31
Oct

Happy Halloween!

Just wanted to wish everyone a very Happy Halloween!!  I hope you all have tons of fun trick-or-treating.  This will be our first year taking our little Savannah out – we can’t wait.  We will just hit a few houses, but I think she will really enjoy it.  The weather here is supposed to be clear, chilly, but clear which is always nice (it usually rains or snows here on Halloween).

Here’s my little Savannah in her Halloween dress that I made for her.  I didn’t use a pattern for this dress and will post a tutorial on how to make this simple look in the coming weeks.  But for now…….(sing with me to the tune of “the ants go marching”)……

The goblins come out on Halloween…..watch out…..watch out
They look so scary and so mean….watch out…..watch out
But they’re only boys and girls like you, who trick or treat and then say……
Boo
Oh I can’t wait for Halloween to come again!!
Happy Halloween!
30
Oct

Repurposed Children’s Fashions

Lately I have been really into making clothes for my two girls.  It is so fun creating things for them that are one-of-a-kind and I feel so proud when they are wearing what I made for them.


With all the consumer waste that is going on in our world, I think it is so wonderful when you can repurpose an item that has already been created and turn it into something even more fabulous than it’s original intention.  Don’t get me wrong, with my sewing and fabric obsession, I am definitely out there buying new things, but I feel especially proud of my repurposed children’s clothing.  



Both of these dresses were made from vintage pillowcases that I found on ebay or at the flea market.  I paid about $6 for each pillowcase – not bad, right?  The one above already came embroidered and crocheted at the bottom.  The dress to the right was done entirely from a pillowcase (except the green ribbon at the bottom), I just cut it differently than the one above.


Last night I made this really simple pair of Bitty Booties (see picture to left) for my 3.5 month old daughter, Matilda.  One of my favorite fabric designers, Heather Bailey, has a free pattern for these booties on her blog (http://heatherbailey.typepad.com).  It is SUPER simple with only a few pattern pieces and then I hand embroidered the opening with a blanket stitch using cranberry embroidery floss.  For the fabric, I “felted” a mens sweater that I got at Good Will for $3.  


Felting is caused by heat agitation. It is a process in which you wash 100% wool knitted material (sweaters, scarves, knitting, ect.) in very hot water (2 times) to produce an incredibly dense, yet very soft and thick fabric for you to use for purses, scarves, slippers, baby booties, ect.  More on felting at another time.


If you are interested in finding out more about any of these projects, please leave me a comment or send me an email and I would be happy to answer any questions you may have or post a tutorial.  And if the above projects excite you, I highly recommend you check out the Betz White’s book, Sewing Green: 25 Projects Made with Repurposed and Organic Materials which has some other great ideas!

25
Oct

Superhero Powers

So today my family and I attend my friend Marlene’s son, Ben’s 2nd birthday party.  Wow, I can’t believe he is 2 already!  Lately Ben is all Savannah can talk about – I think she might have a little crush on him, which is understandable because he is insanely cute!

When I was thinking about what we were going to give Ben for his birthday, I knew it had to be something special.  Marlene is one of my closest friends and I have a soft spot in my heart for her little guy.

So in thinking about his gift, I remembered back to this conversation my Mom and I had a few weeks ago when she was in town for Matilda’s baptism – she had mentioned how she saw a little boy in the airport with a cute cape that his Mom had made for him and how proud he was of his cape.  And I thought, “ah ha” – that’s what I’ll make Ben for his birthday – a super-hero cape, or better yet, a super Ben cape!!

Every toddler needs a super-hero cape, right?  A cape that makes them feel that they can conquer the world, that they have the power to make all of their dreams come true, and that no matter what direction life takes, they can face it head on.

Sometimes I feel like we as adults need super-hero capes too.  I bet I’d look pretty silly running around town in my “Super Lindsay” cape, but I know it would make me feel invincible.   So the next time you are going through a difficult time or feel like you just can’t face the world, picture yourself with your own super-hero cape on, think like a toddler and know that you have the super-powers to make it through anything life might throw your way!!

