I make stuff.

An Open Letter to Chicken Pot Pie

2012-01-20T16:34:00.003-06:00

Dear Chicken Pot Pie,

We got off on the wrong foot. I know it's no surprise to you that we haven't had the best relationship. When I was four and you were served in my school cafeteria, I scoffed. I thought you smelled funny. And let's face it, when I poked you, out seeped a oddly colored goo with vegetables in it. So I put you on the floor and tried to pretend you didn't exist. No one was fooled and my time spent with a mop cleaning you up didn't do much for our friendship.

I've not given you another chance. Twenty-seven years later, I've come to realize that you should never judge a food by your preschool cafeteria. Oh, Chicken Pot Pie, I was wrong. I got up the nerve to try you again- to make you myself- and you know what? I love you! You are so tasty, with your creamy goodness and bits of pie crust. Your veggie and chicken filled insides are heavenly!

So I officially apologize, Chicken Pot Pie. It wasn't you. It was me. Can we start over? Let's do dinner again real soon, okay?

Warmest regards,

Mandy

Citrus Oil Lamps!

2012-01-14T16:50:00.001-06:00

I was going to try to come up with a groan-worthy pun for the title of this one. "Orange You Glad" something or other...and then I gave up. You're welcome.

I was browsing Pinterest this last week, because it's a perfectly acceptable pastime, and came across a tutorial for making an oil lamp from any citrus fruit. Oh sure, I have actual candles at my house, but they are far less intriguing. So I entertained the kids while I made an orange lamp. It works! It's fun! It pushes unloading the dishwasher back at least 10 minutes! Want to try it? Here's what you do:

1. Occupy children with snacks

2. Cut your orange (or clementine, lemon, lime, grapefruit, etc.) in half. Carefully scrape out the delicious insides, leaving a center "wick" of white fleshy stuff. This is a very scientific process.

3. Fill the bowl with olive oil (or canola, vegetable, etc.) and light the wick. Here's the only part that takes real patience. Depending on your fruit, the wick may take a little while to light. Don't fret. It will. And then...

4. Admire! You can hollow out the other half of your fruit and cut a vent hole to make a little glowing ball of coolness. We did this with a clementine:

Sweet Mallory!

2012-01-14T16:49:00.000-06:00

The family got together to celebrate my niece's baptism recently. I really wanted to come up with a more religious-themed gift for her. (Her mom is really good in that department.) My creativity was leaving a lot to be desired, but I kept coming back to a little lion baby toy that I found on Pinterest a while back.

I made Mallory a little toy for the occasion. We're glad we got to come and be a part of her special day!

Happy Baby!

2012-01-14T16:35:00.000-06:00

One of the nicest people in the world is having a baby girl soon! I had the chance to go to a baby shower for my friend Katrina and made a few things for her little one. She's known me for a long time and helped me with several (crazy) crafty adventures, so it's was a little challenging to give her something that she hadn't seen from me before. Not that this baby won't be getting her fair share of fused plastic bibs...

I made another white knit hat, in a teensy tiny size with some felt flower clips. I know, I've made those for everyone. I can't stop just yet! Then I took a plain white onesie and dolled it up a bit with some scrap orange knit ruffles, flower fabric and buttons. This is why girls are easier to makes things for. A ruffle and a few buttons make you go, "Awwwwww!"

My printer is unhappy with me, so I used colored pencils, markers and the original shower invitation for my tags. I had fun doing that- using the invitation for my card. I think I'll try that again sometime.

Happy baby, Katrina! I can't wait to meet her!

Christmas 2011 Round Up

2012-01-09T03:14:00.002-06:00

I always get behind on the blog during and after Christmastime. I never want to take the chance that someone I've made something for might be one of the three people that read this thing. Spoilers!

Now that it's mid-January, I can do a quick run-down!

I made fabric bows for our gifts this year. Thanks to MADE for a great idea!

This year I gave myself a bit of a break. As much as I'd like to have made almost everything that we gave as gifts, it just isn't possible to to with little kids if I intend to also get any sleep. So I did what I could without crossing over into CrankyMommyChristmasMonster Land and you know what? It turned out to be just fine.

I started getting into the spirit of the Season by putting together some Chrismon kits for our church. Chrismons (literally "Christ monograms") are my favorite part of Christmas decorations at church. I've always loved them. So when our pastor came to me with the idea to add to our collection, I agreed without hesitation. I put together kits with instructions and supplies for church members (and my family members!) to take and complete, then I added a back and stuffing. I think they were beautiful on the tree!

Let's see...I had a few requests that I was happy to make. The always wonderful Kelli commissioned a Black Apple doll and tote bag for one of their friends, plus an apron for Landry, who is apparently a budding cook. The world would be a better place if her mommy shares her chocolate chip cookie secrets, this much I'm sure about.

Rory wanted to make something for her preschool class, so I used my Mimi's fabric ornaments as inspiration for these felt Santa ornaments. Her teacher, Ms. Karen, is an A&M fan, so we made a special one just for her.

I'm sure there will be a time when seeing a mustache graphic won't make me giggle, but I hope it isn't anytime soon. I got the idea for these mugs from Pinterest (Hours and hours of my time have been spent browsing Pinterest. If you haven't checked it out, beware. Of the awesomeness.) They went to Claire and Shannon & Josh. Although while "helping" Shannon open her gift, Jack managed to break one of their mugs, so I owe them another...

I knitted some plain white hats for my newest nieces, Addison and Mallory and added some felt flower clips. The clips can be used on the hat or by themselves. I discovered a new felt flower technique and had to stop myself after making something like 8 clips.

See how the hat above is stuffed, for picture purposes? I used this t-shirt scarf that I made Heather. I forgot that's where I put it and didn't actually give it to her until today. January 9th. Yikes.

I happened upon this tutorial for these cute little dressform pincushions. The instructional video is a bit on the cute overload side, but how adorable are these? I still want to make myself one.

Yep, more felt flowers. I couldn't help myself!

I made Mallory a little bunny softie with a bell inside using the pattern I made last Easter for my kiddos.

My sister-in-law Jayne is a bath junkie. I knew when I found a recipe for Oatmeal Cookie Bath Soak (and I can't find that recipe right now...) that she'd be all over it. I made some little bath infusion bags to go with it and a salt scrub bag as well.

My aunt Di and I got together and made some very special gifts for my Uncle Dan's kids and family. We took a bunch of his military and marathon t-shirts and made slipcover pillows. Making them was simple- figuring out which pillow to give which person was the hardest part! I was very pleased with how they all came out. Di and I got good laugh out of the one that ultimately became hers. The shirt said "Birds of Prey" with several jets on it. Cool shirt. When I cut it to make the pillow, my measurements were a bit off and it ended up saying "irds of Prey" on the front. It turns out that it was our favorite. We could just hear Dan laughing at it, too. He would have given us his signature, "you guys are huge dorks" look.

With the smaller leftover scraps, I made my mom and Di t-shirt scarves.

Christmas 2011 was a good one. Everyone should be as blessed as I am with amazing family and friends to share the Holidays.

Happy Birthday, Sophia!

2012-01-09T02:01:00.000-06:00

Rory's adorable friend Sophia turned four in November. It's been fun to see the girls grow up. This couldn't have been that long ago...

Rory wanted me to make some purple princess stuff for her, so she helped me pick out all the fabrics for her dress-up princess skirt, wand and flower hair clip. A girl can never have too many dress-up clothes, right?

Happy Baby!

2012-01-09T01:42:00.001-06:00

Oops. Is it January already?

Back in mid-November, I got to go to Casey's super fun baby shower. Casey is one of those people that fully appreciates handcrafted stuff. "Those people" are even more fun to make things for. Especially when they have babies.

Back in November, I made her baby boy a few things: a tie onesie, a mustache burpcloth, some fused plastic bibs, a spy owl (because owls are special to his mommy) and a bin to put them all in.

This was the first time I'd made a fabric bin, although I've seen a million tutorials for them and always intended to try. I read through a few and then just sort of winged it. The insides are supported by cereal box cardboard, so they are sturdy-ish. I'd like to make a few more of those for the little collections of things at my house. Blocks, plastic superheros, socks...

Credit where credit is due. I did an Etsy trade with LoudMouse for Jack's tie onesie when he was a newbie. I didn't come up with the idea, but I do love it. I'd seen applique necktie onesie's before, but I really like using an actual tie. Other than than being more, well, dimensional, it just cracks me up. (Check out LoudMouse's shop for cool tea towels and other goodies. She's clearly a Doctor Who fan, so she gets extra points from me.)

Welcome to the world, Hudson! I can't wait to meet you!

The Season of Birthdays Continues!

2011-11-18T12:24:00.000-06:00

A few hours before my niece's fourth birthday party, Rory and I were at a clinic in Frisco being diagnosed with strep throat. We decided not to share, but were disappointed to have to miss the party. We finally were able to meet up with her this week to give her a birthday gift. I used the Naomi Dress/Tunic pattern from Brynnberlee again for Kinsley's dress and a Simplicity pattern to make a coordinating dress for her new American Girl doll (as modeled by my Samantha doll from the '90's. I think she was glad to finally get out of those thick Victorian tights.)

There's a pretty good chance that we'll miss Heather's birthday party this weekend, too, so we delivered her gift early. This family is really on a roll with our birthday parties, aren't we? I changed to top of a Shannon Bag for Heather by hemming the top of the bag with the lining side showing and encasing the top ruffle seam. Not sure if that makes sense to anyone but me, but I think I like the variation.

We've been getting creative with gift wrap lately. Sometimes it's just more fun to unwrap a gift (as opposed to a bag) but I don't always (ever) have wrapping paper that isn't Christmas patterned. I do have a huge roll of butcher paper and random fabric scraps lying around...

Happy birthday, Mary!

Taken on the very picturesque dashboard of my car.

Still in love with T-shirts.

2011-11-11T16:07:00.000-06:00

Andrew did some closet cleaning and added a few shirts to my pile of clothes to repurpose. I made the kids some soft hanging-around-the-house pants from some old t-shirts. I took a pair of pants that currently fit each kid, folded them in half and traced around the shape. I sewed them up and put a faux drawstring tie on each one. Super quick, super satisfying. In all my "this is so fast!" excitement, I caught a bit of Rory's pants in the serger and made a teensy hole in the front. Easy enough fix: I used a horned frog from another old t-shirt and covered the spot. Looks like I intended it to be there, right? Whew.

