Learning to Do the Sashay

And no, I am not talking about dancing.  That is what the name of this yarn and these scarves reminds me of, though.  I have seen so many of these scarves and was thinking about buying my girls some, but I wanted to save money.  I decided to learn "to do the sashay".  I am going to use some pics that are not mine, because it is easier than taking my own pics for this post.  For using my borrowed images if you click on the pic it will take you to a person's etsy shop that is selling them.  I don't know the person I just chose pics that I liked, but if you want to buy one check out the seller and let her know you heard about it here.  

 

Etsy link (not me) for this scarf.

I think she uses the crochet method which is why I chose this pic.  It makes a looser lighter scarf and I think this is great for children, teens,... and anyone that lives in Texas.  ;)  Seriously, I love the look of the fuller ones, but they are a little bulky around the neck to be wearing in a warm, humid climate.  The crochet ones are by far the easiest to make and you can learn pretty easy watching a youtube video or going on the Red Heart yarn website.  The ones we are making we pick up 10 loops with the crochet hook and pull the 11th loop through those 10 loops.  We do this until we have a scarf the length we like.  I think you can get 3 or 4 scarves using that method.  Keep in mind I make some pretty short to fit pre-teens.

There are also some that look much fuller and they are very pretty.  They are made using a knitting method and are very pretty, but use a whole skein of yarn or possibly more.  I played around with those a bit and found that for the fullness I wanted that I only needed to pick up 4 loops on my knitting needle and and knit in (totally wrong terminology, but I am not an experienced knitter).  You can watch a video online, but I could not understand it that way personally.  Thankfully, my cousin came over and showed me.  And she blessed me with some supplies, too.  

Anyway, if you are intimidated by how fancy these scarves look, don't be.  All the work is mostly done for you because it is all about the yarn.  This is a simple project and makes a great gift.  You can turn one out in less than an hour, also.  So, I think it might be a good time to "learn to do the sashay".  Cha-cha-cha!!!

Emergency Skirt / Sahara / More Randomness

Sahara... that downward frown... that is on her face most of the time... she pouts to get her way and she thinks it works.... she would stay out of trouble a whole lot more if she would just stop it... but she really is the cutest thing which saves her a LOT.

She is bouncy and bubbling going a hundred miles an hour.  She wakes up on full speed and runs that way all day long.  Usually, she is cranky all day, too.... so, that makes for interesting days.  She is not a morning person and she happens to live in a home of all morning people.  When everyone else says something nice like, "Good morning!" or in an overly chipper voice, "It's morning time!!!" she grumbles and stomps around the house.  Or yells.  

She can be an eager helper and will get upset when she does not get to help on certain things.  We have learned recently that she can out clean all her siblings if you tell her to clean her room.  Why?  She is extreme OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) which explains all the fits, too.  Things NEED to go her way or her order is confused.  Things still can not go her way all the time which is why she ends up with more discipline unfortunately.  ;)  We love her in spite of her craZy little attitude and we take responsibility for a great deal of her issues.  This girl had a house full of people that never said no to her for about three years.... bad move on our part.  But she was so stinking cute and she is "our Goo-Goo".

She is "in love" with her brother and he is "in love" with her.  They think they are going to get married... and sometimes they play like they do.  Just a couple of days ago she walked in the room dressed to go somewhere and her hair in two braids and this was the conversation:

Caden:  She is beautiful!

Sahara:  What?!!

Caden:  She's not really... (trying to act like he was joking)

Caden (looking at me and talking low):  She really is beautiful.

Me:  You know can't marry your sister Caden?

Caden (looking aggravated):  What?!!!

Me:  That is so gross Caden.  You really can't.  

(Caden did not really like that answer.  They are going to be so embarassed by the these stories one day.)

  

She is cute!  Beyond cute, actually.  God blessed me with a lightweight petite little thing after that hunken large boy child of mine that almost broke my back to tote around.  I could toss this little featherweight on my hip and run with it.  At five years old I can still easily lift her. 

