Lindsay Wilkes

Jul

Winners!

Sorry for the delay in posting these lovely winners, but we have been without power for several days due to some heavy storms. And I must say, it’s been mighty hot for this pregnant mama. But thankfully, we just got power back this morning – woohoo – I definitely have a new appreciation for electricity!

Without further ado, the winner(s) of the Tie Dye Diva Sewing pattern giveaway are:

And the winner of the “Playdate Sew Along” Design Contest is………….

Natalie from Our Old Southern House

Congratulations to all three winners! The Tie Dye Diva** winners will each receive a PDF pattern of their choice and Natalie has won a $50.00 gift certificate to Fairytale Frocks and Lollipops! Please email me at thecottagemama[at]gmail[dot]com with your contact information and we will make sure to get you your prizes as soon as possible.

**Also Tie Dye Diva is offering The Cottage Home blog readers 15% OFF all patterns for the next 24 hours with the coupon code: COTTAGEMAMA. So if you weren’t one of the lucky winners, hurry on over and snatch up one of her adorable patterns!

Click HERE to visit Tie Dye Diva Sewing patterns.

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of The Cottage Home blog, please email Lindsay at thecottagemama[at]gmail[dot]com for rates and more information.

Jul

Mamarazzi by Stacy Wasmuth {Book Review and Giveaway}

I was recently sent a copy of “Mamarazzi – Every Mom’s Guide to Photographing Kids” by Stacy Wasmuth for me to review here on the blog. How adorable is that little girl on the front cover? Seriously, I don’t know if it gets much cuter than that!

I was so excited to get my hands on this book because, though I love to take pictures of my girls, and I do have a nice camera, I don’t exactly know what I’m doing. I hope that’s ok to admit. Yes, I’m outing myself – My name is Lindsay. I have a dSLR camera. And I don’t know exactly how to use it.

But with that being said, I have been working really hard to learn more about photography and how to take good pictures, so this book came at the perfect time! I find so many photography books are way to technical for my liking. I am a visual learner, so I love pictures and examples and many of the books I’ve picked up are just filled to the brim with text. I want to take good pictures of my kids, but I am by no means looking to become a true professional.

Mamarazzi by Stacy Wasmuth was written with a casual, friendly tone and addressed all of the issues I have with photographing children. She covers a wide-range of topics that will interest many moms who just love, love, love taking pictures of their little ones.

Here is what the table of contents looks like so you can see what all the book entails:

This book goes into some detail with how to use your dSLR camera but it also has other great photography tips for those that use basic point-and-shoot cameras as well. I love that the author goes into some detail in regards to photo editing as well because I end up doing a lot of that with the pictures that I take.

She talks about shooting different children of all ages, what to have them wear for photo shoots and how to get those winning smiles out of them without them saying “cheese” (which if you’ve ever photographed kids before, you know that never looks attractive).

Mamarazzi has some of the best eye candy of any photography book I have ever seen. The sample photographs are amazing and there are TONS of them. Besides being very informative, who doesn’t love looking at photographs of adorable babies, cute toddlers, beautiful children and happy families?

Here is some additional information from Amazon.com about Mamarazzi by Stacy Wasmuth:

Calling all mamarazzis! Every camera-toting mom will want this guide!

Moms, if you can’t seem to take enough great photos of the children in your life, this is the book for you. Now you can learn how to photograph children with the style, clarity, color, and beauty you see in professional photographs. This fun guide combines humor with solid know-how to show you how to compose shots, handle cameras from basic compacts to advanced dSLRs, take portraits or candids, create prints that impress, and even work with kids! Packed with beautiful examples and written in a down-to-earth style from one mom to another, this book will help mamarazzis everywhere take better photos.

Moms are one of the fastest-growing segments of the camera-toting demographic, and the blogosphere has a term for them, mamarazzis
Mixes information, inspiration, and fun for women who want to take better photographs of the children in their lives
Explains how to set up a camera and use the controls on basic compacts up to advanced dSLR cameras
Covers shot composition, determining settings, exposing images correctly, the essentials of printing images, how to process for clear and bright color, and more
Includes stunning examples of portraits and candids of children

So today, we are giving away one copy of “Mamarazzi – Every Mom’s Guide to Photographing Kids” by Stacy Wasmuth to one lucky The Cottage Home blog reader.