19
Oct

Sew Many Books, Sew Little Time

There are SO many wonderful books on the market right now for sewing enthusiasts.  Even if you have yet to discover the magic of the sewing machine, check out some of these books the next time you are browsing at the book store and I bet you’ll be inspired!  Here are some of my favorites:
  1.  Amy Butler’s Little Stitches – Designer Amy Butler presents 20 charming contemporary projects for the nursery and beyond. There’s a snuggly wrap blanket, imaginative plush toys, bright diaper bags, handy travel bibs and much more. Amy also shares tips on choosing baby-friendly fabrics and includes a comprehensive techniques section glossary and resource guide. With her eye for detail and her signature fine craftsmanship Amy has created a delightful offering of handcrafted keepsakes sure to be cherished by generations to come.
  2. Amy Butler’s In Stitches – Designer Amy Butler brings her fresh, modern style to the timeless craft of sewing. She presents more than 25 charming projects ranging from cushy floor cushions to smart aprons to stylish handbags. Amy offers thoughtful tips on finding and treating new or vintage fabrics, an easy-to-navigate techniques section, and a glossary and resource guide at back. Whether it’s chic placemats and napkins for the kitchen, a luxurious kimono-style robe for the bath, or handy organizer baskets for the home office Amy Butler’s In Stitches makes it easy to create beautiful accessories for every room and every mood.
  3. Weekend Sewing: More Than 40 Projects and Ideas for Inspired Stitching – More than just a pair of days, a weekend is also a state of mind—a feeling of relaxation and freedom to immerse ourselves fully in a favorite activity. In Weekend Sewing, designer Heather Ross presents creative projects for clothing, accessories, and home items that can be made in a weekend or less. Some, like the Quick Garden Gloves and Ruby’s Bloomers, take a few hours; others, like the Weekend-Away Travel Bag and Trapeze Sundress, require a day or two—but all of them capture that weekend feeling.  And because weekends are often the most fun when they’re social, Ross features ideas that encourage us to share our stitching and our time, such as a recipe for soup to simmer while sewing, then serve to guests later in the day, and tips for transporting a sewing machine to a friend’s house for an afternoon of social stitching.
  4. Seams to Me: 24 New Reasons to Love Sewing – Anna Maria Horner’s signature style combines the techniques of a seasoned sewer with the vision of an artist. In Seams to Me: 24 New Reasons to Love Sewing, she walks you through the fundamentals, offering practical advice on everything from fabric selection to color choices to choosing and buying a sewing machine. Simple step-by-step instructions show you how to turn her designs into fanciful creations: Sideways Squares Skirt, Prairie Blouse, Full Contact Cooking Apron, Playing Along Quilt, Doggie Dreams Bed, And so much more!
  5. Bend the Rules Sewing: The Essential Guide to a Whole New Way to Sew –Author Amy Karol, whose Angry Chicken is one of the best-loved craft blogs on the Web, brings stitchers everywhere a down-to-earth introduction to sewing, including thirty projects so adorable and cool they’ll inspire anyone to pick up a needle and thread. You’ll find information on basic equipment and supplies, advice on choosing and using fabrics, and a fantastic section on techniques. In addition, Amy walks readers through easy, inspiring patterns designed for the fashion-savvy crafter. Playful, modern projects, which include pillows, aprons, and purses, help novices master sewing skills while providing immediate sewing gratification—and confidence. Best of all, Amy explains what’s easy, what’s hard, and when not to sweat the small stuff.  
  6. Sewing Green: 25 Projects Made with Repurposed & Organic Materials – By its nature, do-it-yourself sewing is environmentally friendly. In Sewing Green, Betz White takes stitching to an even higher level of sustainability, presenting 25 projects made from “repurposed” thrift-store and back-of-the-closet finds and organic fabrics.  White’s whimsical yet practical designs include an apron constructed from men’s dress shirts (and a wallet from the shirts’ cuffs!), a soft blanket pieced from secondhand cashmere sweaters, and even a tote bag refashioned from used Tyvek envelopes. Along the way, White dispenses tips on everything from how to deconstruct old garments for reuse in new creations to how to wrap gifts with resusable fabric scraps instead of paper.  Inspiring profiles about well-known leaders in the eco-stitching movement are sprinkled throughout, and a complete resources section helps crafters make eco-smart choices. 
  7. Stitched in Time – In Stitched in Time Alicia Paulson shares 30 beautiful, inventive, and thoughtful projects that encourage you to take your memories down from the bookshelf, out of the closet, or off the hard drive and bring them into your daily life. Paulson organizes these adorable handmade mementos—each one incorporating unique elements such as photos, drawings, and other ephemera—into three sections: For the Little Ones, For Every Day, and For Special Occasions. Many projects are easy enough for the beginning sewer to complete, and Paulson explains all the necessary techniques, from hand- and machine-sewing to embroidery, appliqué, stenciling, and transferring photos to fabric.  In as little as a weekend anyone can create a keepsake for the ages that will be enjoyed every day —whether it’s a quilt made from outgrown baby clothes, an apron featuring a favorite family recipe, a tote bag documenting a treasured vacation, or a stuffed animal fashioned from a child’s drawing. With love incorporated into every stitch, these sweet projects each evoke the feeling of a special time and place, and are so much more than just a commemoration of events. Whether you want to remember your family summers at the beach or a daughter’s first apartment, a perfect gift for a loved one or a memento to keep all to yourself is just stitches away.
18
Oct