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So, how do you like this little skirt she is wearing?  This was an emergency outfit one day when we were on our way to our homeschool choir meeting.  We had a picnic at the park and played on the playground and someone had a potty accident... in her pants.  And with pants you are kind of stuck when that happens.  That was one of those moments when I wished I had dressed her in a skirt that day.  Fortunately, I found these two bandanas in my van and tied them together at the waist.  The edges overlapped nicely to cover the splits in the sides since she is so petite.  Everyone thought I had made her a cute little skirt.  I was just thankful that the shirt she was wearing was a decent match.  With a few simple stitches this really would make a cute little skirt.  It served our purposes well that day, but has since gone back to just being a couple of bandanas.  

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While I am talking about clothing I might as well talk a little about being frugal.  That little shirt in the picture was on clearance a couple of years back for something like $1 and being that it was good quality I bought three of them all in a size 7/8... just a like.  It is the kind of thing that I knew would eventually get used even if it was in storage a while.  Sure enough my now 9 year old wore one for a while when I first got them.  Sahara now fits in one and one day Sienna will have one of them still in new condition.  I don't usually do that, but in this case it has worked out.  

If you want to save money on clothes you want to shop clearance rakes and think ahead for the different seasons.  I can always use short sleeves.  We don't have harsh winters here in Texas, so I try not to buy a lot of long sleeves.  It is just easier to wear a light jacket.  Seasonal items are worth looking at.  I try to avoid things that say "Fourth of July" and such and buy things like this that have the color scheme, but can be worn anytime.  Always think in terms of whether you could use the item for pajamas, too.  Of course, then it really does not matter if it does say something about a holiday.  In fact, you can even get creative and add fabric or other embellishments over the parts you don't want to look at.  If you are paying a low price it really will pay off.

Affording the Holiday: Fall Festival Time

Well, this is not going to be about the controversy of Halloween.  So, I will get that out of the way.  We do not celebrate the creepy stuff and we don't encourage it.  We do still take our kids trick-or-treating usually in a nearby small neighborhood because we enjoy the dress up aspect and we use it as a time to discuss avoiding the evils of this world and how many people get caught up in participating in evil things (scary costumes, scary decorations, haunted houses, etc.).  I always ask my kids this question.... "If it doesn't honor God then, who does it honor?"  I let them think about it and they always know the answer.  Many will say we are participating in evil just by going trick-or-treating, but I think it is what you make it.  I personally would have given it up a few years back, but my husband does not share the same conviction.  For now we go. 

So, on to the topic.  And this may be a series (if I can remember as the year goes by... hahaha!).  When having a larger family how do you afford the holidays throughout the year?  How do you afford all the stuff for the Halloween/Fall Festival season?  As we have added to our family we have had to change how we handle Fall Festivals and such.  We used to attend everything there was going on.  Now, we avoid the high cost ones.  That includes elimating the very Fall Festival that my husband helps put on each year.  Every year the elementary school he works at does a Fall Festival as a fundraiser for their PTO group.  In turn they purchase something big with the money for the school like playground equipment or a computer lab, etc..  It's a good cause, but at $15 a wrist band to play carnival games plus food on site that all kids want it can add up quick.  I am not about to spend $75 at the school festival.  When we had one or two kids I could get away with spending about $20 and it was not a big deal.  

So, now we do the local free stuff.  And I don't go looking for extra events like I used to.  For the last few years we have attended our church Fall Festival on a Wednesday night and gone trick-or-treating on Halloween night.  We also usually attend a nearby church festival but last year my kids came home with a bunch of creepy stuff from there, so we skipped that this year.  We will also be attending a Costume Party on Saturday.  

We also ate 50 cent corn dogs from Sonic with fries for a quick on the go dinner... topped off with way too much candy and soda, of course.  This is not a night for being healthy!  

You may look at all the costumes and wonder how on earth we can buy all those costumes and call it frugal.  Well, I am glad you asked!  I don't think I spent over $10 on the whole lot.  