Rory was all about posing in her pants (which are a little short...I'll have to figure out a solution for that issue later.) With her juice. No other way, Mom. Sigh. Jack wouldn't stay still enough to get a picture. Go figure. I'll probably make more of these for the kids as the weather gets a cooler. Comfy pants = happiness.

A is for Arnold

2011-11-11T15:48:00.000-06:00

A while ago, I made some baby name books for my friend Vanessa and was glad to accommodate her recent request for another. Time consuming as they may be, these are really just too much fun to make.

The rhino has a horn, I promise.

Every time I make one, though, I tell myself that I'm going to make a pattern for the little pictures. Except I never do. Maybe I'll pretend that's part of the charm- the uniqueness of each one. Yeah, that sounds better than the non-organized reality.

One for two.

2011-11-11T15:29:00.000-06:00

Just before Halloween, I was a sports-related nervous wreck. By that point, the Rangers had stopped and restarted my heart at least a dozen times. TCU had a big game against BYU at Cowboys Stadium. We had tickets to see the Horned Frogs, and spent a fair amount of time squinting at the baseball game on TV in several of the boxes. I had decided on making purple candy corns that morning to share. And for good luck, let's not kid ourselves. I was dressed in purple but decided that I needed to support the Rangers at the same time, so I whipped up a few little felt pins in the car on the way.

As it turns out, the candy corns worked. To my surprise, they weren't awful. I didn't think they tasted exactly like the packaged-for-fifty-years-and-still-taste-pretty-good store-bought ones, but not entirely gross, either.

It's beginning to look a lot like...Halloween.

2011-10-19T15:16:00.003-05:00

The kids (okay, Rory) are all about decorating for Halloween this year. I don't have a lot of Halloween decorations. I tend to make things for Halloween that don't really last, like a few years ago when we made old school paper chains.

2009

So far, we've added a purple yard spider web, brilliantly thought up by Dana at Made.

Still needs spiders.

two embroidered pillows (designs from Urban Threads),

Rory calls this one "Elvis Bones" and then always adds, "Thank you very much."

and a garland with wax paper/melted crayon (remember doing that in 1989? No? Just me?) pumpkins and bats.

Yep, still positive that mustaches are funny/awesome.

We're getting there. Hopefully I'll figure out something for the front porch before Halloween night.

Wookies and Birthdays (But not Wookie's birthdays.)

2011-10-19T14:53:00.001-05:00

Rory was looking over my shoulder when I was scrolling through my craft blog list and this hopelessly adorable Chewbacca Softie pattern caught her eye. She bothered me about making her one for the better part of two days until I found myself buying plastic noses and stuffing. We used Jack's crib skirt (that he is finished with now...how did that happen so quickly?) for the brown corduroy. Rory wanted hers to be a girl (she named her Wanda), so we added eyelashes and a little bow. Jack's wookie got a mustache, as his father pointed out that it would make it more authentic. We don't skimp on our Star Wars references around this house.

October is the Month of Family birthdays for us and it kicked off with the parents. Happy birthday Margaret (white cupcakes with buttercream frosting!), Mom [Karen] (Shiloh bag that I forgot to get a picture of...oops.) and Dad [Eddie] (German chocolate cake).

Little Red Dress

2011-09-20T15:57:00.002-05:00

I have two new Brynnberlee patterns that I've been dying to try. I've tried to make myself get some more immediate things done around the house before diving into another sewing project. I held myself off for as long as I could...I gave in last night.

This is the Naomi Tunic/Dress pattern. I love the little pleat detail on the sleeves. We added a quick belt for a little extra shape.

She needs some new black shoes.

Of course she loved it- it's red!

Go Frogs!

2011-09-20T15:50:00.001-05:00

My Dad got the kids some awesome Tank Carder TCU jerseys for the games this year. Youth small kind of swallowed both of them, but I had some hesitation with cutting the fabric. For the sports superstitious types, this poses a question. In the end, I decided to hold my breath and grab my scissors. I'm glad I did. As cute as pajama-jerseys are, fitted ones are even better.

a little room to grow?

There we go!

And the Frogs won (with #43 in one piece), so I feel like I made the right decision.

I made Rory a SuperFrog hair clip for the first home game, too. When we TCU accessorize, we don't skimp around here.

Happy Birthday, Shannon!

2011-09-20T15:42:00.000-05:00

Every once in a while, I'm on top of things. Sort of. Shannon is used to getting birthday gifts months late. This year I had it all figured out and ready to go...almost on time. A few days late is progress.

She couldn't have been all that surprised by her namesake bag.

I had more fun with felt, too. Another felt garland in fall colored leaves. It makes white butcher paper look so fancy-pants.

Happy birthday, my friend. Here's to many, many more. (We're closing in on halfway to those neon pink rocking chairs, aren't we?)

"Goldfish" Crackers

2011-09-12T15:16:00.003-05:00

I saw this recipe for Homemade Goldfish Crackers a while ago and immediately bookmarked it. When I signed up for a Pinterest account (hello, fun!) it was one of my first board additions. Who doesn't love goldfish crackers? Who doesn't love recipes with only five easy ingredients?

Rory asked if we had any goldfish a few hours ago and it dawned on me that we could try to make some. I wish I had some extra delicious sharp cheddar cheese, but in our fridge we had a bag of shredded fiesta blend cheese that isn't designated for any dinner this week. Better than nothing, right? I used half salt and half garlic salt in an effort to compensate for my cheese's lack of bold flavor. The Cupcake Project uses an adorable little fish cookie cutter. Yeah, we don't have one of those, either. We did have some random tiny cookie cutters, so our garlic fiesta-blend crackers are stars, bears, moons and plain old squares. And you know what?

They are tasty! I can only imagine that they'd be even better with a higher quality cheese. And they're so tiny, so you only eat 3. Or 37.

Happy Birthday, Ayla!

2011-09-12T14:16:00.000-05:00

Rory's friend Ayla just celebrated her fifth birthday! We made her some flower hair clips and a set of my newest felt food: Millie's Midday Snack. It has saltine crackers, cheese, deli meat and a fruit cocktail with kiwi, mandarin oranges and pineapple tidbits. Creating these sets always seems to take a while, but once things start to take shape, I always think it's worth it. My favorite in this are the kiwi slices! Bonus: I think I've finally conquered my fear of the french-knot.

I made a felt garland to dress up her present. It's sort of a blend of this and this. I used circles and stars and hand-sewed them together with embroidery floss. I imagine there are more of these in my future, because I've always got scraps of felt. I think tiny bits of brightly colored felt mysteriously multiply when I'm not looking.

I love kid's faces when you reuse a box for a gift.
"Oh yeah! I got...a box of Great Value Raisin Bran Flakes..."

I also redesigned the topper for my felt food packaging. I'm still catching up after updating The Pretty Bean logo.

We love cookies, yes we do! We love cookies, how 'bout you?

2011-09-11T11:04:00.000-05:00

I made oatmeal raisin cookies a while ago. They had more "cookie" substance than recipes I've used before and we all decided that they kind of rocked. I can't really take credit. I just followed directions. I got the recipe online somewhere and excitedly wrote it down, then forgot where it came from. Oops.

When I went to make a second batch, I realized that I didn't have enough raisins. Instead of cheating cookie perfection, I found another recipe. Iced Pumpkin Cookies. Hello, tastiness. I'm a fan of pumping up my cookie with some icing, but read a review recommending cream cheese frosting instead and couldn't stop drooling. Enter Cream Cheese Frosting II. I played with the ingredients of both cookie and frosting a little based on several reviews. They were good, too. Soft, almost like muffin tops, with cream cheesy deliciousness.

By this point we were all cookie-spoiled. So I made another batch. Back to oatmeal raisin. Mmmm. When the kids asked for dessert this week I had a sugar-laced epiphany. Oatmeal Raisin Cookie Sandwich with Cream Cheese Frosting. And we all lived happily ever after.

Caution: If you teach your 1-yr-old how to say "Cookie, please." in sign language you will not be able to say "no" to him. Ever. Also, your head may explode from cute overload.

Off to Preschool

2011-09-01T13:35:00.002-05:00

Today my baby went off to preschool! How did that happen already? She was thrilled to go this morning, reminding me at least three times not to forget her Dr. Pepper lunchbox or her Wolverine juice or her dinosaur water bottle. And the goldfish crackers! "Mom, did you get the goldfish?" Not sure if she's more excited about school or lunch. I enjoyed making a few things to get her ready like reusable chip and snack bags for her lunch. (I used this cool tutorial from Sew Tara.)

I don't know who the first person was to add tabs to the top of snack bags, but it's a genius idea. Rory and I sat down and did a dry run with her lunch to be sure that she can open everything all by herself. Check!

We met her teacher earlier in the week and she seems very sweet. I decided to make her a "thanks for dealing with nine four-year-olds at one time" beginning of the year gift: a pair of cute felt apple coasters. (Tutorial from the Purl bee.) My mom is supervising some new student teachers and we thought they could use a little gift, too. I realized that now starts a whole new chapter of making teacher gifts, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't just a teensy bit excited about that.

We are supposed to have a change of clothes in a plastic bag to keep in their backpack. I sort of followed directions...I made a drawstring bag with Rory's name to hold a change of clothes and a plastic grocery bag, just in case. And then I used some orange felt and heat bonded her name to her backpack. I might have got a little carried away.

Now, is it two o'clock yet? I'm dying to know what my Bean did today!

Happy Birthday, Joe!

2011-08-30T16:00:00.002-05:00

Could it really have been a year since we celebrated Joe-Bear's first birthday? Geez. After a string of little girl birthday parties, it's was fun switch gears and make something for a boy. This year, I made Joe a set of number/color bean bags. (Lots of tutorials on these, here is a good one.) I made some for my kids, too. Who doesn't love a toy you are actually supposed to throw? When I finished, I realized that I needed to make something fun to store them in. This way maybe Shelley wouldn't kill me for giving her son 10 small things to throw (and lose) around the house.

