I finally made one!!

Well, I have been oogling over all these different flower tutorials for so long that I finally found made the time to make one!  

I followed this tutorial from Rhonna Designs and used brocade and organza fabrics.  The center is a variety of beads I sewed in and eventually super glued just to make sure they would stay right where I put them because the center beads were stacked on top of the outer layer.

I ended up giving this one to my mom for Mother's Day (a little late) and am working on a pink one for myself.  I can't wait to finish it and start spicing up my wardrobe- it's in dire need!

So, what do you think?

 

Fave Finds this week!

So, I seem to go through cycles of either being really good at keeping up on blogging or really good at keeping up on other people's blogs.  Can you tell which mode I am currently in?!  Um yeah- need to work on that!  I have been so bogged down by life lately that it just seems easier to follow everyone else's than post about my own.

I do have plans to remedy this situation, one of which involves following the advice from We Are That Family (her name is escaping me- so sorry!) in her Works For Me Wednesday Post this week- she bulk blogs.  We are not just talking any old bulk blogging though, she actually seems to get away to put posts in her queue (side note- isn't that the mostly silly-spelled word: queue?  What were they thinking?)!  Hmmmm... I hear Starbucks and blogging calling my name!  I may need to go into negotiations with the hubs!

Want to see some of the other beautiful and wonderful things I have recently found?  Ok- here goes!

This meal planner from 733!  Isn't it just beautiful?!  It make me want to meal plan!

Or this shirt from The Pleated Poppy!  I want need to make this!  She also does the coolest posts every week of what she has worn for the last week (What I Wore Wednesday)- she has the chic-est wardrobe!  (Envy and drool!)

Or how about these bea-u-ti-ful flowers from Diamonds, Fur and Laundry?!  Can you see a pattern developing recently with the flowers?!

Or check out this mama's labels at Just Divine Style!  Check out her laundry room?!  Who would have ever thunk to pretty up your laundry room like that?!  Well, apparently she did and I want need to copy her!  I could always use a little more beauty in my life!

This mama at Whippy Cake has the most beautiful (there's that word again!) hair accessories and hair idea for women (not just little girls!)!

Then on the learning side of things, here is a great post with links to a bunch of Summer Reading Programs for the kiddos.

And last, but not least (and my favorite!), Carisa from 1+1+1=1 has recently released her brand new core home-preschool curriculum that is entirely based on scripture called Raising Rockstars Preschool!  I am so excited about this and have been busily preparing her printables as she releases the new ones each week!  Normally I would blog about this on R-Man's blog (The World According to R-Man) and I will definitely be going more in depth about it over there, but I am so excited to be using this new curriculum starting next fall that I just had to share it with all of you!

So, what do you think?  Have you made any fabulous finds lately?  I would love to hear!  If you head over and check out any of the links above it would also be great if you let them know I was the one who sent you!

More to come soon... just as soon as I can work out that bulk blogging thing!

Getting inspired!

Would you believe if I told you that we are sick, AGAIN!?  Well, we are!  I can't believe it, but we are.  This time, I am not letting it stop me though!  I can't keep putting things off because we are sick- life must go on!

So, with that I am trying to get back into the full swing of blogging this week, have a full week of homeschool and get a bunch of extra stuff done to boot!  One of my big things is just getting my booty out of bed earlier in the morning. I'm gonna do it.  Really.  No, I'm serious!

A couple of the extra things I want to do this week are some projects I have recently been inspired by, or start them at least!  Check out these awesome fabric roses from Create and Delegate:

I really want to embellish a shirt with a few of these!  Wouldn't that be cute?!

Or this adorable quilt from Moda Bake Shop:

Or this fun quilting project from Obsessively Stitching that walks you through the whole quilting process from start to finish:

I also recently found an awesome local fabric shop too, which I plan to be spending some serious time in soon!  Check them out online- The Top Stitch.

So that is a little of what I have planned- but hopefully you will be hearing from me much more this week!

Thoughts on Lent- a different perspective

I've never been a "lenter."  Growing up in a Calvary Chapel (which is a denomination- I mean come on, it even has it's own heading in the phone book!) lent was never something that we even talked about, let alone practiced.

This year I am participating in the Bible in 90 Days which will end right before Easter and I figured that was a pretty good spiritual goal in and of itself, not really feeling the need for anything more... until last night that is!  As I was giving my Google Reader one last glance last night I found this post at (in)Courage by Ann Voskamp at A Holy Experience.  On her own blog she has an entire series about journaling as a spiritual discipline.  Um... wow!  Can you say inspirational?  And incredibly timely?!

