Wearing The Mini Payton {part two} & a GIVEAWAY!!

We are having so much sharing a lot of different ways to style The Payton and The Mini Payton!  Check out a couple more styling ideas!





The Mini Payton can be put with a pair of jean shorts, mini kimono, sandals, and headband to make getting dressed in the morning a little more fun!  Our tee keeps a styled outfit feeling comfy!

Give your little guy a little style by putting The Mini Payton with a pair of chinos, an open-front plaid shirt, a pair of Vans, and a pair of sunglasses.  

We are so grateful to all of you for supporting our new product launch!  We would LOVE to hear from you!  Comment here, FaceBook, or Instagram or send us an e-mail with questions or comments!!  

{Our FINAL day to order is AUGUST 1ST!! Don't forget to place your order for The Payton or The Mini Payton by 11:59 PM on Monday!!}


AND NOW.  A fun FLASH giveaway for y'all!! We will have THREE winners and the entries are SIMPLE!  Our Grand Prize will be $10 off your TOTAL purchase while two more winners will receive FREE SHIPPING!  You can have up to FIVE possible entries:

'Like' us on Facebook
Share our giveaway on Facebook
'Follow' us on Instagram
Repost (and tag us in your post) on Instagram
Tag a friend (who may not know about us!) on Instagram

For EACH entry you MUST complete the tasks you say that you have and click ENTER for each task you've completed!  You can do ask few as ONE task or as many as FIVE!  Remember each extra entry gives you a bigger chance to win!!

Entries will be taken until MIDNIGHT tonight!! So don't wait to enter!!
(To use Rafflecopter, you MUST provide your e-mail or your Facebook contact so we have a sure way to contact you! Information you provide will NOT be shared with anyone!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jess & Rox

Freezer Paper Stencil.....and Giveaway date announced!

Well, baseball season is upon us.

My oldest is playing for the first time, and I can honestly say, I had no idea how much it entailed.  (I think I owe my parents some extra thanks for running me and my two sisters around to our various sports and club meetings for years.  Whew!)

All that to say, we decided to let our oldest (who's only 14 months older) play something first.

I had no idea how much that would affect our youngest.  

They are so close in age that they do practically everything together, so I've tried to come up with some ways to make our youngest feel special while his older brother is getting to play a sport and get all new gear.

Don't get me wrong, J LOVES going to his brother's games, and I think it is good for them to do things separately, but I thought it would be fun for him to have a special shirt to wear to support the team.

PLUS, I've been itching to make my own Freezer Paper Stencil.

Win.  Win.

To begin, you'll need Freezer Paper (of course), fabric paint, and a sponge brush.

(You'll need an iron in a couple minutes, so get that ready.)

1.  This picture just shows the look I was going for.  I planned on using the stencil to create the same number as E's and then using the fabric pen (pictured above) to write 'Eli's Bro' above it.
2.  I cut a small piece of Freezer Paper and traced the two from the back of E's shirt.
3.  Cut out shape with scissors.
4.  Place and iron on Freezer Paper stencil to back of shirt.
5.  Use sponge brush to apply fabric paint.  I used a hair dryer to speed up the drying process because I wanted to do another layer of paint.  Use sponge brush to apply second layer of paint.
6.  Let it dry for 10 minutes or so before carefully removing stencil.

And you're done!

I think the fabric paint is supposed to set for 72 hours before being washed.

I haven't finished the lettering on the front and back but will post pictures as soon as I do!

This project was very simple.

Jessie used a similar process to make her boy and my two boys some Star Wars pajamas for Christmas.  She shirt has a Darth Vader silhouette and are by far my boys favorite thing to wear to bed.  She'll have to post hers soon!

Annnnnnndddddddd..........

Don't forget to check back Monday, April 21 for your chance to enter our Giveaway!

You don't want to miss it!

DIY Faux Ceramic Animal Head

Good Morning, y'all!

I gave you a little tour of my boys' room makeover last week.  One of my personal favorite DIY projects to complete the look was the faux ceramic animal heads.  I was quite honestly surprised at how well these turned out (because, don't be fooled, not all our DIY efforts turn out like this....I have had numerous "fails" along the way).

I've seen many pins on Pinterest, as well as many blogs, feature these ceramic pieces as part of their home decor, and I've loved the look.

But, as you probably know by now, I am constantly looking for a cheaper way to achieve the same look.  (And paying full price for those ceramic pieces just wasn't in the budget.  They can be expensive, y'all!)

