Thrift Store Goodies

I have never been into thrift store stuff, I always thought it was junk.... But, now that I am an adult and can think beyond "one mans trash", I see that it really can be "another mans treasure. Today I headed to my local Goodwill, who knew thrift stores had sales?? Everything with a purple tag was 50% off! Good deal!

So the reason I went was because I saw THIS  on The Cottage Home. Which btw, I LOVE that girl! Her two year old's tea party was amazing. And her sewing studio makes me drool, not to mention, she lives in a cottage! Love it! Anyway, I was looking for some cute t-shirts for cheap to repurpose since my sister is about to bring another little boy into the world. She gave all of her newborn stuff to a neighbor who had no family or friends to help her out. My sister has always had a kind giving heart! I did find one shirt I thought was appropriate. Maybe I am going to the wrong thrift store, most every mans shirt was from functions like walk for the cure or the hard rock cafe.

I paid $1. Woot! Woot! It was originally $1.99 but because it had a purple tag, it was 50% off. I do have a red shirt I am going to cut up and use for the neckline and bottom like The Cottage Home did on their sleeper gown.

Next up, I have been drooling over fall wreaths lately. I don't know why, I just really want one. I have been planning on buying the stuff and making one, but when I saw one at the thrift shop I had to look!

Isn't it pretty? It was love at first sight.

The best part?? Only $2.99, but wait, it gets better! Look what was still attached!

That right, a $39.99 tag!

Aubrey and I went through the book section, and I wanted to look for some cook books, but her attention span was lacking. We did go through the plastic ware aisles. We got 4 plastic plates that would be perfect for grilling! And also 2 popcorn things. I think they are really cute. 

So I paid a total of $9.44, I'd say it was a very successful trip!

What do you look for when you head to the thrift store?

Keyhole Dress... Finally!

It only took a forever! I finally finished the keyhole dress from Sugar Tart Crafts. My skills weren't the best to start with and I still have a lot of learning to go, but I did learn bunches from her video tutorials and from her pattern.

My favorite part about this dress was the piping. It takes the dress to a whole new level! At first I was extremely intimidated, until I watched Toni's video a million times! Ha! Being able to see the step made a world of difference. I am a very visual learner. Branch story:: I made a headband for me using this tutorial.

Only thing I did differently was add piping to the main portion of the headband. Very easy tut, honestly took me 30 minutes including cutting my fabric!

Annnnnnnnd were back! So remember last time I showed a picture of the embroidered bird, well here is the bodice finished! It looks very finished with the piping and I added a bow to spice it up. The pearl I used came off a bracelet I had (Aubrey chewed the string apart and we had beads everywhere!). I got the tutorial for it here. Except I gathered mine really tight!

Finally, the buttons! I found a fabric covered button kit at Jo-Anns for 3.79 at half off! Uh duh! It was really easy, you just cut circles, push em in the mold provided, press the cap over, then shove the fabric in the cap and press the back in with the presser provided and VOILA! Too easy! I am in love with how it really pops against the yellow fabric.

So here is where I'm going to brag a little! My mom gave me lots of fabric, and I know I complained slightly last time, but the mister did let me go buy the coordinating fabric because I begged. I added up the total cost to me for this dress. Are you ready for this? A total $8.39 for this dress and my headband! Amazing. Sewing really can be cost efficient if you use your coupons and utilize what you have on hand.

So go check out those sites for the tuts yourself and learn something new!

The New And Improved PMN!

So I hope you noticed that I have been working on my blog. Trying to make it better. To be honest, I am computer illiterate most of the time... I can facebook till my fingers fall off, but html and photoshop are like a foreign language to me. However, I did get the top banner worked out but it still looks a little computer generated. I am not really sure how yall get those really fancy blog pages up and running, but in my mind, mine looks okay and presentable! If not, PLEASE be that friend who tells me so. I need to know if it is junk and am fooling myself.

Anywho, this weekend has been pretty great so far! I am about half way through the keyhole dress. When I was working on it I was also talking on the phone and cut my piping before I was supposed to so, I have to hit up Hancocks again for more! Chris had off Sunday (technically today for me because I haven't gone to bed even though it is Monday at 3:00am) which he usually doesn't, and we spent the day lounging. We laid around until 11, then we went to Chili's for lunch. Aubrey brought her kitten purse and kept pretending it was eating her mac and cheese. The couple behind us wasn't thrilled about her loud "meows." Then it was home for naptime! Aubs napped for 3 hours!!! She is typically a one hour napper, but I guess she is growing and needed more beauty rest. I fell asleep too. Ahhh, sweet nap time.

After we woke up at 4 (which explains why I am up at 3 am), we headed over to the in-laws for dinner. Mops and Pops (Chris dad and stepmom) made grilled chicken, grilled mashed sweet potatoes, steamed broccoli, and peach pie. Following dessert, we headed outside and Aubrey and Pops got in the pool while the rest of us watched.

When we finally got home Aubrey took a bath and then let us know she was ready for bed. I love how she gets her book, hands it to me, then sits down between my legs so I can read her favorite story "Guess How Much I Love You." Chris and I stayed up and watched a couple episodes of True Blood. Love that show! Chris went to bed a couple hours ago, but since I got a nap in I am wide awake.

