Weekend Crafts

I don't know where the burst of energy came from, but this weekend I had an overwhelming desire to avoid my husband (on the only two days he has off during the week) and my children (Dale is perfectly capable). I didn't spend hours, as this post may lead you to believe, but I did get some of my WIP's done and and some ideas that I've had floating around in my head for months (or, in some other projects' case, years). And these projects were very frugal!

Ok, I totally copied this one- not my original idea! But I saw this at an antique fair a little over a month ago. So many things were so beautiful, but I couldn't bring myself to buy anything knowing I could attempt to make it myself. So I made this ornament, and then made one of my own design: Project cost: $2 per ornament.
I also saw some gorgeous cake stands and pedestal bowls at the antique fair. So I went to the second hand store and found some pretty silver and porcelain to glue together!And here's one finished! I didn't get around to the other... maybe next weekend. Total project cost: $3.
And here's one that's been sitting around my craft room for a year! I bought this fabric because I just fell in love with the printed lace on it. I figured I'd make B a dress with it. Then I found a 2T onesie in her closet. Where did that come from? Project cost: maybe $10?

I cut the snaps off the onesie, and sewed a skirt to it. Then added a yo-yo and orange button. I loved this dress and B got a lot of compliments at church. And a few requests to spin :)

Here's the final project of the weekend. I bought this footstool over a year ago, when I recovered my wing back chair with the intention of covering it in the same fabric and putting them together. I got it home and the stool was just a little too small to match the chair. So it's been sitting in the garage for the last year.

It's hideous, right? Straight from the disco era, yellow vinyl and all. But there was potential.

Then I was at JoAnn's one random weekend that I had a really great coupon. Searching through the remnants (that's where I get most of my fabrics) I came across this gorgeous fabric- a full yard of it. And then I knew- it was meant for my footstool.

Waiting for the paint to dry was the longest part of this process! But check out that fabric's texture! Amazing!

I'm so SO happy with how it turned out. I decided to put it in B's room, since it kind of matches what we've got going on in there. Total cost of this project: less than $15. It was a fabric remant-50% off, and then I had a 50% off anything coupon bringing my fabric cost to $8 and some cents for $35 per yard fabric! The stool was $5 and I had everything else on hand.

And she loves it too. We call it her princess stool and she uses it to climb into her bed.

There are tons of other things that I started but haven't finished. What a great weekend! I've really missed sitting in my craft room for hours on end.

Tree Skirt

As promised, my new tree skirt! For years I had one of those rectangle pieces of felt that just don't want to wrap well around the base of the tree. I saw this idea in a friend's Martha Stewart Magazine and went with it!

I used my rectangle piece of felt for the project, so this new tree skirt was FREE to me! Much cheaper than this one anyways. I also enlarged the pattern by 200%. I like a bigger skirt for presents to sit on (trust me, presents will be sitting pretty under there shortly). I could only fit 14 pattern pieces, instead of the 16 the project called for, but it still works great. I think this fits my tree MUCH better.

And! I made it in less than 30 minutes yesterday while both the children happened to be miraculously sleeping at the same time. It makes it that much more wonderful.

Crafty With Mom-In-Law

My mother-in-law is invited to a Christmas party in a few weeks. The hostess is super crafty and encourages her guests to be crafty, too, by having an ornament decorating contest with all the party goers.

One rule: it has to have their picture on it. So she asked me if I had any ideas, or could help her come up with something while she was here. I IMMEDIATELY thought of this post I'd seen last year.

I'd been wanting to try it, and thought this would be a great time! I broke out all my Christmas paper (which isn't a lot) and we got to work! Here it is with Dale's mom and her husband, riding along in a sleigh full of presents, in the Christmas spirit with Santa hats on.

And since it's an ornament, we hung it on the tree. I have my fingers crossed that she wins! I'll keep you posted.

Gifts For A Girl Shower

My friend Bri had her baby shower this past weekend. I've been working on some things since before Mason was born, knowing I wouldn't have that much extra time before her second little girl arrived. I finally finished this stuff on Thanksgiving day!

Bri said she needed things to decorate the new baby's room, so I wanted to do at least ONE thing to hang in the room. Her nursery colors are pink and green so I used pink and green (and a few others) scraps to make this appliqued house with flowers. I got the idea from here.

I also made some dresses for the little gal from onesies with a skirt sewn on. I've seen these all over blog land, so I'm sure you have too. You just cut a onesie in half, make a skirt, and sew it all back together again.

And then I made her this princess and the pea quilt. I got the idea from here, at Moda Bake Shop. The tutorial used 40 strips of fabric, but I just used 24, making some strips 2 1/2" wide instead of 1 1/2". I think either way is really cute. I backed it with a pink and green floral vintage fabric that I found at an antique store, and I'm really bummed that I forgot to take a picture of it...

Congrats again Bri, and I can't wait to meet Baby Girl #2!

Thanksgiving Week 2009 Part 2

We all enjoyed a Thanksgiving breakfast of pumpkin pie. We were introduced to this tradition a few years ago and decided it was a keeper. After eating a huge meal, there's no room for pie. Why not eat it first, for breakfast?