I settled on a zippered monster bag. I made the zipper his mouth and gave him some felt and embroidery floss details. Rory immediately asked me to make one for her and Jack, and I got another request from a friend for her nephew. I think I may end up making more of these for The Pretty Bean. They're fun. The final design is still evolving. So far, I've added a carrying strap and a lining on the inside that I think I like. A little more tweaking and I might be satisfied.

Stroller Makeover, non-extreme version

2011-08-30T15:45:00.002-05:00

I don't really use strollers that much. For us, babywearing has been a lot more convenient. Still, we keep an umbrella stroller in the trunk for just-in-case moments. And it's nice at the library. And at consignment sales. Anything over about 25 minutes and my kids are done with the stroller, but it's good to have every now and then.

That being said, the poor stroller gets awfully neglected. I pulled it out the other day and inspected it...and was honestly a teensy bit grossed out. Mystery stains. Brown splotches on the seatbelt straps. Um...ick.

I broke out my trusty seam ripper and a screwdriver and took the old seat off. I soaked the edge binding and straps in a highly concentrated OxyClean bath and used the old seat cover as a template for a new version. I had visions of super-cool fabric but settled for what I already had on hand because, well, I'm cheap. (Oh, Mr. Yellow Corduroy, how I love thee!) I took a lot of pictures so that could refer back to them for reconstruction, but didn't really look at them. Winging it was easy enough. I used the old seam binding for the edges and reattached the now clean seatbelt straps. Whew. So much better.

Yes, the 4-yr-old in the background proudly dressed herself.

Now, back to the trunk it goes. Surely, there's a library trip in our future.

Five Stars and a napkin, please.

2011-08-14T16:53:00.000-05:00

My brother and his family were in town this weekend and we stayed up well past all of our collective bedtimes visiting Saturday night, which made Sunday morning come awfully early. We're having a delightfully lazy day around here today, which means that we had to get a little creative around lunchtime. Food creativity can be a gamble for sure, and I got lucky today.

I've not been so excited about a sandwich in a long time. I made myself a Leftover Meatloaf and Mashed Potato Sandwich (of Awesomeness). During the assembly I had an idea that this might be picture-worthy, so I grabbed the camera, just in case.

I was not disappointed. Bread. Cold meatloaf. Warm mashed potatoes. A1 Sauce. Mmmmmmmm.

I doubt I'm the first to invent the concept. I've just never thought to make this sandwich before. Andrew isn't sure about this one. He's not a fan of cold leftovers. He also isn't quite on board with my theory that A1 and/or ranch dressing enhance just about anything. That's okay. More MeatloafPotatoHappiness for me!

Pre-Lunch Finger Painting

2011-08-10T14:51:00.001-05:00

Today when Rory asked me one of her favorite questions ("Mom, what can we do?") I had an answer that she approved of. Finger paints. My recipe is from the same book as the homemade play dough. The same book that my mom used to make finger paints when I asked the same whiny question. Thank you, Feed Me, I'm Yours!

I realized that Rory was the same age as Jack when I first introduced her the finger painting. The book says something about the paints never holding a kid's attention as long as you'd like, but still worth making every now and then. Yeah, that's about right. Rory made three pieces of fridge art and Jack made (and ate) one. There were globs of goo on the tablecloth, both had slight food coloring stained fingers and I have entirely too much left over. But the kids both really liked it for a little while, so I'm sure I'll make them again sometime. Just not tomorrow.

Rory with her first finger paints in 2008.

Variations on a (Bag) Theme

2011-08-06T18:08:00.000-05:00

After getting a few positive comments on my ruffle bag this past week, I decided to dive in and make more. And when I go to make one of something, I end up with three. Different versions. So here we go- introducing three new items in The Pretty Bean shop: the Lindsay bag, the Shannon bag and the Shiloh bag:

I'm not sure I'm entirely capable of stopping the ruffle-bag process. Good for the shop and the ruffly goodness of it all, but bad for the whole getting-a-good-night-sleep business. I'll figure that out someday.

Special thanks to super-trooper Shiloh for being a model for her namesake in 100+ degree heat! (Shannon and Lindsay, we'll have to figure out how to get shots of you, too.)

Magic Eraser, here I come...

2011-08-03T13:46:00.001-05:00

This is why I can't check email or list things on Etsy while the kids are awake. They were playing so well together, so quietly. Quietly creating little masterpieces on Every. Surface. In. My. House. Well, at least everything in the living room and kitchen. And entryway. And bathroom. Although not pictured, Rory helped as much as Jack. She just didn't use her body as a canvas. Mostly.

At least it's washable marker.

I think.

Happy Birthday, Braelee!

2011-08-01T17:13:00.003-05:00

It's birthday season, isn't it?

Rory went to Braelee's very Dora the Explorer birthday party this last weekend. She had a great time bouncing in the bounce house and eating the (really, really yummy) frosting off of her piece of cake. For the birthday girl, I made a (wait for it....) Black Apple Doll! Nope, not tired of them yet!

Braelee's doll has a ruffly dress made from an old bridesmaid dress and a little charm for a necklace. Oh, and vintage floral "tights."

My brother-in-law didn't get a handmade gift for his birthday, but he did score some ~~cheap~~ creative wrapping paper. An old Denton Record-Chronicle page and a bow from fused plastic. There was last-minute resourcefulness involved. Instead of calling it "the scrap of wrapping paper that I had didn't quite fit the box and this was the only thing besides Christmas paper that I could find" we called it "green" wrapping. See? We're not (only) cheap, we're trendy!

It's Harvest Time!

2011-07-28T12:26:00.000-05:00

We helped my parents start a serious garden this year (Dun-Good Garden) and I get an almost daily report of the produce yield. It's been pretty awesome from my end, I'll admit. We do a lot of the receiving. I realized that I had some zucchini that needed to be used and I happened upon a recipe yesterday about the same time. I love when that works out- when you have all the ingredients on-hand for a recipe you'd like to try. Especially when it's for a dessert recipe.

During naptime yesterday, I made a chocolate zucchini cake with an orange-sugar glaze. And you know what? It's completely edible. Rory even asked for seconds!

I really should have waited longer for the cake to cool before pouring on the glaze, but yeah, I didn't.

(No Such Thing As) Too Many Bags

2011-07-28T12:17:00.002-05:00

I went to World Market with my mom last week and came across the cutest ruffled tote bag. It was soooo cute. It also cost $24.99. So I looked at it and figured that I could make one for a lot cheaper. Okay, for free. Hooray! This is my version. It's a little different. I didn't feel like messing with an inner pocket, for one. And I didn't hem the ruffle bottoms. I liked the look of the serged edges. I almost didn't line it, but Andrew guilted me into it. (Thank you, honey. Yes, you were right.) Oh, and I decided to go with the ombré trend right now with the colors. And I made the straps tie on through grommets. Okay, so maybe it's very loosely based on the original bag. Presenting the Mandolyn Ruffle Bag:

I'm planning to make for the my Etsy shop. I'll admit, I really like this one. Every once in a while, it's fun to have something SuperRufflyGirly that's functional.

Then I went to Walmart because (drumroll, please...) they brought fabric back! (Applause!) They may not have the coolest selection, but seriously, where else can I get fabric for $1.50/yard? Shoot, they even had patterns regularly priced at 97 cents. I found some adorable red fabric that I loved and made a Buttercup Bag. I made some piping to dress it up and added a layer of heavy stabilizer...mostly because I didn't want to go out and get the recommended fusible kind. Whatever. It totally worked. (Whew!)

Happy Birthday, Hannah!

2011-07-28T12:00:00.001-05:00

This year sweet Hannah got a two-tiered skirt with a removable messy flower pin:

And a set of headband & hair bows. I used this cool tutorial to weave headbands from strips of t-shirts. As I sewed the last part together, I realized that a flower clip would fit perfectly on it, and that would mean lots of options. Which is always fun. So I made two headbands and two different kinds of flower clips and came up with this. I made a few for Rory and me as well. You can never have too many hair things. Right?

ANOTHER use for t-shirts. I love it!

Rory discovered that when she's tired of the headband (And doesn't that always happen?) it makes a cute necklace. See? More options.

I had some leftover pink fabric from the big flower clips that I made Hannah and Rory, so I whipped up a new ballet skirt for the Bean to wear to class. Twirly!

The Crocs are a nice touch, eh?

Re-creation

2011-07-25T18:33:00.000-05:00

I decided it was time for The Pretty Bean to have a logo makeover. Something a little cleaner. Less busy. During the kid's nap yesterday, Photoshop Elements and I had a date.

And so...ta-da!

The new Etsy banner:

Happy Birthday, Ella!

2011-07-21T16:48:00.000-05:00

Rory made a new friend in swimming lessons this summer! We were invited to come over and celebrate Ella's birthday and Rory couldn't have been more excited. We decided that she needed to have an Ella doll (enter the Black Apple Doll pattern!) I tried making pigtails for the first time and added a little nose- both additions that I like a lot. I was going for "sun-kissed summer highlights" with the two-toned hair, but I think it ended up a little more "baby punk rock." Either way. Happy 4th birthday, sweet Ella!

This is definitely one of my favorite patterns. Ever. It's not difficult and can look a little different each time. I made one for Jack recently, too. It made Andrew's eyebrow raise a teensy bit, but I think it's adorable that he'll pick up Rory's doll and hug it, saying, "Awwww." Of course, then he chucks it across the room, but for the four seconds of sweetness, it's pretty darn cute. So I made him a boy version. It could use a little more tweaking. I gave him ears and jeans and a t-shirt. I think he needs a nose. It worked so well for Ella's doll that I might try to add one. He likes it. He also really likes to point out the ceiling fan.

Nothing says, "Happy Birthday, America!" like a new pair of shorts.

2011-07-14T20:51:00.000-05:00

I saw Dana's post (from MADE. I have an addiction.) on her adorable striped shorts and couldn't get it out of my head. I had to make some for my kids, too. The subtle nod to 80's running shorts is fun. Also, her brilliant method for lining up stripes is...well, brilliant. And easy. Whew. I had just enough patriotic fabric and bias tape to make it work (after midnight) without having to go out and buy any materials.

Rory and Jack loved their shorts. They didn't love sitting for pictures.