• First of all, Savannah is the Renaissance Princess and I had that costume.  It is an adult medium that I wore several years back.  It has five safety pins in it to bring it down to a girls size 14.  I had scrap fabric and quickly made her headband for free.  Total cost:  $0
• Sierra is a butterfly.  Most of the costumes you see here are from a local children's resale shop that is going out of business.  The prices are already low like 5.99-7.99 and take off 75% and you are down to $1-$1.50 per costume!!  The thing is you don't always get all the pieces when you buy resale, so then the details have to be added.  This one was missing wings.  We headed over to Goodwill and got wings for 49 cents which I took home and tore all apart since they were pink and rather old.  I basically bought them for the wire structure.  I wrapped the wire in orange satin ribbon (I would have splurged on a can of spray paint had I realized this need to be done, but I was not packing five kids back in the car to go to Wal-Mart.  No way!) and... oops!  I forgot... I also bought a yellow Princess skirt at Goodwill for 99 cents for the fabric.  I cut it up and used the fine tulle to wrap and glue, and wrap and glue, and wrap and glue on the wing structure.  It was time consuming, so this was my biggest "investment" on all these costumes, but she was so happy with her wings so it was worth it.
• Caden is the White Ninja which is a G.I. Joe Storm Shadow costume that we got in NEW packaging at the same resale shop.  When we got home we realized it was missing the white mask.  Yippee.... :(   ... but I had white t-shirt fabric that was perfect for making one and it took just a few minutes.  He kind of panicked when I put it on his head to size it and acted like he could not breath in a most dramatic way, but we talked, he got over it, and we moved on.  That thing has been on his face for the last three days.  Seriously, I have overly dramatic children.  
• Sahara wanted to be a Princess... as every little girl her age does.  And she would have been content with anything as long as it looked "pretty".  The resale shop had this little Thumbelina costume which I am sure was missing a lot of pieces, but she did not care.  Again, we went to Goodwill and picked up wings for 49 cents and it was done.  This was the easiest costume.  She is the most craZy child sometimes, but she is the easiest to shop for because she is content with what she gets... as long as she gets something.  If she does not get something then, she is all drama about how she never gets anything... which is sooo not true.  
• Sienna is the little fishy.  The pictures do not do this costume justice.  It is so sparkly and cute.  She, of course, would rather be naked!  This was also from the resale shop.  I think I got it for about 75 cents.  It has the cutest little fine popping up off the back and and legging that have tulle fins down the back.  So stinkin' cute!  
• I also picked up an afro wig and black straight hair girl wig just for fun at the resale shop because they were under $1 each and brand new in the packages.  We hit the jackpot there!!!

And you may wonder what I would have done if I had not hit this bargain sale..... Well, I would have found another bargain.  I always do.  Sometimes we splurge and spend more, but I always find some great bargains.  And that is how it is done.  
 

Simple Sewing for Modesty: Part 2

You can read about Part 1 of this series and an explanation here.

I will try to keep these posts short, but do more of them.  The type of modification I will be discussing in this post is simple and frugal.  I think Savannah's outfit cost under $5.  The skirt was worth spending a few bucks on, but I usually do pick up skirts to modify for under a dollar.  I think this one cost me $3.99, though.  It has been well worth it. 

My biggest light bulb moment came when I realized that I could find long skirts in ladies sizes much easier than you can in the children's department.  The problem, of course, is that the waist is too big since Savannah is thin.  And sometimes they are too long.  This time it was not, so I will focus on this outfit this time and discuss the "too long skirt" in a future posting.  Back to this one.  Being that the skirt is corduroy it was made with a fitted waste and a zipper in the back.  We both liked the fitted look, so there were a couple of options here.  One was that I could turn in wrong side out and take up the side seams.  That would work, but it was not what we decided on.  Instead I had her try the skirt on right side out like normal.  I then used my fingers to pleat the waste and pin it in place in two spots along the front.  After surveying the results in the mirror I asked Savannah what she thought and she liked it, so I simply hand stitched the pleats in using a hidden sewing technique.  I could have just place it on the maching and topstitched it and that would have done well.  It is a matter of preference really. 

