Made it: Colorful necklace

I have wanted to make this necklace for a long time.  It took me forever to decide how I wanted to go about making it.  Then I got the materials.  Then they sat forever. Then I strung it.  Then I decided I wanted to go about it differently...so it sat for a while.  Then I restrung it.  Then...I finally finished it. 

I realllly like this necklace.  Lots of color.  I think I will be keeping this necklace rather than gifting it or selling it.  

Sean's comment about it was, "That's different than what you usually make." Thanks.  Sure is.  It's symmetrical...is what he meant...I think.

Because I find inspiration interesting...here is what inspired this necklace.

PAINT dipped.  If I could figure out how to do a paint dipped chain necklace.  I would.  So cool. 

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On Life After Sunday

Wooo.  My first..."I'm over here today..." post!

Today you can find me posting about DIY gifts for women at Life After Sunday.  Life After Sunday is a blog about Christian Parenting written by Reunion (my church) women...and sometimes men.  Check it out.

Speaking of Reunion.  We are sponsoring a day of giftmaking on BLACK FRIDAY.  Clever, right?  Instead of spending time and money on gifts Friday come to the Reunion offices with something you are working on. We will be there from 10-5!  For more information and the address check Reunion's website.

I have two..count em TWO new "Made It's" to post this week.  And there should be more by the end of the week.

Made it: Toddler Tool Belt

Brady, don't read this post! 

Ha.  Brady is a toddler.  This is one of his Christmas presents.  I saw the tutorial here and knew I had to make it for him.  He loves having a place to put everything.  That is kind of the theme of his presents so far.  

The best part of this present??  It cost me ZERO dollars.  It is made from things I already have.  

The green striped cloth is one of the dish clothes from the pack I bought to make this bolster pillow.  The ivory flannel was from this window treatment for B's room.  The blue binding was left over from when I did this to my duvet cover.  

Feels good to spend zero.  I always see those posts on other blogs.  I have finally been sewing long enough to have left overs!  

Here is the tutorial I used.  

Again, thanks to Walt for taking pictures.  See his real photography here. 

Made it: Ruffle Knit Scarf

This is the tutorial picture.

So.  This one might be your Christmas present.  I am sorry.  It's going to be on another blog so I need to get a post up about it.

I found a tutorial for the scarf here.  It wasn't a straight forward tutorial.  This scarf is a combination of techniques from three different tutorials on her blog.  It's more of a hassle than anything else.  Totally worth it, though.  I didn't follow the directions exactly but it looks pretty much the same.

It is navy blue knit with gold seed beads.  I sewed the flowers and beads on by hand.  

I have been scared of knit for quite some time.  This was my first project using it and it went surprisingly well.  I think that is because you have to use the stretch while you sew...rather than preserve it.  But, like I said, this was my first project so I could be wrong.

Made it: A wreath I got behind.

I have never been a huge fan of wreaths.  They remind me of the 90s.  You know...roosters, faded blue everywhere, plaid....wreaths.  Lately, though, I have seen some really cute, modern wreaths that have slowly warmed me up to them.  Well, I finally found one that I can live with. 

Thanks to my brother, Walt, for taking all the pictures!

I am determined to decorate for the holidays. Because we have travelled to see my family the past few years we have just been doing a tree.  This year my family is coming to us!  

I saw this wreath on pinterest last week and loved it.  I was in need of something fairly mindless to do while relaxing Friday night.  Cutting felt circles and pinning them to a styrofoam ring seemed pretty perfect.  Using this tutorial I got the supplies and got it done in one sitting.  I can't believe I finished it in only 2.5 hours.  

The tutorial said you needed 2.5 yards of felt but I purchased 2 and ended up with LOTS left over.  I can't see much difference between mine and the tutorial.  Mine probably doesn't wrap around quit as far but I can't imagine pinning 2.5 yards of felt onto the ring.

I cut an M for McKenna using a stencil I have and free handed the holly leaves.  I hot glued the M to the leaves and then sewed the whole thing onto the wreath.  I sewed it on so I can reuse the wreath throughout the year if I wish.  How CUTE would this wreath be with an ombre color scheme!?!? (IN ombre?..with ombre?...ombred....?...you know what I mean...) 

Can you believe NEXT WEEK IS THANKSGIVING?!?!?  

My brother took all the photos.  If you want to see some of his actual and really amazing photography you can check out his site.  

Craft Night: Doing something for ourselves

This weekend I hosted a craft night.  The theme was Champagne, Cupcakes & Crafts.  Everyone brought a craft to work on while we drank champagne and ate delicious cupcakes....duh.

Prosecco and Sparkling Cider

So I decided last minute to go with Prosecco over Champagne.  So good.  Sparkling Cider for our expecting ladies!!

The cupcakes went fast...

Our delicious cupcakes were from Kickass Cupcakes in Davis Square.  They go above and beyond your standard vanilla and chocolate.  The flavors I chose were Chocolate Mint, Cookie Dough (!!!), Mojito, S'mores, Caramel Apple, Macchiato, anddddd some other flavors I can't remember.  The Cookie Dough cupcake blew my mind.  The butter cream frosting was also amazing.  I may or may not have bought a side of icing for myself...

Amanda working on her rag rug made from her and her husband clothes that would be donated if they were in better condition.  Creative recycling.  

Craft night was so much fun and exactly what I needed.