While out on one of my "browsing" trips at TJ Maxx, I came across the moose antlers and gazelle head for about $10 each, and had an idea about trying to transform them into faux ceramic pieces.  

And a lot of times when I find something I like, I try and check Marshall's as well.  I don't think these two stores are owned by the same people, but they tend to have a lot of the same inventory.

And, lo and behold, I found the deer head!

So I grabbed my supplies and got to work!

                                                                 -Metal Animal Heads

                                                                 -Primer Spray Paint

                                                                 -Flat White Spray Paint

                                                                 -Pallet Wood

                                                                 -Jigsaw

1.  First I place the animal heads on an old sheet and sprayed them with primer.  I let that dry for about 30 minutes, then sprayed them with the flat white spray paint.  Each animal head was sprayed with 2-3 coats, depending on what it needed, waiting about 30 minutes in between each coat.

2.  Next I printed out an oval shape from my computer.  It wasn't quite as big as I wanted it, so I measured out about 6 inches all the way around and roughly sketched a bigger oval.

3.  I then used our jigsaw for the first time!  (Jess has been telling me I would love using it, and she was totally right!  I can't believe I haven't used it until now!)  If you've never used a jigsaw, don't be scared.....it's super easy to use and much less intimidating than a circular saw for sure!  (My husband attached a piece of wood to the back along with a heavy duty hanger.)

4.  The animal head is attached to the wood by a nail.  It could be pulled off pretty easily, but the boys haven't touched them once!  (I did threaten to take them totally off the wall if they touched them.....so far, so good! ;)

And that's it!

This could very easily be modified to your tastes.

I've seen the ceramic heads hung on the wall alone, inside a frame, etc.

Happy Tuesday, y'all!

Rox


{ THIS IS JUST A LITTLE REMINDER TO CHECK OUT OUR BUTTONS IN THE TOP RIGHT HAND CORNER - "LIKE" OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, FOLLOW US ON BLOGLOVIN', AND FOLLOW OUR PINTEREST BOARDS  (we just added pins from all our blog posts!) THANK YOU!! }

-mini- Weekend Wear { Vol. XX }

button-up:  big bro's old shirt // jeggings:  Wal-Mart // boots:  Academy Sports // Necklace: self-made

This gal's ready for a fall weekend..

Not a care in the world..

Wearin' her mama's necklace..

Trompin' around like she's, "All that and a bag of chips"...

(Did I just totally age myself with that phrase??  I should see how often I can say that in everyday conversation and keep a straight face....)

Do your mini-me's like getting their hair done??  My gal is usually loves it.  We either watch a show with a snack OR sit in mommy's bathroom and play with my make-up brushes or whatever won't break.

I just did a french twist down either side and met the twists in the middle with a clear hairband.  I twisted her tiny pony into a bun and secured it with a couple bobby pins.

I usually spray down her hair (with water) first so it's easier to handle, and then I use a light hold hairspray to set it.

That's all for now folks!

What are you wearing this weekend??

-Jess

Boys' Bedroom Redesign

So, most of you readers know that we are in the process of selling our house and moving a town over.  

This means we are in the phase of trying to keep our house spotless so we can be out in a moment's notice for our house to be shown.  

While this is our main focus right now, what is also true is that we have 2 growing boys - 4 & 5 - and our 5 year old is pretty tall for his age.

SO.....they have been in "toddler" beds since they climbed out of their cribs (both at 14 months.....I'm not sure why I produce children so full of energy....they MUST get it from their dad :)

So that's been about 4 years for our oldest.

And his legs were almost off the end of the crib mattress.

(You can check out the boys room tour here.)

A friend VERY KINDLY gave us a bunk bed for our boys but it has been sitting in our garage because it wouldn't fit in their current room (because of the slanted ceilings) and I don't have time to completely move them to another room of the house.

After talking to my brilliant sister, she suggested I find out if our bunk beds could change into twin beds.

And, lo and behold, they could!  

So, I've been slowly buying bedding, sheets, mattress covers, etc. for the new room.

And this past week, we finally had everything we needed to complete their new room!

M and I started the process one day at nap and completed the whole disassembly and assembly of beds and decorating in 2 hours!  

(The animal heads on the pallets were a DIY of sorts that I will feature next week, so check back!)

My goal was to update their room with a design that they could grow into.

Have you done any room updates lately?