The shirt looks innocent enough..... that is... NOW.  I loved the color and print of this shirt and the fabric is an easy care stretchy polyester and lycra blend, but the neckline before was split to below the breasts.  Yes, wide open!  This was a ladies extra small shirt and it was clearly made to show all the cleavage a person was willing to show.  I knew I could.... and WOULD fix that!  Ha!  I did decide to leave a small split at the top, but not enough to show a thing!  I once again used the same method of sewing with a hidden stitch that I used on the skirt pleats by handstitching.  I encourage you to look close at an outfit to see if it is something you could like if you were to modify it. 

Just this past Sunday morning when I was getting ready for church I had to take my own shirt up two inches in the back of the neck to keep it from showing my bra straps.  I will do a post on that during this series.  We are living in an age where you need to learn some simple sewing techniques or your options for clothing will be slim to none. 

{NOTE:  There will be about six postings... or more in this series, but there will be other posts.  If you see other posts that does not mean the post series is over.  I will state in the last post that it is the final post in the series.}

Simple Sewing for Modesty: Part 1

Modesty... such a strange word in our culture today.  Gone are the days when most people even care.  The less you are wearing the better seems to be the thinking of today.  Why is modesty so close to my heart?  Because it is an area that I have had to "deal with" in my life.  I was raised to be pure in some ways, but it was very contradictory.  As my parents were preaching at me to stay "pure" they were also encouraging impure behaviours.

Let me stop right here and define "pure" for the purposes of the above paragraph.  What that meant to my parents was not to take part in the "s" word.  Cuddling with your boyfriend on the couch... allowed.  Kissing your boyfriend.... allowed.  Having a boyfriend.... allowed.  Looking a bit promiscuous for the boys... allowed.  Dressing in a way that showed off the body... allowed.  In fact, I can remember many times being told I should "flaunt it while you've got it", insinuating that that thin body would not be something I would have forever so I should put it on display.  While that may be a true statement in that that scrawny little body I used to have would one day be a thing of the past I can assure you it was of NO benefit to my well being to put it on display for all to see.  I don't want my girl to live with the damage that immodesty causes.  For this reason I have increased my sewing, although I am mostly making adjustments to items that I purchase retail or resale. 

Reality check... my preteen is probably note going to want to wear just things I sew for her forever.  Also, she needs some fashion freedom to display her own personality.  My oldest little girl will be a teenager in less than a year.  I am holding on to her innocence and preserving it as long as I can, but at the same time I know I have to find a balance.  When she goes to church and is around her friends there (who mostly attend public school) I don't want her to feel like an outcast.  This is not such an issue with her homeschool friends.  And I want to say here that this is not a moment that I am casting judgement on public schoolers.  This is just a fact.  Those kids are living a life that is about competing to fit in.  In that world you do not want to be the outcast. 

One thing that I have found that can make the wardrobe options go a little further is to buy a few "muscle shirts" (AKA tank tops).  Every year you can pick up a few of these for $1 a piece on clearance. 

They also sell them in a 3-pack online.  The ones I get on clearance sometimes have a graphic on them or they are solid.  I am not picky about it because they are going to be covered anyway.  I just make sure they do not have anything on them that goes against our standards.  Event though I purchase these for modesty, guess what?  They are not modest as they come.  I take up FOUR WHOLE INCHES in the shoulders.  If I did not they would plunge way too low in the front and in the armpits.  Notice the ones that are made like the picture above have a high back.  If they are made that way you have to make the modification in to the front portion of the straps.  If you are uncertain of how to do this you can experiment of just make sure you purchase shirts with a scoop back. 

