Obsessed, addicted, Can't get enough....

Goodwill!!! I HAVE to go there at least once a week! I literally begin to have withdrawls. I am not sure why I feel that way...I often think I am missing out on something and if I don't go NOW it will be gone. And the truth is just that! I have tremendous luck there but I think it's because I go there sooooo often I know what to look for, I know the in's and out's of the place. If you don't second hand shop and often, chances are your probably missing out too! This week ( and I hope to do this post twice a month at least) I found a pair of boots I have been eying for 2 years! The first year a co-worker(yes I used to have a real JOB!) came in wearing the cutest gray tone boots. Real leather, just enough heal, not to pointy or round toe and of all places she got them at Target! For...get this... 50 bucks! So I rushed down there and NOTHING. I was heart broken....so I went on line not my size, and have yet to have that color in my size. So this week strollin' a long with not much luck I meandered over to the books with the little miss, she gets a book every time we go amongst other great things. On the way to books we passed by the shoes and what to my wondering eye did appear???? The BOOTS, the boots I have been dying to have in mint condition, size sticker on the bottom still attached, they fit like gloves....for feet of course and were $7.99(goowill pricing is soooo random!)!!! I am sure the people in the store thought I was crazy squealing with delight at a pair of used boots and little miss was like sheesh...."find me in the books woman" I pranced around in the store wearing the boots happy as could be, I  decided to keep looking after all my "new" boots need a new outfit....right?? So this weeks find.....

Brand new target brand fair isle skirt XXL yep I still bought it and altered that baby! 6.99
Awesome like new gray Old Navy sweater - 4.99
and the BOOTS! 7.99

Yes I LET my loving husband take this picture which he HATES doing - its WWII every time!

Little miss got a great leap frog toy, brand new cream with black dot tights and book, no surprise there...I also managed to find a gray rosette'ish neck line long sleeve tee( we have snow on the ground spring or not) and a leopard print sweater which I have been keeping my eye out for - my grand total 38 and some change!!!

You may not always do as well as me since I seem to have the goodwill gods shining down on me ;) Good luck thrifting!

Barbies....getting to that stage of life already

Ava is on the heels of her 4th birthday and is really getting into imaginative play and BARBIES seem to be her toy of choice the last few days....maybe because she can talk her big brother into playing with her (I think it has something to do with barbie eye candy but gross! Let's just say he's s super sweet hunk of a brother!) She has a random assortment of barbie stuff all bought by her grandparents :D I decided if she was really into it how hard can it be to make her some non-scandalous dress's turns out NOT thanks to craftiness is not optional's tutorial! She is totally in love with the first dress I made and I see many more in our future. I made a few slight modifications but in general this is a great tutorial and definitely a great way to use up all my scraps of fabric! Off to find some shoes today for her random barbie collections to coordinate with all the new dress's we've dreamed up!

Lining up her barbies - so toddler and taking their picture :O so me!

what a GREAT brubba!

Muah! These 2 really love eachother

I'm that girl!

I'm that girl, that goes to estate sales and buys that funky old (oddly smelling)bedding and hides it away in my closet and until recent I feared my children would be selling it at an estate sale in my honor....well, I finally bit the bullet and cut into one of those bad boys and the outcome is simply amazing! I also manage to collect buckets of vintage trims, ribbon, bias tape and random sewing goodies for next to nothing. Which I also put to use on this adorable top! I peeled it open and read the back of the paper wrapping and I could send in  a whole $2.50 and 50 cents for shipping and receive a bag of trimmings for other projects, like for baby dolls and doll hous accessories....I am pretty sure in my previous life I was a 50's southern house wife sippin' on sweet tea and sewing up dreamy items for my children and their toys, because I can picture it all perfect in my head and I am odly ADDICTED to sweet tea :) so if your new to sewing or happen upon an estate sale, collecting vintage bed sheets is the way to start with out breaking the bank and maybe some day you'll actually turn something out worth while...till next time ya'll - OH and I am thinking of listing one of these tops in my etsy shop so if your interested hit me up and maybe I can accommodate your lil' chitlins size too! Did I mention I made the leggings too! Trying out that fang dangled knit fabric so my little lady has some comfy leggings these were simple and fit like a dream!

Vintage bed-sheet peasant top

Todler Messenger bag turned over night bag

so cute! my pic is a little washed out - no time to edit!

My intention was for Ava to have a small bag she could fill with diabetic supplies, snack and toys. Usually she carries around a used grocery bag ;/ which is fine, she's all re-use, re-duce but she's beginning to look like a little old bag lady these days and quite frankly she needs to be responsible for her diabetic supplies sometimes too! I am SICK of her handing me stuff to carry ALL day! I feel like a bag lady too ;) so I searched the net and came across a super cute bag http://tiptoetango.com/2012/01/16/messenger-bag-tutorial/#comment-522

I should have re-thought the dimensions(for my lil' toddler) but I didn't even question it till I held up the outer sewn pieces to her so now it's an over night bag instead. Which will be great for us when we bum our way into daddy's work things next week in Portland ;) So now this one is finished and I think I will be moving on to the one in my One Yard Wonders book ;p oy!

There is a couple things I didn't do to save time, obviously I didn't quilt the outer layers.....I did however heat and bond my felt and fabric together so it wouldn't shift.

I also didn't do any interior biz :) I did plan on it being reversible but didn't sandwich the handle right :O oops!