Rox 

{ Have any before and after shots of projects or room redesigns?  Send us some pictures at ofdwellinganddress@gmail.com with a brief description.  We'd love to feature you on our blog! }

Boys Room - Big Plans

Boys Room by roxanne-ofdwellinganddress featuring an earth globe

If you've been following this blog for any length of time, you probably saw the tour of my boys' room here.

The boys have been in their toddler beds for a couple years now, and while I still love them, I knew it was time to start looking for new beds.  My oldest just turned five and is above average  in height (He definitely gets that from his daddy who's 6'3, and not me being just shy of 5'4"), so his legs are close to hanging off the crib-sized mattress.

While we were looking, a generous friend offered us the bed above for our boys.  We humbly accepted, and I quickly got to work planning their new room!

While I will not be purchasing the exact items above, I will try to use it as a general guideline as far as what to look for at Thrift Stores, Garage Sales, or to DIY. 

(And I realize the picture above looks like the room may be a little 'adult' for the boys.  But, rest assured, I have plans to adding some kiddie elements to the mix.)

Happy Monday, y'all!

Rox

Home Tour { Rox's Boys' Room }

I have 2 boys, 14 months apart, ages 3 1/2 and 4 1/2.  They've shared a room since my youngest was about 6 months old.  Although at times we question whether it's a good idea to have them in the same room (when they are playing at night or waking each other up), I can't imagine it any other way.  For the most part, they do really well together and it's been fun decorating and creating a room for 2.  

We don't have a play room, so all the boys toys are stored out on their shelves or in their closets.  I try to keep a lot of it put away so that it isn't a huge mess every time they play in their room.  (You can view their closet organization project I did a while back here.  Although, I must confess -- anyone else sing the Britney Spears song in their head while reading 'I must confess'?  I KNOW it's not just me -- it is not as clean now)  I've also figured out that if they don't have daily access to all of their toys, we can keep some stashed away and pull them out when we need something different to play with and it's almost as good as having a brand new toy!

{ Side note: Since my boys have seemed to master sleeping through the night pull-up free for month or so AND I have a child who is very tall for his age, we will be upgrading to twin beds very soon.  SO, we will be selling these handmade beds (sans mattresses) as well as the bedding (which is in great shape) very soon.  So, if you are interested in purchasing either, keep checking back!}

With the new beds and bedding I plan on changing up the decor too.  Am I the only one who can't just leave a room the way it is for very long?  

And in case you haven't noticed, Jess and I have very similar tastes in decor, especially in boys rooms.   We have the same greens, grays, browns and blues.  Check out her boy's room post here.

What are you favorite colors for boys' rooms?  What are some ways I can update their room to grow with them into school age?

Rox

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Home Tour { Jess' House: Girl's Nursery }

My baby girl's room was SO fun to decorate.  I had so much trouble figuring out my little guy's room... when it was time to decorate with pink, I was like a kid in a candy store.  (Or just like I would be in a candy store. I. LOVE. SUGAR.)

My baby girl isn't really a baby anymore, and her nursery won't really be a nursery much longer.  P-man was already in a toddler bed for 6 months at her age (which was pretty early, but it worked for him...)!  So this is partly to document her nursery while it lasts! *Tear*

Follow me into my little gal's nursery:

I love the sweet watercolor prints I see on Etsy.  The three on the left were my attempt to own some "artwork" without paying $20 or more per print.  It's OBVIOUSLY not profesh... but it fills up wall space for now!   I used a nail through the back piece of each clothespin to secure them to the wall.

I'm pretty sure the crosses were gifts to Parker when he was a baby.  I just spray painted each of them.

The garland is just a strip of unbleached muslin with knots tied in it.  The fabric birds were made using THIS tutorial.  (I used to have 4 up there... my little guy decided he needed to use them for his own versin of Angry Birds.)

I found the cute little play crib at Goodwill for $7.  Isn't it cute??  Baby girl LOVES to lay her dollies down for a nap.

A family was getting rid of the crib and CUSTOM-MADE crib bedding and offered it to my mother-in-law. She passed it on to us, and we absolutely LOVE it.  We would have had to pay A LOT for both!

The 'rug' is just a pillow sham from Goodwill. Improvise.

My mom is an AWESOME thrifter.  I mentioned one time that I'd love to find some cool old suitcases to decorate with.  The next time I saw her she found THREE for me! 