A Summer Shirt For Jack

2011-06-28T22:34:00.000-05:00

It's hard to sew for boys. Cute girly stuff is easy to find and make, for the most part, but finding the same for boys is an entirely different story. Which is why I was so excited to find the Kids Summer Shirt from Pox Couture on Etsy. Woo-hoo!

I love his little tummy.

I love dressing my little man like, well, a little man. Pint-sized button-down shirts are adorable! (And since the pattern goes through size 6, I hope he's fan as well. Because he's going to be getting a few more.) I had just enough of this vintage print fabric from my Grandma to make the first one. Thanks, Granny!

I'm really into this whole .pdf pattern business. Printing and cutting the size I need from regular paper, as opposed to the flimsy pattern tissue paper is nice. Also, the cats don't try to rip it to shreds for amusement. Bonus!

Love. This. Pattern.

2011-06-28T00:15:00.004-05:00

I bought a pattern for The Brooke Dress by Brynnberlee Designs on Etsy the other day. Something about the sweet, simple lines drew me in. The little ruffled cap sleeves. The pleats. (The awesome instructions with pictures.) Three dresses and I've had to make myself stop.

For now. I mean, really it's been two dresses and a top.

I'll be making more of these for other little girlies I know. I'm in loooove.

In case anyone ever wonders if Jack is neglected while I'm making Rory pose for her pictures... Um, yeah, he's good.

Big thanks to Jen for the retro kitchen plaid fabric! Hey Jen, did you recognize the yellow/diamond bias tape on the previous post? You're the best, Fabric Fairy!

***update***

Hi, Emily's-friend-Jen! You'll love this pattern. Here is a full picture of Rory wearing one of her dresses, so that you can see the length on her. I'd call it knee-length.

I'm Officially Biased.

2011-06-27T23:57:00.001-05:00

I've been playing with some of my new birthday toys lately.

I made spritz cookies with my new fancy cookie press:

And I've been making yards and yards of awesome bias tape with my new bias tape machine. I know! Most people don't know/care what bias tape is, but I don't care. I can now make it myself. In my house. With my own scraps. It's so fun! Bibs and other fused plastic things are going to get a lot more fun.

I love how this red and white striped fabric made bias tape. Rory was a fan, too.

New-To-Me-Again Shirt

2011-06-27T23:31:00.000-05:00

BEFORE

When I was pregnant with Rory, my good friend Kacy gave me a white gauzy hoodie. I loved it. She said it had never really fit her well and felt a little maternity. It fit me (and the belly) nicely. Fast forward four years and I still have the top. Still love it. Makes me think "maternity" because I wore it early in both of my pregnancies, but it isn't technically a maternity top and I can't get rid of it. So I grabbed my trusty seam-ripper (we have a love-hate relationship) and my new scissors (thanks, Andrew!) and made a new version.

AFTER: It looks even better ironed, I promise!

I removed the hood, made a new neckline, then shortened and added elastic to the sleeves. I took a piece of the hood drawstring and made a loop for the new button closure.

Happy Birthday, Landry!

2011-06-27T23:14:00.004-05:00

A few weeks ago we went to sweet Landry's birthday party! Her lovely parents collected gently used baby clothes for charity instead of gifts. I thought it was a fantastic idea. Rory was a little hesitant about not giving Landry a gift for her birthday, so we settled on making something small. It doesn't count as cheating if the gift fits in an envelope, right?

Rory knows that "Baby Landry" shares her love of Nick Jr. hosts Moose and Zee. We took the pattern for the no-sew Moose and Zee pillows from Nick Jr.'s website and scaled it down to make half-sized, sewn versions. We hope she likes them. Rory has been not-so-subtly reminding me that her Moose A. Moose that we made a while back is still missing a certain blue companion.

Happy Birthday, Anne!

2011-06-06T10:59:00.000-05:00

Anne turned three...how can that be? I made her a Black Apple Doll, this time with yellow corduroy hair. I LOVE how the corduroy hair turned out. Not sure why I hadn't thought of it before. I've got several yards of this amazing yellow corduroy from Andrew's Grandma. (I still want to make a yellow purse...)

With each of these dolls I make, I try to sew their body/dress a little differently. Anne's doll got a twisted pleat and lace combo and a little matching bow.

Happy third birthday, Miss Anne!

(Pretty Close To) Instant Gratification

2011-06-04T10:52:00.001-05:00

This is why we usually have a clip in Rory's hair.
And yes, she decorated her brother with stickers. Again.

I've had a remnant scrap of soft jersey fabric for several years now, intending to make Rory something out of it. Last night I decided that I needed to make something quick and easy. I needed a fix. So I did the unimaginative thing and whipped up a simple skirt for the Beans. It probably took five minutes. (Side note: I still heart my serger!)

I grabbed an old pair of Andrew's boxers that were in my scrap pile (Dude, boxers have cool prints!) and made Jack a pair of shorts. I love using existing hems. I love projects that don't involve getting the iron out. I love giving things a new life, like boxers, t-shirts, or old bedsheets.

I love that my kids genuinely like each other.

Let's go Mavericks!

2011-06-02T16:56:00.000-05:00

The Mavs are in the NBA Finals!

I made the kids some Mavs shirts to help the team get a win tonight. (Because that's obviously what was missing on Tuesday.) I've been wanting to try Dana's 90-Min Shirt before and finally got around to it. I think it holds pretty true to it's name. I'll be making more! I'm still in love with repurposing t-shirts. A lot.

We'll make sure to have the popcorn ready and the shirts proudly displayed starting at 8pm tonight. Watch out, Miami!

2011 Family Reunion

2011-05-26T14:12:00.002-05:00

My family has an annual reunion over Memorial Day weekend. They've been doing it far longer than I've been alive. There aren't really glitches anymore, everything runs like it's supposed to: hanging out, catching up, playing (usually some slightly embarrasing) games, grilling burgers, homemade ice cream contest, playing music under the gazebo. We like to add a few twists and turns every now and then to keep it interesting, like weddings or trailer fires.

And that's just on Saturday.

Sunday we get out of the Texas heat and have a big lunch before the family meeting and auction indoors. Everyone makes crafts of all different kinds (and varying levels of taste) to be sold. The money raised goes to the family fund for future reunion costs, scholarships, bonds, flowers, etc. It's actually kind of awesome (without the "kind of").

This year, so far, we have two crafts to bring. Rory made a stepping stone and painted it herself. (Heads up, Papa!)

I took a record from my Granny's collection and made it into a clock. It was definitely just as easy at it promised to be. Seriously, after spending like three minutes making it I was looking around the room for other clock ideas. (Don't worry, I stopped myself. For now.)

Andrew has some other ideas cooking and I think I'll add an adult fused plastic bib to the mix. I've still got a day and a half to get it done!

Happy Birthday, Rory Bean!

2011-05-26T13:57:00.007-05:00

My Bean turned four on May 11th. FOUR. How did this happen?

She was really into decorating this time around, so I got some cheap streamers and ruffled them. I'll be doing this again- I loved the way they turned out. (Thanks to the always amazing made blog!)

I used up some colorful scraps and vinyl to make drawstring favor bags. I wanted the kids to be able to see the contents that Rory picked out: stickers, dinosaur temporary tattoos, bucket o' pterodactyls, (knock-off) silly bandz and homemade play dough.

I love this kid. I love how she can perfectly combine her love for dinosaurs with her princess dresses. She likes to have her toenails painted and also likes watching football. She requests "Strawberry Shortcake" movies and episodes of "River Monsters" equally. It's all about balance. I love that she isn't afraid to be herself.

Princess, refashioned.

2011-05-10T10:40:00.000-05:00

A year or so ago we were gifted a ton of cute girl clothes for the Bean, including a Belle princess dress. Despite her ongoing dinosaur obsession, Rory has discovered that she likes to play dress-up, especially when with other girls. She doesn't generally play "princess" but rather goes around the house doing her normal stuff, dressed up in yellow chiffon. Hey, I've vacuumed in a tiara before, so I can't really knock it.

The Belle dress was starting to border on "raggedy." The top layer of glitter fabric had some unfortunate rips and there were at least two runs in the body of the dress itself. Knowing she would never actually consent to me repurposing the dress, I waited until after bedtime to deconstruct it. I removed the bodice and top layer of glittery ripped stuff and made a new yellow ballet skirt. The two layers of fabric left work really well for it- I may have to actually go buy some to make her another soon.

I thought it would go well with a white leotard that we'd recently bought at a consignment sale. It did, but the leotard was so....plain. I did a quick upgrade with an elastic gather and a little white bow. What really matters is that my little ballerina was happy. And twirly. Very twirly.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-26T16:31:00.002-05:00

After visiting church and both sets of their grandparents, my kids (and their parents) are still on a sugar high. We have an Easter Bunny cookie jar full of candy in the kitchen. It's both wonderful and frightening at the same time.

This time around I made Rory an Easter dress. I know it's not the traditional girly frilly Easter dress, but I kind of love it. It's more Rory-Bean. And yellow. I used some wire and lace to make her a vintage-ish hair bow to match. I also used this tutorial to make Jack a bow tie (If The Doctor thinks bow ties are cool, they obviously are.) I can't get over the bow tie. And amazingly enough, he didn't mess with it at all once it was on.

I, ahem, "The Easter Bunny" also made some bunny softies for the kids. Jack's is made from an old (but washed!) pair of Andrew's boxers. The Easter Bunny is very resourceful.

We found some very vibrant dye for eggs this year. It made for really pretty eggs and a very nice Brian Tribute egg (not pictured). Brian always got bored of the dyeing process when we were kids and would dip his in every color. Somehow, the ugly brown egg became the prize egg to hunt for. Rory got a quarter for finding it this year.

Squishy Happiness

2011-04-18T15:17:00.003-05:00

We scored some cream of tartar while cleaning Andrew's Grandma's house after she moved. I'm sure it has a valid place in recipes meant for consumption, but to me it means one thing. Homemade play-dough! I made a purple batch this afternoon using a recipe from a book my mom always used. I love homemade play-dough. It's warm. It's more pliable. It's whatever color I decide to make it. It smells good.

It smells exactly like 1986.

Quick Catch-Up, the Picture (Lazy) Version

2011-04-18T15:05:00.001-05:00

I really have to quit doing this.

Click for a larger picture, comment for explainations!

