Storybook Shopping Trip

Once upon a time, there was a mama and a little girl who were bored stiff by being trapped inside due to rainy weather. Then, the mama got the great idea of making a list together of Fun Things To Do. So that the little girl could "read" the list too, she drew pictures instead of just words. The list included super-fun things to do such as: making bread, building a fort with blankets in the living room, going grocery shopping (Yeah, I know. But, hey, anything is better than staying home with a toddler when you have cabin fever!), going to Harry and Emma's house (kids I watch after school), and buying pom-poms for crafts. The mama and little girl decided to go grocery shopping, so they then made a picture list of what to buy, including flour, sugar, chocolate chips, canned pumpkin, milk, cheese, pickle relish, ketchup, yogurt, and cereal bars. Finally, the little girl and her mama braved the rain and went to the store! The little girl brought her own purse and made all the other shoppers smile by acting like such a grown up shopping lady! She held the picture list and helped put things in the cart. She was a great helper to her mama and her mama thought it was a very fun shopping trip!

And they both lived happily ever after! :D

Crazy Outfit!

You gotta love these sort of crazy outfits that kids come up with! At least the shirt and pants match each other (only because I helped with that part), but check out the rainbow legwarmers that she insisted on wearing on her arms! So funny!!!

Just a walkin'...

Faith and I took a spontaneous walk around the block yesterday. The last time we tried to do this, we were scared back home by a very territorial pit bull who was off leash, barking, and headed our way. That day, we got home safely and I called animal control. Not fun, and enough of a scare to keep me from taking her walking again until yesterday.

Well, it was pretty fun! She is getting so big and is really starting to participate in life more as a kid than a baby or toddler. As challenging as this age (2 years) can be, I am also finding lots of joy in our time together. Before we even got to the end of the street, we found a fabulous Japanese Maple tree that was shedding the most gorgeous red leaves that I have seen this fall. They were so delicate and beautiful, we stopped to collect some! Then, we trekked on around the block, admiring the looming mountains above our neighborhood shrouded in low hanging clouds, giving them a mysterious, alluring air. (I guess I should've taken pictures of both the leaves and the mountains, huh???)

Well, then we hurried on around the block, as a man was using a chain saw in his yard, and Faith is definitely not fond of loud noises (her father is like this too). And as we turned back onto our street, I spotted this on a low branch:

What a find! We pulled the branch down to get a closer look, and it was the most perfect little round bird's nest you ever saw! (I usually detest the word "perfect," but often find that God seems to reveal His perfection rather often in nature.) Faith and I admired it thoroughly before heading for home and a nap. And I was satisfied that we were able to have three encounters with breathtaking, surprising nature all within a block from our home!

Stack of good intentions...

Does this happen to anyone else?!?

Being a pack-rat comes full circle...

Well, I have been struggling lately with pack-rat-itis. I feel compelled to keep stuff to use at a later date for some amazing craft or another, and all that stuff starts to really pile up in our tiny little house. I think it's genetic actually. My Papa used to do this BIG time. Just wait, some day they will find a genetic marker for pack-rat-ism, just like they have for dwarfism and such. You'll see...it's beyond my control!!!

Anyway, one such item that has recently appealed to my store-it-away-for-a rainy-day sensibilities has been the cardboard circles that come under frozen pizzas. Please don't laugh. Really, I can hear you. Stop. These are perfect circles and I thought, "Ooooh, these will be good for something!" Again, that chuckle is not so subtle.

Well, the waiting game is over and inspiration struck today! Actually, Faith started it. Faith found them and was using them to make believe that they were plates for her baby dolls. Then, I thought, "Aha! I've got it!"

We used crayons to color food onto the "plate." Isn't it great?!? I think this is pretty awesome. Starting with the pizza and moving clockwise, that's a slice of pepperoni sausage & green pepper pizza with cheese; a scribbled salad with cherry tomatoes (Faith's fave from our garden this summer) and ranch dresssing (of course!); a pile of blueberries; and a clump of baby carrots with a dallop of more ranch dressing on the side! Woot! That's a pretty well-rounded lunch, if I do say so myself. If only all that healthy stuff didn't taste like cardboard...

