artsy fartsy and dangling dogs

So my girls had a week of non-stop art projects, mostly painting with water colors and coloring with markers.  They couldn’t get enough!  Sophie decided to try and make a hand stamp.  Tessa claimed she didn’t eat any paint… but the evidence suggests otherwise. :)

You can’t see them in the picture but there are stuffed animal dogs attached to the bottom of their belts.  Sophie brought me a dog and a belt and asked me if I could put it on “Salt Bike” (which is the name of her dog and her baby brother currently, lucky guy) So I had the idea of putting it around his neck and telling her she could walk it.  The leash idea is a big hit and they have branched out to walking all of their toys from dogs to horses, elephants and even baby dolls.  But even more fun than walking them is dangling them over the side of the top bunk. And then “accidentally” dropping it and begging your sister or friend to retrieve it for you. :)  My girls both LOVE to play the damsel in distress role.  “HELP ME!” is a very regular phrase at our house.

It’s so nice how much my girls play together these days.  They are in their own world most of the day pretending to be princesses mostly who change their outfits often.  Sophie loves to be animals and Tessa wants to play with Sophie so she goes along with it for awhile until Soph scares her by roaring too loud or something.  They also love to wear their hooded towels and pretend they are their “longer hair,” as Tessa says it, just like Rapunzel.  Then one will climb on the top bunk and try to get the other to climb their hair.  Fortunately their hair just falls off and no one gets hurt, but they keep trying!  I’ve been loving the big dip in “I wanna watch a movie!” requests, it’s wonderful!  I don’t know what made them change their minds that playing was more fun, but I am grateful regardless.

In other May news, Dan got me my favorite flowers for Mother’s Day.  He also gave me this cute pink shirt that reads, “I run like a girl, just try to keep up!”  I love it!  Such a thoughtful husband I have.  I also wanted to share a few crafts I made before our Utah trip for distribution:  1) the car caddy for my nephew Dean turned out real cute I think my girls loved it so much I may need to make another, 2) some shoes for my niece Sydney, I love the new fabric I got from a local fabric store called the Fancy Tiger such a fun place and the best wool felt selection I’ve ever seen, and 3) some blessing day shoes and headband for my newest niece baby Jane (modeled by Tessa’s lovely cabbage patch doll).  Crafting is so fun!

I’ve been cobbling

Not sure if cobbling is a word… but the spell checker isn’t highlighting it, so I say it is!  I have been having SO MUCH fun with a few new patterns I purchased on Etsy here.  I did make my own pattern awhile back, but had inconsistent success with it, so when I saw this one I decided that it was totally worth spending $4 to snatch it up!  I kind of wish I were a cobbler, because these shoes are so much fun to make!  It’s like all I want to do lately.

I know we’re having a boy (every time I make a pair of girls’ shoes and show Dan he raises his eyebrows and asks, “WHY did you make those?”) I plan to make more shoes for our little guy, but we’ve still got 3 1/2 months until he’ll be around! So I’ve been cobbling shoes for some of my favorite baby girls first since they can wear them right away.  Anyway, I was too excited about them not to share.  I totally recommend these patterns, easy to follow, and all of her tips and tricks make them almost fool-proof.

P.S. Tracy, I totally need to make some of these for Lucy!  Please comment or email me her size and what color (I have almost every color).

some crafts of late, and whether I’d do them again…

Here are a few random gifts I’ve made and pictured lately:

I love these fabric balls, the pattern is for small, medium, and large balls, I only made the small and medium.  I need to make some for my house, I like toys that are thrown to be SOFT so they don’t injure me, the children, or other things in the house.  I will totally make more of these.

The stuffed pig didn’t really turn out like the pattern she’s supposed to stand up on her legs, not belly flop… but still kind of cute I think.  I did a terrible job on his nose, it was so hard!  Pattern can be found here.  I don’t think I’ll make another piggy with this pattern.