Because I Need Another Thing To Keep Up With

2011-03-25T01:37:00.001-05:00

It looks like it's time for another catch-up lightening round blog with all (most?) of the stuff I've made since January. Oops. Again.

That'll have to wait.

I just finished Jack's first birthday invitations and decided to make (another) brand/title/distinction/whatever.

I've been doing more design-stuff that isn't drawn, so it doesn't really fall under the Moo's Angels category. And The Pretty Bean is different, too. We'll see if it sticks, but for now I'm creating a new category that fits the more designed-not-drawn:

Anyone that knows me well is aware that I can never actually get anything done until most sane humans are happily snoozing. I hear that eight hours of sleep is an amazing thing, but hey, there's a lot of creating to be done!

Cake Fail

2011-01-26T15:45:00.000-06:00

My mother-in-law is a cake goddess. I'm not kidding around here. She makes delicious masterpieces and makes it seem simple enough to recreate. I understand now how humble she is about her mad skills because I am, as it turns out, extraordinarily bad at cake decorating.

Like, seriously bad.

This is a problem. Margaret the Cake Goddess is going to be out of town this weekend. That means that I am going to make the cake for my sister-in-law's baby shower on Saturday. (Sorry in advance, Jayne!) Armed with cake goddess supplies and a lot of great advice, I did a practice run with my icing. It tasted fantastic. Unfortunately it looked like...well, epic fail. Oh my. This is so much harder than it looks, folks. Given that I need MUCH more practice than I have time for right now, I made the executive decision to serve cupcakes instead.

Until the Goddess of Cakes heard of my failure and offered to come over and do some coaching. We'll see if tonight's Cake Boot Camp works miracles. Stay tuned...

Quick Fix

2011-01-26T15:22:00.002-06:00

Rory wanted to wear a cute hand-me-down dress with her leggings yesterday. Once she had wrestled it on (read: dressed herself) we realized there was a hole near the bottom. Boo!

With great effort and a lot of heavy sighing, she took it off so I could fix it. It only took twenty or so minutes to come up with this!

The grapefruit stain from breakfast didn't magically disappear with the new version and I couldn't get her to pose for a picture without putting her arms up. Hey, you can't win them all.

A Skirt for the Bean

2011-01-14T14:27:00.003-06:00

Every time I have a big project to do, I do a lot of prep work. I think about it. I sketch it out, in my head and on paper. I do some measurements. I think about it some more. I get everything together, and get started. On another project with zero pressure.

Every time.

I'm currently working on nursery bedding for my brother and sister-in-law. It's very exciting and I'm thrilled to have the chance to work on it. It's a big deal. So of course, right before I made the crib bumpers and adjustable crib skirt, I made Rory a fun skirt.

I haven't had the chance to get any real decent pictures of it yet. A certain three-year-old helper was having too much fun popping into the shot and the overcast weather wasn't working with my red sparkly tulle.

I looked at a few like this one, from made. Honestly, I didn't read too much on the instructions this time. I just kind of grabbed some fabric and tulle and went to town. It's kind of fun. I'm thinking about making some more for some other girlies that I know.

After I finish the rest of the "real" sewing that I need to do.

Probably.

Christmas Round-Up, Part Two!

2011-01-14T13:53:00.002-06:00

I finished 2 of the 3 stockings for Jack this year. Not too bad, right? I have eleven months to make one for our house. Grandparent's houses are taken care of, which is where Santa visits anyway. Somehow I didn't get a picture of the his jack-in-the-box stocking, but this is how the other turned out:

It fits in with the stockings at my parent's house. Half were made by my grandmother and I've filled in the additions. I still have a ways to go before reaching Mimi's level of Stocking Awesomeness, but I'm practicing.

I made Rory a Black Apple Doll and I'm in love. There are a lot of takes on this ragdoll, especially in the face, and I'm pleased with how this one turned out. I embroidered instead of using paint. I had fun making her outfit and her little accessories: a denim skirt, a pink frilly skirt and two scarves. I'm sure we'll end up making more. (I imagine I dinosaur dress is on the list.) Her knee-highs are made from bits of an old t-shirt. T-shirts. Endless possibilities. It's scary. Rory says that her name is, "Rory, like me!"

I knew I wanted to make a name book for Jack but wanted a new spin on it. I tried to think of fun alternatives to the usual alphabet picks (A is for apple, B is for ball, etc.) I settled on bird species, partly because something that detailed is completely ridiculous for a baby's soft book. Google and I found a Jay, an American Avocet, a Cardinal and a Kildeer. Thousands of felt scraps later, plus some embroidery thread, cellophane for crinkle-goodness and some cool yellow corduroy and we have one of my favorites for this year. (Click the pic for a bigger view.) Ta-da!

Christmas Round-Up, Part One!

2011-01-14T13:15:00.000-06:00

Christmas and handmade have always gone together for me. Growing up most of my favorite decorations and ornaments were made by my Mimi. She and my great-grandmother had made a felt Christmas tree advent calendar for us. I remember being mesmerized by all the tiny stitches and details on each little ornament for it's tree. When I got married I borrowed some of Mimi's patterns (and created some, too) to make my own. Newlyweds Shannon and Josh got this year's version, which I have to admit, has some of my favorite ornaments to date. Who can resist a tiny cowboy boot?

Stocking Stuffers! I found this snappy little tutorial for these adorable tissue holders.

My nephew lost his first tooth and a non-girly tooth fairy pillow was in order. I liked how this one turned out. I'm kind of kicking myself for not making an actual pattern for it. I think I may have to make one for Jack someday.

I made the kids some travel art caddies. Again, with the non-pattern. You'd think I'd learn.... They have pockets to stash doodle books and crayons. (A special thanks to Grandma, whose fabric stash gift has already seen a ton of usage!)

Black Apple Dolls for Rory and Kinsley! More about these cuties next post. I heart them. Like, a lot.

A sweet bird bow holder for the adorable Miss Landry. (It's cuteness doesn't hold a candle to the kid.)

Ruffle pillow covers! It's official, I can't get enough. Jayne's were made from the wrap of the bridesmaid dresses at my wedding (thank you, Laine!) and a failed skirt attempt from my very early sewing years. Kelli's is a mix of t-shirts.

Poppies: A Tutorial

2011-01-06T18:50:00.002-06:00

Vanessa asked me about these today. I've had several inquiries, actually, and this seems like the best way to explain the poppy making process.

A disclaimer up front: I'm hardly the first to make fabric poppies/flowers. I'm sure I'm not the first to make a tutorial, either. This is just my version. Credit to Laine for explaining the process over the phone. In her (paraphrased) words, "I'd make some for you, but really, they're too easy not to whip up yourself." She was totally right. The poppies are insanely easy, but I don't think they look it. I made a bunch of these for Christmas. They're a bit addicting. I'll probably put some in my Etsy shop for anyone who doesn't feel like making them. Or anyone who doesn't have random scraps of chiffon and polyester lying around the house.

Here we go.

You'll need:

Fabric: Chiffon, Polyester (the stuff that has a sheen to it), bits of old bridesmaid dresses, etc.

Scissors
Candle or some sort of flame
needle & thread
beads
hot glue gun (opt.)

optional for finishing: pin back or hair clip

Cut various sizes of circles (concentric) out of your fabric. They does not have to look pretty. Not even close. Imperfection here makes it better.

Time to play with fire! Grab each circle and (carefully!) hold it near your flame. Go easy until you figure out how the fabric will react- each is a little different. Basically, the edges will melt a bit and cause the fabric to have a slight curl.

Got it? Now put all of your pieces together and see how cool they look.

Take your needle and thread and make a few stitches right in the center to anchor it all together.

Add some beads with either a needle and thread or some hot glue and admire.

And that's it. Seriously. Easy, right? You can finish it off by sewing on a pin back (or you could use hot glue here) or gluing to a hair clip. Try adding some circles of tulle or mixing colors and beads. Totally addicting. And hey, now you can actually use that hot pink bridesmaid dress again!

Semi-Famous! (Or not.)

2010-12-23T10:51:00.001-06:00

Parents magazine

January 2011

The Hottest Kid Trends for 2011

p. 21

#11 A New Eco

Dude.

I totally made that bib.

Like, that specific one.

In my house.

With my sewing machine.

Dude!

Round Up- November

2010-12-20T02:03:00.001-06:00

Bibs & Produce Bags
I made a bunch of bibs and produce bag sets in November. My sewing machine has paid for itself a thousand times over. I can't remember the last time a day passed without turning it on at least once. Good stuff.

Spy Owls, Etc.
More! Hooray! They are impossible to pick up and not play with, no matter what age you are. I made these with a canvas(ish) fabric that turned out well, plus a special request monkey. Rory's buddy Sophia got a pink fleece owl for her birthday this year.

Autumn Leaf Branch
What a great idea for including a three-year old. This was from this tutorial on lovelydesign. Rory actually did a lot of the painting. I think it turned out really well!

Elf on the Shelf
Meet Bernard. He's our take on the Elf on the Shelf concept. I'll admit, we don't have the book. I've read it before at a friend's house and thought the idea was great. I whipped up our own elf on Black Friday before the rest of the house was awake. Bernard might not be exactly the same as the other Shelf Elves, but he sure works at our house.

He's my elf version of the super-cool Black Apple Doll pattern. I finished him before doing a little more research into the pattern construction and so he's a little skinny in the arms and legs. I'm just going to say that it adds to his charm. Yeah, that's it.

Unfortunately, December will most likely be round-up style, too. I want to make sure Christmas gift recipients are surprised!

Round Up- October

2010-12-20T01:08:00.001-06:00

Oops.

I'm a little behind on blog posts. Let's see if I can play lightning-round style catch up. Here's what I made in October:

Baby food
It's back! Baking, steaming, blending and freezing. Jack is a fan. A very big fan.

Soft Books

It started as a Happy Birthday to Baby Joe gift and The Books of Carsten and Daniel soon followed. Far too much fun to make. Especially little felt tube socks. And trees.

Plane Entertainment

Granted, she ended up only needing Daddy's laptop and some apple juice, but Rory's first plane trip included a new cute backpack, recycled doodle books (I've made a bazillion of them), and some spiffy fabric snack bags.

