Crossing off my list

This was something on my list for quite some time I finally got around to.  This shirt of Amelia's used to have a big bow on it which kept ripping off and finally ripped a hole in the shirt probably 6-8 months ago.  I cut up the bow into strips, used some fusible web to close the hole and keep it from ripping more/again and give the fabric a little weight to it to hold up the ruffles, and then made these ruffles to cover it up.  I actually think it is even better than the first one. And it was so bright Amelia couldn't open her eyes. I thought it was cute anyway. Now, meet Enna. This is Amelia's doll.  She got her for her 3rd birthday and they are inseparable. This is truly the best doll hands down ever.  Those of you who know me know how much I go on about this doll.  I love it.  Amelia's wanted some new clothes for her for awhile, but they are like $20 to $30 to buy a set online. I barely spend that on the real girl, so it is unlike me to spend it on a doll, no matter how adorable they are.  So I have been meaning to make some and finally did.  This was a tee of Amelia's that I loved on her but some how or another got mildew stained on the bottom half.  Lucky for Enna I was able to cut that part off and make it her size.  Amelia picked the fabric for the pants and I love how great they look together.  I literally cut 2 and sewed up the sides, made an elastic waistband and hemmed the edges then added the bows. The headband I actually had laying around.  I had been experimenting with fabric and flowers and just added the fluff to the elastic.  It was a quick 30 minute project and she looks so cute.  Amelia has been taking her everywhere and loves getting her dressed every morning.  It was a real hit. I guess I need to make her another outfit more than every 2 years!!

Now I need some opinions.  I signed up to donate some hair things for a youth girls camp to use as gift basket prizes.  I was debating about these.  I just am not in the loop about what a 12-16 year old girl likes.  I made the black in headband form, yellow in bobby pin and the blue nothing, but I was thinking of doing the snap barrettes.  Are these age appropriate? and what kind of fastener would be good?  I think I have to have them done this week.  I have about 10 black ones made but not attached to anything and can easily whip up the other colors.  I just need some help and no one to bounce my ideas off of here!!!! I also need to know if I need to start from scratch and make something totally new.  Help me!!!!!

My next medium to craft with....

Chicken wire!!!  I stumbled across some cool chicken wire ideas and I can see myself liking some projects with it. This is the pic that started the idea.  My sister in law made some fabric birds a few years ago and gave 2 to Amelia.  We have a little nest thing they sit in, and Amelia plays with them occasionally.  They are so cute and I could see a few more having a home like this.  And plain would be cute too.  I am pretty sure you can get the light fixtures at Ikea (we have some from there) and then get 2 hoops to wrap the wire around and voila.
Next I love the cages and planters made out of wire with the candles.  Gives a cool feel.

 

This last one come from here and gives a a lot of cool ideas, but I didn't want to post all of them, but I love this one a lot and could see hanging some cool black and white classics.  I think I want our master bedroom to eventually be black and white and grey shades and then switch up the accent colors.  I could see something like this being a classic in there. Will be a good replacement to my sticks!!! (If you don't know what I am talking about, you can find them with my peeps bunting hanging on them here)

And my next medium to craft with cement, and don't forget paper mache......does it end for me??

Latest Baby projects

I made a few other baby presents other than my thrift find green hat and booties.  Here's my pics.  I made the hat with 2 interchangeable flower hair clips so the hat can be worn plain, the clips separate or mix and match and add your own. I made some more stacking blocks with a bag and a purse for the big sister gift for one of these baby gifts.  Big sisters need some presents too.  Amelia was so thrilled when I came home from my shower for Ben with 2 presents for her too. Both purses, one was a sparkly Disney princess purse and the other a faux-leather one that I imitated in cake form for her 3rd birthday.  She still has both and still plays with them daily.  I don't know if this one I made will hold up that long, but hopefully it will be fun for a little while.  I actually attempted to make some wristlets for my niece a few years ago and didn't like the way they looked so I was really happy to finally figure out what to do with these rectangles without undoing them.  Just sewed them up and added a strap and voila, the perfect purse.

Chocolate cupcakes with maple frosting and bacon on top

Yep, you read it.  BACON on top.  These were pretty good.  Definitely going to try for a better cupcake, but the frosting and bacon combo...mmmmm.  I used Mel's schoolyard cupcakes but I must have overcooked them or something because they were dense, but a little too dry.  I also had to adjust for the no-dairy and that may have affected it.  They were not chocolatey enough even for the non-chocolate lover in my house. Next attempt will be bacon toffee.  Just you wait.

Money Talks

I've discovered my new favorite "game" that I have named...... Penny pick up.  I posted earlier about chores and giving my small children a chance to earn money and save for things.  Well, sometimes I am just tired of cleaning up the hundreds of tiny little toys and blocks and books and cars and markers and everything around my house.  So I decided that I wasn't going to do it.  But no one else was jumping at the chance either.  So I decided to let the money do the talking.  Here's how we "play".  For every toy, and I mean every single book and toy and dollhouse accessory and individual lego, that is on the ground and is put away in it's right place, they get a penny.  It does require that I watch them to tell them what to pick up and make sure they do it right in order to get paid.  They hear that jingling as I plop pennies down in their piles or cups and they rush for more.  My four year old pays very close attention that I am crediting her properly.  Last time she made $1 and my very hard to motivate 2 year old made 50 cents and my house was clean in 15 minutes.  Now that's literally worth every penny!!! Then they get the fun of putting all that money in their piggy banks.  My 4 year old prefers "cash" (paper money) to coins, so she is happy to trade in her change, but my 2 year old wanted to put every single one of those 50 pennies in his bank.  When my change jar gets low, we count out their piggie banks and give them bills so we can fill up the money jar again.  I have never had to get more change yet.  We manage to recycle the change often enough and/or collect spare change enough to keep it replenished. And here are some pics of the piggies I made them a few years ago.

Thrift Find

I ventured over to my one of my many local thrifts to see about finding something ugly that I could repurpose into something fabulous for me and I stumbled across this yarn.  There were 4 boxes, but I just got one.

I love how there are re-order cards that have been punched out in a pattern in order to be read by a machine. 

They don't make this style of yarn anymore, so it's fun to make something no one else is using.  And it's soft and a little shiny but still cotton, so easily washable.  That's a plus for me.

I thought it was a fun color and had a fun vintage feel and $5 for all of that was a pretty good deal.  I went back a couple days later to see if the others were still there and it had been marked down to $3 so I bought 2 more!!  I made a cute baby gift out of some and then crocheted a shrug for me, but it was not that great and my hubby referred to it as "stripper sleeves" so it is tainted for me.  I will find something fabulous to make out of it or just keep cranking out these little cuties.