For starters, I have always been drawn to paper, pens, journaling, and altered book sorts of art, so this idea of making a book of even your lists more beautiful, really strikes a cord with me!  I have actually toyed with the idea of some sort of artful journaling for quite some time and this post just seems to drive the idea all the way home.

Just the title of the post in and of itself "Life as Art," really speaks to me because lately I have been specifically praying about how I can add more joy and beauty to my life and the life of my family this year- how I can just make things a little bit more lovely.  The mixed cloud of spiritual warfare, financial hardship and bouts of postpartum depression that has plagued our home this year can seem so daunting and disheartening that I know I need to take deliberate steps towards joy and contentment, and last night I felt the Lord gently nudging my heart in this beautiful direction.

So my commitment for lent this year (a first) will be more about establishing new habits to gain more spiritual discipline than eliminating something from my life (other than maybe sleep!).  I am going to reignite my attempt at The Early Bird Challenge for starters and then I am also going to commit to journaling in some form, every day.  I hope that this will just be the beginning of a discipline that will continue throughout the rest of the year, and my life for that matter!  Of course, I will be documenting my process right here!  Haha- journaling about journaling!

As a family we will also be starting a new book for our family devotions called "Leading Little Ones to God" which should hopefully arrive by tomorrow from Amazon.  I will be talking all about that over at The World According to R-Man, so hop over there for more on that!

Christmas already?

Yes, that time of year is rolling around again and as we begin to embark on these months of holidays I am setting out to create new traditions for our family (as we have faced many big changes in recent months) and keep things focused on what really matters. 

In addition, since finances have been tight I am trying to figure out how to bless my family and those around me with gifts from the heart that don't require much cash.  We'll see how that pans out, since those gifts tend to require good bits of uninterrupted time which I do not currently have!  On any hand, I thought I would post the link to a fabulous blog I recently found- Life in Grace.  Edie is hosting a "12 days of Handmade Christmas" party that has some wonderful little ideas, so hop on over and check it out!



I would also love to hear about some of your unique family traditions!   Things you bake, make, spend your days on or give special meaning to this season and create lifetimes of memories- please share!

38 Weeks- and the diaper bag is done!

Alright- less than two weeks to go (hopefully a lot less- but I'm not counting on it!). I am finally feeling ready too- as amazing as that is (I never thought I would). I finished my cleaning this morning (baseboards, light switches, door handles and all- can you say nesting?) and all my big projects are complete- including the diaper bag I have been talking about for months! So here it is!

Two Pockets in front that snap shut:

A zippered pocket on the back for my wallet, cell phone and such:
A pocket on one side (for keys or whatever):
A large, waterproof main pocket, split into 3 sections- one for diapers/wetbag/changing mat, one for water bottles/snacks/toys, and the other for changes of clothes (for me and babe), receiving blankets and whatever else.
An adjustable strap that allows me to wear the bag long across myself while babywearing, or shorter over one shoulder.
I also made a coordinating set of burp rags; extra-large, comfy changing mats; and a nursing cover with adjustable neck strap.

I am particularly excited about the changing mats I made! They are about 24" x 28" so there is plenty of room for baby to move around and when I am out in public I don't have to worry about him or her accidentally touching the nasty public changing tables! I also made them in 4 layers- microfleece next to babe (to wick away any stray sprays during a change!), flannel to absorb any sprays, PUL to make it waterproof, and then the decorative fabric on the back. Here you can see all the layers:

I liked this changing mat idea so much that I made two for at home too (along with matching burp rags)! These ones have a layer of minky for next to baby and flannel on the back as the decorative fabric as well as on the inside:
It feels so good to just have little projects that aren't total necessities left! I am just going to take the rest of my time til baby comes to work on some of my certified lactation educator training, bloggy stuff, reading and keeping the house clean (now that it is). All of my birth supplies are organized on our new dresser and my midwife delivered the tub to us at my appointment last week. It was bigger than I anticipated, but she may be able to get a little bit smaller one to us if one of her other clients as her baby soon. R-man, however, LOVED it!We blew it up just to check the sizing (as you can see, it takes up most of the room- toughing our bed and our dresser!).After checking it we then deflated it, but R-man keeps asking if we can blow it back up! He really wants to "share it with me" at the birth and I have to keep explaining to him that it will just be for mama! Haha- he is cute and excited! He has also been asking a lot lately about what the baby is doing throughout the day, if it is sleeping or moving, and when it is going to come out! Soon, buddy, very soon!