The Practice Bouquet

For beautiful bride Shannon, her practice bouquet made with ribbons from her shower gifts.

Stuff for Rory

Old t-shirts make yet another appearance, having new lives as 1) a peasant-style TCU shirt and 2) a bright red nightgown with a fun pink ruffle. Also, for Halloween she wanted to be a TCU cheerleader. I was happy to oblige. That pattern looked much, much easier than the alternative T-Rex.

Spy Owls, Etc.

They've been a hit! I made a special request fox, too.

Highchair re-do

The highchair needed an updated look. Out with the old and in with the stripes.

T-Shirt Transformation, Parts 2 and 3

2010-09-23T14:02:00.001-05:00

Oh my. I'm having entirely too much fun cutting up old t-shirts and making them into new pillows for my living room. But it's so easy. And quickly gratifying. Not to mention that old t-shirts are soft and comfy- exactly right for the couch.

I like accessorizing with white lately. Big color with white pieces. I'm loving it. I've had some pillows from the college apartment years that haven't been used much because they don't match with anything we have right now.

Three shirts later I have two new pillows for the couch. Pintucks! Gathers! Playing with different textures was cool and I think they work pretty well with the ruffly t-shirt pillow that I made earlier. Now I'm not sure that I can stop. Doesn't my bed need some cool pillows? Rory's room? No shirt is safe!

Future Frog*

2010-09-23T13:50:00.000-05:00

In this house, we like to start the TCU-love early. Like, in the womb. Jack obviously needed some TCU gear to wear to the games this year and so I quickly whipped up some iron-on transfer onesies. I really should remember where I got the pictures from to give proper credit, but it was late. Like, really late. So, you know, I found them somewhere in a Google search and then played in Photoshop a bit.

For controlling the drool-factor, I also made some quick mini burp cloths. One side has soft flannel or burp cloth fabric. They are great for shoving into pockets and quickly wiping the adorable mouth of one Captain Droolypants.

* provided we either 1) win the lottery, or 2) find the kids some amazing scholarships. Have you seen the price of college lately? Eek!

T-Shirt Transformation

2010-09-10T00:39:00.004-05:00

I don't really remember where I first learned about this kind of project, but I've been sitting on the idea forever. I finally put it into action and love the result.

I took an old (freshman year of college?) white t-shirt and cut strips, sewed/gathered them to make ruffly strips, then made them in to a pillow. That's it. I'm thinking I'll have to make a matching one of these. And possibly one with different colors. And also maybe one with some t-shirt design showing. That might be fun. And...And...

I'd love to pretend that it sits alone in a chair, looking classy. Not a chance. It actually lives quite comfortably with the chaos that is usually my living room. Today: a felt Moose (Thanks, Nick Jr.!) and a dinosaur coloring book with markers. Hooray!

Happy Birthday, Baby Joe!

2010-09-10T00:30:00.003-05:00

Our neighbor turned one and Rory wanted to get him a dinosaur and some juice. I decided to change it up a bit and whipped up a soft book for him. Happy birthday, Joe Bear!

It's Just A Little Crush

2010-09-10T00:19:00.005-05:00

I have been in love with this "Apples and Pears" fabric for a looooong time and finally found a good project for it- this breasfeeding cover (retails as "Hooter Hider") commissioned by Heather for a gift. There are a bunch of patterns floating around the Net, all very simple. I got a little extra fabric and am currently trying to decide on another project worthy of its fruity awesomeness.

My favorite part was Rory's enthusiastic, "Woo! You did it, Mommy! We can play toys now!"

Drooling with style

2010-08-17T15:07:00.005-05:00

Two things made this project happen yesterday:

1. I had needed to be working on several big orders with deadlines.
2. My son is the Drool King.

If I'm staring in the face of half-finished projects, I can't seem to do the practical thing and just finish what I've started before diving into something completely different. Nope, I apparently have to have no fewer than three things in the works at once. Always. So I looked at Drooly McDroolpants yesterday morning and had an overwhelming urge to whip him up a drool bib. Or two. Would have been four, but I couldn't find my new package of Heat 'n Bond.

Turns out that it's just as practical as it is cute. Or, as Rory put it, "Eeeeeeeeeeeeew, gross, Jack! Spit up! Spit up!"

Happy (Belated) Birthday, Landry!

2010-07-23T10:35:00.003-05:00

Landry's parents couldn't have been exactly shocked when she got a bag with her name on it- I've been planning on that gift for a while. I filled it with some fused plastic goodies and a Can You Spy? owl (ish) toy. I've seen I Spy pillows online at Etsy and other sites and loved the idea- it can keep kids (and adults) entertained for a long time, and it's incredibly easy to make.

I wanted to venture out beyond the basic pillow form and made mine a little owl. I took some vinyl and made a window in his tummy and filled him with a ton of little knick-knacks and plastic pellets. To play, you just shake, squeeze, turn, etc. until you find all the hidden toys inside. I made one for my house, too. Andrew played with it for a while before telling me, "Um, babe, you forgot to add the ceramic tile. It's not in here." Yes, it is. I promise.

Happy Cooking!

2010-07-17T02:08:00.008-05:00

I went to Shannon's bridal shower in Lubbock a week ago and had a really good time. We got her a gift from the registry, but I really wanted to make her something, too. Once I decided on a recipe box and cards I found that apparently recipe boxes are a modern rarity. Who knew? I must have gone to six places looking for one before deciding to just get creative.

I found a glass vase that seemed like it would be a great fit and thought about etching "recipes" on it. (Not that I've ever actually tried glass etching before...) Simplicity took over and I left the vase as is. It works. (I'm not sure how it would work as an actual vase.) I made some recipe dividers and cards and added 20 or so recipes that we use and love, minding the likes/dislikes of the bride and groom.

I'll admit, it makes my own recipe box look a little juvenile. Maybe I'll make me one. When I have the time. In like twenty years.

Leftover Pico is Delicious

2010-07-09T12:25:00.006-05:00

The kids and I had an indoor picnic yesterday. I've decided that pico de gallo is about as versatile a condiment as ranch dressing. It kind of rocks on a hot dog. A lot. I had two, just to be sure.

We had a lunchtime audience, of course:

Also in the delicious category: Dr. Pepper made with sugar. Serious yumminess is now, for a limited time, available in cans (outside of the Dublin, TX distribution area.) Andrew has discovered the perfect sugar Dr. Pepper drinking conditions. Served very cold, no ice, in a glass directly from the freezer. Seriously. It's knock-your-pants-off good. It rivals the leftover pico.

Shopping at The Rocket

2010-06-25T14:58:00.007-05:00

Rory has been playing with her shopping cart the past couple of days, so this morning I made a cash register so that we could play "store." I tried to search images of play registers for inspiration and was disappointed. Not many pictures homemade cash registers. Okay, really just one. So I opened Photoshop and made something up. It isn't fabulous, but it's functional. Rory said that she'd like to name her store "The Rocket." (?) We found a box, glued the register printout to the bottom and propped it up for use. I've decided that we'll keep her play money and old receipts in the box when we aren't using it. Maybe then we won't lose everything in two days. Maybe...

I started to make some of our own play money, but the three-year-old attention span in the other room made me decide to search for some instead. (This site has cute printable play money for free!)

I set some things to shop for (felt food, dinosaurs, boxes of Jell-O, etc.) out on the kitchen table and Rory put her money in a purse. She loaded up a few (seven) babies in the front of her cart and went shopping. She doesn't understand denominations yet, but we did exchange currency. She even told me to, "Have a nice day!"

Messy Fun

2010-06-25T13:21:00.008-05:00

My mom used to make homemade finger paints and play dough. I still like the homemade stuff better than any store-bought kind I've ever used. The smell alone brings back floods of memories of messy summer days at the kitchen table. She bought me the same book of cool kid recipes that she used and every now and then I remember that I have it. Rory asked for finger paints the other day and I was happy to oblige.

I'm not sure that they ended up as finger paints so much as Q-tip paints, but hey, she was happy. The mess was pretty much contained, too. We stripped the kid down to her pull-ups and put some paper on a big cookie sheet. Ta-da! And I was able to get a little bit of sewing done. You know, mostly uninterrupted.

The recipe is from Feed Me I'm Yours.

Soup's On.

2010-06-17T16:26:00.004-05:00

The only thing that would have made this meal better is freshly baked bread. Well, and adding the mushrooms. I value my marriage too much to gamble with mushrooms.

(Chicken Gnocchi Minestrone from Taste of Home.)

Addictive Artwork

2010-06-16T12:24:00.004-05:00

Go here for some serious time-wasting fun. I found it this morning via SoulPancake, which is highly addictive as well. It's also smart, so it makes you feel like your time was well wasted. At least that's what I'm telling myself.

Yummy.

2010-05-16T18:41:00.005-05:00

Here's to hoping for a good gardening season. So far, we have had lots of luck with our lettuce, both loose leaf and romaine. We're eating a lot of salad. We're giving the neighbors lettuce so that they can eat lots of salad, too.

We have broccoli, cauliflower and two types of tomatoes in the ground right now. Well, intentionally anyway. We have a few surprises- a potato plant and several cantaloupes. We had cilantro growing like crazy by our driveway. Peppers, cucumbers and more are sprouting in the windowsill.

I hope everything works out. My mouth is already watering in anticipation.

Happy Birthday to my Bean!

2010-05-16T18:33:00.005-05:00

Rory turned three last Tuesday. Three. How did that happen? I made her a birthday skirt from fabric that I super-duper heart. I love the pattern. It's a Market Skirt. Gathered pockets! The Bean is convinced that the pocket exists for holding candy. (I learned a new way to easily gather on the sewing machine from this tutorial and I can't believe I hadn't figured it out before. So. Much. Faster.)

Three-year-olds move very fast and hardly ever pose for more than a nanosecond, but I managed to get a few shots of Rory actually wearing the skirt.

(If anyone has a brilliant idea on how to tame that lone curl on the top of Rory's head, I'd love to hear it. She didn't just sleep on it funny, The Curl is always there. Always. It's rather persistent.)