This is an old picture, (a year ago seeing that Sophie’s birthday party game is behind her) but I made 8 hooded towels similar to this, for all my nieces and nephews for Christmas.  I don’t know if they like them or not, but my girls sure like theirs!  I sort of used this pattern, but I changed it a bit.  If you have an interest, maybe I’ll make a tutorial for how I like them best next time I make one.  I’ve found if I make the top flat instead of pointed they stay on much better.

I’ve also made a few of these clever receiving blankets with ric-rac trim between the layers.  Probably not a new concept to most of you, but it was to me!  Really the most practical baby gifts are receiving blankets and pj’s don’t you think?  I go through so many with how many times my babies poop on their clothes and blankets a day those first few months.  This is a pattern I’ll use again and again. (already have)

I started something that I’ve wanted to HAVE for a long time but lacked the motivation to MAKE… a quiet book. What got me going was the tempting offer from my cousin Mary.  She offered to organize quiet book groups so each of us could make multiples of the same page and then we will all swap!  I am making 9 of these apple tree quiet book pages and will keep one send the other 8 off and receive 8 different pages from others!  So much more time and cost efficient to do it this way… I think, not that I’ve done it any other way. :)  If I want to get more pages would any of you be interested in making a group with me and doing the same thing?  (assuming I know you)  By the way, anyone with felt experience?  Do I need to use a sewing machine to make the button holes last?  Or can I just cut a hole without reinforcing it?  I know felt doesn’t fray but I think it may stretch. 

What crafts have you been working on?  I’d love to hear.

mirror, mirror, on the floor?

I picked up this big mirror at the thrift store for $20 over the weekend.  A little bit more than I wanted to spend but it was EXACTLY what I had been looking for, so I got it.  I forgot to take a “before” picture after I got it home, but had this one from my phone since I like to send Dan pictures of stuff at the store I want to buy to get his opinion.  Does anyone else do that?  I’m kind of crazy about it.

 

While I was out on a run Saturday, Dan primed and painted it blue, with paint left over from our accent wall.  Dan is a better painter than me because he is very thorough and patient.  Now, I had planned to glaze it but was scared to because really liked it blue and my first glazing project didn’t turn out how I wanted.  So I left it just blue for a couple of days and decided that our apartment was too bright with not enough contrast and a little too matchy-matchy.  I used a glazing technique learned here.  Can you believe the difference?  I think glazing is really great to make the details really POP.

Here’s another picture of it all done.  I like it, I think… yeah, I do.  I do like it by itself but I have a hard time bringing pieces that I like together in a room, then they don’t “go” how I want.  It’s kind of like when you see clothes on other people you really like but don’t think you could pull it off.  I think my problem is that I like too many different styles that don’t always go together.  ANYWAY, should I paint the chair black?  Maybe that would fix everything.  I just don’t like how the glazing turned out on that thing.  The seat isn’t upholstered yet either, Dan hates the fabric that’s on there and I am still undecided so don’t let that influence your opinion!

Another small project I did this week was making this cute little menu out of a picture frame we had in the closet.  I just printed the title and week days on from the computer and use a dry erase marker to write what we’re eating.  I hope this inspires me to be a better meal planner!  I saw the idea on a few different blogs, but I don’t remember which ones… so I don’t know who to credit for the idea, but just know, it wasn’t my own. :)  I think I’ll either put magnets on the back so it can go on the fridge or hang it on the wall so it doesn’t take up counter space.  I think meal planning is hard!  Is it easy for you?  What’s your secret?

Thanks for stopping by!

P.S. Less than 3 weeks until we get the bar results.  Also, Sophie starts preschool tomorrow!

Cousin Camp 2010 (2nd annual)

Dan’s mom is a really special lady.  She is always making such wonderful cute things and coming up with new ideas of how to spoil my children.  I think this idea is a really good one!  She holds “Cousin Camp” at her house each summer so all of her grandkids come to stay and spend time with her and each other.  It’s just a day camp so far, but that may change as our kids get older.

