home did not have the colors he was looking for. Then, off home to draw some designs. 

This is how the first one turned out. Not too bad and it's since been washed several times and has held up pretty well. I picked up some fabric medium when at the craft store and mixed it in with the regular acrylic craft paint. Works great so far! We also made a lizard in addition to the lion seen here. 

I have to say, this was so easy and very fun for him to paint. Great kid/parent project. There are several blogs around blog land that have some tutorials on how to do this. Basically this is what I did:

-drew desired design on paper side of freezer paper. 
-cut it out with x-acto knife
-ironed it on with another piece inside the shirt as well to keep paint from bleeding through 
-mixed in fabric medium with paint according to directions on bottle
-painted 
-let dry overnight and then heat set it with iron 

voila! Fun, simple shirt! 

Anyone else done this? Let me know how you have done it or any tips you might have. Fun stuff, huh?!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

A Simple Summer

K, wow, took a much longer bloggy break than I had intended! Well, didn't plan on taking one at all, sometimes life just happens and there leaves little room for blogging. But, that's okay cause I have been spending some much needed R&R with my family. This week though has been spent having tons of fun at VBS at our church! Super fun! Then after such a fun filled morning, we've been taking it easy, going swimming and just laying low. It's so hot outside, there really isn't much else to do. Too hot to play on the playground equipment or ride bikes unless it's earlier in the morning or later towards dusk. Even the pool water feels more like bath water it's been so hot. Ick.

Also, my camera is not working and I have so much I want to show you! I got a great treat in the mail from a giveaway I won a little bit back. And then there been some other fun kid friendly projects that involve freezer paper. Super fun! So, until the camera is working again and I can get some pics up of our fun events, I leave you with this more recent pic of my favorite budding photographer:




Hope you are having a simple and safe Summer so far!

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Bandana Pants!

I found this great little tutorial over here for some super fun bandana pants. I went to Hobby Lobby and found some great bandana prints to use.



I might have gone a smidge overboard on the prints, but when you have the actual child that you are going to make them for with you, narrowing it down can be a bit overwhelming. However, I am loving the chili peppers!

I decided to change it up just a bit from the tutorial itself. Once you measure, cut and unfold, I decided to sew up each leg individually like so:



Then I turned one leg right side out, placed into other leg with right sides together...



Kinda like a tube. Does that make sense? Basically, looks like one leg. Pinned it, and sewed together. You can make a reinforcement stitch here if you'd like. Then, when you turn it back out, you should have something like this:



Tada! Then I turned down the top to make a casing, stitched that up and inserted the elastic. Super easy!



Voila! Chili pepper bandana pants!

Then, I couldn't stop there.....I made more!



These are how they look on the Monkey. A little long, kinda like ankle biters or samurai style pants. He likes them a TON!



Super comfy too.



I think what I like best about these is how they make seriously great play pants. Can do double duty as lounge pants too, no worrying about getting them dirty or how hard they play. Very inexpensive and SO easy! I think I had three pairs made up within one Veggie Tales showing.

Now, I wish I could have some nifty bandana pants!

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Robots continued...

Shhh, don't tell him I took this picture.



Would you look at that serious concentration?!


This is what all that hard thinking produced. He begged me to let him *sew* a robot like I did for his pillow. After some thought (never sure about the boundaries with boys and sewing???) I agreed. I figured it couldn't hurt. He chose all the different colors. Fun, huh?! Now, I think this one shall get framed and hung in my studio.

Happy Wednesday to you!

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

I am Clogs, what are you?




You Are Clogs



You are a solid and down to earth person.

You seek and almost always achieve a really sound balance in your life.



You are stylish yet comfortable. Mellow but driven. Excited yet calm.

You are the perfect mesh of contradictions.



No matter what happens, you have the ability to stay well grounded in your life.

People know that they can truly depend on you.



You should live: In Europe



You should work: At a company dedicated to helping the world



I have to laugh at how 'contradictory' I am.....

Friday, May 30, 2008

And the WINNER is......

Alright, some of you might know about my super duper high tech way of drawing a name for a giveaway, but just in case you don't here is a little showing with pics.

This time, I used the closest, handiest thing that was empty to put the comments I printed and cut out into. It's a big ol' dump truck.



Then, I had the handy dandy dump truck owner, who is also dressed as a fire man today, to help with the drawing.



Then, he unfolded the paper.....



And revealed who the winner is!




Congrats kiddlebug!!! Email me with your info so I can get your prize to you!

Oh, and would you like to see the prize (since I totally forgot to get pics up the other day..)??? Here they are!



Super fun iron-on popsicle appliques! The possibilities are endless with these yummy designs!

30 Things About Me

K, so here goes.....

In no particular order, here are thirty things about me that I am certain you are just itching to know! Okay, not really, but here it is none the less:

1. I officially turned thirty on the 15th of this month. I am looking forward to it being a GREAT decade!

2. I just celebrated being married to the love of my life and best friend for eight years. We met when we were 15, started dating at sixteen and married in 2000 at 22.

3. I am a native Austinite (to answer a couple of you that asked). Born and raised here and we're not too common, really. I think out of all the close friends through the years, my sister is the only other I know that was born here. Funny. I did live a little in the Dallas area and also the Bryan/College Station area for the first year of our marriage while my hubby finished up school there. Despite being a native Austinite, I am loyal to the Aggies, being that I married one. BUT, I was raised a Longhorn.

4. To answer sbonetsue, my favorite cake is Black Forest. My other favorite is cheesecake!

5. What inspires me? So many things! Just looking around at the ordinary can sometimes be a breath of fresh air to inspiration. Hard to say anything specific on that one really. Ideas can just suddenly pop into my head at the oddest times, like when I'm fixing dinner or playing a game with my son.