Okay, so, lesson learned today is that sometimes being a packrat pays off. No, seriously! Why are you laughing again??? >:p

Crowning Achievement

Well, I *really* enjoy fall and all its colorful glory (more about that in a future post), so was naturally inspired (pun intended) to create this leaf crown for Faith because leaves are pretty much a new medium for me when it comes to sewing.

So, Faith helped me gather leaves. Well, until she gave up and said "I sit right here with my gold leaves." Nice seat.

So, I gathered a bag full of beautiful yellow-gold Maple leaves and chose a pretty forest green floss and got to stitching by hand. Only, I didn't have the picture in front of me, which might have helped. :/ I was *mighty* proud of myself. In fact, I told Kevin that it was the RADDEST (yup, that's right, I said raddest) thing I had ever made, simply because it was made of leaves! So here it is:

I used larger leaves in the front of the crown and progressively smaller leaves tapering toward the back. This picture shows that:

I really wish I could have cajoled Faith into wearing it, since it was for her after all. But, nope, she was having none of that. So, I sweet-talked Hubby into being my head model. He is a really good sport!

Honestly, I was a little disappointed after I consulted the original photo again. But, on its own, I was excited about it. That's what I get for comparing myself to others, I guess. Looking back over these photos, I like it. Maybe we will make another one next year. That would be a rad way to greet the fall, don't you think?

Thrifting Thrills

So, call me slow, but I have finally jumped on the thrifting bandwagon! A friend has recently turned me on to the $1 per pound Goodwill store, where I view the whole experience as a treasure hunt. However, I might have to limit my visits to twice a year as my budget currently does not include a "Treasure Hunting" category and, thus, other areas (read: "Groceries") suffer when I walk in the doors of said establishment. So sad, really...

Well, to cheer us both up, let's take a gander at some of my favorite finds I have unearthed while thrifting this fall:

This peachy bundt pan shouted at me from the shelves and look at what a nice home it has made on the wall in my kitchen! I bake and decorate cakes for sale, so this speaks to me of that.

This photo does not do this coverlet justice. It is real-deal, vintage and with that light teal background and the popping yellow and Pepto pink, I am in love! :D It is a weird shape, though, with rounded corners, as though it were meant for use on a daybed. Since I don't have a daybed, I will have to find another use for this beauty. I was thinking of cutting it up and turning it into bath mats. Any other ideas?

Finally, here is the sweetest headboard/footboard set that I scavenged at the Habitat for Humanity store:

It is *perfect* in Faith's room with the new-to-us double bed that was given to us a few weeks ago. She now has a real big girl bedroom! I will post pictures of the bed all made up later!

That's all I've got for now, folks! What are your latest thrifting thrills?

Wham, Bam!

As a mother of a *very* busy toddler, I have found that it works best for me to focus on sewing projects that are smaller and more doable in the brief periods of time I manage to eke out to craft. When I can hold a finished product in my hands at the end of the day, I feel like I can account for my time better than if I were working on a long term project. One such project that has given me that much needed "production thrill" started with this dramatic dress I found at Goodwill for $1 per pound:

The dress actually began much longer and has already been trimmed in this photo. You can see the pinking sheared edges at the bottom. The striped fabric has already been cut in this picture as well. I actually purchased the dress as a fun dress-up outfit for Faith, but then I needed a homemade baby shower gift later that week and the fabrics lent themselves perfectly to making this toy for a newborn:

I made a similar ribbon toy for Faith when she was little, but used a plain ol' white washcloth. This was awesome! The striped fabric is great for newborn vision, as they are most intrigued by high contrast. And both fabrics are very silky, which adds a nice sensory element. I was almost sad I hadn't had the fabrics back then for Faith...but excitement won out. And, so, I made another one of course!

I gave the first to a mama friend who is due in early January, and it was well received.
Now, my dilemma is who to give the second one to. I may just have to cut up the rest of that dress after all!

Happy Fall, Y'all!

In Florida, where I grew up, this was what I knew in the form of seasons: Summer, AUGUST, Summer, and Christmas. In other words, the weather didn't change much and the passing of time in my memory is marked more by holidays and hurricanes than actual cyclical change of seasons. As an adult, I have managed to migrate in a northerly fashion and have come to experience firsthand the phenomenon of seasons they taught about in school all those years. Now that I am living in the North Carolina mountains, I can say that I ***LOVE*** fall!!! Something about the dramatic colors of the leaves and the reprieve from the heat (that never seemed to occur in Florida) just makes me want to sing on a hilltop a la Julie Andrews! Well, anyway....reining in my autumnal enthusiasm...I thought these images reflect the joy I have this time of year and, so, you should see them!

