April 30, 2010

Old into New...

I want to show you my newest project, but before I do I wanted to share where the idea came from. Check out this blog. I'm not sure what to call her...a girl, a young woman, a lady...? We are the same age and I don't feel that any one of those describes me, so lets go with the alternative 'awesomely creative chica'.

This awesomely creative chica was hitting 30 and dealing with some other life funkinesses. So, she decided to do something 'Julie & Julia' -like about it. She pledged to wear something new everyday day for a year, but heres the catch, she is only allowing herself to spend $365 for the whole year! So she hits thrift stores, garage sales and any dollar bin she can find. She takes her treasures home and, with the help of her sewing machine and seam ripper, turns them into something better then you could find on any department store rack.

This has become one of my absolute favorite blogs to check out and has me wanting to give the clothing transformation a shot. So without further ado here is my first attempt at turning something old into something new.


This is what I started with. It came from my aunt, she was cleaning out some of her old stuff and this was in the pile. I liked the print and thought I'd give it a try. I figured if it came out like crap no harm done, it was free! As you can see it's not very flattering on me and I'm not usually much of a skirt person anyway. I wasn't sure what to do with it...


I decided to make it into a top. I started by cutting off the top part of the waist, about a two and a half inch strip (I realized later that I could have cut more). I cut an inch slit in the top to give it a slight 'V' neck...I can't sport a square neck, it's just doesn't look good...then folded over and sewed a hem around the top. The strip from the waist was used to make tank top straps. I had to take it in on either side quite a bit, about 3 inches up top and 8 inches on the bottom. I don't need any help looking bigger then I already am! Here is the finished product...


I love it! Though it's still a little too much skin for me, so I added my orange sweater shrug and felt much more comfy. Perfect new spring time outfit!

I have always been a 'jeans and t-shirt' sort of girl but I am doing my best to change my ways. If I have a few more successes like this with some other old things I have in my craft room, I may just start scouring garage sales and dollar bins myself :)

April 14, 2010

My Happy Day...

My friend, Jenn, blogged about '10 Things That Make Her Happy Today'. She asked me to do the same and who am I to say no? So here we go!

1. Of course, my husband, he makes me happy everyday. He's understanding and loving like every good husband should be. He is a great daddy to our children and supporter to our family. For four and a half years now he has definitely lived up to his end of the wedding vow bargain.

2. Our children. They don't have to do anything special. Just looking at them, remembering the days they got here and wondering what the future will bring is enough to have me floating on a cloud all day...until they start screaming. Though in a way even that makes me happy :)

3. Creating something. I love to sew, bake, cook, paint...everything! I try to do something every day. From trying out a new recipe to doing a fun craft with AJ. It is relaxing and you end with such a feeling of accomplishment. It's wonderful to be able to say 'I made that'.

4. Being active. I go for a couple walks a day, it's great getting the whole family outside into the fresh air and sunshine. Also, I love to dance, it has always been a big part of my life. Even though I don't dance in a studio right now it's still all around me. I love to see Ryan kicking her feet around while AJ and I are dancing silly to a song on the radio. Or humming a tune with Jasey while we dance in the kitchen.

5. Taking time to hug my dog. Poor Kirby gets left out sometimes with a busy household to run. So when the kids are down for a nap I like to take a couple minutes and sit on the floor with Kirby and give him a big hug, he likes the attention and I like that I can give him some one on one time.

6. Silence. It is very rare in my day and only happens for a short period of time. But when both of the kids finally fall asleep, the TV gets turned off and all the noisy toys are put away, I love the few brief moments when I can hear the ringing in my head finally stop, it's almost as good as sleep.

7. Reading and learning. I will read just about anything that I can get my hands on. I don't always like what I read but I do like that I get a chance to be introduced to something I may not have known about before and I really enjoy being able to escape into another persons life or a different culture or time in history. It always puts me in my place and makes me think.

8. I know I said that my kids didn't have to do anything to make me happy, which is still true but things they do, do make me happy. I love watching my son be a big brother, he is so loving. I love listening to him talk and reason and figure things out. Watching him and seeing myself or my husband in his actions makes my heart sing because it's a reminder that he is ours, we made him, there is nothing sweeter.
Watching my daughter is just as rewarding. Too see her face as she figures out that that thing is her hand and she is making it move is incredible. When she cries and I pick her up I love watching her face go from crying, to recognition, to smiling all in a split second and knowing that it's because of me. She knows who I am and I make her happy, and that makes my year.

9. Housework. I know this is a weird thing to say makes me happy but I stay at home and if my house is in disarray so is my mind. I am not a crazy neat freak, how can I be with animals and kids running around the house all day? But to have the house as neat as possible for the moment makes me happy. Everyday is dishes, laundry, stuff like that but I actually also enjoy the bigger projects. Hanging things on the walls, rearranging closets and pantries, pressure cleaning and working in the garden. It's not a house, it's our home.

10. I am happy that I have things to be happy about. So many people complain for no reason. Some think that the world is out to get them. Some people think that they have nothing to be happy about. I know that I am lucky. I love what I have, who I am and all the friends and family around me. I have everything to be about about.

I guess I haven't lost my 'Happy Camper' status after all! :)


April 01, 2010

Looking Back...

We will be heading out on a week long road trip in a couple days, so as part of the preparation I asked Jasey to download everything off of the video camera, it hadn't been done for a while and was just about full. I deal with the digital camera, Jasey does the video, so I never really look at any of it. You take video to have mementos of important milestones and then never even watch them, seems silly right? There was all sorts of stuff on there and things already on the computer that I had never seen either. Holidays, family, puppies, parties and playtime.

Then I came across the video from our hospital stay when Ryan was born and decided to watch it. It was just over 5 months ago, but it seems like ages. There was video from before I want into the OR, with a shot of my belly (I was HUGE!) and AJ running around playing with some of the hospital equipment. There was Ryan when she first came back to the room and her being weighed, which is something I missed with both her and AJ, since I was still in surgery. I was cracking myself up with some of the stuff I was saying and how I was acting, I was still very drugged and groggy. It was amazing to be able to go back, with a clear head now, and see her all new and little tiny. It was incredible to see how much AJ has changed in that short amount of time. And even though we have pictures, it is great to know that we will always have an even truer to life account of that day at our fingertips.
A groggy, swollen mommy and new baby

Daddy and big brother checking out baby sister