A Simple Mother's Day Gift Idea

I think everyone is strapped for cash right now, which makes holidays such as Mother's Day difficult. What can you give your mama that will still make her feel special yet not break the bank? Well, why not some homemade products to pamper you mom? This year I decided to make bath salts, bath tea and milk bath for the special mamas in my life (my mom, mother-in-law, grandma, and all the women who will be attending my homebirth). All the recipes were fairly simple and cheap to prepare, but heartfelt and should provide a nice dose of pampering and relaxation! Here are the recipes if you want to try some or gift some yourself!


Clearheaded Relaxing Bath Salts

• 1 Cup Epsom Salt
• 1/4 Cup Sea Salt
• 2-3 Tbsp Baking Soda
• 5-10 drops essential oils (I used Lavender, Tea Tree and Eucalyptus)

Optional:

• 1-2 tsp Glycerin
• 1-2 Tbsp Ground Oatmeal

Directions: Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix well
For Bath: Use 1/4-1/2 cup


Oatmeal Milk Bath

• 2 Cups Powdered Milk
• 1/2 cup Ground Oatmeal
• 1 Cup Corn Starch
• 1/2 Baking Soda
• 1/2 Cup dried herbs (I used Rose Buds & Lavender- Rosemary or Chamomile would also be good choices)

Directions: Blend oatmeal and herbs in blender or food processor. Add milk to blender. Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
For Bath: Use 3 Tbsp


Healing Citrus Green Tea Bath Tea

• 1/4 Cup Green Tea
• 1/4 Cup Calendula Petals
• 1/4 Cup Ground Almonds
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 5-10 drops Lemon, Lemongrass and/or Orange Essential Oil

Optional:

• 1/2 tsp Jojoba Oil (left out because of expense)
• 2 Tbsp Dried Mint Leaves (couldn't find at the store I went to)

Directions: Mix all ingredients in a bowl until thoroughly dispersed and saturated
For Bath: Good for 2-3 baths. Steep for 10 minutes on stove and pour into bath water through a strainer.

Out of Commision? I think not!

So, a couple of weeks ago I bought myself a new maternity T-shirt. Considering I only had one other rather unflattering T (the rest of my maternity tops are sweaters and long-sleeved shirts), and spring is slowly making it's appearance around these parts, I thought that it was time I spent the money- even for just one! I chose a nice, springy shade of blue with rouging down the sides to form around my belly and make me feel a little less like I was wearing a mumu! I was happy and satisfied.


That is, until I wore the shirt for the first time and managed to drip chocolate on my belly! No problem- just quickly throw it in the wash, right? Nope- still there. Okay, so use a little stronger stain remover and try it again! Even worse- this time whatever else I had in that load of wash managed to bleed out onto the shirt creating not only a stain, but a "lovely" tie-dye effect as well!

How Pretty! Not!

At that point I was just thinking, "You have got to be kidding me!! My ONE decent maternity T- RUINED! And I don't have the money to buy another one! What the heck am I going to wear the next two months?!"

Aww, well, mama just had to put a little ingenuity to work! I dyed the sucker! Yup, my springy blue T is now my royal purple T! A little Dylon, an hour out of my morning and VOILA, beauty!
The stitching did stay blue (must have been some sort of polyester), but at this point I figure it just adds to the over-all spunk of this already character-enhanced piece of my meager wardrobe!


So next time you think your new, or favorite, or most loved garment is ruined in the wash- head to the craft store, spend $2 and make a fresh masterpiece for your closet! Take that, you evil washing machine!

Dyed, Washed and Ready to Go!

Well, one thing on my long list of to-do's before the baby arrives is finally complete- the prefolds and Kissaluvs Size 0 fitteds are dyed, washed and ready for action! So, I thought I would give you all a little run-down on how the process went! Enjoy!

So, here is what they started out looking like- just your basic, unbleached Indian prefolds (from Mt. Diaper Store) and Kissaluvs Size 0s (from Kelly's Closet). I ordered 12 Kissaluvs, 12 Newborn Indian Prefolds, and 12 Infant Indian Prefolds to help round out my stash and fill in the gaps (don't worry- I'll be posting about the whole stash very soon ;-)!).
I decided to divide the dipes among 5 different colors (green, blue, purple, red, & orange)- 2 Kissaluvs, 2 Newborn pfs & 2 Infant pfs for each color, with a set left natural just cause sometimes an authentic cloth bum is nice too!