For our art activity Ann taught us how to make egg carton caterpillars.  They turned out so cute, it’s been 2 weeks and my girls still play with theirs.

This picture would have been better if I focused on Elise’s caterpillar instead of her face, but it’s just instinctive.  Look Tessa’s guilty face!  She tried to eat the markers and then opted for a cookie instead.

Last year’s swimming in the back yard was a huge hit, and this year was no different for everyone but Tess.  She was more interested in sitting by mom and eating crackers. 

{Sophie is crazy in the pool.}  {I really doubt there is ANYTHING in this world cuter than my Tessa in her new swim suit, even with a scowl on her face!  Oh I love it.}

{Melody was FREEZING!  She wouldn’t admit it, nor would she stop playing in the water.  But I did manage to get a picture of one of her shiver faces, she’s so funny.}  {Lily is getting bigger but she still looks so small!  She was a really good sport and didn’t cry in the water at all.}

Popsicle break! Oh how I love pictures in the shade so much better than in the sun, a little photography portrait tip:  move your subject into the shade and your pictures will look 10 times better.  Don’t believe me?  Compare the pictures below to the ones above.

{Well, HI Lilly!} {Ann decided to try and take Tessa in the pool again…while the big girls were eating.}

The first time I put Tessa in the water she kept slipping on the bottom and sliding under the water, after 3 dunks she was T.O.!!  Round 2 wasn’t very different, she went down the slide and didn’t stand up at the bottom so she went under again.  She used to love the water.

{Tessa’s using baby cuss words in this picture that aren’t appropriate for the blog. :)  Lucky Elise ran past at just the right moment to join this pic.}  {Sophie smearing Elise on the grass.  Soph is a really physical girl.  She loves to wrestle and will run up and tackle you without warning.  Sophie is also very into hugs, kisses, snuggles, kicking, punching and biting.  (We’re working on the last 3.)  She will growl at you if she’s playing tigers or if you’re doing something she doesn’t like, kind of like a wild animal.  Don’t mess with Sophie!}

 

They both were having fun so I let them have at it.  These 2 really enjoy each other’s company, you can tell.

Speaking of Sophie, I took these shots of her running and jumping in the pool.

After the pool and pizza for lunch all the girls took a nap, except grumpy Tessa!  The little stinker is so picky about having her pillow, her blanket, etc…  Although, we did take away her binky this last weekend and it hasn’t been too bad!  We bribed the kids to sit on the blanket outside for a photo shoot.  Cami got a good one, but mine are more of the “candid” look.

{Tessa, Lily, Elise, Sophie and Melody. In case you didn’t know!} {Look closely and you can see Tessa’s half-eaten orange candy falling from her mouth, I put in an arrow.  She is such a messy eater.}

We let them play a bit while the adults ate dinner and after one more group shot in their new *matching* pj’s, we took them home to bed.

{Tessa was beyond tired from missing her nap.}  {More bribery to sit still for a picture.}

These pajamas are adorable, they have a tutu to put on top!  We love them.  I love hearing Tessa say “Two tuuuu,”  with her lips pursed.

Can’t believe I didn’t get a picture of the founder of cousin’s camp, Grandma Nina.  Next year you need to be in this last picture Nina, matching jammies or not!  Thanks for another great camp!!

she’s DONE!

I’m so happy with my new headboard!  She’s finally done.  Check it out! (Please don’t mind that the pillow shams need to be ironed and that our comforter is the wrong size for our bed.)

 

Dan really took the bull by the horns with this project, thanks honey!  My dad did the first cut of the headboard shape and then I decided I wanted to change it a bit and Dan cut it with his new saw.  Here he is screwing on the legs.

I haven’t added up my receipts to be sure but I estimate the project cost me around $100, so much cheaper (and space saving) than a “real” bed.  Plus I just love all the color it adds to my boring bedroom.  I have all the supplies to make coordinating throw pillows, and as soon as I get my sewing machine here at the new place I’ll make those too.  What do you think?