The sweet crown and veil was made for me by my Grams for a wedding I was in when I was little.  I love special things like that!  The baptism dress I made for my girl using multiple tutorials all smashed together.  I literally couldn't tell you how I made it now if you asked me!

We have two matching side tables and a matching coffee table for our living room, but we only have room for one side table.  Baby girl's room was the perfect spot for the extra one! 

This collage was SO fun to put together.  All the frames are thrifted and spray painted using Rustoleum's Heirloom White.

1, 4, & 7 were paper dolls that my sisters and I had when we were little.

2 & 8 are unbleached muslin framed in embroidery hoops with handmade flowers.

3 & 6 were cute pictures found in an issue of Real Simple magazine (can't remember which one!).  The pictures were so great and perfect for the nursery that I just had to frame them!

5  is just four wooden plaques (thrifted by my mom!) painted with acrylic paint.  I'm pretty sure I just mixed a bunch of colors together until I liked it! :)

This room obviously couldn't have been decorated without my mom and mother-in-law!  The Strawberry Shortcake (one of my FAVORITES when I was little) records were thrifted by my mom, and the dresser was painted by and given to us by my mother-in-law! 

The glider is probably my least favorite thing in this room.  I begged my hubby for it when my little guy was born, and I can count on two hands the number of times I've used it with BOTH kids.  I just prefer snuggling on the couch instead of rocking!  It's a really nice glider for the price though!

You may remember the tutorial for the quilt found HERE.  If not, check it out!!

The large mirror was a wedding gift that we spray painted using Rustoleum's Heirloom White.

The tissue paper flowers are one of my FAVORITE things about this room.  I originally made them as decorations for baby girl's first birthday (using THIS tutorial), BUT I loved them way too much to throw them away or put them in a box.  I feel like they found a good home for now above the mirror!

That's about it!  I left out little details here and there just to avoid a super long post!

If I skipped anything that you'd like to see closer or hear more details about, leave us a comment or e-mail us at ofdwellinganddress@gmail.com.

Thanks for reading!

Kids Pajamas Refashion

I'm not sure if it is the same with girls, but boys WEAR. OUT. CLOTHES.  

And FAST.

Jess and I have 3 boys (2 mine, 1 hers) within 14 months of each other and we are always talking about trying to keep them clothed in a thrifty manner and mending what we can.

Since my boys are 14 months apart, I try to buy clothes that are good enough quality to last through them both.  I end up spending a little bit more on each item, BUT save in the long run.

(Speaking of saving in the clothing department.....I think the best investment we have made are on Sun San Surfer Sandals.  They are are about $30, BUT last forever.  I was able to buy some for my oldest, pass them to Jess's oldest, back to my youngest, and now Jess's little girl is wearing them - since we bought them in gender neutral brown and tan colors.  And they are still in great shape!  Just thought I would pass that bit of information on to y'all since we are now in sandal weather.)

Back to the pajamas.

Ahem.

Lately, my oldest (who is 4 1/2) has torn through the knees of countless jeans, pants, and pajamas.  And since I mentioned that these clothes need to last through 2 boys, this simply had to change.

Patching, which Jess and I have both done to jeans and pants (tutorial coming soon!) just wasn't going to work on pajama pants since (a) the holes were REALLY big and (b) the fabric is some sort of thin, flimsy knit.

So, I decided the best option would be just to cut the bottom part of the leg of the pajamas just above the knee and hem them to make shorts.  And the shirt had to be done as well to make a complete warm weather pajama set.

1.  First I found a pair of warm weather pajamas I already owned to serve as a template.  I left about 1" of extra fabric and cut the bottom part of the pants off.  I didn't do any measuring, just kind of eye-balled it.

2.  Next I did the same thing with the shirt.  I laid the short sleeved shirt on top of the long sleeved and cut, leaving about 1" of extra fabric.

3.  Then I turned each piece inside out and folded over about 1" of fabric and pinned it all the way around.  (I didn't fold it under twice since knit fabric doesn't fray).

4.  Lastly, I stitched around each arm and leg with a 1/4" seam allowance and then again with a 1/2" seam allowance.

And that's it!

This is a very quick and easy beginner project for all of you readers who are just starting out.

So, before you throw away those clothes full of clothes, try your hand at mending them!

It's easier than you think!

Oh, and I keep forgetting to post this update to my entryway coat rack.

I mentioned that we had to use different screws than the ones that came in the package with the hooks, and they were silver.  I contemplated meticulously painting them with a small paint brush and black paint, when one of our readers mentioned that I should just used a sharpie.

