Red, White, and Cute All Over

Wow, can the 4th of July holiday really be less than 2 weeks away? Crazy! Between Easter happening so late this year and my kids only getting out of school a week ago, my second favorite holiday (only after Christmas) has snuck up on me. Mason has his Old Navy flag shirt ready to go, but I just had to do something "cutesy" for the girls.   ~Just to clarify, I'd love to do something cutesy for Mason too, but his 8-year-old little self would much rather wear the t-shirt.~  Anyway, these tops were super-easy to whip up on Sunday from some fabric I found in the remant bin at Joann's. I did a more mature style for Harper-- one shouldered, with a crocheted star applique. The applique started out as a flower, and was in a pre-purchased pack from Ikea (see yesterday's post for how I used the rest).  Because I wanted a patriotic theme, though, I cut it into a star shape and used fray check around the sides after cutting.

My Georgia will only be 4 for so long, so why not take advantage of it? She loves the ric rac, the ruffle down the front, the eyelit trim as shoulder straps... all of the things that little girls outgrow too quickly.

They make quite the pair... my little patriotic princesses!

Pillows from Placemats

I love throw pillows-- they instantly change the look of your decor for a minimal cost. While $15--$20 to change the look of your living room isn't bad, why not do it for less? I found these bright, summery placemats at Target on clearance.

After 4 bucks, supplies I already had, and just a bit of effort, I now have 2 cute throw pillows to brighten up my leopard couches.  Here is how I did it:

--I grabbed my seam ripper and split the seam about 4 inches at the top left hand corner.
--I stuffed the placemats with fiber fill.
--I re-sewed the seams.

That's when I remembered that I had purchased some crocheted applique-type thingies from our local Ikea in their fabric section. (Did you know Ikea had a fabric section? It's awesome-- and cheap!) I hand-sewed each applique to the pillows, which I think adds a real "zing" to them!

Flower Power! Retro High-Waisted Skirt

A while back, I found the brightest, cutest vintage fabric at a yard sale. It is a little more stiff than the cotton I usually work with, so I thought it would be perfect for making the high-waisted, retro style skirt I've seen various patterns for.  I didn't have a patterm, though, so I winged it. I took a pencil skirt that fits me pretty well and traced it onto my fabric. I made a separate wide waistband and sewed it to the skirt while adding matching lime green piping in between. I'm glad to finally be able to wear this cute print rather than just admire it as part of my fabric stash!

Naughty Little Monkey

Georgia is cute. She is also mischevious, has tons of energy, chatters the ear off anyone who will listen, and loves to climb. In many ways, she has always reminded us of a little monkey.
So what better fabric to choose for a cute summer outfit than a monkey print? I found this fabric at Joann's on clearance for $1.50 a yard:

And decided to make this romper from this pattern:

Rompers, of course, are better for climbing and jumping and running and all of those things that little monkey girls love to do.

The finished product really doesn't resemble the pattern much, but that's ok. I like the 70's jumpsuit vibe that mine has going on.

I liked the improvisations I made, and Georgia loved wearing it... there was only one problem. I forgot how long she is in the torso, and the romper was undoubtedly tight length-wise in that area. She actually ripped a little hole in the waist section after playing on the playground for an hour.

So, I did what most novice sewers have to get used to doing, I suppose... I pulled out my handy-dandy seam ripper and separated the top portion from the pant portion. I then made what resembled a hot pink cumberbund and sewed it in between the 2 portions. And you know what?  I-- and my little monkey--actually like how the modified romper/jumpsuit looks even better!

 

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to my dad... who is still as great a dad to adult me as he was to kid me, and who is fabulous, proud Opa...

And Happy Father's Day to my husband, a swing-pushing...

Rock-skipping...

All-around awesome daddy to our 3 crazy kids!

I had a beautiful day with family-- sharing funny stories, eating a great meal, looking at pretty plants and flowers, and hiking to the beach with Oma, Opa, and Uncle Ryan.

 

Like Mother, Like Daughter

Whenever I'm at work on my sewing machine, or cutting out a pattern, or finishing a cross-stitch or embroidery project, Harper is right by my side. And by "right by my side", I mean so close that my arm movements are severely restricted and I can feel her breath in my ear. But really, I don't mind-- I like that she has taken such an interest in sewing.
When I saw a "Learn To Cross Stitch" project new in the box at Value Village for $1.99, I knew it was destined to be hers. I presented it to her after school today and she squealed with delight. It's usually a chore to get her to take a shower, but tonight she actually volunteered since I said that she could try it out when she was ready for bed.
Here are a few photos of Harper trying her hand at cross stitch...




We had been working hard for a while, so I ran to take a potty break. When I returned, this is what I found- Harper observing her DADDY cross stitch. Hee-hee! Too funny.

My New Obsession: Pick Your Plum

Have you heard of a website called Pick Your Plum?

It's my new obsession, and a must for crafters, decorators, and sewers. They have one deal a day and it seems to sell out pretty quickly, so I always check their site first thing in the morning.  Today's deal?  15 yards of double-fold bias tape for $4.50! That's 30 cents a yard, people! Shipping is $3.50 which is pretty reasonable. Check it out for yourself... you are sure to find an irresistable deal.

My name is Shannon, and I'm a flip flop fanatic...

I looooovvve flip flops! One of the reasons I look forward to summer is getting to wear flip flops. No searching for matching socks, no teetering around in my high-heeled boots... and flip flops match cut-off shorts as well as pretty sundresses. I probably have too many pairs of flip flops, so when I saw this flip flop tutorial for re-doing flip flops, I knew I must try it! I used a bright vintage fabric that I found at a yard sale, and I love how they turned out. Can't wait to wear them!