6. So, I am a native Texan, but I do not have a typical Texas accent. At all. Probably because I was raised by Yankees ( and I say that lovingly). Although, they do not have typical accents from where they are from either. People ask me all the time where I am from. When I tell them, they seem to have some preconceived notion of Texans (like we all ride horses and wear cowboy hats, etc.) and say I don't sound like I could be from here. Oh well, not that I do not have an occasional accent, just not an obvious one. :)

7. kiddlebug asked, " what is one thing you would like to accomplish by the time you are 40?". Wow, so many things! I do have to say I would love to learn more about photography. Does that count? Oh, and travel to Israel. And go sky diving. Okay, I could go on, but I am having a hard time saying just one thing.

8. I am a mom of one. Not necessarily by choice. Infertility can make life, well, not so easy. I have always wanted a big family, but God obviously knows best. Not that I always understand what He wants, but the "Peace that passes all understanding" is an amazing place to be. I love being a mom more than anything and am really so thankful for what He has given and the joy that my son has brought.

9. Reason for infertility? PCOS and Hypo Thyroid. Fun. No, not really, but it is what it is.

10. I have often thought about starting a PCOS blog as well, but hesitate. I do not want it to be a sob story, but one of hope and not focusing on infertility itself, but embracing and living life regardless. Showing how to just live and also cope with PCOS. That there is just so much more to life than PCOS. Not sure if I will ever do it, but I know there is something I could DAILY write about for it. Really. Not always negative, not always positive. Who knows, maybe that should be put on my *to start* list!

11. Hmmm, Laura asked some great questions! I pick: " If you won a $50 million dollar lottery, would you still work? Why or why not?". IF I were to win such a thing, I would probably still work. Right now I am a SAHM, or WAHM, mainly. But I would want to be involved with as much *giving* away as possible. Not sure how, but helping others is very important to me.

12. I have a huge heart for adoption. Always have. People often think it is tied to having infertility issues, but truth be told it isn't. For as long as I can remember, I have always wanted to adopt. Whether I was to have biological children or not, I wanted to adopt. Still do. Plan to in the future at some point. Hopefully sooner than later.

13. Who taught me to stitch? My Gramms. I love my Gramms and I am so blessed to have her still in my life. She is a spunky, fun and amazing person who has taught me so very much in the way of sewing, knitting, crochet and the like. Thank you Gramms!

14. I craft almost daily. Some days not, but still have ideas in my head all. the. time. Now, If I could just manage the time to get them all out of my head and accomplished! That's one thing I would like to do in my next thirty years! :)

15. anymommy asked what I did 10 years ago for my 20th birthday. For the life of me I CANNOT remember! I can recall my 17th when my hubby (then Boyfriend) threw me a surprise party. And I can remember my 21st because it was "Boot Dance" at Texas A&M and it just so happened to be on MY special day which worked out nicely, cause I got to dress up and taken dancing! But, for whatever reason, my twentieth seems to elude me.

16. I started figure skating at the age of four. I continued until about 19/20 years of age. I started out in *singles*, or whatever they call it now, but eventually took to Ice Dancing and LOVED it! Miss it, but would miss my husband and son more.

17. I still have my first pair of skates. They're in a box, but I still have them.

18. Michelle asked, "Did you grow up in an artistic family or is this something that you discovered about yourself later on?". Ya know, I would love to say I had two incredibly creative parents, but not really. My sister, definitely artistic. More so than she knows or applies. I still have a drawing she did that I adore. My grandparents, SUPER creative. That's a whole other blog post. My Gramms I've mentioned and my Papa, wow, the amazing things he could do with wood and paint. Simply amazing. So, to actually answer the question, I somewhat have come from some inherited creativeness and artistic abilities. The sewing gene though comes from my great-grandmother. :)

19. I love dark chocolate. And coffee. I am not afraid to admit I have a serious Starbucks addiction.

20. I want to run a marathon. That is on the list for something I want to accomplish in the next five years.

21. I haven't made a quilt yet. Have one to make. Two actually. That is on the "to do by end of 2008" list.

22. I love the color brown. Pink and purple are what my son will tell you are my favorite colors (they were when I was a little girl) but as I have gotten older I love brown. Green and brown together. Okay, I love many color combos. It is so hard to pick just one!

23. I LOVE, love, love fabric. When I was little my mom would often *lose* me in department stores. Where she found me? Feeling all the different textures and colors of the fabrics. Yeah, I know. Crazy.

24. I designed and made my own prom dress. Why? Well, I could not find what I was looking for! I did that often as a teenager and still sometimes now. When I can't find it, I attempt to make it.

25. I did not make my own wedding dress. I designed it, but ended up choosing another one. Store bought. I have honestly always regretted not making it myself. not that I didn't like mine. LOVED it. Just one of those things I always wanted to do and didn't. Lesson learned, yes? Yes.

26. Wow, am I boring you yet? Still with me? Good, let's keep going....

27. I love reading. I do not do it nearly enough though. Currently the only books I am reading are for my women's Bible Study group. We are reading ' For Women Only". Very good read. Easy read.

28. I need something else to read soon. Any suggestions? Other than devotionals. Got plenty of those to catch up on.

29. I have never gone snow skiing. I know! This coming from a former figure skater. I have also never taken a hot air balloon ride, but really want to someday!

30. What has been my best birthday ever? I honestly don't really have one. I guess each passing year....cause I am thankful to still be here! :)

K, so I hope I didn't bore you too much! I think I got everyone's questions answered. If not, I am sorry. You can always email me if you really want it answered! :)

Alrighty, so on to other things.....LATER today I will announce the WINNER of the giveaway! Can ya stand the wait???