Triple Threat

2010-05-07T02:04:00.003-05:00

More personalized tote bags for some lucky nephews. Their aunt requested them and asked if it were possible to find dirt bike fabric, as one of the boys is very into them right now. After striking out there, I suggested adding a painted dirt bike to the bag instead. I know, I know...one day I'll get tired of whipping out the freezer paper, but it's just so easy. I can't help myself. I think I like the added element, especially with a simplistic stencil. Thinking I might be doing more of this in the future...

Jack's Room- The Nickel Tour

2010-05-06T19:20:00.009-05:00

We ripped up carpet, painted walls, put up chair rail, installed new laminate flooring and completely transformed what had unintentionally become a junk room into a room that Andrew and I agree is probably now the coolest room in the house. We're starting to get the hang of what we're doing.

I've been waiting to post about Jack's room until I finish everything that goes into it, but several projects are sort of...well, still unfinished. The Bookshelf of Many Paint Colors and the Undecided Curtains will have to be stand alone posts for another time.

First, meet the sock monkey bedding. I'm not really one for baby room themes, but I did fall in love with this fabric. Like, a lot of love. I matched it with red/white stripes and chocolate brown corduroy. I used the same pattern to make a friend some sweet little bird bedding and adored the pleated bedskirt.

We were fortunate enough to inherit some cool furniture that we repainted with "Atomic Red." My father-in-law built the nightstand at one time and the dresser belonged to Andrew's grandmother. I used some vintage paper that Jen sent me a while back as shelf liner- nursery rhyme print. It makes me happy every time I open a drawer.

One IKEA trip and $12 later, we had some spiffy red and white shelves up, too. I'm collecting "Jack" things to fill them with . It's sort of an alternative to his name spelled out on the wall, I guess. Also, it totally amuses me. So far, we have a Jack Sprat root beer label, a jack-in-the-box (Two, actually. One regular and one sock monkey!), a Cracker Jack box, a "Don't Blame Me, I Voted for Jack" bumper sticker from the '90s, a set of playing jacks, an old wooden puzzle piece of Jack and Jill, and a Jack of Hearts playing card. I still have several things to add and I'm sure I'll come across more that I haven't thought of yet.

The playing card was a fun (cheap! cheap!) project. I wanted to find one that was bigger than a traditional playing card but wasn't having much luck. I also didn't want to pay a lot for a full deck when I really just wanted one card. I bought a wood plaque thingy for 97 cents at Walmart. I scanned the card in and altered the colors to match the room then Mod Podged (that is a verb, right?) it to the wood and finished with several coats of acrylic sealant. I really like the end result- it surpassed my expectations.

This frame is on Jack's wall as well, although I can't take credit for it. The amazing Wayne Geyer worked his magic for a shower invitation that deserved to be displayed...and bragged about by this very happy recipient. Awesometown.

Welcome, Jack!

2010-04-08T13:43:00.003-05:00

No matter what I create, these two will always be the best I've ever made.

Insomnia Satisfaction

2010-03-29T00:08:00.005-05:00

A few nights ago I couldn't seem to fall asleep. I've just got too much running around in my head lately. I also had an itching to make something that wasn't on the "to-make" list. I needed to be spontaneously crafty. Browsing through some blogs and other websites, I came across an adorable bird embroidery pattern from Geninne.com.

I first wanted to try putting the little guy on a solid color kitchen towel. The problem with that was that I didn't have a solid color kitchen towel, any extra funds to get one, and it was after midnight. I do have a bunch of IKEA blue and white kitchen towels on hand and immediately loved the idea of embroidering on a patterned fabric instead. A little after 3am (I think), I ended up a very happy camper. I kind of adjusted the pattern as I went along- omitted some details, most of which was intentional. I think. I'm currently wrestling with the desire to make many (many) more. I think that sewing birds onto everything I own might be a little overkill. But it's still pretty tempting.

Happy Birthday, Claire! (Craft Fail)

2010-03-13T16:28:00.009-06:00

I usually do a pretty good job of crafty flying-by-the-seat-of-my-pants. Every once in a while, though, I have no pants to fly with. The wheels fall off. It's usually not pretty. Lots of screaming, throwing objects and general disgust.

Friday night was one of those times.
Andrew and I had decided to make Claire a birthday gift using freezer paper stenciling. She loves to watch Chuck and expressed interest in the official shirt. (Warning: ripoff alert!) I have a super-awesome screen printing kit, but embarrassingly haven't had the chance to play with it enough to try screen printing on fabric. I soooo want to do it, but really want to make sure I have time to play with it and do it right. Anyway...

We went to get supplies and found some paint that boasted of its opaqueness, claiming to be "Like silkscreen in a can!", "So easy to use!" Spray on fabric paint. Seems genius. I wanted to work on a black shirt and the paint seemed like a good idea.

Long story (and night) short, the canned fabric paint is not really compatible with freezer paper stencils. When it (good gracious, finally) dries, the freezer paper pulls off but leaves the paint on top, making clean edges completely non-existent. I spent two hours imitating a surgeon with an X-acto knife and a black sharpie trying to make the edges look somewhat presentable. From a distance, it's pretty passable. The closer you get, the worse it looks. Not at all the smooth, crisp edges I was going for. I didn't want this thing to be obviously made in my kitchen. Sigh. (The pictures actually don't show the letters with edges nearly as ragged as I remember them being. Nice work, camera.)

I made an official "Craft Fail" tag for it, so at least we all got a few good laughs. Sorry, Claire. Happy Birthday! We owe you a better gift. :)

A Onesie for Jack

2010-03-13T16:25:00.001-06:00

Because first, I have an inability to leave a onesie unadorned and second, robots with mustaches are funny.

Hee hee.

Progress.

2010-03-05T14:31:00.004-06:00

See? I have been busy! I'm working on reaching craft equilibrium before Baby Jack is here. I'm making progress. Halfway through a huge bib order, almost finished with the baby bedding- I'm having fun taking things off the to-make board above my sewing machine. Not that I don't enjoy making things, just that I don't enjoy them hanging over my head. Next goal: get the Etsy shop stocked up. Wish me luck.

Dinosaurs + Cookies = Happiness

2010-02-19T23:09:00.005-06:00

I've been working on a million different things lately- Jack's baby bedding, Rory's reupholstered chair, some sweet little baptism invitations, fused plastic craziness and on and on and on. Most of those projects will eventually make their way to a blog post. For now, I have to give a huge shout out to my mom's cousin Alice, who sent us an adorable outfit for the baby and also a hugely popular gift for his big sister, too.

Dinosaur cookie cutters.

Rory and I got out a sugar cookie recipe and some food coloring (because when you're 2, everything is better with food coloring) and went to town.

How to make Dinosaur Sugar Cookies- A Two-Year Old's Perspective

1. Have your mother make a batch of sugar cookies. "Help" dump the ingredients in a bowl. Get VERY EXCITED about making several different colors of cookies. Pay no mind to the stained hands of your mother, who thought about adding color after the dough was finished.

2. Drag your chair to the counter and help push cookie cutters in the dough. Sneak bites of cookie dough. In true baker form, get flour all over your shirt.

3. Name all the dinosaurs. Sneak bites of cookie dough. Point out that your mother broke off T-Rex's midsection. Share the obviously wrecked cookie with your mother.

4. Peer into the oven and wait for the cookies to bake. Toss the dish towels aside so that you get a better view. Put dish towels on dog. Ask to have another bite of cookie dough from the bowl. Share it with the dog.

5. Eat cookies. Name each dinosaur. Dance off your sugar high in the kitchen.

Happy Birthday, Michael!

2010-02-11T16:51:00.004-06:00

Rory and I braved the snow and got our hair cut by Michael this morning. It was like driving to Dallas in a snow globe. Big fat snowflakes have been falling all day long- it's like a real winter or something! We stopped and bought Rory some rain boots on the way home and had fun playing outside.

Today is Michael's birthday, so I made him a Warhol-esque portrait of his pets. I'm trying not to go crazy and do the same to a million other pictures. Wish me luck.

Happy Birthday, Philip!

2010-02-06T11:47:00.003-06:00

My nephew turns 5 tomorrow! Rory and I (with a little help from Andrew, too) made wrapping paper for his gifts. We used Rory's new dinosaur stamp set (special thanks to Kiki, Wayne and Landry) to decorate a brown paper sack. I've always been a fan of alternative wrapping- what's cooler than a gift wrapped in comics? Or, you know, a stamped and colored brown paper sack?

(Not So) Great Expectations

2010-02-06T11:35:00.006-06:00

I've known Shannon for 22 years now. That means several things, among them being that she doesn't expect her Christmas presents to come on time. Not that I don't actually try to have them finished by December 25, it just never seems to happen. Obviously, this year didn't break tradition.

This project lived inside me head for several months before actually coming to life in the real, material world. I used a picture from when the two were engaged and simplified the lines. Then simplified them more. Then started over because the resulting picture didn't even closely resemble either of them. I finally got a draft done that I was pleased with and transferred it onto fabric using the kitchen window as a lightbox. A few strands of brown embroidery floss and a red frame later and voila- the gift is finally finished!

I admit that the sketch looks a lot better (and much more like the two of them) than the embroidery, but still I think the result is kind of fun.

So here it is. In February. Happy EngagemeChristmasTine's Day, Shannon and Josh!

Fused Plastic Placemats

2010-01-25T16:22:00.005-06:00

I got a suggestion from the wonderful Kelly @ The Urban Infant to make some kid-sized placemats from fused plastic. I've shipped some bibs to her and she wanted to try this as well. I had a head-slap moment- not sure why I hadn't thought of this before. It seems like someone gave me the idea a while ago, but I'd always thought of them as larger, standard size and that would require sewing several pieces together. It would work, but isn't as easy to clean and doesn't necessarily lay as flat as a placemat should (especially for clumsy eaters like me- we don't need any help making mess).

Rory got the prototype and loves it. I whipped up eight more that are currently on their way to The Urban Infant in Chicago. I think these will make their way to the Etsy shop soon. Maybe in sets of 2? 4? Paired with a bib?

Recover!

2010-01-20T13:37:00.007-06:00

I've been playing with recovering the ironing board for a while now. It's got some mystery spots on it, no doubt from plastic. Or spray starch. Or possibly fusible interfacing. Or...

