Refurnishing Fun!

I have been trying to tackle my never ending to do list lately. I realized that I start school in two weeks, and anything that isn't finished by then isn't going to get finished for quite some time. So this Saturday I hauled the furniture out of my garage and went to work.


The first item was this coffee table I inherited from my brother and sister-in-law. I put it in my garage at Christmas to make room for the tree, and there it has sat waiting for me to paint.
So here is the before:
And here is the after. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.
And this little beauty of a gem I bought at a garage sale for $5. It doesn't look like much but it was solid and sturdy, and I had a vision.
So again before:And after:
This has been my favorite project that I've done lately. I painted it the same as my coffee table and put it in my entry way. Is it weired to have a dresser in your entryway? I guess I really don't care because I love it. I will show you how I decorated it and finished off the look when it's all done. Everything is always a work in progress in my life. But hey I'm closer than I was last Saturday!

Blessing Dress

My latest project has been a blessing dress for my sweet little niece who was born the beginning of June. She is my baby sisters baby. Does life fly by or what? This was quite the project I took on, but so much fun. I read sewing basic books and did a lot of research before I even attempted this project. I learned how to do french seams and a whole bunch of other techniques that I was excited to learn. It turned out well and hopefully I'm the only one who notices all the opps and ah oh's.

Here I am with my darling niece. The blessing was wonderful. I loved seeing my baby sister become a mother. She is the best. And there is no one else on earth who treats my sister and niece with more love and tenderness than my sister's husband. How blessed I am to be surrounded by such amazing people. I love my family, and I love showing them by doing these kinds of projects.

Onesies

Anything in newborn size is darling, but I love how this turned out.

This was so fun to try some more applique, but oh the ruffled bum. I love the ruffled bum.

Applique

I decided to try my hand at applique the other day. I love the idea of turning a white onesie into something darling and personal. So I started with a project for my niece who is getting a baby brother later on this month. I think it turned out pretty cute. I have now bought a pack of onesies and I can't wait to get started on them. Since everyone in my family is either pregnant or just had a baby I have a lot of opportunities to create. I think it's funny how I never had time to do this kind of thing when my kids were little. I guess that's why I love being an aunt. I get to make cute things, snuggle with the babies, not change diapers, and then go home to my kids who sleep through the night and bathe themselves. Life is Good!

Bags

I love bags, and I love making bags. Here are some fun bags I've made in the last month.
Girlie Girls purse for her up coming birthday.

My messenger bag for church, it holds everything.

And last my Girlie Girls messenger bag for school. I found a great website that has a whole bunch of bag patterns for free it's diybaglover.blogspot.com. So check it out and enjoy making some darling bags.

Mini Quilt

I had fun figuring out this mini quilt. I made it to put on my boys dresser, but it hasn't made it there yet, because I've enjoyed just looking at it.

Rain Rain Go Away

This weekend My wonderful Husband built me a square foot garden. I am so excited to try my hand at this type of gardening. I'm not a great weed puller so this is going to be wonderful for me. I still have to put all the wood slats across the top to make 12x12 squares but it's raining, oh and raining some more. I also planted some lavender bushes behind so it smells wonderful in my back yard. A great website to learn about square foot gardening is mysquarefootgarden.net.

And we also have a starlings bird nest in our backyard. It made a home inside our grill this early spring. We have loved watching the birds build their nest and lay their eggs, they lay one egg each morning. We are excited to see how many eggs in total. This morning there was a fifth egg. My kids are loving this, and who needs a grill when it's raining outside?

Quilting Class

I have been taking a strip quilting class that my Relief Society has been having the last two weeks. I just finished my Around the World quilt top. I think it turned out okay. I was trying to make it more boyish than pink and girlie, so the fabric wasn't my favorite I've ever chosen but it turned out better than I thought. Next week we are going to tie the quilts. The only problem with doing this is now my mind is going crazy with different ways I want to try another one. Add some solids, more vibrant colors, different pattern going diagonally across the quilt and so on. I had a lot of fun quilting and chatting with the ladies in my ward.

Finished

I finally finished my quilt and it is up on my wall. Here is a close up picture so you can see how I machine quilted it. I enjoyed making this quilt, but I think I enjoy having it finished even more! Here is the finished product:

Spring Cleaning

I decided it's time to start my spring cleaning/organizing projects. This is actually something I look forward to doing. I'm starting in my craft/computer room. It is a mess since I've been crafting more than cleaning it lately. Today I organized all my ribbon. It use to be in a big tubby all bunched and tangled up together. Now it is all nice and organized and it makes a cute decorating statement. I wrapped the ribbon around clothes pins and put them in these cute see through painters cans. I also put my buttons in one of the cans. I like how it turned out and now I can find my ribbon fast and easy. I am contemplating tying some ribbon around the handles, but for now I love the clean look of the cans.

I also redid my wreath today. (No I have not got any laundry done:)) It use to have red berries that were very weathered all over it. I took off the red berries and wrapped some spring colored berries around the wreath. Pretty easy but it looks a lot better.