My Mom gave me the idea of using a ribbon to hang this wreath on our front door. I just happened to have a handy fall-ish orange ribbon on hand and voila! A simply elegant fall wreath. I love it! It's just the right combination of casual and fain-cy. Thanks, Mom!

These days, snapping a quick picture of this child that is not blurry from her constant state of movement is a minor miracle. So, when I saw how dreamy, sweet, and still she is in this photo, I knew it was a "must share"! NOTE: She is only still because she is absolutely mesmerized by the glowing box also known as the television.

In the background of that photo, you might have noticed this:

To make this gorgeous version of nature's stained glass, I first cut out pieces of contact paper that would fit on each pane of glass. Then, I peeled off the backing to the contact paper and pressed leaves bright side down onto the sticky side. Then, I just pressed the whole shebang onto the window pane. Then, in the morning light, it shines like nature's stained glass! This simple, cheap craft has made me so happy this fall.

And, of course, what would be fun about all those falling leaves in autumn, if it weren't for those amazing leaf piles to jump, roll, and lie in?!?

My baby loves to sky gaze! This makes my heart sing.

While I would like to think that my daughter is studiously contemplating the intricacies of a leaf in her hand, the reality is that she is merely fascinated by the band-aid I put on the palm of her hand just a bit earlier. Still, it's a cute picture!

Hope this fall has been as good to you as it has been to me and my family!

Signs of a Happy Home

I catch myself at various times throughout my days here in this little house of ours, not even 1,000 square feet, thinking that this image is part of what makes this place a home. And, so, I thought I would share some of those images with you.

Seeing this quilt on our bed (even when it hasn't been made...) makes me smile. This quilt was given to me by my mother for whom it was made as a going away gift back in 1957 by the members of a church in Texas that her dad (my Papa) pastored. My aunt--my mother's younger sister--was gifted a similar quilt, which I am also privileged to own. Each quilt is an album quilt, with each square featuring a blank space where families have signed, and sometimes embroidered, their names. Without a doubt, my favorite square is this one:

It says "Dec 25. Mrs. Muckleroy 1957" and is embroidered over the writing. Apparently, Mrs. Muckleroy made my mother and aunt many clothes when they were very little. I just love the name!

I found this doll arrangement late one night after Faith had gone to bed and just thought it was precious. She had lined up her babies in a seat together. She is such a little mother and that makes me smile!

Lately, I have taken to lighting several candles at night, and I love the ambiance it creates...so cozy and intimate.

Let me know...what special things make your house a home?

Mama gets her craft on!

So, I have tried to take up some of my B.C. (Before Child) hobbies in the past several months and this is one of the things I have managed to complete:

It is a marker cozy, a place for Faith to keep her Crayola Washables, all tied up in a pretty pink bow!

Believe it or not, this was actually sewn from an old bed sheet that I found at Goodwill for $1 per pound. (The dark pink part that forms the pockets for the markers is the top, hemmed part of the sheet.) I love the idea of repurposing fabric in this manner and have been really inspired by other crafty mama blogs that encourage such behavior in others. This marker cozy is a tweaked version of a Crayon cozy I saw here and a pencil cozy I saw in The Creative Family by Amanda Soule. Ironically, I also found a tutorial that states the recipient was another Faith!

Conversation with a Scare-o-saurus

Faith: ROAR-rrr-ARRR!!! I uh dinosaur!

Me: Ooo, I'm scared! Are you a good dinosaur or a bad dinosaur?

Faith: A bad dinosaur...a good dinosaur.

Me: Are you a good dinosaur that just likes to scare people?

Faith: Yeah...scare people at late night.


This just cracks me up! Where does she get this stuff?!? I love the inventive imagination she displays daily. I hope I can keep up! :)

Bear with me...

...as I tentatively dip my toes into the world of blogging. I have been very inspired by (read: addicted to) the other crafty mama blogs out there in cyber space, and have slowly been taking up sewing again for the first (consistent) time since BC (Before Child). I have been posting photos on Facebook of the results of my productivity, but have been limited in word count! Well, that is *not* to be tolerated! And, thus, the creation of this blog!