Pettiskirt

Oh my, it's been a long time since I've updated this thing!!!  Sorry!

So this year for Easter I committed crazy.  That's correct...C.R.A.Z.Y.  I decided that I was going to make Hannah and Ava's(my niece) Easter dresses.  But they weren't going to be just any dress.  Oh no.  That just wouldn't do.  I decided to make pettiskirts.  Who can resist those big balls of soft ruffles?!  There were two blogs that got me through, Little bits of Bliss and Make It and Love It. Without these two blogs, I would have thrown my sewing machine and fabric out of the window.  I used Little bits of Bliss to help me figure out how much fabric to use and I used Make It and Love It for practically everything else.  The diagrams on Little bits of Bliss saved my life.  I know that sounds extreme, but unless you have ever made one of these suckers, you can't understand.  Also a huge help was borrowing my sis-in-law's ruffler foot.  I'm pretty sure that little contraption is worth it's weight in gold.  I worked on the skirts for about 2 full days and then pulled an all-nighter the Friday before Easter.  I was exhausted!  But every minute of lost sleep became worth it when I saw this...

And this....

And of course this...

It made it all worth it!!!

The True Meaning of Christmas

Please excuse me while I climb up on my soapbox.  I feel like I need to make a PSA.  The Christmas season has just started and I'm already annoyed by "the true meaning of Christmas".  It seems that everywhere I turn I am being bombarded by "the true meaning of Christmas".  You know what I'm talking about, loving, giving, being nice, family togetherness, sunshine, and rainbows.  *rolling eyes*  That is NOT the true meaning of Christmas!!!  The true meaning of Christmas is that God loved us so much, that He sent His only Son to Earth to be our Savior.(John 3:16)  He was sent to be our pure and spotless lamb, to die for our sins, and three days later to rise again.  Christmas is about celebrating our Father's love.  Don't get me wrong, all of the other stuff is great.  I love that at least a couple of months out of the year, we aren't as selfish as normal and help those who are in need, to take the time to love others, and to give gifts to those that we love.  I wish that we did that more often.  There's nothing wrong with all of that.  It's good, and it's important for us as Christians to do those things.  But please, don't call that other stuff "the true meaning of Christmas".  *Quietly stepping down from my soapbox*

Sweater Dress for Hannah

I have 2 boys.  I LOVE them dearly!!!  I would have been completely satisfied and fulfilled if the Lord would have chosen to give me 3 boys.  But, He didn't.  =)  He decided to give me a little baby doll girl this time.  I have had so much fun dressing her up since she was born.  I have always wanted to make cutsie clothes for my kids, but the boys wouldn't appreciate that much.  So when Hannah was born, I was determined to make some cutsie clothes for her.  Well, I was online the other day and saw this tutorial at Naptime Crafters for upcycling an adult sweater and making a sweater dress for a baby.  Genius!  It says to use a cable-nit sweater, but i didn't have one.  But, I did have a ribbed cotton turtle neck in my closet that was never going to be worn again.  I'm not sure why I was holding on to it, but I'm glad I did!

My turtle neck before the project

Step 1.

Cut off the sleeves  and the bottom half of the shirt

Step 2.

Cut off the middle section of the shirt.  *Note* This is an important step.  This will define where the waistline is on the dress for you baby.  Be sure you are comparing with your child.

Step 3.

Trim down the sides of the top section to fit the width of your baby.  Turn the top wrong side out and sew up the sides to the arm holes.  *Note* The arm holes in this picture are too big.  I had to cut them down some more.

Step 4. 

Cut the top of the sleeves off to the correct length for your baby

Step 5.

Turn the bottom portion of the sleeves wrong side out and sew along the seam to make the sleeve skinnier, and trim off the excess.

Step 6.

Turn the sleeves right side out.  Leave the top portion wrong side out.  Slide the sleeves inside the top until  it is even with the hole.

Step 7.

Pin the sleeves to the arm hole and sew together.  Be careful not to sew the arm hole shut!

Step 8.