These can used to make a trendy shirt modest.  An example is the butterfly style shirt my daughter recently got for Christmas.  It was perfectly her!  It was zebra print.... her favorite animal.  It was purple... her favorite color.  It was sequined... because most girls like some sparkle.  And it was a butterfly style shirt... that she loves, but that can sometimes be hard to find in modest styles (many are see-through or very gappy under the arms). 

Three of my girls loving on the neighbor's PUPPY.

(Yep, that is likely to get more attention than my blog topic... HUGE puppy!)

The main point of the tank underneath is that when the girls lift their arms or bend over the tank underneath protects them from others seeing their bodies.  Another alternative is to wear a long sleeve tee or turtleneck underneath.  Savannah has worn this shirt several ways and all work well. 

I will continue this series with different topics.  I want to keep it kind of short, so I don't burn anyone out in one huge post. 

My Old Fashioned Maw Maw: Sunbonnets

In the interest of time I am borrowing this internet snapshot because upon doing a quick search this looks the most like the ones my grandmother used to make.  So, for the record the Sunbonnet pictured is NOT my own picture.  This is the style when laying flat.  And here is the one my Maw Maw made with her very own hands:

Savannah (11)

Sierra (8)

 

As I wrote the post about my grandmother the other day I began to think about her sunbonnets.  The one pictured here is the one that she gave Savannah for a birthday gift one year.  We treasure it.  We had another that she gave us when Savannah was born, but I can not seem to find it.  It was my favorite because it was all white, but made from a calico fabric with a faint print.  The one pictured has been worn by several of my girls and it is very versatile.  That one will fit on the baby and the eleven year old.  How smart is that?!  And that is the way things of old were.  Versatile... useful... simple.... lovely. 

As I stood at the washing machine yesterday that little bonnet was laying nearby and I picked it up and ran my hands over it.  I kept thinking, "I wish I had Maw Maw's old pattern."  For whatever reason I kept moving things around and the little bonnet was back in my hands over and over again.  Eventually, I thought, "I could make a pattern off of it, if I take the time."  And that is what I did this morning.  I started at breakfast time carefully marking out the pieces and then, I began writing out step by step instructions and thinking out the whole process.  By noon I had it done.  Of course, I am not busy at all with everyday life... LOL... so things take me longer than the average person might.  So, I am happy to now have a pattern off of my Maw Maw's sunbonnet with detail instructions that my own children can one day use. 

And as I sit her now I am reflecting on her love for Sunbonnet girls....

I've seen her make things like this.  In fact, I have seen her make whole quilts like this with each block of the quilt being a different scene.  I can hardly imagine the HOURS that went into one quilt like that... Or even the hours that went into one square for the quilt.

I remember large quilts with these little girles all over, also.  Oh how she loved her sunbonnet girls.  I am guessing they reminded her of her own children or of the child she once was. 