Here’s how to enter:
Please use a separate comment for each entry (enter all three times or just once….it’s up to you).
1. Tell me who you love to photograph or why you need this book.
2. Become an official follower of The Cottage Home blog.
3. Become a fan of The Cottage Mama on Facebook (click HERE to do so).

Giveaway will be open until Friday, July 15, 2011 at midnight (CST).

Jul

From Grandma with Love……..Cherry Picnic Dresses

I mentioned in my last “From Grandma with Love” post that Grandma Jane had made these adorable Cherry Picnic Dresses for the girls. So here they are – I absolutely love them and they fit perfectly!

I just love coordinating sister looks where they are matching, but not exactly the same. Mom found this fabric at her local Joann Fabric store and thought it just shouted summer picnic and I couldn’t agree more.

Matilda’s dress is so sweet with the pleated top and the button detail across the front. Her dress has three medium sized buttons in the back and has the plaid accent at the bottom. I’ve been kind of into the square neck-line lately and I think the pleated top just makes the dress!

Miss Savannah’s dress couldn’t have been designed more perfectly for her. She is really into collecting things and sticking them in her pockets (you should have seen the mound of rocks she had in her shorts the other day). These pockets are nice and large and are set at just the right height for her little hands. I also love that Savannah’s dress has encased elastic in the back which makes for a very comfortable fit. And my favorite detail of this dress is the piping that has been added in around the bodice edge……mom knows I love that piping!

What’s even more fun right now, is that the girls love to be matching. I know this is not going to last long, so I’m taking full advantage of it for right now. But with them only being 16-months apart they pretty much have the same taste in clothing and both love wearing dresses!

Thanks Grandma Jane, handmade gifts are the best!

We love all the pretty things you’ve been making and sending for the girls!

Jul

Happy Birthday Baby Girl

Happy 2nd Birthday to my baby girl, Matilda Jane!

I guess when you turn two, you’re not really a baby anymore and I’d definitely say this little lady has graduated to toddler status in the last six months. She’s been a little slow growing in the hair department so she still kind of looks my baby. But boy does she have some serious personality coming through. She is a ray of sunshine every day and I can honestly say she is a joy to parent.

There are just a few things that I would like my sweet Matilda Jane to know about what she is like on her 2nd birthday:

1. You have some of the best expressions that make your family smile ear to ear.

2. One of your favorite phrases is “I do it!”.

3. You love and adore your sister, Savannah Rose.

4. You give the best hugs.

5. You make people smile wherever you go.

6. You look adorable with your little pig tails.

7. Your favorite television show is Caillou and your favorite book is Look and See Sesame Street.

8. You sleep with your stuffed Elmo and lamb every night.

9. You love your binkie and your call it “B”.

10. Whenever your sister says something, you say “Me too!”

11. You like to spin around and around until you are so dizzy you almost fall over.

12. You love playing baby dolls.

13. We call you “Missy Boo” – a name that your sister, Savannah, came up with and it has just stuck.

14. You are incredibly snuggly and loved to be cuddled on the couch.

15. You don’t like bugs.

16. Your favorite foods are hot dogs, pretzels, macaroni and cheese, popcorn and all kinds of berries.

17. You like to dance and love showing your mama all your ballet moves.

18. You love your cat, Lily and are always looking for her.

19. You have the sweetest looking face after you wake up from your nap.

20. You light up a room and bring joy into our hearts.

So, again, happy birthday to my baby girl! We are all looking forward to your “Tea for 2” birthday party tomorrow. Thank you for being such a sweet, loving child – you are such a blessing to our lives!

We love you,

Mama, Daddy and Savannah Rose

Jul

Sew Along Design Contest Finalists

Thank you to everyone who entered the “Sew Along Design Contest” through The Cottage Home Flickr Group. There were some very creative entries which made it very hard to choose, but we narrowed it down to the top five. In no particular order, the finalists are……….

Natalie from Our Old Southern House

From Mama Reita

Amber Lou from The Paisley Cupcake

From Jessica

From Stiej

Voting is now open in the left side-bar of the blog underneath the “welcome” section. So vote for your favorite look and the person you want to win the $50 gift certificate to Fairytale Frocks and Lollipops. Voting will be open until Sunday, July 10, 2011 at midnight (CST). Good luck to all the finalists!