This was SUCH a great idea, and much less time consuming!

Thanks Lialah!

Printed Tee {using fabric markers}

I can't find fabric PAINT anywhere.. ok, I've found it online, but I don't really want to buy it online... I've tried (and FAILED) to dilute acrylic paint with water... and I would love to use a fabric paint medium and mix it with the acrylic paint I already have... but I can't find it in any stores (available to me).

As I perused the kids' art aisle at Wal-Mart recently, I found that Crayola makes their own fabric markers!  I heard people ranting and raving about Sharpie's new fabric markers, but wouldn't you know?  I can't find those either... SO.

*get to the point, Jess*

(I can hear Rox or Aly telling me this at this point... taking way too long to tell a story... including details that don't REALLY matter to the outcome... deciding to tell details that make me think of something ELSE... and that makes me want to tell a quick side-story... then I totally forget what I was talking about in the first place... everyone is left completely un-interested... like right now.  Oops.)

I BOUGHT THE MARKERS.  Bet you didn't guess that, did you??

Here's what I did:

1.  Supplies:  T-shirt, fabric markers, freezer paper, iron.

2.  Decide what you want to write on the shirt.  I typed out 'bonjour.' using a font I liked so I could have a good visual of placement and spacing.  Cut out a piece of freezer paper that will be about the size of the finished print.  Place the freezer paper INSIDE the shirt with the waxy side facing UP.  Using the cotton setting, iron on the outside of the shirt until the waxy side of the paper adheres to the inside.  The paper will now act as a stabilizer AND will prevent the ink from leaking through to the back of the shirt.

3.  I started writing with the middle letter so it would be centered.  Using a straight edge (clipboard) as a guide, I wrote the phrase out.  I ended up going over the letters again to make them thicker.  

4.  You can definitely tell it's hand written.. look at the funky O's and spacing.  BUT, I'm not too worried it.  Follow the directions on your marker box for setting the ink.  (I removed the freezer paper and ironed from the inside of the shirt over the lettering for four minutes.)

Done!

Now it's time to style your new shirt!

I also made a shirt for the little guy!

I think he likes it.

I haven't washed them yet since you have to wait at least 48 hours to do so.  I'll report back with the durability of the ink!

Have you had good experiences with fabric markers??  I would LOVE to see what you've done!!

**Remember to follow us on Bloglovin' and our Facebook page!!**

*Inspiration for Jess' Tee found HERE*

Taking in a Dress {Easter Edition}

Ahhh.

The Easter Dress.

How does one go about choosing the Easter dress?

If you're like me, you decide that this year you'll just find something in your closet.. then the day before Easter you find a $15 dress at Wal-Mart that's 3 sizes too big but you really like the fabric and think you can figure something out to make it into a dress you love and you don't worry too much about messing it up because if you do you only spent $15 and could use the fabric for something else but you really don't like to alter brand new things but it really couldn't be too hard or take too long to change it a little bit even though it does have a zipper on one of the sides that you would need to take in and you've only installed a zipper one time and it was a long time ago and it wasn't an invisible zipper like this one but surely you can do it this time right?

(This is how my brain works.  Scrambled, much?  Tell me about it.  I have to use this brain 24/7... )

1. One Shoulder Lace Cocktail Dress by Adrianna Papell 2. Shimmer Lace Bodycon Dress by Free People
3. Zarita Lace V-Back Dress by Dianne von Furstenburg

I love the fit of these dresses and was hoping to turn mine into something similar.

1. Dress before the chopping block.

2. Removed the sleeves.  (Just cut them clean off.  No seam ripping here.)

3.  Removed zipper.  (I ended up not really needing to do this since I changed my plan a teensy bit, but now a have a perfectly useful invisible zipper for another project!)

4. Layed a dress with a similar fit on top of the lace dress (while it was inside out).  Since the dress on top has a elastic waistband, I stretched the elastic until taut and marked it with a pin. (Or you could use a fabric pen.)  The shape of the dress ended up being straight up and straight down from the waist line. Pretty easy!  After marking up and down each side with pins, I sewed using a long straight stitch to avoid too much puckering of the fabric and cut off the excess fabric.  Make sure you try the dress on before you cut the excess off!!  You can always unpick the stitching and do it again!