So, let me know if this is lame, but a lot of people have been posting What they Wore. I like seeing what other stay at home moms wear because I have been trying to dress up more to make myself feel better about my attire. Here is what I wore today:

I found the dress at Macy's for $20. and I've had the boots forever. I know the clutch doesn't match but it was my wallet. Usually I wear pants because I have always been very self conscious about my legs, but I am trying to get over myself and feel more comfortable in my own skin. I was actually very confident in this dress! I think I could maybe make it... hmmmm... maybe.... I guess I outta get some zzz's

Hope you had a great weekend!

How to make a pattern to hand embroider

Here is a peek of the dress I am making. I know the fabric is not designer, but what can I say, my husband is a cheapass! When I told him I needed new fabric to make the dress he said "Didn't your mother just give you a suitcase full of fabric?" Yeah, she did... Thanks mom. No really I appreciate FREE fabric, but Chris isn't going to let me buy new until I have used up my stash. My words to him "It's called a stash because I am stashing it, not because I want to use it right now..." Ha!

Anywho, I am no artist. I cannot draw a straight line, let alone anything of cuteness or quality. So to make my hand embroidery pattern, I like to go online and print out the pictures I want to use. For this project I decided I was going to do a pink outline of a bird so I googled "vintage bird" and printed out the bird I liked best.

Next up I put a lamp under my glass coffee table. If you don't have a glass table, you can put a piece of glass on two chairs and a light under, or tape it to the window with good sunlight. 

Place your fabric on top of paper making sure you have it lined exactly where you want it. Then trace the pattern with a water soluble pencil carefully. 

Tada! Easy! And it looks great!

Next iron some lightweight fusible interfacing onto the back of your fabric.

Slip your fabric onto an embroidery hoop. 

So my mom gave me this really old needle kit! It has some neat needles in it! Anyways, If you don't know how to embroider, you should try... It is easy really when it is broken down. I used a split stitch and the stabbing method. Here is the website to the video I used to learn. There are alot of other stitches on the site as well that will be worth learning.

Anyways, I hope this helped. I know I never thought I would be embroidering, but I find it fun and this is my second project where I have embroidered. 

Happy crafting!

Rosy Cake

I LOVE birthdays. Seriously love them. I have very fond memories of my birthdays as a child. I always got to pick my favorite dinner and there was always a cake. Ever since I have known how to bake, I have made cakes for others birthdays. Usually I claim it is my gift ha! Really I'm just cheap. So just last week it was my best friend's birthday, and I made her a cake! again! She got one last year too.

I love how it turned out and everyone loves a simple white cake and white icing. Pink and yellow is my favorite color scheme right now. I am in the process of making this dress in the pink and yellow. The colors are just so summery!

So my plans for the weekend involve sewing, grilling, and enjoying my air conditioner! Enjoy your weekend!

My Garden Output

In March this year, I dug out a patch of garden space and planted several things including; blueberry bushes, lettuce, spinach, carrots, and onions. Well right after my seeds began sprouting and peeking above the soil, a friends dog dug up the majority of the sprouts. They felt awful so they replaced the lost sprouts with two bell pepper plants, two tomato bushes and four lettuce transplants.

Here is the garden back in May! Looks nice! So the Texas summer heat can be cruel to plants! I'll show ya what I mean...

Yeah, the lettuce bolted weeks ago, and the blueberry bushes are pretty much sticks... However the bell pepper plant is thriving! Also the carrots are looking good! Actually this evening I went out and was pulling grass around the carrots when I noticed a little orange head peeking outta the ground! So I pulled and...

This is what popped out! I have never grown anything really before. Especially nothing I could eat! 

 Aubrey decided to grab hold of the carrot and chase Maverick, the dog, around. She didn't realize it was food, she thought it was a stick! So while she was busy with that, I looked again and....

There was another carrot head in there! So exciting! I'm thinking tomorrow we are going to have carrots! Anybody know a good recipe? I'm thinking glazed carrots or shredded carrot salad... oh, or carrot cake!!

Because of this experience I have decided to make a list of the top 5 moments in my life:

1. Accepting Jesus Christ into my life

2. When Chris and I got married

3. Holding Aubrey for the first time

4. The first time I ever rode a bike, it felt like flying

5. Pulling my first carrot out of the ground

I hope this gave you a little insight into me and who I am! Getting to know my favorite bloggers is my favorite part of reading their blogs. Sure the creativity and ideas are awesome as well, but with out personality they'd all be the same! 

Thanks for dropping in,

Christmas in July

I know it is WAY too early to really talk about Christmas but I am having a form of anxiety about it. Chris and I bought our house in October last year but because of all the renovating we had to do, we didn't move in until almost Febuary. So this Holiday season will be our first in the house. So far nothing has worked out as planned. For example, I wanted to do a 4th BBQ, but our ac has been out (3 weeks and counting people.... dern home warranties) so we have been staying at my mother in laws, and in turn didn't get a bbq as hoped.

