Two Little Princesses

Okay, let me start by saying I've had no sleep and therefore, may be a bit unusual...even for me.

Today Anna is having a Princess Tea Party Themed Jewelry Party at her Grandmother's house. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to get out the princess material I've been hoarding for the little ones and make them a special outfit. Aubrey has been on me to make her something special since I made Anna's prom dress.

So, we made our plans, picked out our patterns and I scrimped together some remnant pieces and dug out the fabric I've been hoarding for nearly two years now.

Let me see if I have any pics I can insert here...

Yay! I kept the photos. So yeah, some sewing stash that we picked through, patterns the girls chose themselves out of a stack of them and finally the fabrics I decided to work with.

Okay, in the process of this we also picked up some flip-flops at Hobby Lobby the other day because Sophie has chewed two pair...no as of about 4:00 AM...THREE PAIR of Bekah's flip-flops. Now, any princess I know has always worn beautiful coordinating "slippers" with her lovely attire. So....

Yes, that is pink tulle shaped into bows with a daisy. Both girls have a similar flower in their outfit.

Now, after hours of sewing and an entirely sleepless night we end up with these, (and may I say I'm SOOOOOO Happy with how they turned out)...

Can't wait to see the girls in them. They have no idea how they turned out.

Well...timer just went off telling me the cupcakes are done.

Keep Your Hands Busy!

SMiLES!

GWeN

My Pink Peony Dress Refashion

When working with this shirt I started thinking about one of my favorite bushes...peony. The blush pink of the blouse reminds me of the soft pink peonies you sometimes see. Not white, not bright hot pink but a pale soft pink...like little blossoms of cotton candy growing on a bush.

Later when the ruffles took shape, it really sent the image home with me so I decided that I would call this dress my pink peony dress. (Even though the florals on the skirt are tropical.)

So, the pictures are pretty self explanatory. If you read my post on Anna's Refashioned dress then you get the idea of how this works.

Started with this:

Cut off flowers, put in some tucks and cut off bottom:

Used part of the bottom to create a ruffle for the neckline:

Added some more ruffle to create some extra pretty:

Here you can see where I cut the edges with pinking shears to add a little extra "texture". I also added some stitches to hold the ruffles in place once they get in the washer. A zigzag stitch down the center of the neckline ruffle to allow for any stretching that may need to happen when putting this over my big fat head...LOL!

Time for an intermission...

This intermission has been brought to you by hill-billy sewists everywhere. Because you just can't operate your sewing machine when you have on shoes and socks...

That's right! I absolutely can not sew with my shoes on and even socks seem to get in my way. Am I a weirdo for doing this? Probably, but we all have our certain little idiosyncrasies and it makes the world a much more interesting place...right?

Now back to the project...

Time for the skirt:

Gather...

Pin and stitch...

Now what the photos don't really show you is that I pinned this the wrong way and had to completely undo the seam. Later I had to undo some areas that got caught in the seam. My quick project ended up taking quite a bit longer than expected...OIY!

Anna took a photo of me so everybody could see the dress on a person. I think the position enhances the girth of my waist...honestly this dress hangs loose around the waist and feels great.

Had to have one of my classic goofy faces for the post...hehehe!

So that is it. A simple little dress made from a shirt that I barely used and a thrift store skirt that cost me a whopping 99 cents.

Thanks for stopping by!

Keep Your Hands Busy!

SMiLES!

GWeN

Refashion Project

Anna wanted to do some shopping today with her new found B-day money she got from her Dad and his side of the family. So, we went to the thrift store and Goodwill. She found a few fun things. A couple that we could refashion into a cute summer dress.

So here is what we started with:

And this:

The top was super cute but hung too long and Anna was not impressed with the side tie sash. So we decided to combine the two pieces and create a fun little summer frock she could make and easy breezy go-to-dress.

First....

Figure out how long you actually want the shirt portion to be and then cut off the extra.

Second...create gathers...

Setting the stitch length to the longest stitch I made two rows of stitches about 1/4 inch apart...