{This post was actually typed on May 16th and scheduled to post.}

Pondering My Very Old Fashioned Maw Maw

My grandmother and my cousin 30 years ago

I was hesitant to use this picture since the people in it do not know I blog, but this is such a great picture of my Maw Maw.  Sorry, I cropped out my uncle, but only because I am not sure he would want his pic on the internet or on my blog.  I do love him, too.  So, look at my Maw Maw.  Do you have a Maw Maw?  I doubt many of you do.  It is so rare to have such an old fashioned woman in your lives.  Ladies today want to be called by anything other than a grandmotherly term.  And the very thought of wearing all handmade clothing like she is wearing would send a modern grandmother running for the nearest department store or mall.  She is missing her prairie bonnet in this picture.  She would often be found wearing hers in her garden or while she was chopping wood for her wood burning stove.  Yes, I said WOOD BURNING stove and yes, up until a few years ago she lived on her own and cooked her meals on that stove.  She did have an electric "hot plate" that she used some since she was alone (a hot plate is like a two burner ministovetop).  And those bonnets... well, they helped to put dinner on her table.  She has been a widow since I was four, so I guess that would be about 36 years.  Selling bonnets, homemade stuff animals and dolls, and quilts were her way to make some money to go along with what she got from Social Security each month.  The last I heard her Social Security payment was about $400 a month.  Amazingly, she had everything she needed.  She minded her money well and stretched it further than anyone I have ever known.  There was no waste or none that I was aware of.  I can not imagine there is room in the budget to waste much more than a penny with that sort of income.  She She is in her 80s.  And yes, up until a few years ago she gardened and quilted.  She canned and cooked everything from scratch.  And she had chickens.  She loved her chickens...and I always thought she was crazy for that until last year when we started raising chickens.  I wish I had understood her wisdom.  She was "simple", yet there is so much wisdom in simplicity.  She raised eight children and I do mean raised, because I think "reared" is just too pretty of a word.  I am certain her life was messy and hard, especially since her husband suffered from some psychological issues, as well.  I know there was a period time he was out of the home due to it.  Life was different then, also.  She married when she was a mere thirteen years old.  I can not even wrap my mind around that sort of thing.  Today it would be illegal for sure.  She birthed her first child that same year.  She was merely a child herself giving birth and the doctor that her husband brought to her broke the baby's neck, so her first baby was stillborn.  She went on to lose two more over the years for other reasons.  She was married to a harsh man that was harsh to their children.  I can not imagine how hard it must have been to raise her children and the loneliness that can be overwhelming in those situations.  You could always find her Bible lying next to her chair in her home and words like "fool" and "butt" were considered profane. 

I miss the days of seeing her moving around and living life, but she is living and we are able to go see her and talk to her.  I just had to ponder today how many people have had the experience of a truly old fashioned Maw Maw like I did.  I was not super close to her since I shared her with something like forty grandchildren... or more.  I never could keep count of all the cousins I had.   Anyway, there were some of the cousins that had broken homes and now I realize they needed her and she was closer to them because of it.  I guessed I realize that after my oldest child was born and saw the interest she had in my child.  She had not come to see me on my birthday as a child that I could recall, but she came to Savannah's.  It was then that I realized I had misunderstood her for all those years.  She loved Savannah simply because she was mine and she loved be simply because I was my daddy's.  She could be gruff at times, bit in hindsight I remember her as soft spoken, yet firm.... very firm.  If she said, "Get out of that garden.", you knew you better listen.  And if you did not listen you might find her having to "take care of you".  Literally!  Because if you got peppers in your eyes, she really would have to "take care of you"... with her remedies like pouring milk in your eyes.  Yes, I was one of those kids that tested her to see what she would do if I did not listen.  ;)  I learned that she was telling me to save me from a bigger problem... and that I should have listened. 

I wish I could go back in time and learn to quilt by her side or watch her embroidery.  I wish I knew how she pieced each tiny scrap of fabric together to create a beautiful quilt.  I wish I had HER bonnet pattern.  I was the lucky recipient of her fabric stash, although I am not sure what I will ever do with it all.  I do have her gift, though.   I have the gift of being able to see something and do it.  I don't understand how I know sometimes because I know some people look at an item and are puzzled by the very thought of how they might create the item.  I feel that way about motors, so I understand that it is possible for someone to feel that way about fabric, building, crafting.  Anyway, today I am just pondering my grandmother....

And I have always said, "That stepping in her house was like stepping back in time."

Easy Spring Sewing

[THIS IS NOT MY PHOTO. I DID NOT MAKE THIS DRESS. ALL CREDIT FOR THIS DRESS GOES TO THE SELLER @ www.lainaline.com . ]

Summer Sundress Idea: The quickest and easiest sundress idea I have for girls is to make a pillowcase dress. Remember it does not have to be a pillowcase... Simply buy a yard (or little more) of a fabric, sew up one side, hem the bottom, cut out a half "U" shape for each armhole and use seam binding (bought or homemade) to finish out the armholes, then fold the two top pieces (a front and a back) down to form two seperate casings. Run ribbon or fabric through and tie at the shoulders and you have a sundress. I actually make these so that they will slip over the head without untying and make a stitch or two to hold the ties permanently tied. These can be made for a variety of ages and I have seen children wear a shirt under for extra modesty and it is cute that way. These also "grow" with your child. What can be a dress for a two year old will fit an eight year old as a shirt. Imagine the family that wants to be all matchy... Hmmm... I know some of you! I do that too as often as I can and this is a quick way to make the kiddos match. Brother can wear a coordinating shirt to blend with the girlies. ;) And on a side note, I want to say that matching your kids clothing is a great way to "bond" them to one another. My kids just get the giggles about be all "matchy" and they love it.

