Girls DIY High-Low Skirt

Last summer when I went to Europe a saw a lot of these high-low skirts around. I remember the first time (at least in my lifetime) when they were in style and I didn't like them back then. But maybe having 20 years to get used to the idea has changed my heart and I really quite like the look now.

Since my daughter is so tall and skinny, it's hard to find dresses and skirts are narrow enough and long enough. So I decided to make one for her using some leftover fabric from a shirt I had made for myself. (I may post that later. Can't decide quite how I feel about it.)

Usually when I try to photograph her, she will only be silly and crazy, but this time she turned on her modeling charm!

I did a google search for how to make a high-low skirt and got a general idea of how to cut the fabric. That was the scariest part. The rest was easy. Just a serged the top, did a basting stitch around the top to gather it, and sewed it onto an elastic waistband using a zig zag stitch. Seriously so easy.

The best part? This fabric cost me $4 on clearance, and I got a shirt and a skirt out of it!

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Children's Maxi Skirt Giveaway!

I've recently started working with my sister's company on some clothing designs for children. Our first round is these chevron maxi skirts for girls. We are pretty pleased with how they turned out. Do you like them? I am giving away one skirt in your choice of size and color! All you have to do is Pin it to win it! Oh, and leave a comment letting me know that you pinned to your Pinterest board, and you'll be entered in the drawing (You can either pin from here or from 500Babies.com). Even if you don't have a little girl, these make a great gift for a friend or grandchild or niece. The winner will be announced on April 19th.
Ava has the red and grey one and always gets lots of compliments when she wears it.

If you want to buy one you can purchase them at 500Babies.com. They are available in sizes 12M to 5T.
I can't wait until our next set of designs are finished, I'm very excited about them! Of course I will share when that time comes.

AND THE WINNER IS....

Ashley! 

Congratulations! I will contact you to work out the details. 

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45 Non-Candy Easter Treats for Lil' Kids

When it comes to candy filled holidays I try to minimize the sugar levels and make up for it with other things that excite my children as well. My kids are only 1 and 3 and I hate to fill their unconditioned minds with candy. Of course I can't skip the candy completely (my husband would die, plus I'm okay with it on holidays), but at least this way the sugar rush can be minimized. Here are some ideas that I've come up with to avoid the intense sugar saturation. Not all the foods are healthy, but at least they are less sugary or vitamin fortified. And most of these are things my kids don't normally get, so anything new is exciting.

1. cartoon Band-Aids (my daughter needlessly goes through about one a day, so she'll love having her very own box!)
2. beef jerky (mini pouch or fill a plastic egg)
3. single serve popcorn bag
4. Horizon Organic chocolate milk or strawberry milk (single serving box) OR Carnation Instant Breakfast
5. Bunny Grahams (Annie's brand--perfect for Easter! fill plastic eggs)
6. Annie's Bunny Macaroni and Cheese (I never get mac & cheese for my kids, so this is a treat)
7. kid nail polish
8. chapstick or lip gloss (both my boy and girl love these)
9. dried fruit (dried cranberries are our favorite--put them in a plastic egg)
10. fresh fruit (blueberries are perfect in a plastic egg and my kids love them)
11. snack size chips
12. yogurt dipped granola bar
13. single serve Nutella and dipping sticks (I just saw these at the grocery store, so cute)
14. single serve crackers and cheese
15. mini hand sanitizer (they love to put it on, and it's good for everyone!)
16. bunny socks (the last 2 years Target has had them in the dollar bins)
17. bow-tie or necktie (also Target dollar bin this year)
18. hair clips or accessories
19. a new hair brush
20. juice box
21. Yakult (this is a probiotic drink in the yogurt section of your store, my kids beg for it every week)
22. cherry tomatoes (in a plastic egg, of course)
23. fruit cups (you know, the lunch pack type)
24. mini cereal box and single serve milk (a special sugar cereal treat in just their size)
25. fruit leather or fruit rope (like Cliff Kids, no added sugar I believe)
26. Go Go Squeeze apple sauce pouch (sweetened with juice)
27. markers, crayons, colored pencils
28. small notebook or drawing pad
29. coloring books or printed coloring pages (there are plenty circulating around the web)
30. watercolor paints and brush
31. silly twisty straws
32. any little toy from the $.25 machines at the grocery store
33. toy car
34. a new children's book
35. stickers
36. Annie's cheddar bunnies or Goldfish crackers
37. new cartoon covered toothbrush/toothpaste
38. red spatula or spoons (you might think I'm crazy, but every toddler I know loves to unload the serving-ware drawer in the kitchen)
39. travel size mini lotion (another thing my kids are always pulling out of my purse)
40. a pinwheel (you can make your own)
41. bubbles
42. a bath toy
43. freeze dried apples, bananas, strawberries (a box of individual pouches available at Costco)
44. sidewalk chalk
45. sunglasses