Then...

holding onto the "bobbin" threads...slide the fabric along creating gathers...

Now...

pin shirt to wrong side of skirt (did this due to the decorative edge on the skirt, wanted to maintain that feature) being sure to match seams and spread the gathers evenly.

Finally...

Stitch, I used a zigzag stitch because of the elastic waist on the skirt. Following two of the decorative stitch rows, I zigged and zagged right over them creating an invisible attatchment. Then I pulled the waistband to its limits and popped all the gathering rows (straight stitches don't stretch, but zigzags do), pulled the loose threads out and ended up with this...

an easy little frock all ready for a beautiful summer day. Its casual enough to use for every day but pretty enough to wear out to dinner with family.

Anna wearing it, notice how the top blouses over the skirt a bit. Wanted this to allow her to have breathability on hot, hot days.

She's even pretty without her makeup and her, I-just-pulled-my-hair-back-to-wash-my-face look.

This is her right after she made a hiliarious face...caught her in the middle of laughing at herself.

Well, I'm planning on making a couple of refashion dresses for myself too. Have a floral print skirt I got for 99 cents to pair up with a blouse I've had that I never have anything to wear with. Also a mulit print top I got for $1.99 and a great little jersey skirt I got for a whopping 99 cents as well! 

I love wearing loose skirts and dresses in the summer months and I'm so excited about the ease of this project and the fact that my tops and skirts will be matched out and ready to go. Easy, breezy, summertime...here we come!

Keep Your Hands Busy!

SMiLES!

GWeN 



Summer Plans...

Are you making plans for your summer break? Well, for your child(ren)'s summer break? We are trying to.

I'm going out on a limb here and I'm exposing all of my plans. Why do I say that? That way? Because these, like many things I do are "good intentions". I'm going to sincerely work at seeing that are more than just that and that they actually are accomplished. However, a couple of these may be a bit lofty...I had help from my girls in deciding quantities and I'm not sure they are practical but we will do our utmost to see them through.

SUMMER PLANS

 

1) Our first adventure is going to be to the Carnegie Public Library. Where, Miss Bekah Hesson will apply for her very own library card. (When I told her about this she literally teared up...she is so happy and I think its absolutely adorable!)

2) If you have a library card, you need to use it! With the help of Bekah and Aubrey the decision is to read 100 BOOKS this summer. Now we are not talking picture books...oh, no, nothing that simple. The goal is to finish reading the Junie B. series we started (about 10 left), move on to the first Fancy Nancy Chapter book (I'm looking forward to this one) and then begin the Ivy & Bean series (we currently have the 1st book in the series). We will more than likely re-read some of our favorite early readers too. Our Fancy Nancy books never get boring!

Along with the fun books we will read My Book of Bible Stories and then start in Listening to the Great Teacher. We have to get our bible history in there its important to revisit these often.

On top of taking full advantage of our local library I plan to access WeGiveBooks.com too. They have thousands of books you can read online and its a great program to assist those in impoverished areas to receive books of their own. There is no way to lose with this program...its free...you can help your child cultivate a love of reading...you can revisit your favorites from you own childhood...you can help a child to receive the gift of reading and their own books. If you don't know this program, I sincerely hope you'll check it out.

3) Bekah and I want to include Field Service in our weekly schedule. At least two days a week. She's asked that I allow her to hand literature to our interested neighbors and that just makes me smile. She'd also like me to help her learn to read a scripture at the door as part of the presentation. I love her interest in spiritual things and I'm so happy that she excited about the ministry.

4) Weekly craft projects. Some of these I'm planning to turn into play dates with friends and cousins.

5) Picnic and Park mid-morning adventures. Since I'm heat and sun sensitive, I'd like to take the girls to the park to play mid-morning and then break for a picnic lunch. This could be a fun thing to do after mid-week field service and a nice way to reward them for behaving (granted they do) while we are out. Another non-expensive excursion that we can invite friends to.