Jul

Strawberry Picking and Cinnamon Strawberry Muffin Recipe

Last week it was finally strawberry season here in Illinois! My husband was out of town for the week on a fishing trip with his dad, so the girls and I decided to head to our local strawberry farm to pick some fresh berries.

At the farm they give each child their own small basket and then they give each adult a larger basket. It’s not a fancy place, but it was just the perfect place for this mama and two little ladies.

The girls were very busy picking their berries. Savannah stayed very focused and picked a ton. Matilda, however, eventually decided it was best just to eat all the berries she was picking that way her basket would be empty and she could wear it as a hat.

We ended up with a huge basket of berries. Both the girls started just filling up mama’s basket and we filled it to the brim!

Once we had all our berries picked, it was time to head home and figure out what to do with all these gorgeous little red berries.

Cinnamon Strawberry Muffins

Makes 18-24 muffins

So we had picked all of these berries and I knew we needed to make something with them because, especially with my husband being away, there was no way we were going to eat this whole basket. I thought about strawberry scones and strawberry cake, but settled on strawberry muffins. I added some cinnamon to make these a little different than your average muffin and oh.my.goodness – they are delicious.

If you have any berries lying around, give this recipe a try. It’s heavy on the cinnamon and heavy on the sugar – two of my favorite things. And the tops get super-crunchy and delicious. You’re going to love it!

Ingredients:

1 lb. fresh strawberries, hulled and cut in half
3 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 sticks butter, melted
1 1/4 cup milk
2 eggs

Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Prep your strawberries by taking the tops off and cutting them in half. Some of our berries were pretty tiny so I just left those whole.

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl, except for the sugar. In a separate bowl, combine all wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and combine. Toss your strawberries with the sugar.

Add strawberry/sugar mixture to the muffin mixture and fold in gently to combine.

Spray two muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray (you could also use muffin liners, if you prefer). Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup and fill each muffin tin just about to the top.

Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the muffins comes out clean.

Allow muffins to cool and then remove from pan. If you do not plan to eat your muffins that day, I suggest freezing them. Strawberries tend to make baked goods kind of soggy if they sit too long.

Place them in a freezer bag and lay them flat in your freezer for the initial freeze. You can pull the muffins out one at a time when you are ready to eat them, microwave for about 45 seconds and they literally taste like you just pulled them out of the oven. This is also a great technique if you have guests coming for a visit and you want to bake prior to their arrival or for a quick breakfast before work or school.

We only have one of these muffins left and looking at this picture is making me think, I need to walk immediately into the kitchen and pull it out of the freezer. YUM!

Jul

From Grandma with Love…..Cowgirl Princess Quilts and Ruffle Pillows

I love my mom. I know I’ve told you all that before, but she really is the best! So thoughtful, kind, understanding, a good listener and I could go on and on, but I know she reads the blog and I don’t want her to get a big head or anything.

She has really been taking a lot of time lately sewing some fun things for my girls and I just had to share her most recent creation with you.

My mom lives in Texas and she said that when she found this Cowgirl Princess fabric she knew she MUST make these quilts for the girls.

Isn’t that fabric just adorable?

Mom made both Savannah and Matilda each a Cowgirl Princess quilt and a matching ruffle pillows. I love the piecing and framing she did around the border of the quilt. It really makes the fun cowgirl princess fabric stand out in the middle.

My mom quilted the center fabric with what she calls her “lasso” technique. She used her free motion quilting foot to make the stitching look like little lassos. She said she thought something was missing when she finished the quilts so she went back around the center panel with this decorative scallop stitch. Genius! I’ve used this same stitch on the edging of dresses, but would never have thought to use it on a quilt.

The pillows are adorable and are perfect size for little toddlers. Because she made the pillowcases smaller, she also made an interior pillow to fit inside each case. My daughter, Matilda, refuses to sleep with any other pillow right now. This is the one she loves.

I love handmade gifts and I love that my mom takes so much time to make fun things for my girls. And honestly, even though my little ladies are young, they really appreciate handmade. They love getting things from Grandma and tell anyone who will listen all about the fun things that have been made for them.

Thanks for the adorable Cowgirl Princess quilts and pillow sets for the girls. They love them and we love you! Yeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaw!!!