And here's a little candy trivia for you. Marshmallows (think chocolate covered mallow bunny) were originally made from the mallow plant which grew in marshes. Hence the name. I love those kinds of factoids.
Happy Easter! And don't let yourself forget the real reason for this beautiful season.

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DIY Duct Tape Child's Dress Form

You've probably seen these around. I wanted to create a dress form for my 3-year old so I could make sure things fit as I work on them. She's not much for trying things on or holding still. I thought this would be a great place to start. I started with this tutorial by Prudent Baby.

Attempt #1 wasn't so great. I put a t-shirt on her and then the duct tape, and it was too big. When I tried one of her skirts on it, it didn't fit. Too thick. So I started over. This time I put a too-small old t-shirt on her. Trying to get my ADHD child to hold still long enough to tape her up a second time was just asking too much. I put on her favorite show, but I still had to wrap it up a little sooner than I was ready.

I think that if I had immediately reinforced the form as soon as I cut it off of her, it might have held it's shape a little better. But instead, it took me several days to add tape to the inside (I didn't want it to end up too thick again, so I reinforced the inside mostly). I also thought it was still just too weak, so I added paper mache to the outside and the inside. I wanted it good and firm. Then I spray painted the whole thing.

As you look at the side views, you can see that the form slumped a little and became pretty sway-backed. But the size still works and the clothes don't hang too badly on it, so for now it will suffice. With how fast kids grow, I'll have to make a new one next year anyway. Here it is with one of her swimsuits on.

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DIY Glitter Heart T-Shirt

After making my first freezer paper stencil graphic tee, I decided I wanted to do it again, with a twist. A glitter twist! I was hoping to find a glitter fabric paint at my local craft store, but instead found this 2-step glue and glitter.

I followed the same process as described here, and it turned out just great!

 Too me it seems impossible that the glitter will stay through multiple washings without some sort of clear sealant over layer,  so I will let you know how it holds up over time.

UPDATE: It has not held up well at all. I don't recommend it. After one washing half the glitter was gone. Maybe if you put a clear topcoat over it it would hold up.

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DIY Graphic Tee

The weather is starting to cool a little here, and my kids are in need of some warmer duds. So I snatched a plain grey t-shirt at Target the other day for Ezra and decided to make it into something more. I've always wanted to try freezer paper stencils, so this was a great opportunity for that. I decided upon a simple star image.
My little guy doesn't stop moving, so getting a decent photo was a serious challenge. A fun challenge too!

A typical face. He loves to "ooooo".

And lets finish with a salute? Why not.

If you'd like to take a stab at it, here's a quick tutorial. (It's easy).
I prewashed my shirt, probably should have ironed it for the photo {note that for next time}.

Create your image. I drew mine on the computer and printed it out. For more simple shape ideas, read the end of the post. Ok, so next lay your design over your freezer paper (waxy side down) and tape it down onto the freezer paper so it won't wiggle. Cut around your shape with an exacto knife.