6) Nature Walks - we will be taking along a checklist of nature items such as animals, birds, trees, wildflowers and objects. As the kids spy out the things on the list they will be able to check them off and gain points. The points can later be used for computer time on ABCMouse.com.

7) Game days - spent playing board games and hopfully doing this with our grandparents! We have three grandmas and two grandpas who love to spend time with the girls. It would be so much fun to invite them over to play a board game (or go visit them) and then have a simple lunch or dinner. I think it would be a great way to spend time together.

8) Beach days/sand play - okay Deer Creek isn't the most fantastic get-a-way location but its close and the kids really enjoyed playing in the sand last time. There is also a playground with picnic tables close to the beach. Its a fun way to get them out and discovering. Again, early day activity.

9) We plan on taking in a couple of movies. The original plan was to go to the drive-in in Wilmington, however, they are not opening due to financial reasons. I was so disappointed when I learned about this. So, we may get to one or two movies (it costs a fortune taking the whole family) and maybe plan a movie night or two with all the fun snacks and popcorn. I will even set up the seating like a theater. We've done that before and the girls loved it!

10) School Work! Yes, I said it...SCHOOL WORK! I don't want Bekah to lose the information she's worked so hard to gain this year in Kindergarten. So, I'm planning on doing some learning activities here at home during our break. Especially with handwriting. I've got some activities planned that will fit into other categories too. Games are a great way to keep the learning processes going, reading all those books will surely help her to keep up her love of the written word, the crafts will help with following directions and measurements (math), etc. So, in a sneaky kind of way I've planned  an entire summer of learning and discovery using the tools that work best...PLAY!

Now the tricky part...creating the actual calendar. We have some fun things coming up, a famiy trip to the DC area (I am so EXCITED about this). Then we have Todd's company outing to the Columbus Zoo (a favorite of ours) and Zoombizie Bay (the zoo's water park). I think the kids are more interested in the water park than DC. I suppose they should be, they can't comprehend the history and possibilities that DC will offer.

So, now you see why I'm saying that my plans are made with good intentions. Lots of plans to fit into a schedule that will be including me working part time. (I'm told my position for the at home data entry position will start soon. The team is being assembled and the new sales department will be hard at work soon. Yay!)

So, what is everybody else doing? Any trips planned? Any exciting programs you'll be attending? Or, are you just going to take it easy and see what the summer brings? (I wish I didn't have to plan everything all the time. I just have no idea how to "take it easy" if it isn't scheduled...LOL!)

Keep Your Hands Busy!

SMiLES!

GWeN



Sock Painting

Before I go any further, let me say this is not an original idea. I borrowed the idea from another blogger, Disney and her daughter, Paige. Disney has some great ideas for big girls like me and for little girls like Aubrey and Bekah too. Check her out HERE on her blog ~Ruffles and Stuff~.

Being inspired by a cute post by Paige and her momma, I decided to do this craft with my little girls. The days have been so hot that they can't play outside quite as much so I need activities to keep them occupied.

I purchased some socks. Got a six pack for only $3.88

Then picked up some fabric paint. A three pack for $2.97

The rest of the supplies I had at home.

Total cost of project: $6.85

1) We gathered our supplies

2) We created our own templates using punches. First, punching the image desired for the sock. Second, punching the circle shape around the existing image to create a small template that we could tape to the sock and paint with.

3) To keep the paint from bleeding through to the back of the sock, we inserted cardboard cut outs.

4) Here you can see the girls painting inside the template to leave the image on the sock.

5) A pretty little line of socks....

Now for the fun part....modeling the socks!

 Here are my babies after their bath. Both in their nighties and wearing the socks they were most excited about.

I just love them...so much...

We are planning on doing several projects over the summer and we will be sharing. What are you and your little ones planning? We'd love to hear about your projects too.

Keep Your Hands Busy!

SMiLES!

GWeN

T-shirt Skirt

I mentioned a little skirt that I made from one of Todd's work t-shirts. Here is how I did it and you will laugh at how easy this was to do.

