Elastic Waist Skirt.

My latest sewing project is this beauty.

An elastic waist skirt.

It has a thick elastic band around the waist...super comfy. stretchy. perfect for my growing belly...AND for all you skinnies out there wanting a cute comfy skirt!

{One day I will master the art of sewing in a straight line ^^}

And one of the best features of this skirt...

Deep pockets!

On both sides.

I may put some pics of my [preggo] self modeling the skirt LATER, but for now, this is all you get.

Oh, and fabulous Christal modeling her mustard yellow creation...

 {photo taken by ME}

just LOVE LoVE LOVE it!

To make your own, use this tutorial from Freshly Picked!
And have fun!!

DIY: Jewelry Display

If you need a cute/decorative way to organize your drawer full of earrings this is the perfect solution!

Materials you need to make your own:

a cute frame {just the frame} - you can go vintage, modern, simple - personalize it!

window screen {available at your local hardware store}

and hot glue

Cut the screen to the exact size of your frame.

glue it down to the insides using hot glue [careful not to burn yourself] 

display your jewelry! and admire...

That's it!

Any ideas for cluttered necklaces and bracelets?
I was thinking the same kind of frame with hooks....or maybe a necklace tree....
thoughts??

Toddler Boy Neck Tie

I always wanted a girl because I thought that I could only craft/sew things for little girls - headbands, dresses, accessories, and ruffly goodness...But I have come to live with the fact that I will soon be a mother of not just one, but TWO boys...and that even though there are a larger variety of girly crafts, if I get a little creative, I can make equally cute and adorable things for boys too!

Starting with TIES...the one thing that boys, and men alike, can use to put a little character and creative spin on their outfits. I looked everywhere for cute {non-clip-on} ties for infants and toddlers...with no success, I decided to make my own! One that looks like a real tied necktie and not one that Noa can easily rip off as soon as you put it on...

After much searching, I came across this fabulous tutorial on how to make one. It seriously took me less than an hour each to make!!! The only change I made was - I just adjusted the size to a smaller toddler size, probably 18mo. instead of the 3T...

and voila!

Cute, right?? I am SO happy with the way they turned out!

here are more pictures of the the sewing process and the finished product...

The tutorial from Sewing in No Mans Land is fantastic and I just followed it step-by-step

first, find fun/funky fabric you want to use.

I had this from when I made my apron a few years ago that I still LOVE.

I followed the advice and made a pattern, because I know that I will be making many more of these in the future (it's all crinckly because a little monkey got to it first)

...my measurements were 18in x 16in (on the long sides) and 3 in x 7 in (shorter sides)...very approximate.

Ironing is critical! not only does it make it easier to sew, it allows for a much cleaner finish!

And to finish - tie, straighten, and admire!

It looks like it has actually been tied and has the "folded" look on the back side, just like a grown-up tie!

I made the neck adjustable/expandable with velcro, so Noa has a little growing room.

And of course, I have the perfect boy to model the new ties!!

Go ahead and make your own!!! Again, the tutorial can be found here.

I'm thinking a bow-tie next....any thoughts?? 

{PS Noa's 18 month shoot is coming up soon! - Im thinking the yellow tie with a fun plaid shirt}

More projects & some random thoughts...

 Pillows 2 & 3 are done!

Take a look.....

Rosettes are super easy to make and this simple pink pinstripe helps to tone down the other rather loud prints and designs on my couch...

I got the idea for this pillow from ...Vanessa at V and Co.
I just made the ruffles a little wider, and only on one side of the pillow.
I'm very excited about how it turned out, even though Chad thinks it's too girlie ;)

Testing out the new pillow.
...I think he likes it too :D

All of my sewing was done on this beauty...

Margaret....my friend Christal's vintage sewing machine.
She sews perfectly  and looks lovely too.
Thanks, Christal for letting me use your sewing machine!!

My next project I have planned is also super simple, yet super cute:

I made these paper roses using card stock and the spiral paper method.
I plan on making this:

by Dozi Design
Now, I just need to find some good twigs and branches lying around.....not so easy when you live on a tropical island with only one season all year-round.



On a more random note......

Noa fell asleep after having lunch in his high chair

I always have been envious of his long eye lashes...and today they seem to go on for miles.

Hubby is taking a photography class now.......am I jealous? YES...
He also took a photography class in high school

This photo was taken in his HS photography class and got high remarks.
It even got entered into a contest and was displayed in the library for everyone to see.
Appropriately titled: "Got milk?"  :)

oh, how I love my boys!

Fabulous finds & Apt decor

So what does a mom minus a child do with all that free time??

aside from working, sleeping, eating....etc, I have been frantically trying to decorate our rather drab and old apartment...planning, sewing, shopping, crafting...phew! SO much work!

Here is what I have come up with so far!

 I first found this fabulous idea HERE.

And when I came across these adorable plates, I just had to try it out!

I LOVE secondhand/thrift stores and these fabulous finds!

 all you need are cute decorative and functional plates...

 vases, candle holders, etc. for the stands....some epoxy, and voila!

 It's an easy, simple and inexpensive project that I just LOVE!

〜＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊〜

We have this awkward, impractical space in our living room wall, so I made this aqua curtain to cover it up! - and with some leftover fabric, made these flower curtain ties....

Now, onto pillow covers!

I have 3 pillows I have to cover, and 1 accent pillow to make.

and only the first pillow cover is completed!

It's reversible (?)  ... :)

...the details:

For an easy tutorial on zippered pillow cases....go here.

And last (for this post), but not least.....
my MUGs!!!
(we had these random hooks under our rather HIGH cabinets - what better to hang on them than fun, colorful mugs?)

Have I told you that I LOVE second-hand stores?!


Well, that's it for now....but there are plenty more projects that I am working on, so stay tuned!!!

Michigan Week 3

Now onto Week 3 - and what a great week it was!

it started out with my little sister and I going shopping at Somerset. and we had a blast, of course!

When we got home, we made some parfaits for FHE desserts

mmm YUMMY!

We had a couple craft projects going on this week too, starting with some CLAY projects:

I made this turtle into a keychain and gave it to Chad as a pre-hawaii gift...

and made the strawberry into a cellphone strap :D

with the roses that we made, we decided to make some jewelry!

The finished products:

my sister's ring :)

and my necklace!

This was the first time I made jewelry like this, so i was pretty excited about the way it turned out!

I am still working on my other necklace, so more pictures will be posted later!!

Lastly, how can we have a craft-week, without making any headbands?!??
so we made some headbands...{only 2 of them pictured here}

my favorite that i've made so far!

Noa and I also had the chance to visit my dad at work....

 and Noa was able to see for the first time - how robots are made/how they work!

On the day we left, our family went on a picnic at our county park...
it was the perfect day for a picnic!

sunny and bright, better wear that sunscreen!

We made some good food! - including this patriotic cake in early celebration of the 4th of July.

We spent some time on the playground...

the swing put Noa right to sleep.....

Along with playing volleyball on the HOT sand and throwing around a frisbee, we enjoyed some quiet peaceful time with nature.

on the lake

with some animals...

It was such a great day - and a fabulous 3 weeks at home with my family.