Jacqueline is making the most adorable mobile for her baby boy on the way.  Hot air balloons!!

Good conversation.  Delicious treats.  Time to get things done.

Stephanie is doing some embroidery.

I think everyone said at one point that it was so nice to get out and do something for themselves.  That is exactly how I felt too.  Making things makes me so happy.

My station.  I would tell you what I was making but it might be your Christmas present.

I am already planning the next craft night.

Mom Jeans

Pants shopping.  I now understand why Mom Jeans exist.  New baby. New body. No sleep. Pants shopping.  They are a terrible mix.  As if pants shopping wasn't bad enough on its own.  Going in public in ill fitting jeans has never been so appealing.

I am a pear shape.  Apparently that is the most common female body type.  Why, then, do most pants gap in the back??  Just wondering.  I heard about Levi's Curve ID somewhere during my sleepless fog of new babydom and decided to check it out once I felt like I could handle shopping for pants.  I got my curve identified online (Supreme....great.)...I got some sleep...got up the nerve...I went pants shopping.  When I asked where in the store I could find Supreme Curve I was told the Supreme Curve is new and experimental (this news did not make me feel encouraged) only sold in the NYC store and online but they happened to have a pair of returns in my size in that curve.  Score.  I bought them.  I got home and tried them on again...they felt tighter than only a few hours ago at the store.  I ALWAYS freak about the fit when I get home and try my purchase on.  I decided to order a larger size online just to be sure.  I ordered..seriously....6 pairs of jeans in different styles, washes, sizes, lengths...I returned all of them.  I just wasn't convinced.  Didn't love any of them.  I was going to return my store bought pair too simply because I felt defeated.  Luckily, I misplaced the receipt and decided store credit for $20 less than what I paid for them is worse than keeping them.  A few weeks went by.  The jeans were sitting in my room with the tags on.  I decided to wear them around the house and see how they felt after a little breaking in.  You think finding out after a day and a half of wearing these jeans that I love them would make me excited and relieved.  I wish.  I am glad to have another pair of jeans that fit well (a pair that doesn't gap at all!!) but it took so much emotional energy that I am even more afraid of the next pants shopping I have to do...dress pants.

So.  Moral(s) of my story? Mom jeans are way more forgivable now that I am a Mom and Curve ID is definitely worth checking out.  It is a whole new experience pulling up jeans that are cut for my body shape.

Getting things done....very very slowly: my dresser

Weekly updates on things I have made have gone out the window since the arrival of one very cute and very chunky Whitney Kate.  

I have a lot started-but-not-quite-finished projects.  Instead of not posting while I wait to finish my million projects....I decided to give a sneak peek of one that will (fingers crossed) be done this week. This dresser is taking a really freaking long time.  I sanded everything...back when it was warm and summery.  Then I primed it.  Then I painted it bubblegum pink.  Two coats.  Then I decided to go about my design differently...after which I had to paint it baby pink (what you see).  

Now I am in the middle of taping off a design inspired by these three things:

via 

via 

via

Cross your fingers for me.  If this doesn't work it will be the biggest, most time consuming craft fail of my life.  I might quit all crafts forever.

Oh Craigslist

How you entertain.  When I am bored I go on twitter pinterest facebook Craigslist.  Some of the the things for sale....make me wonder about people.

"Unusual Large Wooden Cage Armoire"  Scary.

This one, though...what are you selling??!  

That's a nice picture of your stairs.

If you don't have the Craigseasy button, you should get it.  You do your Craigslist search and then hit the "easy" button.  Instead of all text search results you get all picture search results.  So nice.  Easy is right.

I need more brains in my storm.

two chairs and a round table

the christmas tree

My posting has been crap lately.  I have had to be more realistic about my expectations of myself....before I have a nervous breakdown or something.  Apparently I can't do it all...or appear to do it all...as some bloggers I follow.  Now that Christmas is fast approaching...I have to focus on getting presents MADE....then I can spend the new year blogging.  (crossing my fingers)  Anyway...I digress.  More brains.

a cool chair to sit in the window?

I recently wrote about part of my present for Sean...Operation Man Space is what I will call it.  Not man cave...just a real place for his things...that isn't the garage.  Our garage is detached and so keeping tools and other man things in there means they clutter the house because no one wants to make the trip to the garage to put them away.  Probably not safe for our babies.  B has become quite handy with a number of inappropriate-for-two-year-olds tools.  Next to the space where I plan to house all things handy but ugly is a bay window.  I can't work on Operation Man Space without my mind wandering to the window and wondering what to do with it.  I have struggled with bay windows since my first apartment in Cambridge.  They really only fit one of two things:  A christmas tree or 2 chairs and a round table (1+1+1=1).  Also....what kind of window treatment do you do in a bay window?  So frustrating.

another cool chair to sit in the window...i loveeee this chair

I have put a lot of brain miles into bay windows only to run out of gas rather than reach a destination.  HELP!  Email, call, comment any ideas.  I need HELP.

some sort of amazing chaise lounge

Oh...the bay window is in my dining room.  I have bookshelves on most of the other wall space in the room...a table in the middle.  Currently in the bay window contains a sofa table that doesn't have another home.  There is about 25 inches between the floor and the bottom of the bay windows...not much wall space.

i have thought about the window seat...

this might be the best window treatment i have seen