I Love, Love, Love Fall

Today was one of the most beautiful Fall days we have had all season.  The skies were clear, the leaves were all shades of red, orange and yellow and there was just an overall feeling of Fall in the air.  Ahhhh, my favorite time of year!

Now with two kiddies it is very important to me to start coming up with some family traditions of our own.  I can remember back to my childhood and I cherish the traditions that my family had.  Last year we started the tradition of apple picking with my in-laws and I think today a new tradition has begun.

Today we went on the “Autumn Drive” – 12 farms open up a long one stretch of road and sell antiques, crafts, pumpkins, squash, mums, food-goods, pottery.  It was a gorgeous drive along country roads and it was so nice to spend a leisurely afternoon just gazing at all the Fall goodies they had to offer.

So, I ask you, what are your Fall family traditions?  Apple picking, pumpkin patches, autumn drives, corn mazes?  If you have not incorporated any Fall traditions into your family yet, don’t worry, we still have a month and a half to go, so get out there and takes a fresh breath of Fall – you’ll be very glad you did!!

16
Oct

Fun With Leftovers!

Ok, so it was Monday night and my family had just left after coming into town for my daughter, Matilda’s baptism, and I was thinking………what are we going to have for dinner?  We had many leftovers in our fridge after having company stay with us and having just had a big baptism party.

Like I said in one of my previous posts, I am really trying to be better about not wasting food so I had to figure out how to use up all of these little bits of leftovers.  We had 1.5 bowls of Taos Taco Soup left, about 1/6 of a roast chicken (Crock-Pot Chicken ) and a big tupperware full of mashed potatoes.  So here’s what I came up with – Southwestern Shepherds Pie!

Ingredients:
Leftover Taos Taco Soup
1/6 Roasted Chicken (shredded)
3 cups homemade mashed potatoes
2 chopped green onions
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Garnish – Chile powder, Sour Cream, Cilantro, and Tortilla Chips

Mix shredded chicken with remaining Taos Taco Soup and spread into the bottom of a 9 x 13 glass baking dish.  Mix mashed potatoes and green onions together and spread on top of Taos Taco Soup.  Sprinkle cheese on top of potatoes and sprinkle chile powder (for a bit of extra flavor and to make it look pretty).  Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and everything is heated through.  Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top, a sprinkle of cilantro and a few tortilla chips.

Yipee for not wasting any food and for coming up with a new recipe!!!  Enjoy!

