Have you heard of Mary Jane's Farm magazine? Well, I had never heard of this lovely publication until a few weeks ago. Maybe I am just out of the loop and all of you have been reading and subscribing to this magazine for years, but where has this been my whole life? It is wonderful!My mother-in-law gave me a fantastic gift for Christmas; tons of magazines!! These weren't just any magazines, these were magazines I had never heard of or never read (due to the fact that they were a little out of my regular budget), but they were all covering topics that she knew … continue reading
13
Jan
Little Girls Kitchen Apron Tutorial
My daughter, Savannah Rose, received a darling little kitchen for Christmas this year from her Gigi and Grumpy (my husbands parents). But what kitchen would be complete without a cute little apron to wear while you are cooking? I decided I had to make my little lady an apron to match her new favorite toy. Here is the "how to" for my version of a Little Girls Apron: Little Girl's Apron Tutorial Supplies: Fabric -1/4 yard for main apron (or two fat-quarters would work) -1/4 yard of contrasting colors for flower detail -1/6 yard for sash Rotary Cutter, … continue reading
12
Jan
Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe – YUM!
Yesterday my daughter Savannah and I were playing with her Melissa and Doug wooden cookie set in her new play kitchen. The Cottage Grandma (my Mom) sent her this adorable set - have you seen it? It is so much fun - it comes with a cookie sheet, cookies, toppings for the cookies, a play knife, a play spatula, and long cookie tin (think slice and bake) - all made out of wood! The cookies have velcro on both sides, so you can velcro on your topping, velcro it onto the cookie sheet, or put all the cookies together and practice your slicing. So much fun!!So why am … continue reading
12
Jan
Oh So Girly
Michelle over at Someday Crafts had a wonderful post about the shop "Oh So Girly" and I really think you must head over to her shop and check it out. "Oh So Girly" sells adorable bows and hair-clips, watch faces with beautiful braclets, diaper keeps and crayon rolls for AMAZINGLY low prices - not to mention low shipping costs.If you are looking to purchase something for an upcoming baby shower, a diaper keeper would be a wonderful gift and at only $5.00 - you can't really beat it! Here are some pictures of some other items for sale from "Oh So Girly":Brown & … continue reading
11
Jan
Big Girl Room – Freshcut by Heather Bailey
I realized that I never really posted much about the little girls room that I designed for my daughter, Savannah Rose. When we found out we were having another girl (sweet Matilda Jane), we decided that Matilda would get the nursery and Savannah would get a new "big girl room" (though she wasn't too much of a big girl only being 16-months at the time). So I thought I would share some more pictures with you of the things that I made for her room.All of the fabric used (besides the polka-dot quilt backing) is Heather Bailey's Freshcut. These are all my own … continue reading
11
Jan
Baptism Gift Tutorial
Yesterday we celebrated my good friend Lara's son, Luca's, baptism into the Catholic Church. It was a beautiful celebration with good food and great friends and family.I wanted to make little Luca something for his special day. I thought about making some clothing or stuffed animal, but I really wanted it to be a baptism gift. I decided to make him a little baptism plaque that could be displayed on a shelf in his room with a sweet bible verse. I used Ephisians 4:5 - One Lord, one faith, one baptism. I also tried my best to match his current room decor which … continue reading
10
Jan
Seams to Me – Mary Engelbreit Purse!
For my birthday this past summer I received the sewing book, Seams to Me by Anna Maria Horner. I love this book - it is full of fresh, unique projects for the home sewer! The book starts with some really nice basic instruction for everything from home decor, personal style and fashion, sewing for children and much, much more!Anna's instructions are very easy to follow, so if you are a new sewer you could easily sew from this book with no trouble at all. The book also contains actual pattern pieces too (not just pictures) which is SO helpful. Some sewing books … continue reading
8
Jan
Crock Pot Recipe: Jamaican Jerk Pork Chops
Yesterday afternoon I was digging through my freezer and pantry trying to figure out what to make for dinner. My family is trying to be very budget conscious lately so I have been trying to make the most out of whatever ingredients we have on-hand rather than making another trip to the grocery store.So, this is what I came up with - Jamaican Jerk Pork Chops. The Cottage Mama's Mama had made a version of this for me when she was here after I had my second daughter, Matilda. She always makes the most delicious food when she stays here after I have a baby - reason … continue reading
7
Jan
Pantry Cooking: Asian Peanut Noodles
I'm a huge fan of pantry cooking. I keep many things in my cabinets that can be used with or without fresh ingredients. I think having a well-stocked pantry is essential for any home. If you happen to have a night where you haven't really thought about dinner or it's the end of the week and you've run out of fresh ingredients, you can head to your pantry and get creative if you have the right things on hand.One of my favorite pantry dishes is Asian Peanut Noodles. This dish is created from ingredients you would normally have on hand and can be "dolled-up" if … continue reading
6
Jan
Homemade Organic Baby Food
Matilda Jane - 6 MonthsI can't believe my little baby has started eating solids! Where has the time gone? I feel like I just blinked my eyes and there she is taking her spot in the "big girl chair" aka the high-chair. I'm sure those of you with older children, can attest that time flies. I'm trying my best to enjoy these precious early moments with my girls, but my goodness, before you know it they are going to be all grown up (sob, sob).Since my sweet Matilda Jane is starting to eat solid food (well cereal, so far), I thought I would share one of my favorite … continue reading
Lindsay Wilkes is the owner and designer behind The Cottage Mama. She creates timeless, vintage inspired sewing patterns for children’s clothes. She is also a fabric designer for Riley Black Designers / Penny Rose Fabrics, author of the book ‘Sew Classic Clothes for Girls’ and can be seen teaching nationwide and online in her video series ‘Lessons with Lindsay’ sponsored by Baby Lock Sewing and Embroidery machines.