First, procure a t-shirt from husband...size XL.

Then, measure up from the bottom hem the length you want your skirt to be. I wanted Bekah's to be a bit longer since she would be wearing it on gym day and outside to play. So, I measured 15 inches from the hem.

After cutting the shirt to the desired length, I ran a zig-zag stitch along the edge of the cut end.

Then, I created a 1" inch casing for the elastic. Cute a piece of elastic to fit Bekah's waist. Insert elastic and stitch up the hole.

I cut out a little image on the back of the shirt and created a fun little "applique" of sorts on the front of the skirt per Rebekah's request. Got some ribbon that I bought ages ago at WalMart and added it to the hem of the skirt for some added fun.

Here is what it turned out like...

The sunglasses and golden yellow skirt were for the school theme of You Are My Sunshine...wear yellow and sunglasses.

Sans glasses...

Here she is showing off her little dog and cat from the back of daddy's shirt. She was happy with it and it was super comfortable.

Keep Your Hands Busy!

SMiLES!

GWeN



Fun For Under $5

Here is a fun little project that the girls and I put together this afternoon. 

Here it is...a little bird feeder.

We hung it in our crabapple that is in front of the porch. I'm hoping the local birds will decide to get a snack now and again so we can view them from the living room window or the porch.

My proud little girls (hot and tired little girls) wanted to be in the photo too. Yes, I took these after dark but you can clearly see the bird feeder and Bekah's toothless grin. (She lost another tooth last night. No central incisors on her Maxillary jaw at this point...she's so cute!)

So, how did we do this for less than $5 you may wonder?

Gazebo bird feeder - Walmart - $0.97

Wild bird seed - Walmart - $2.15

Minnie Mouse Stickers - from Disney stash - FREE

Grappling Hook (?) - Had it - FREE

So you can see the actual total cost is just over $3.00.

If this works out the way I hope it will, the girls will get to help me identify the different little birdie friends we make during the warm months. Since we have a nest in this tree, I think we may have a very good chance of spying out some activity.

Wondering what happened to my T-shirt to skirt project photos?

Well, they are hiding in my phone right now and its dead. Try to have it fully charged and load the photos tomorrow.

Keep your hands busy!

SMiLES!

GWeN



Making Watermarks in Photoshop

Here is a little tutorial on the process I used to create a watermark for myself. Now, I'm not very savvy on these kinds of things but it worked. If you know of an easier way, please share. :) Its really not that difficult though. Once I figured it out (which took me For-evah!) it takes little time to repeat the process. So, here goes:

In Photoshop you'll need to create a New blank doc, name it and then choose "transparent" at the background contents area.

You will get a blank "checker board" looking document...so far, so good. Now, lets make it pretty.

On the right of your workspace you will find your edits for your content. Select a graphic you like and add it to your workspace (blank layer) by dragging it over. Or, you can choose it and then click "Apply".

Once your graphic is there you can adust the size, angle and play around with it until you like it. Click apply (in my case the little green check mark).

Add more graphics if you like to create a nice visual for your watermark.

On the left you'll find the "T" in the tool bar. Click it and add your text box in its desired location. (Remember you can move it later if you need to.)

You can fit all of your text in one box. However, I find it easier if you use more than one:

Using more than one box allows you to adjust font style and font size more easily. Also, it allows for easier positioning of your text.

Note the highlighted box at the top, this is your font color. Most programs default to a black. You can choose what color will work best for your projects. In my experience with watermarks a lighter color actually works better.

Here is what the font and color look like after the adjustments.

Now, we save...

First, go to the "Layer" key and click. On the drop down box choose the "Merge Visible" option. (Its near the bottom of the box.)

Now, you want to save as a PNG. file. On the options be sure that "None" is selected and click OK.

Here is a photo of a card I made. The watermark is on the lower left corner.

So the mark is visible but not too distracting.

Have fun with this. If you need help applying the watermark to your projects let me know. I'll help set up a tutorial on how I do that too.

Smiles!

Gwen