14
Oct

The Five Love Languages

The Five Love Languages
How to Express Heartfeld Commitment to Your Mate
by Gary Chapman
“At the heart of mankind’s existence is the desire to be intimate and to be loved by another.  Marriage is designed to meet that need for intimacy and love.”
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman is a book I think everyone should read – whether you are currently in a relationship or not.  People express and receive love in different ways.  The emotional love language that you speak might be entirely different from the one your spouse speaks.  If you cannot learn to speak each others language then you cannot communicate your love for one another effectively.  By speaking the wrong language to your spouse, your spouse will not realized that you have expressed love at all.
The way people like to express and/or receive love can be broken down into five love languages:
  1. Words of Affirmation
  2. Quality Time
  3. Receiving Gifts
  4. Acts of Service
  5. Physical Touch
Perhaps your husband needs to hear encouraging words, but you feel cooking a nice dinner will cheer him up.  When he still feels down, you’re puzzled.  Or, maybe your wife craves time with you – time away from the children and television.  The flowers you gave her just don’t communicate that you care.
Now speaking your partners language may not be entirely comfortable for you; however, if it is what makes your partner feel he/or she is loved and cared for, then it is important for us to make the effort to speak their language as much as possible.  When an action doesn’t come naturally to you, it is a greater expression of love.
Not only can the love languages be specific to showing love to our significant other or spouse, but it can also be very effective in showing our children that they are loved.  Observe your children, do they thrive on words of affirmation?  Or do you see them sparkle when they get to spend quality one-on-one time with you?  Perhaps they are a child that craves physical touch – such as lots of cuddles, hugs and kisses.  Whatever their language may be, it is our job as parents to learn their language and shout it from the roof top!!  Wouldn’t you hate to find out that your child grew up, not feeling that love and adoration simply because you did not take the time to learn he/or she’s language?  I know I would, I am a committed to making sure that doesn’t happen.
I found this book to be incredibly insightful into how we send and receive love to and from our partner.  And as I pulled this book out to refresh my memory about the five languages, I too have realize that I need to make a continuous, conscious effort to speak my husbands love language and fill up his “love tank” as much as possible.  When you read the book, The Five Love Languages, you’ll learn to speak and understand the unique languages of love and effectively express your love as well as feel truly loved in return.

14
Oct

Entertaining a Crowd

I love entertaining.  It is so wonderful to be able to welcome people into your home and serve them delicious food and drink.  Our house right now is not ideal for entertaining large crowds, but we can manage to host a pretty good medium-sized party.  My husband (who is an avid winemaker and homebrewer) always has the drink part covered and I am left to make sure we have an awesome meal!

This past weekend was my baby girl, Matilda Jane’s baptism into the Catholic faith.  We had about sixteen close family and friends attend the ceremony and luncheon at our home following her baptism.  For our Matida’s baptism, I decided it would be best to make food that could all be prepared ahead of time since we would be heading straight from the church to the party.  I don’t like being in the kitchen preparing food when my guests are over because it doesn’t allow me enough time to mingle and truly host.  If I am going to throw a party, I would like to make sure I get to attend it as well.

When planning your menu for your guests it is important to think about the type of event you are hosting, the number of people attending, and the types of food your guests would enjoy.  If it is a smaller group, then perhaps you will choose to do a plated meal, if a larger crowed, then generally buffet style is the way to go.  Menu planning is one of my favorite parts of hosting an event!

Here is the menu I decided on for my Matilda’s baptsim –  Chicken Salad on Croissants, Ruthie’s Spinach Salad, Caprese Pasta Salad, Apple Spice Bread, and Cake (which was provided by my in-laws).  My husband complimented these food choices with his own home-brewed beer, as well as a special beer called “Matilda” (fitting, right?), wine and champagne.

Entertaining Tip:  When having a party of six or more, always answer the door with a drink in your hand.  This will let you guests know that it is going to be a festive, relaxed time from the start!

Here are some of my recipes for entertaining a crowd:

Ruthie’s Spinach Salad
Dressing
3/4 C. salad oil

1/2 C. sugar

1/2 C. red wine vinegar

3-4 cloves garlic

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

Salad
8 cups washed and dried baby spinach

1 C dried cranberries or cherries

4 ounces feta cheese crumbled

I/2 to 1 medium red onion thinly sliced

4-6 slices bacon -cooked and crumbled

1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

For dressing–combine all ingredients in a container with a tight fitting lid.  Cover and shake well to blend.

For the salad–combine all ingredients–toss with dressing just before serving.

Six servings

Note:  This salad is WONDERFUL!  It is a perfect balance of sweet and savory.  Also, in this case, the salad is best slightly overdressed.
Caprese Pasta Salad
Easy summer salad. Great side dish to take to picnics or bbq’s.

Cook time: 20 Minutes
Prep time: 15 Minutes
Ingredients
* 1/3 cup of olive oil
* 1/2 cup of drained, oil packed sun dried tomatoes
* 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
* 1 tablespoon of capers
* 2 cloves of garlic chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon crushed red peppers
* 1 lb of fussili pasta
* 1 1/2- 2 cups chopped, seeded tomatoes
* 8 ounces of braided, marinated mozzarella chopped into 1/2 inch pieces. I use one from Trader Joes that has a good kick to it.
* 1 cup of packed fresh basil leaves
* 1 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
* 1/2 cup of minced, pitted black olives

Directions
* Blend first 6 ingredients in a processor until tomatoes are coarsely chopped.
* Cook pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water until tender but firm to bite.
* Drain pasta and transfer to a large bowl.  Add dressing to hot pasta and toss to coat.
* Add chopped fresh tomatoes, mozzarella, basil, Parmesan and olives.
* Toss well, cover and chill for an hour.  Bring to room temp before serving.  Can be made 6 hours ahead.