PS: Since I took these pictures, we have since received the most adorable cherry picnic dresses from my mom – I can’t wait to share those with you next!

Jul

Happy 4th of July!

Jul

Birdsong Bows Giveaway Winner

And the winner(s) of the Birdsong Bows Pattern Giveaway are…………

Congratulations to you both!! Please email Lindsay at thecottagemama[at]gmail[dot]com with your contact information and we will get these patterns out to you as soon as possible. Thank you so much to everyone who entered!

We’ve got a great PDF sewing pattern giveaway scheduled for this next week from one of our new sponsors, Tie Dye Diva Sewing Patterns, so stay tuned. If you are interested in becoming a sponsor of The Cottage Home blog, feel free to email me for rates and more information.

Jul

Playdate Outfit Sew Along: Day 5 – Capris/Shorts

If you’ve made it this far, I want to say thank you for staying with me. I’ve had a lot of fun sewing with you all so far! And I hope you guys are having fun too.

So now we are moving on to the capris/shorts. I decided to make the capris for my little lady, so I will be referring to them as such through this post.

First we need to add the cuff to the capris. Place the cuff on top of the bottom of the pants, right sides together and sew together at the bottom edge. Do this on all four pant pieces. Press seams open and then press the right side as well.

If you notice, I marked my back pant pieces with a safety pin so I can easily tell them apart from the front pieces……sometimes it’s really hard to tell.

Next line up a front and back piece, right sides together and sew down the long center curve of the pants. Press seams open. I opted to use my serger here because the pants were not lined. If you don’t have a serger (which I’m sure a lot of you don’t), then just be sure to use your pinking shears to finish the edges to prevent fraying.

Open the pieces you just sewed together. Line up the front and back pieces with one another, right sides together and sew around the crotch area. Press seams open.

Now you have what pretty much looks like a pair of pants. Stitch both side seams, right sides together, but make sure to stop before you sew the cuff as the pattern instructs.

Next, press the cuff to make the seams for the side slits. Pin in place and stitch according to pattern directions. I’m not 100% that I did this correctly, but it seemed to work out well.

Above is what the cuff side slits will look like after you have stitched them into place.

Next we need to hem the capris. Turn the hem up 1/2″ and then another 1/2″ towards the wrong side of the pants and stitch into place. This is where I love to use my hem gauge – it comes in very handy for this step!

Now we move onto the waist-band. Stitch the front and back of the waist-band, right sides together, at the side seams.

I don’t know if you recall, but I think the back waist-band piece (H) was labeled incorrectly as front waist-band, so don’t let this confuse you.

Press your waist-band side seams and then press your waist-band in half.

Open your waistband back up and sew your elastic into the back waist-band piece at the side seams. Make sure to stitch this back and forth several times so it is nice and secure. Again, this is another spot where I think I did what the instructions called for, but I’m not 100% sure.

Once you’ve sewn in the elastic at the side seams fold the waist-band back in half. Place the raw edge of the waist-band in line with the raw edge of the top of the capris. Stitch into place and press seams open. I found this to be slightly tricky with the elastic already sewn in, but just work with it and it will turn out just right.

Here is what your waist-band will look like once you have pressed your seams. It will be nice and flat on the front and gathered with elastic on the back. A flat front pant gives a really nice look on a little girl because it reduces any of the bulk in the front that elastic might cause.

So, that’s it!! We’re done. If you have your own labels, now would be a good time to sew one into your garment! And now it’s time to try your outfit on your little lady and be proud of all your hard work. There is nothing better than having my girls LOVE one of the outfits I’ve made for them. It makes all the time (and sometimes frustration) well worth it!

So here’s my completed outfit for Miss Savannah Rose. I added a woven trim at the bottom of the top just to add a little interest.

Thank you guys SO much for joining me on this sewing journey. I hope you had fun and maybe learned a little something along the way. I know, I did!

And don’t forget, click HERE to add your pictures to The Cottage Home Flickr Pool to enter The Cottage Home “Sew Along” contest. Next week I will reveal the finalists and then the readers will get to vote on their favorite look. The prize is a $50 gift certificate to Fairytale Frocks and Lollipops to use on anything in the shop – who wouldn’t want that, right?