This may be the silliest fear ever, but I am actually afraid that Christmas won't come to my house unless I am  overly planned and prepared for any and every disaster that may occur. So to help quench my thirst for a joyous Christmas, I have started prepping. Yep... I have made my first Christmas craft.

 Now keep in mind I still have to paint on Merry Christmas under the tree and add finishing touches.

But this little project turned out to really cool me down. When I get stressed, everyone knows it. After I finished this I was much more fun to be around. So just because it is July, don't be afraid to whip out your Holiday spirit and get into the joy of Christmas, even if it is just a door hanger or a small something. Go ahead, and turn on that Christmas cd while you do it too! The kiddos will love listening to carols and pretending the summer heat away, and your husband, mother in law, and friends never have to be the wiser.

Have a merry "Christmas"

National Cow Appreciation Day at Chick Fil A Celebration: Cow Mask Tutorial

Today was National Cow Appreciation Day at Chick Fil A. If you came dressed as a cow you got a FREE meal and kids got kids meals. So my bff and I had to participate. We showed up at 10:30am. We were the first "cows" to come in that day so we definitely got some love. They took our pics, they opened a line just for us, and all the other guests were smacking their heads because they had forgotten and already paid for their food.

I am going to show you how to make a cow mask so maybe you can go for dinner or just wear it around the house when you are bored.

Here is what you will need:

White cardstock

Black and Pink construction paper

Piece of yarn long enough to tie around your head

Scissors

Glue stick or double sided tape

To begin you will start with the base of the mask. I drew mine by hand and it worked great!

I had to redraw the eyes because I couldn't see so make sure they fit before cutting out by holding it up to your face.

Next, Cut out the mask. Then cut out the nose from the pink paper. I drew an oval with two circles for nostrils. Put your mask on the paper, the nose should touch both sides of the mask as shown in the picture below.

Cut out your nose. Use a hole punch on the nostrils or fold it in half to cut with scissors.. You will glue the nose on the mask. Only the part above the nostrils should be glued to the base. Make sure the drawn on side is facing the back.

Next up cut a peanut shape from the black construction. It will need to be big enough to cover one eye  and then some. Also cut out a "spot" to fit on one cheek. These will provide the spots for your cow.
After you cut out the peanut shape, then place it over the eye and then flip the mask over so wrong side is up. Trace the eye hole onto the black paper and cut out the hole.

Here is a blurry pic! You can see that I had to redraw my eye hole. But Im trying to show how you get the eye hole right. After you cut the whole out then glue it over one eye. Then the spot can be glued to the other cheek. Modify it to fit if needed.

Next, make the ears. I cut out two black triangles and two pink triangles then glued the pink on top of the black. Then you glue the ears to the back of the mask with the pink facing out. Use a hole punch to make a hole on each side, put some yarn in and tie it on.

I made one for me and one for Aubrey! We had a great time being cows for the day. I have decided these will be filed away for next year. Comment with your site if you make these or something similar! I would love to see them.

Book Review: The Hundred Foot Journey

Lately, I have been hunting books to sneak my nose into and find myself in another world. My air conditioner has been out for two weeks now and the repairmen and home warranty are taking their sweet time replacing it. So I wanted a book that would transport me to another place to help me forget about the fact that it is 104 inside my house. I found The Hundred Foot Journey by Richard Morais at my library. It took me all of three days to read it cover to cover, and I am typically a slow reader.

The book is broken into four sections: Mumbai, London, Lumiere, and Paris. I didn't get into the book until I was in Lumiere. The first section sets up the story. It gives you the background of the Indian culture and about Hassan and his family while he was a child. I won't give anything away, but i will say it is a deep look into a very different livelihood of the Indian culture. It took me a whole day to read this part because I kept setting it down from not being interested.

After Mumbai, Hassan and his family is forced to move to London because of a major tragedy. Throughout this section of the book, the author delves into the mind of a teenage boy (Hassan) who is just discovering girls. Hassan's girl troubles end up forcing his family out of London and on the road. This part was short, but still difficult to get through.

When the family lands themselves in Lumiere, it was as if I had a different book in my hands. French cuisine dishes fill the pages and make your mouth water while you read. I, being a major foodie, couldn't set the book down. The first part of this section is hysterical. The Indian family finds themselves living cross the street from a to Michelin starred bed and breakfast. Chef Mallory is a heavy set French woman who is the essence of refined French culinarians. She and Hassan's father do not get along and make jabs at one another before finally going to far. Chef Mallory ends up taking on Hassan as an apprentice to repay for the harm she caused. Throughout this part of the book I laughed, cried, and was seduced with passion and food (not together)...

By the Paris section, Hassan is a chef working in well known restaurants. Every dish revealed is a mix of classic french dining mixed with Hassan's exotic background. The food alone makes me want to read it over.

While I was not enthralled with the beginning of the book, I did fall in love with the characters after the family arrived in France. I think it is because I can relate since I have french cuisine training. I would definitely recommend The Hundred Foot Journey assuming you are a foodie and can imagine flavors and aromas simply by thinking about it.

I hope you have a chance to read the book. Let me know what you think!