Thirdly this WASN'T a time saver by any means!!! I decided to make my own ruffle (I didn't want to have to shower, get Ava ready, prepare a snack and go to the fabric store just for trim, but the ruffle is what really made me decide on this bag....WARNING do get ready, get child ready, prepare a  snack, go to the fabric store  and skip making your own! tee hee! It still needs a button she has her heart set on a heart :) IF you do decide to make your own mine was made very similar to this...http://tiptoetango.com/2011/12/28/ruffle-napkin-tutorial/ I did 2" cuts for the ruffle....I know I just said don't do it but I love these napkins!

This WHOLE bag was made from bit's and pieces of fabric and felt I already had, so this could potentially be a great STASH buster project. Oh and my strap is about 9x33 which is way too long for her but great for what it is now, an Over Night Bag***

the interior of the flap

BIG Thanks to Tip Toe Tango for the adorable inspiration!  http://tiptoetango.com/

Sweet Practically Free Art

Cell phone Pollaroid action ;)

This weekend I cleaned and purged my sweet little ladies room after an awe inspiring visit to another equally as sweet(type1) friends house. Said friends room was so organized the toys were out of sight and just seemed so much more serene then Ava's toy isle style bedroom (More pics of her new sweeter more serene bedroom soon). Upon cleaning up and purging I realized she has NO art! She did have fun tissue poms but one naughty monkey(the little lady herself) jumping on the bed decided it would be fun to rip them down and jump on them :O ugh terrible 2's! So again why buy when you can DIY and completely personalize ;)

DIY Embroidery Hoop Art: 
Embroidery Hoop ( I got mine at good will for .99cents!)
Fabric(enough to over lap about an inch) my fabric is a vintage sheet I have been holding onto ;)
Other textiles - Ribbon, felt, canvas, buttons, lace, ric rac - here you can go crazy!

For my specific hoop I printed the letter a onto heat and bond. Ironed it onto a small piece of canvas, heat and bonded the back of that and ironed it onto felt then went crazy with my FUN stitches on my machine. a couple of rolled felt flowers and bow and some buttons and it's PERFECT! Lay fabric over inner hoop, lay outer hoop over top and tighten the screw as you pull fabric taught(takes a little finesse mine ended up not being taught as I like), fold over excess fabric and glue down so it will lay flat on the wall.  She loves it too!

Matilda Who ;)

Matilda Jane's Knit Pants

My Version :D

I am super excited about today's outfit/ DIY!!!! I was recently invited to a Matilda Jane trunk show....while I was perusing their website and making a wish list I came across these adorable Strawberry Lemonade pants only exclusively available(whatever that means) and I remembered the pink stripe knit fabric I have been holding onto since I scored about a yard of it at an estate sale this summer for 50cents! I have not made an actual garment from knit fabric but for 50 cents how can you go wrong?! I am however fortunate enough to be the owner of a killer craigs list deal serger(not to be confused with craigs list killer;) so really why wasn't I sewing knits long before today!!!

Label- says made for a special princess :)

SO I set out with my basic pant pattern my .50 cent knit fabric and my handy serger and I did it!! Complete with funky little brown label! Matilda Janes website is a never ending inspirational site. I still plan to attend said party and maybe purchase some adorable pricy things for the little lady ;) other wise I will be making my own version of their ruffled pants!

So once again before you buy why not DIY!

DIY your own Matilda Jane Knock off Pants: all you need is knit fabric and a pants pattern and a little courage OH and some inspiration www.matildajaneclothing.com


Tips for sewing knits use a serger!! If not pin like crazy twice what you would normally pin. I had no issues with the fabric what so ever :O shocked still!

DIY Pretend Salt & Pepper

Pardon the cruddy pic, it's early AM :)

I went a little over board on the kids play kitchen accessories. All of it was quick and easy because I had a big list to tackle in order to get it all done by Christmas. Some of the accessories include: Apron's, Chef Hats, Felt Cupcakes, Plastic Eggs, utensils, dishes, cook book, etc,etc....the list goes on and on, a lot of it I made or purchased very inexpensively. My kids especially love the Salt and Pepper (they also love to put salt on their food at the table, the play ones have actually curbed the novelty of real salt shakers;). I thought about making them in felt but wanted them to have sound like real ones, that's when the light went OFF! Dur! Paper! So here's a quick little super satifying fun to play with DIY - you'll be thinking to your self why didn't I think of that!

DIY Pretend Salt and Pepper

Supplies:

Salt and Pepper shakers (dollar store or .97 @ walmart - for the pair)

1 piece ea black and white paper plus a piece of paper to catch punched holes (I used computer paper and kids construction paper)

Hole Punch

Step 1 put your husband to work while he watches sports(he'll love you for this)

Step 2 Have him fold the paper in half and in half again (4x the work in half the time) :D

Step 3 hole punch like crazy onto extra piece of paper (it takes forever this is why you have the hubs do it, you don't want the hand cramp TRUST ME!)

Step 4 use paper as a funnel to pour your salt and pepper in your shakers

Step 5 twist lids on very tightly or if your worried about the little monsters taking them off rub glue around the threads before doing so ;)

You did it!!! They will LOVE it!
The best part?! This whole craft cost me .97cents! What's stopping you now?!
The important stuff! Please do not re-use this tutorial as your own idea - you may however share it all you want and are more then WELCOME to sell any finished products you make using this tutorial(if you have the time and patience to do so!)