(not pictured) I ended up having to take the shoulders in a tiny bit since the neckline and arm holes were a little low.  I just tried the dress on while it was still inside out, pinched the shoulders on the seam until I was happy with the neckline and arm holes, and measured (mentally) how much to take in (almost an inch).  I used a long straight stitch again to take it in.

5.  Reattached the sleeves using a wide zig zag stitch.

6.  Using 1/4 in. braided elastic, I measured and cut a piece that is the size of my waist.  After sewing the elastic into a continuous circle, I used a wide and long zig zag stitch and stitched right on top of the elastic to attach it to the waist line of the dress.  Remember to stretch/pull the elastic as you sew... so that when you sew on top of the elastic, it's tight.  You want the fabric to cinch to the size of your elastic (and waist).

The length was great so I did even mess with the hem! Although I did forget to mention that the dress was two pieces: the lace overlay and a stretchy slip.  I literally just sewed straight up each side of the slip so it was the same size as the dress.

Done!

  

The Lady:  Dress - Wal-Mart altered by me, shoes - target, statement necklace: handmade (using Rox's tutorial HERE)

The Gentleman:  shirt - Roundtree & Yorke, pants - Vineyard Vines via Goodwill, tie - thrifted, belt - Columbia, shoes - ??

The Little Guy:  shirt - Wal-Mart, shorts - Wal-Mart (altered by me), bow tie - gift from Rox (BUY HERE), shoes - Sperry's via Rack Room

The Baby Girl:  smocked dress - gift, hair bow - handmade, sandals - Wal-Mart

Was the last minute, late night sewing worth it?

I WAS tired.. I could have decided to do this A LOT earlier... I didn't NEED a dress....

But, I love how it turned out, I will definitely wear it again, and I'm glad I didn't waste $15!

So, I guess it was semi-worth it! :)

**We had an amazing Easter spent with some family, eating 'til our bellies were bulging, hunted for eggs, ate candy, let the guys & mom win at trivia because we JUST. THAT. AWESOME., were entertained by our ever-growing kiddos, all to celebrate our Love that lives again! Hope y'all had a great one, too!**

Mama and Her Girl

This little gal is a MESS. Let me tell you:

When I'm getting ready, she is asking for a make-up brush so she can "do her make-up" too.

Baby girl LOVES lotion... throws a fit if she sees lotion out and can't have some.

If she gets a little cranky, all I have to do is ask her if she wants to fix her hair.  She says, "Please!" and we go sit on the counter and put in some pig tails.

She goes to pick out her shoes when it's time to go.

She LOVES her flowers and bows for her hair.  She also LOVES to take them out, but she definitely loves putting it right back in!

My little gal makes dressing up SO much fun.

Mama: Chambray Top - Rue 21, old (similar); Coral Skinnies - Wal-Mart (similar); Wedges - gift (similar); Tribal Scarf - refashioned from maxi skirt (similar)
Baby:  Sweater - thrifted (similar); Jean shorts - Garanimals (found at Wal-Mart); Sweater tights - Wal-Mart; Boots - Target (similar); Flower clip - handmade.

We definitely can't wait until Spring is in full swing!!  With low's still in the 20's, we aren't convinced Spring is really here... until then... we're going to keep wearing Spring colors!  We'll just pair them with sweaters and scarves!!

Happy Wednesday, friends!

** Linked Up to What I Wore Wednesday @ The Pleated Poppy **

Boys Bow Tie

As you all know, Easter is quickly approaching, and one part of the preparation process (although certainly not the MOST important) is making sure everyone's outfits are picked out.  I usually try and dress my boys (who are 3 and 4) in something a little more formal than the usual polo and jeans/khakis they wear every Sunday.  (And by a little more formal, what I actually mean is slapping a tie on them.  That's automatically more dressy, right?!?)

Last year, J (my youngest) wore the tie I made E (my oldest) the year before, and I made E a new one.  They were made with light blue gingham fabric and light blue dot fabric.  They looked adorable, but I wanted a different look this year.  (Please tell me I'm not the only one who loves dressing their boys!)  Last year, I used Make-it and Love-it's pattern that can be purchased for $6.95 and can be found here.

Plus, a bow tie seemed simple enough, and I was pretty sure I could come up with a pattern on my own.    The Hubs and I are really trying to watch what we spend (Dave Ramsey style.  Yayuh!), so I decided to go "shopping" in my stash of fabric I have at home.  That's when I found part of an old tweed jacket I had purchased at the thrift store.  (The other part was used to make a clutch).  The fabric is thick enough that it doesn't need any reinforcement, which ultimately means saving some time by skipping a step!  Woohoo for quick projects!