Chicken Salad
Ingredients
1 whole rotisserie chicken
1 cup mayo
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
Debone entire chicken and shred.  Combine chicken, mayo, salt, pepper, and rosemary.  Chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.
Serve on fresh croissants.  Makes 18 croissant sandwiches.  

10
Oct

Spruce It Up!

Have you ever wanted to spruce up your house, but didn’t have the funds to get it done?  Well for around $4 you can update your house in no time and the secret is spray paint!!

Many newer homes come with basic builders fixtures consisting of those, not so elegant looking, brass fixtures.  Well that is not a problem if you have spray paint.  There is absolutely no priming or sanding involved – you just shake the can and spray away.

We did not have a light fixture in our dining room and my in-laws offered us this shiny brass one.  We were VERY thankful to have been given the chandelier, but it wasn’t exactly our style and my in-laws were going to toss it if we didn’t take it.  So, I went to Home Depot and bought a can of Rustoleum spray paint in a darker brown tone and simply sprayed the entire chandelier.  I then purchased little silk, cream colored lamp shades to cover the light bulbs and I’ll say it looks pretty darn good (if I do say so myself).

Here is the chandelier that I repainted for our dining room.

I was recently at Goodwill and I saw they had tons of brass lamps that were pretty ugly on their own, but they had wonderful shapes and would look totally gorgeous painted dark brown, black or white and they were only $2.99 – $3.99.  Unfortunately I have no places in my home that currently needs a new lamp, but if you are in search of one, I highly recommend heading over to your local Goodwill!

I had some left-over spray paint from the chandelier project so I painted this brass lamp and now it is good as new!!  As you can see, all you need is $4 and a little time and you can transform any room in your home.  So get out there and get yourself some spray paint!!

8
Oct

The Creative Family

“In dwelling, live close to the ground.  In thinking, keep it to the simple.  In conflict, be fair and generous.  In governing, don’t try to control.  In work, do what you enjoy.  In family life, be completely present.” Tao Te Ching

This is a quote from the book The Creative Family by Amanda Blake Soule.  This is a wonderful book for families in regards to how to encourage imagination and nurture family connections with in our home life.

It is so important for us to be truly present in our family life.  So often we think of the list of things we need to get done – chores around the house, bills that need to be paid, meals that need to be cooked and we are so focused on the future that we forget about the present.  But do we take enough time each day to savor the precious, fleeting moments we have with our family?  Personally, I need to be better about this, but I do try to make a concious effort several times a day to check myself to see if I am truly present with my girls and my husband.

One of the ways I find helps me to connect to my daughter is through our bedtime ritual.  We do not have a drawn out bedtime routine like some families do, we simply can’t at this time with having a newborn as well.  But we do try to make our short ritual a meaningful one.

My daughter gets her PJ’s on.  I pick her up and give her a big hug and put her in her crib.  Then I lay three blankets on her as she counts each one…..”1, 2, 3″ she says.  Then I kneel down by her head, look in her eyes and say our prayers……”Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. Angels guide me through the night, wake me with the morning light – God bless Mommy, Daddy, Savannah, baby Matilda and all the rest of our family and friends”.  Then I tell her all the wonderful things that she did that day.  Even if it’s been one of those crazy filled days full of tears and tantrums, I always try to end the day on a positive note full of love.  I want her to drift off into dreamland feeling loved and adored (as she truly is).  After we finish, I tell her I love her, give her a kiss and leave the room – I look back before I close the door and she always pops her head up, looks at me and flashes a smile that has love written all over it.

It is in these rituals we create within our families that are the memories our children will take with them into adulthood.  So I ask you, what rituals have you started that bring you better connected with your family members?  And if you can’t think of any, then perhaps it is time to start developing those rituals, living in the moment, and connecting with the most important people in your life; your family.

Click here to find out more information on the book, The Creative Family