Take the bottom portion of the shirt and gather it to make pleats and baste.

Step 9.

Pin right sides of the bottom portion to the top portion and sew together.  Trim excess.

Step 10.

Turn dress right side out and cut down the side of the neck along the seam.  Re-enforce the  seam with a horizontal stitch on the collar so that the slit on the neck does not go down further with continued use.

Excuse the blurry picture...she was excited and couldn't be still. =)

Linked up at these fun parties:

Transformation Thursdays @ The Shabby Chic Cottage

Look What I Made! @ Creations by Kara

Making the World Cuter Monday @ Making the World Cuter

Market Yourself Monday @ Sumo's Sweet Stuff

30 years old!

When you're a kid, you feel like 30 is a lifetime away!  It sounded so old.  These days, 30 is sounding REALLY young to me. ;-)  Those of you that know me, know that I am, well...sneaky.  Not a whole lot in my house gets by without me knowing it.  Something pretty big got by without me ever even half way suspecting it.  My husband and our church family planned a surprise birthday party for me and pulled it off!  There was a church wide cookout scheduled for last night at our friend's house.  It was in the bulletin.  Our pastor sent out an email reminding everyone about it.  We got to the house, parked, and walked into the house.  I walked into the kitchen and noticed pink decorations all over and everyone started singing "Happy Birthday".  I think even then it hadn't started to sink in that the whole "church wide cookout" was really my party.  I was so surprised.  I felt so loved! Then I turned around to go get something for Hannah out of the other room and my parents walked in!  They drove 2 hours to come and celebrate with us.  I am so blessed!  I can't believe that James was able to keep it a secret!  He did so good.  He was so nonchalant about the "cookout".  Then I had another surprise!  Everyone pitched in and got me one of these bad boys:

Seriously?!  I have wanted one of these sooooo bad, and now I have one!  I'm still in so much shock, I don't even know what to make yet!  

I am so blessed to have such an amazing husband, wonderful family, and awesome friends.  I mean really, who could ask for more?  

  

Hannah & Cereal

You know, once you muscle your way past the gag reflex, all kinds of possibilities open up. (Emile - Ratatouille)

I'm back!!!

Oh my!  I knew that it had been a while since I updated this blog...but 2 months?!  I had no idea it had been that long.  There have been so many things that have happened since I posted last!  My Nathan turned 4 in October. Wow!!!  I can't believe he is already so old.

My birthday boy! =)

He is such a fun part of my life.  I love how his whole body smiles when he is happy.  For those of you that don't personally know him, when he smiles, his whole body wiggles.  He can't even help it.  He radiates joy.

Today Hannah is 6 months old!  It has gone by so fast already!  I can't believe that in just 6 short months that she will be 1!!  If the next 6 months go by as quickly as the last, it will be too fast.  She is so fun and has such a sweet personality.  She is rolling all over the place.  When you lay her down in one place, you never know where you are going to find her when you check on her next.  

Hannah eating her first bite of cereal.  Can't you see how much she loved it?

Joseph is still enjoying the 1st grade.  He is so smart!  A little too smart for his own good if you ask me. =)  He loves being the biggest brother so much.  He's getting so tall and is growing up before my very eyes.  He is turning into such a sweet Godly young man and I can't wait to see what He has in store for Joseph's life.

Joseph holding Hannah

This photo captures my children PERFECTLY!!!

C.V. Pickett

  5 days after Nathan's birthday, my grandfather went to be with the Lord.  He was a wonderful man and will be missed greatly.  For my prayer warrior friends, please pray for peace and comfort for my grandmother as she learns to live life without her husband.











James is doing great!  He is working a lot, which is nothing new.  I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband that works so hard to take care of all of us.  He is my knight in shining armor. xoxo

James and me at Nathan's party

Anyway, that's us lately.  I'm gonna try a little harder to make sure I keep up with this thing in the future!  Blessings!

Random thoughts by Nathan

Nathan: When there is a fly in our house and it lands on our sandwich, it will poop on it.  Then we will eat it's poop.  Is that yucky?

Me: .......