I had enough of this green star fabric in my stash to make a new cover and decided to tackle it today. It was surprisingly simple. I traced the ironing board shape, plus some extra around the edges onto the new fabric, sewed a bias tape casing, then added elastic (which I like better than the old cover's drawstring). Ta-da! Now when I manage to get this one full of mystery spots, I won't be as hesitant to whip up another cover.

Rory took a look and said, "Good job, Momma, you did it!" which I think she really meant as, "Now can we get to that peanut butter and jelly sandwich, please?"

Nesting

2010-01-16T12:28:00.009-06:00

I've been a pregnant nesting fool. Jack will be here in April (probably), so it's a good thing. I've been crossing things off my to-clean-out list and annoying garbage men with my overflowing trash bin. It's a good thing.

I had a serious need to (one) make baby Jack something and (two) use some fabric remnants that I'd picked up on sale and fallen in love with. I was over at Kelli/Wayne/Landry's the other week for some excellent food and Cowboys football (Woo!) and played with putting some fabric on burp cloths. We were having a tough time with the cloth and fabric pulling and tried to come up with a good strategy for sewing them. I was searching for more info and found this tutorial at Chickpea Sewing Studio, which uses a teeny tiny zig-zag stitch and found that it works beautifully.

Holiday Baking

2010-01-16T12:24:00.009-06:00

This year was a good time to be standing in the kitchen. It smelled delicious for the better part of December. I made biscotti with Margaret:

The Duncan girls got together for another round of cookie baking, I made biscotchos and homemade tortillas for the family Christmas party (and forgot to take pictures of both events...), and Margaret and I had our annual Tamalepalooza. This year's batch was Red Chile Pork:

Is it already 2010?

2010-01-16T12:16:00.004-06:00

Whoops. I've fallen way behind on my blog. Instead of trying to throw everything that I made for Christmas all into one post, I'll just highlight one of my favorites. It's a long story (and even mildly funny), but this was created as a special request, limited edition (1 of 1) felt food namesake. They are supposed to be shaped like ice cubes, as the originals were in 2001. Shannon's "Bowling Alley Boogie" Jell-O Shots.

Totally classy, right?

Craft Now, Sleep Later

2009-11-25T11:00:00.003-06:00

After a triple dose of nighttime catnapping, I set up my booth at the Plano Christmas Craft Fair again this year. Usually I can blame the frantic pace on just not being prepared early enough. And while I can't completely write that excuse off this year, it was awesomely complicated this year. I have been working (seemingly) non-stop making felt food and bibs- just not for this show. I've been shipping orders to some great boutiques and just didn't have a chance to think about this year's craft show until the week before. Everything worked out in the end and I sold cards, felt food and bibs pretty decently this year. I've decided to continue updating most of my card designs and put the discontinued stuff on SuperClearance.

Shout outs to Claire and Katrina for helping at the booth and tearing down. Also to Andrew (and Rory) and Margaret for more help with set-up/tear down. High five!

Now I just need to make sure my Etsy shops are full...

Riff Ram Bah Zoo

2009-11-13T12:03:00.003-06:00

Saturday is a big game for TCU. A BIG game. So, for a few hours last night I abandoned all responsibilities (are we sensing a pattern here?) and crafted some TCU stuff. For the game. It was necessary. Somehow, that works out in my head.

I had an LT jersey that I wore to games in college that I haven't been able to squeeze myself into for a few years. (It's an adorable youth size. Isn't that cute? Yes, yes...) It wasn't helping the Horned Frogs sitting in my closet, so I made it into a bag that I'll bring to the game. It's loosely based on the same pattern as I've used before, but I changed the straps, added a zipper and made it bigger. I used the "TCU" that was on the sleeve for the inside pocket.

Rory needed something to wear to the game with sleeves, so we found her a purple shirt (Hooray, Target clearance!) and I freezer paper stenciled a silver "TCU" on it. Not sure if it was the paint or the shirt, but I had to do some work on the edges after I peeled off the stencil. Mildly frustrating, but I like the end result. I found a frog iron-on decal that I'd printed who knows how long ago and felt the need to make my son a onesie. Hee hee. My son. That's cool. Sure, he won't actually be outside of the womb to cheer the frogs this year (or wear the onesie, obviously), but I'm sure he's kicking along to the fight song.

We're heading to Austin tonight for the Hokahey 5K for my Uncle Dan and then we'll be Fort Worth bound. So now it's noon on Friday and I can focus on packing for this weekend. And cleaning the house a bit. It's okay, I know that my sanity (and my priorities) sometimes (usually) hangs by a thread.

Riff Ram, Bah Zoo

Lickety Lickety Zoo Zoo

Who Wah, Wah Who

Give 'em hell, TCU!

Grub-a-saurus Tex-Mex

2009-11-04T09:57:00.004-06:00

I'm in the middle of no less than four time-sensitive projects. And I have an icky cold. Which of course means that I will inevitably take more breaks than usual and start making something completely unrelated to anything I'm currently working on. Like a dinosaur house. Or diner, if you will. Andrew so cleverly named yesterday morning's creation the "Grub-a-saurus Tex-Mex".

Rory is obsessed (OBSESSED) with dinosaurs. (Looking at you, Dinosaur Train.) She has a collection of dinosaur toys that needed a place to play. "In the middle of the floor" wasn't working out so well. Enter one diaper box, some magazines, packing tape and some overgrown kids who parade around in parent disguises and you have this. Sure, I could have brought out the felt, fabric, glue and tons of other supplies, but there was something really fun about the minimalist construction.

Apparently, T-Rex prefers kiwi. And Mr. Triceratops has a TV addiction. Both scientific facts, I'm sure.

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-01T01:15:00.002-05:00

We went to TCU's Homecoming game, so this is as close as Rory got to a costume this year. She picked out a half-price Halloween bandanna at Hobby Lobby earlier in the week, and I found this awesome tutorial. I've already made a dress for a certain birthday girl (Happy birthday, Mary!) and plan on making about a bazillion more as soon as I catch up on a few things. Or until I decide I need a break from the catching up...

2009-10-20T13:54:00.003-05:00

I'm doing a clean out of my kitchen, which means I tend to take lots of breaks. My mom gave me this cute little votive a while ago and I wanted to light it. (Because that's more fun than cleaning the microwave.) I couldn't find anything to put it in, so I dug up a crystal candy dish and some dry pinto beans from the pantry. I kind of like it.

Now I'm trying to decide if it's creatively functional or just plain tacky.

Back From My Unintentional Hiatus

2009-10-20T13:46:00.003-05:00

Oops. How did more than a month go by? I've been making things since the last post, I promise. I'm generally (always) behind in making birthday gifts, but I did actually have two ready on time this month!

Happy birthday to my mom (Oct. 2)! I made her the cute purse. I then immediately found some different fabric and made one for myself, too. And Rory. I love them. (Awesome tutorial from Ric Rac!)

Happy birthday to my niece, Kinsley (Oct. 17)! I gave made her a felt food sandwich and a peasant dress. I might have a giant crush on the fabric. I might have bought extra so that I can make Rory a matching dress. ("Identical cousins...") And then when she outgrows it, I might have to reclaim it and make something else. That or go buy more fabric now. Either way.

Meet the Old School WayneBurger (with Bacon)

2009-09-13T12:03:00.002-05:00

I wanted to create a felt burger and knew the perfect person to turn to for official cheeseburger advice. It was fun to have such awesome input in the making of this one. Here's what the Etsy description is:

There is a man who knows cheeseburger perfection, and his name is Wayne. This one meets his strict standards with its white bun, classic (fried) beef patty, American cheese, mustard & mayo, tomato, onion, dill pickle chips and iceberg lettuce. For envelope pushers, we’ve included bacon and a side of fries.

Thank you, Wayne!

I also did some more freezer paper stenciled onesies for a proud Aunt Emily to give to her new nephew. One day I might stop using that cool copper paint, but probably not anytime soon.

I got a screenprinting kit for my birthday and can't wait to try it out. I vowed to finish a slew of projects before I allow myself to dive into it and I'm almost there. So excited!!

09/09/09

2009-09-13T11:12:00.004-05:00

I know two awesome couples that got married on September 9th this year! Congrats to Susan and Michael, who let me have fun with their wedding invitations and to Kacy and Boady, who let me have fun with their wedding annoucements!

I made Susan and Michael some flour sack dish clothes with freezer paper stenciled words. I wasn't quite satisfied with just the stencil, so I embroidered around the edges in bright colors. I always forget how long hand embroidery takes, but I always like the end result. Still working on Kacy and Boady's gift...

Black-Out Poetry

2009-09-02T13:51:00.003-05:00

This is the latest challenge from SoulPancake. Find a newspaper or magazine (or book you don't mind writing in...) and a sharpie and black out words until your left with poetry. It's as fun as word refrigerator magnets, I promise. And possibly addicting. Both of these are from a parenting magazine. Above is "Dinner" and below, "Big Picture (Cliché)".

Pop-Tarts from my oven.

2009-08-21T10:33:00.002-05:00

Yesterday my Uncle Dan took a Pop-Tart quiz on Facebook. (Apparently, he's a Brown Sugar Cinnamon kind of guy.) And I couldn't get them out of my head. Last night I looked up a recipe and gave it a shot. I made brown sugar cinnamon and grape. The result? Huge. More flaky than the real deal. Pretty darn good. I intended to add frosting, but it was entirely too late. Besides, my icing made from powdered sugar never seems to come out quite right. Wouldn't want to mess up a good thing.

Congrats, Brian!

2009-08-18T14:54:00.004-05:00

My mom called and asked me to make a German chocolate cake for my brother's party last weekend. I had a day to do it. So I cheated. I got a box and made cupcakes. And then I added just a touch of tacky. Couldn't help myself.

But the box was good. Yumminess. And now my little brother now has a Master's degree. Definitely cupcake-worthy.

Cute Hats for Cute Babies

2009-08-18T14:47:00.003-05:00

These were supposed to go to two sweet babies born, oh, 8 or 9 months ago. Wow, that's even more embarrassing in print. Hmm. I finally got my act together and reknitted hats that would actually fit their heads now. I made a few other things as well and shipped them off. Happy Baby, however late.

They are more designs from the always-amazing Itty Bitty Hats book. The blue one is a hybrid of several patterns. I might be in love with the picot edging. It's sooooooo cute for little girls.