I dyed the dipes in two separate batches- blue, purple and green, then red and orange. I did this for a few different reasons. First, I only have so many large pots and sides to my sink. Second, I figured if the colors somehow got cross-contaminated at all, at least they were broken up into similar color families so the damage wouldn't be that bad. Luckly, there wasn't much cross-coloring (I'll explain in a moment!).

I used Dylon brand dyes, since they were what I was familiar with from previous dying experiences, and find the colors to be potent and vibrant, plus they are cheap and easy to find! The process is simple and involves first filling a large pot or stainless steel sink with enough hot water for you dipes to float freely. You then add salt to the water and pour in the dye (mixed with some water already). Here is the disolved dye going in the sink for the purple dipes:

From there you add your fabric. As you can see, the dye immediately adheres to the fabric, even adfter just a few seconds, so it is important to wear gloves and old clothes (especially if you are pregnant since I have found that a disporportionatly large belly tends to catch splaters more easily than normal!).

The instructions say to stir continuously for the first 15 minutes, then again for a minute or so every 15 minutes after that. I found this to be more essential when dying in a pot rather than the sink, as the fabric had less room to move in the pot and my green pfs did come out a bit blotchy in spots. Nothing horrible though, and on the bum I don't think you will ever notice.

So then you wait, and stir, and wait some more!

After you have let the dipes soak for the full hour the actual labor intensive part of the dying begins- the rinsing!! Ugh! This part seems to take forever! Just keep rinsing and wringing with cool-cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Once I felt like I had done a sufficient job rinsing them by hand I placed each color in a separate plastic bag to transpot them to the laundry room (a vital step that my pregnancy-brain caused me to leave out with the orange and red dipes, which lead to an unfortuante mis-hap that turned a few of the diapers I intended to keep natural... well... a little peach! Oh well!).

After 3-5 hot washes (and then also fully drying) of each color separately, the colors were finally fast and no longer bleeding in the wash! Yeah! One more wash with all the dipes together and the process was complete! Check out my handy work and the glorious colors that will be adorning my babe's bum in a couple of short months:

I made dryer balls!

Lately I have been faced with two dilemmas (among many, but let's just focus on these for the sake of this post):
1. I have left over, strange amounts of yarn that I don't know what to do with,
2. I have serious static in my dryer (we don't use dryer sheets and I recently found out the blue dryer balls we were using are made of PVC and therefore not going back in my dryer!)

My solution? Homemade wool dryer balls! I have heard from many people lately that they simply swear by them to not only reduce static, but soften their clothes and reduce drying times as well! So, I dug out my leftover stash and went to work! They are incredibly simple to make with a little bit of time and a good grip (I will explain in a moment!).

Left over wool yarn from other projects

1. Wrap your 100% wool yarn of choice into a tight ball- we are talkin' tight here! As tight as you can make it! The tighter the better (this is where the grip issue comes in- when the ball is very small it has a tendency to pop out of your fingers and unravel- no fun!)!

Wrapping a Tight Ball

2. Once you have wrapped to about the size of a golf ball you have made your core, which should be felted on it's own for the best results. Take the end of the yarn and wrap it into the ball with a small crochet hook to secure it.

Securing the end of the yarn

3. Place the ball into the end of an old nylon or sock and put a tie of non-wool yarn or string just past it to insure that it does not fall out and unravel. If you are making more than one ball tie in between each.

Balls tied in nylon

4. Throw the ball(s) into the washer with a load of clothes (preferably a hot wash) and follow up with a tumble through the dryer. This process can be repeated as many times as you like to acquire the desired level of felting. The more times you wash and dry the more firm and dense the ball will become.

Balls in washer

5. Once your core is sufficiently felted it is time to add on your outer layer. Just begin to wind more string (tightly, once again) onto your core until it reaches about the size of a tennis ball (generally around 9 in. in circumference) but make sure that you allow for some shrinkage in the felting process.

Starting to wind more yarn onto felted core

6. Repeat steps 2-4 and voila'- you have just made your very own dryer balls! Throw them in with each load of laundry for the softest clothes you've probably ever had! Generally speaking, the more balls in the dryer the better! So, go get busy with this fun and simple way to go green, reuse and be frugal!
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Meme Note:

If you have a clever use for leftover yarn, or you blog about making your own dryer balls, I would love for you to be a part of this Knit Bits Meme! Simply leave a link directly to your post in a comment (not to just your general blog, but the specific post itself) and then we can all share in the fun together. Make sure to add the Knit Bits Button to your post too!

Soon I hope to get a Mr. Linky up and working for these memes, but until then linked comments will have to work! I look forward to seeing what you all come up with!