As soon as B and M (oh, how sad, my children are BM!) were napping, I got to work. Here's our table. Nothing fancy, but there ARE flowers and a pumpkin. My crystal glasses were a later addition.

Doing dishes while I wait for my dough to rise!

The tree in all it's glory. I made a new bow for the top this year, and a new tree skirt (not the one you see). More on that later.

We managed to get a family picture with the help of the timer.

Mason also turned 3 months on Thanksgiving. He is doing awesome. I got on the scale with him and he's about 14 lbs. give or take. He's officially in 3-6 month clothes, though he's been wearing some things for a few weeks now. And he's had his second haircut.

He started sleeping through the night pretty much at the beginning of the month, eating at 9 or 10 and then sleeping until 7am. But as of the last few days he's been eating at 8 or 9 and sleeping until 7! We're so close to 12 hours I can taste it! Brighton was sleeping 7 to 7 by four months, so we'll see if he'll do it too.

He eats every 3 and a half hours during the day, drinking 7-9 ounces at a time. What a FATTY! I think rice cereal will be on the menu starting next month. I can't believe it's already that time. Where did my baby go!? I've also stopped pumping breast milk. It was just taking up too much time and I wasn't really able to pump enough for him to eat anymore, so I figured it was time to throw in the towel. The pediatrician recommended I stick it out until he was 3 months, so that was my goal.

Mason's started grabbing at toys and my hair and chewing and sucking his fingers. Brighton is teaching him her sign language that she's learned and singing all the songs she knows to him (there are quite a few). He loves tummy time and can do a great push up, enjoying his new view of the world. He "talks" a lot, cooing and lots of other funny sounds. And, he started giggling a few days ago. He's such a mresh-ess man!

Brighton also had some exciting things happen last week. She went to the dentist for the first time, and no surprise, her teeth look awesome. She did a great job.

We also worked on using the potty since Dale was home to help me. She sat on it a lot, and peed on the carpet a lot, but didn't make it in the potty. But she managed to make it to the potty in time once on Sunday night, and again yesterday and today, once each day. She's getting better. Slowly, but it's finally happening!

Thanksgiving Week 2009 Part 1

Dale's mom and brother came to visit us this Thanksgiving. We had a ton of fun together!

Brighton LOVES her Uncle Michael. He chased her, let her cook for him in her new kitchen, read to her, and even helped put her on the potty a few times.

Though he looks grumpy about it, Mason was actually REALLY happy to see Grandma and Uncle Mike.

Grandma Brenda couldn't get enough lovin' in! Brighton and Mason just loved having her visit!

I've been begging, begging, Dale to get all the Christmas stuff out of the garage since Halloween was over. He finally gave in Monday night.

We have a fake tree, so Dale put it together for us and fixed all the squished branches.
Grandma looks really excited to decorate the tree!Michael took a more somber approach to tree decorating...

...while Brighton was completely overwhelmed by the beauty of it all.

Brighton helped me decide where to hang all the bulbs, and even hung a few up herself.

I gave her a bag of tassels and she got to work hanging them all on the same branch. But it kept her busy while the rest of us got to work.

Dale did a really great job on the top of the tree.

And Mason just sat around watching us do all the work.

Gifts For Grandma

So this is what I made for "Grandma to be:"

A blanket! I bought a pack of receiving blankets at Target- they were cute lady bug themed- and made this blanket. I backed it with a nice green fleece.

Also, a matching tag blanket. I think these are my favorite thing to make for new babies.

And a matching lady bug onesie. I painted the lady bug on and added...

ruffles on the butt! I really LOVE ruffles.

Then I threw in some of my hairclips that matched the color theme I had going on. I hope the new baby likes it all!

A Surprise Grandma Shower

I threw a "Grandma Shower" for a lady that I visit teach. She had all boys, and her daughter-in-law is due December 1st, bringing a baby granddaughter to the family. We were so excited for her to have a little girl of "her own" that we threw her a surprise baby shower. And of course, everything was pink!

I made Bakerella's Famous Red Velvet Cake Balls and Kraft's Cheddar Apple Pie Dip, which we big hits- so I thought I'd share the recipes. We also had veggies, mints, caramels, and PINK lemonade!

Here's all the ladies- The new grandma isn't paying attention because she's sending a text to her daughter-in-law telling them she's at her own surprise shower (and she doesn't really know how to text!).

She got a ton of great gifts for when the little miss comes to visit and lots of things to take to her when they finally meet. Congrats on Grandma-hood!

Fun With Mason

I can't believe how big my boy is getting! He's started playing with his hanging toys on his little play mat. He hasn't grabbed them but he IS hitting them and cooing with delight. One of the little toys has a ball that spins and makes music and he can actually get it to work. He's just so awesome.

Look at this little handsome man! I just love him to pieces.

I took this one today. He was fussing for his pacifier, only he doesn't really like to suck on a pacifier. So he spit it right back out and was fine with it just sitting on his chest. I guess he just wants to have it in his sights.

Watch Out!

In the spirit of Twilight and New Moon, I thought I'd share a picture of my vampire in training:

They're always a little messy when they first learn to hunt.
I'm making Red Velvet cake balls and I let her lick the spoon.