Words of Wisdom

I see many people use quotes or words of wisdom in many of their creations. I am a big fan of quotes in general and I love to use them in embroidery and vinyl crafting too. Soooooo, I will be sharing words of wisdom and fun quotes as I come across them. Please leave me a comment telling me what you make with it. I always love a new idea!

Here's one to get ya started.

"A friend is someone who can sing you the song of your heart when you've forgotten it." - Anonymous


This one's for all of the people who have been supportive of me starting this blog. :)

Crib Sheet Drawer Knobs

Here is a good project to make accessories that coordinate with your baby's bedding set.

Supplies you will need:

Crib sheet that coordinates with bedding

Unfinished drawer pulls

Paint or stain

Mod Podge

Scissors

Paint pens

Begin by cutting along the seams and elastic of your sheet so you have a flat surface to work with. Then, iron your sheet.

Measure the top of your drawer pulls and cut circles out of your fabric accordingly. I used my Nestabilities and die cutter, but you can use a stencil or whatever works to cut out your circle.

Paint your drawer pulls and let them dry completely before using the Modge Podge on them.

Add a coat of Mod Podge to your drawer pulls and lay down your fabric circle. I use my finger to smooth it down. Then, add another coat of Mod Podge over the top and let it dry.

When the first coat is dry, use a paint pen to add dots or embellishments to your drawer pull.


Let the paint dry for a few minutes. Then, add one or more coats of Mod Podge until you are happy with the finish. I ended up with about 3 coats. I also added an initial to one of the drawer pulls by Mod Podge on a Z that I cut using my die cutter.

And there ya have it! A easy little way to coordinate your child's room!

Dear Kiddo Day

So, I found this really cool idea on Cutest Kid Ever today. She writes to her youngsters every Saturday. While I love the idea, I can't guarantee I can limit it to Saturday, so I think I will just reserve it for when I wanna say something special about my baby boy.

Dear Kiddo,
You have changed so much in the last few months! Before we left for our trip, in April, you were repeating words without much meaning. We went on our trip and I watched as you blossomed and the world around you became more exciting because you began telling me all about it! Sometimes I think that being around more and different people helps you develop your vocabulary because it seems like every time you go on a trip it takes a big leap.
You have gone from single words, to now two and three word strings with a lot of meaning. You told me just yesterday "I get you!" That was one of the most precious things I have ever heard. When you got stuck in your chair, I asked you "Are you stuck?" and you turned it around and said "I stuck"! Oh my goodness. You're vocabulary is growing so fast, I can't even remember all of the words you have learned since Daddy has been away. He is going to be so surprised when you sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star to yourself. You don't know that I know you can sing that. But I hear you when you are playing and singing it to yourself. Another of the most precious things I have ever heard.
I used to get really sad that I was losing my baby. But I am so excited to have my precocious little toddler to take his place. I love you baby..more than you will ever know!
Love,
Mommy

Overdue projects

We moved into our house a year and a half ago. I have been wanting to sew shower curtains for our guest bathroom and the kid's bathroom since then. Oh, and also a small curtain for the window next to our front door. A stinking year and a half!!! I have a fully stocked craft room that has been rearranged at least 3 times and I still haven't done the projects. Today that came to an end.

I finished the front curtain.
This one was a pretty easy one. Sorry, I didn't take step but step pics but here's how I did it. I picked some sheer, curtain fabric from the fabric store. My window measured 6' by 1'. The width didn't play too big a role because it bunched. You need at least double the width. I cut it 5" longer than the length of the window. On each side, I put a 1/2" hem in then a 2" rod pocket. I didn't sew the sides because I didn't trim them and the selvages are hidden in the bunches. Add a few tension rods and you are all set. Now I can hide from the solicitors who frequently pay me visits.

I also finished decorating my guest bathroom.

The ceilings in our house are taller than standard which means that we couldn't purchase standard curtains. So I made them! You can't really tell, but the print is a beautiful blue green and brown paisley. The embellishments in the middle are iron on appliques that I cut from the coordinating fabric. I used the heavy duty Heat and Bond so I didn't have to stitch around them. I folded the hem on top over 4 times to make it a little bit stiffer, then I stitched button holes for the curtain rings. ( I used the liner for spacing)

For the towels I used scraps from the curtain. The "non-fuzzy" part about 3" up is about 1" wide. I took a scrap that was the width of the towel by 3" and ironed it into thirds. (sheesh this is hard to describe. Next time more pics.) Then I just stitched on. I considered ruffles, but I wanted to make cleaner lines.
One more bathroom that will have to wait until the 4th of July fabric store sale then I am on to more fun and interesting projects. I don't have to feel guilty about doing them with the house decorating projects finished. (for now)

Bread Making

I am writing this post to experiment with adding pictures.

For Christmas last year my husband had a beautiful bread machine waiting for me under the tree. I had been wanting to make bread when Johnny got old enough to eat it. I also got the Bread Lover's Bread Machine Cookbook. Upon opening the bread machine, I figured that the recipes that came with it were the best, given that the manufacturer had created them exactly for this machine. I liked the bread but it was very dense. So about a month or so later I started to get creative and wanted to branch out from white and wheat. I opened the cookbook and was amazed at all of the possibilities. I tried a plain white first just to compare. Tons better! Now I try to use a different recipe as often as possible.

Today was honey wheat and I added some chopped up dates for a little breakfast treat for the baby. It isn't really that dark on the bottom, just the lighting.

So, this post was my experiment with two things. I had a great success with a new kind of bread. It turned out very yummy with sweet little surprises. Also, it was a learning experience with adding photos. Note to self: 1. The camera has seen better days. This looked way better in real life. 2. The date doesn't need to be added to every picture. You need to change the settings.

Heading out to run errands. Craft blog to come soon!

Well here goes nothin'!

So, here it is, my first attempt at a craft/cooking/mommy blog. I love to share the things that I make in hopes that they will inspire you as so many people have inspired me.
There are so many blogs out there, I hope I don't get lost in the shuffle.
While on a month long trip to Albuquerque, NM with my family, I was sorely deprived of my craft room. I also had very little to do, which was a welcome bonus to the trip. Besides hanging out with my family and cooking, I had some time to check out a lot of blogs on the Internet. I also had a lot of time to assess my life at home and recognize, from afar, that there are too many complications in my life that are getting in the way of the things I truly enjoy.
My family is and will always be my joy and my life. I love playing with and watching my son, Johnny, grow and change. I especially love to watch him when he doesn't know I am looking. I give him opportunities to explore and learn on his own by discovery as well as teaching him new things. My husband, Jake is my best friend and I love the way he makes me laugh. He is Johnny's best friend too!
Next, comes creating. I love to cook and do just about any craft I can get my hands on. I think the only thing I really don't have in my heart is yarn/needle crafts. I am not the most patient person, you see. I also love being a part of Theatre. I used to teach it and love to watch and be a part of it in any way that I can.
Before my month trip I was always having the excuse of not having enough time for my crafts because too many other things were getting in the way. Then I saw all of these blogs where mothers of two or three children are getting all sorts of beautiful projects completed and I thought to myself, "You can do this." So, I created a schedule for myself. I limited my computer and TV time, which was a big part of what was making me so busy to begin with, and set off on a journey to have the best of all worlds.
Join me on my parenting, cooking and crafting adventures!