PLUS, repurposing is all the rage these days.

Right?

Right.

I'm all about the rages.

Ha.

Double Ha for admitting that I googled whether the phrase is 'all the rage' or 'all the rave'.

I'm still confused.

Moving on.

These took me about 20-25 minutes per tie to make, and I'm excited about the results!


{I'll be posting my complete tutorial soon!}



Here's my imaginative, strong-willed, loving, independent, intelligent oldest.

These pictures kill me.  Love this boy.

(By the way, I'm pretty sure I have a picture-like the far left-with the EXACT same expression on my face from when I was his age.)

And this is my fun-loving, determined, comedic, sociable, caring youngest.

I could eat him up.

I'm pretty sure he is our mystery sister (Aly) made over.

And here's one more for the road.

{ If you would like to PURCHASE A HANDMADE TIE for your little one for Easter, spring pictures, etc., please click on the Etsy link (the orange circle with the 'E' in the left hand column).  You'll be taken to our ETSY SHOP where you can pay through PayPal.  PLEASE ORDER NO LATER THAN THIS WEEKEND TO ENSURE EASTER DELIVERY! }

{ Check back FRIDAY for our first ever GIVEAWAY!  We'll give you instructions about how to enter and will have 2 lucky winners picked by MONDAY!  YOU WON'T WANT TO MISS IT! }

Quilt for the Non-Quilter

My little gal turned ONE in December.

She has a big bro (Mr. P is 3 1/2) who has more than enough toys to share with baby sis.. she (being the grand-girl on both sides of the family) has been sufficiently spoiled with girly clothes... and has shared some of Mr. P's baby clothes.

What in the world do you give a little girl for her first birthday when she doesn't need (or can't tell you if she wants) anything...

After browsing through Smile and Wave (a cute, talented vintage-loving girl) I found THIS quilt.  Simple, classic.  I knew what my little one needed for her birthday!

I made a last minute trip to Wal-Mart 2 days before her birthday to peruse the fabric aisle... we actually have a fairly decent selection of fabrics at our local Wal-Mart so I chose my 5 favorite vintage-looking floral prints. 

Materials:

1/2 yd. each of 5 fabrics

2 yds. unbleached muslin

Queen size quilt batting

square of cardboard cut to desired size of patches (mine were 13 1/2 in.)

scissors or rotary cutter and mat

sewing machine 

coordinating thread

1.  Using your square piece of cardboard as a guide, cut 6 squares of each fabric.  Arrange them on a flat surface in a 5 x 6 pattern.  Pin together the squares for each of the 6 rows.  Using a 1/4 in. seam allowance sew the squares of each of the 6 rows together.

2.  Line the 6 rows up again.  Pin rows together one by one (lining up the squares as well as possible), and sew together.  (Once again, use a 1/4 in. seam allowance.)

3.  Now using the top layer of the quilt, cut the batting and backing to size.  (Allow 2-3 inches on all sides.)  I had to sew two pieces of muslin together to make a pieces the right size.

4.  Stack the quilt, batting and muslin/backing together in that order.  Pin as many places as needed to keep all layers secure and together.  I'm pretty sure I pinned on every corner of every square, and in the middle of every square... maybe more.

5.  You may have heard the term "stitch in the ditch" when referring to the quilting process (sewing in each seam, up and down as shown in the 5th diagram).  I sewed on either side of each seam.  Same idea just double the stitches.  It also makes the fabric pucker a little more when washed... which I love!

6.  Finally, it's time to bind the quilt!  I used a method very similar to THIS.  I used 2 of the 6 prints leftover from the patchwork to piece together binding.  OR you can use the same fabric as the backing... OR something totally different.  You can't go wrong!

Now it's time to wash the quilt!  There's nothing like a freshly washed blanket anyway.. but this will help soften it AND give it the vintage-y feel.

I can't wait to make another one!!  There's nothing like a homemade quilt... I hope this one is something  Baby Girl can hold on to and pass on to her kids!

Don't be intimidated.. I know there is an art to quilting, and I DEFINITELY don't claim to know anything about it.  BUT, I was more than satisfied with the outcome!

Let me know if you have any tips or trips for simple quilting techniques!  Have you made one??  I would love to see!

HAPPY QUILTING!