Spring

I am so ready for good weather. I'm not a fan of the weather trying to trick me into enjoying the sun and warmth one day just to send wind and rain the next day. I decided going to Mexico in January wasn't the smartest idea it makes you wish for weather we just don't get here until June. So I decided to lighten up my piano decor and add a little spring to it. Here's how it turned out.

I spray painted this basket blue, it was yellow, and I got it at the dollar store. I also wrapped Styrofoam glittery apples from the dollar store with moss, and hemp. And then I spray painted plastic Easter eggs blue and white and speckled them the opposite color. The blue candle stick in the background was my splurge, and my favorite thing.

I got this picture frame on clearance for $5, I just need to put a picture in it.

I mod podged scrapbook paper onto the letters spring which stick into a base with dowels so I can change the letters as the seasons change, or my mood.
I filled a vase with more of the eggs, and moss balls and hemp balls, which I spray painted one blue. I love spring colors.
Here's what the dollar store sparkly foam apple looked like before....
And here is the after. Much, much better. I found the idea for this on make it and love it. I sure hope spring comes fast, but if not I brought a little of it inside for me to enjoy.

The Help

I just finished reading this book and I really enjoyed it. I thought it was very well written, and it is her first novel, amazing. The book takes place in the 60's during the civil rights movement in Mississippi. It follows the lives of 2 black maids and 1 white woman who wants to write the maids stories about working for white women. The characters are so well written you feel like they are a part of your life while you are reading this book. I would recommend this book to anyone.

My favorite Dinner this Week

Homemade French Bread: This french bread was divine. You can find this yummy bread at My Kitchen Cafe . She has a search button so just search french bread and scroll down a little.

Spaghetti with tomatoes and artichokes

This recipe is from Pioneer Woman . You can find it under her cooking section, main dishes, pasta. It is fabulous, easy, and fast, but looks impressive. I wish these photos were mine but they are from the sites above that I listed. My dinner didn't look as pretty, but when you are serving seven kids (I had my sisters kids to) and a hungry husband they aren't in to looks so much.

What I've been up to lately

This: Pin Cushion out of scraps and a tuna can

And this:

Another bag, these are so fun to make! You can buy the pattern on make it and love it etsy shop.

Also this:

I just got called to be the beehive advisor, so dang excited! Ahhh to be a beehive again.

And this:

I have made quite a few of these headbands, I've tried out a lot of patterns and tutorials. My favorite is this one it is found at heatherbailey.com under tutorials on her blog. I heart Heather Bailey.

And most importantly this:

Is he the cutest thing you ever saw. I love being an aunt. I've had the opportunity to watch him over night a couple of times now and although I was exhausted I loved every minute of it. I could sit in a rocking chair all day with this cuddly bundle of cuteness. Who cares about meals, cleaning, or any other responsibilities when you're snuggling with a baby.

Girlie Girls First Sewing Project

My Girlie Girl has been wanting to learn how to sew. So for her first project we worked on a drawstring bag. It was so fun to do together. She did a great job for her first time working with the sewing machine.

I can't believe how old she is. I get so sad sometimes watching my babies grow up, but then I have moments like this with my Girlie Girl and I wonder why I ever miss the diaper stage.

Yummy Sourcream Blueberry Muffins

These muffins are the bomb. In the words of Rachael Ray Yummmo, except the recipe isn't from Rachael Ray it is from The Idea Room Go look it up on her blog and make theses today. (Her picture is much better than mine, but mine still tastes good!)

Staying Sane?

My girlie girl has had a case of pneumonia this week, so instead of going crazy with worry I retreat into my sewing machine. This is what I've accomplished in the last 5 days. You should see my laundry pile, it ain't pretty. This will be a quilt that will go on my great room wall. I still need to put on a border and binding, but I'm not sure how I am going to quilt it.

This is the most fun and enjoyable quilt I have ever made. I would do this one again and again. It is going on my kitchen table.

This was a fun purse pattern. The first purse I have made. My girlie girl loved it so much I got some fabric to make her one. She can't wait for me to get started.

And of course I had to make some booties for my sisters soon to be baby girl with the left over fabric. I love these. I wonder if I could make them in my size? The pattern for the purse and booties is found on makeitandloveit.blogspot.com. She sells the patterns in her etsy shop.

Past Projects

I covered some styrofoam board with some fabric and ribbon for my girlie girl to put her earings into. I made a skirt for the girlie girl.

I made this flower quilt to go above her bed. It's the some colors as her bed spread.

This was a fun project. I made a couple of these for my lovely sisters boys for their birthdays. See the picture below to see how it folds up to fit in the diaper bag. The tutorial for this is found on homemakebyjill.blogspot.com

Crayon roll. I love this fast project. I think it's a great birthday gift along with a coloring book. This one is my sons, but I also make one for my niece. It rolls up to fit in a church bag or backpack or purse or..... whatever you get the point. Tutorials for these are found everywhere. Just google crayon roll.