Separate your papers and place your freezer paper stencil onto your shirt, waxy side down. Gently place the iron over your design, not rubbing it back and forth, just pressing it up and down so the paper doesn't get warped. Make sure you get all those little corners and edges really well.

Now the fun part! Put a barrier layer (like a flattened box or piece of cardboard) inside your shirt to prevent bleed through. Squirt some fabric paint onto an applicator sponge (I used a make-up sponge because  it isn't very porous and looked most like what the kits come with). Gently dab one layer of paint all over your design. You don't need to flood it on the first round. Allow layer 1 to dry and reapply. Repeat one more time if it needs it.

Once it has dried, peel off your freezer paper and you are done! (Read bottle directions for recommended wait time before washing).

Some other simple image ideas are: heart, cloud, moon, mustache, raindrop, bow tie, mask, simple elephant or whale, sail boat, an letter or number, bird, ampersand, mountain, octopus, fish, and so on.

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The Little Gentleman's Closet

Is there anything more adorable than a little man in a necktie? I hardly think so.

If you have a little gentleman of your own, check out Etsy shop the little gentleman's closet. These ties is that they have an adjustable neck strap so they will fit your little guy for a loooong time! You can buy one that is already made, or you can buy the pattern and customize it with your own choice of fabric. She even sends you the clip and adjuster strap when you buy/download the pattern! You can order extra clips and parts, which I will probably do because I plan on making like 10 of these. Bow tie's are also available!

This is the first pattern I've gotten from an Etsy shop, but I have to tell you, I'm super duper impressed. It's so much better than a standard store pattern! It has tons of great photos to walk you through every step. So if you are a beginner and still a little nervous about doing your own projects, this is a great pattern for you! 

Plus, no hand sewing required! Hooray! I don't like hand stitching things, it seems like it takes so long. Plus I'm always nervous about it coming un-done. Never has yet, but I'm still always nervous. Most of the necktie patterns out there require some hand stitching, but not this one!

You only need either 1/4 yard of fabric or a fat quarter (which I seem to have an endless supply of), so you can make tons of these. I can't wait to get started. My baby boy is going to be well stocked when he arrives. Oh yeah, and the pattern is for size 6 months up to 9 years old, so I can prepare now for the next few years. Or if you have like 4 boys of different ages, this will work for them all.

You can check out the facebook page or the little gentleman's closet Etsy shop!

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Bobinette

I'm loving the kid's clothing designer Bobinette. So many fun & stylish things.

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Wedding Weekend

Here are some photos from the wedding weekend. Starting with Friday night, I had a pedicure party at my house so we could all have dianty toenails for the special day. But mostly an excuse to see all my loved ones who are in town (to see them on more than just wedding day).

First is my sister Jen, with her boy Ashton, who wanted in on the fun. Daddy was not amused.

Next is cousin Allie's girl Emma sharing her bows with sister Becky's youngest, Anna, who isn't quite sure what's going on. By the way, the bows are handmade by Allie, and they are fabulous.

Moving on to the wedding day, we have a shadowy photo of me with Ryan, who is oh so photogenic, right? And both of us in need of a haircut I think.

Let's not forget the reason for all this happiness! Congratulations Peter and Tiffany Hinman!

By the time the reception rolled around, it had been a long day.But after Peter had gotten so festive with car decorations for all of our weddings, it was time to repay the favor. Aside from the pinata, the car was filled with ballooned shopping bags, rubber slugs and worms, pool float noodles, and windows were markered all over (with car safe window markers), etc. Peter thought that parking his own car in his garage at home would keep it safe, but he was wrong. We got it too. (Sorry, no pictures of that one).

I have to mention though, the original idea for the car prank, that all of us were too exhausted to execute (but all wish we could have). The boys were planning to buy some sheets of drywall and build an actual wall around the car. It was a fun idea, too bad it didn't happen.

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