Don't forget how easy a Bandana Skirt is to make, also.

Follow this link from last year:

http://littlethingstx.blogspot.com/2009/07/fun-pics.html

to make this and see the other's that coordinated with it, as well as, the shorts for my boy.

We were just playing in the kitchen...

trying on the skirts and not gettin all fancied up...

just a quick snapshot.

Fun Pics!

Just a couple pics to show their bandana clothes we made together. You can't really see Caden's or Sahara's in the "concert" pic. I added these to give you a glimpse. I always have to take an idea and change it up and make it my own... translation = complicate it. ;)

This is my birthday performance. What a wild "group" they were singing for my special concert! They're all wearing their bandanas we made for them. Sahara's is a dress (2). Savannah's is a long skirt (2). Sierra's is a knee-length skirt (1). Caden's is shorts (2) and a guitar strap (scraps). Look at Caden rockin' out at two years old! Not quite sure where they learn that stuff.

(X) shows the number of bandanas used.

Sierra and Sahara taking a bath together. Sahara was loving her big sissy's face... slapping it, poking her eyelashes and eyes, gigglung uncontrollably! So sweet and funny!!!

Pics from yesterday...

Firecraker #1 and Firecrcker #2 baking rolls... trying on their bandana skirts... Miss Modesty wanted hers ankle length. I hope she will always be so modest ;) When I get all the outfits done, I'll post that. The girls helped sew theirs, so it has been a slow project to get completed!

Little Firecracker shining her RAZOR teeth.... Those chompers are cute, but the worst thing ever for nursing.... I am daily consider if we can go on... They are all different and she is not biting me, but has always had a tight latch-on. Yowweeeeee!

Ready to eat... Simple fixings... I told the girls they could have made this meal all by themselves.... I have to learn to LET them!

Boy Firecracker is just too beautiful for words.... look at those fluffy cheeks, full lips, and long eyelashes.... Dreamy!! I tell everyone he is the "Man of My Dreams"! He is gonna have one lucky wife with all his handsomeness! (..coming from a partial momma)

Little Firecracker can Patty-Cake! Yeah, we still think she is pure genius... even with all her delays... At 11 months she still can't crawl or sit herself up.... well, she did sit up a couple times without realizing it, but it is just easier to whine and one of us do it for her... so, spoiled rotten... She scoots around in circles on her booty.

My "twin" firecrackers were born years apart... one male and one female, but they look so much alike. They are wrestling in the bounce house.

These two were enjoying the balls, but Sahara was scared to be alone. She only smiled if her Sissy was near. Safety in numbers, ya know.

Savannah liked the bowling, but Brother Firecracker was busy destroying any chance she had to bowl... He was kicking them down... That's one way to do it!

I do exist... here's a pic to prove it! A rare moment when I am in a photo. Sierra stuck some "bunny ears" on Sahara! Cute moment!

Savannah was excited about the bounce house! She asked me why her mouth is opened in this pic.... I told her she as very excited, obviously.

Wow! Another pic I am in! What's going on! Daddy stepped behind the camera for a change for a group shot... Yippppppeeee!

Taking a short ride down the rode to set off some fireworks.... Sahara had already had her fill, but she was hanging in there a little longer! Caden was anxious to see where we were going.

"I love these type of pics... They are watching Daddy light the fireworks, while I observe my "little doorsteps"... .they grow up too fast.... and check out my little guys bronze body!

I must tell you we all feel like we are "hung over" today... and no, we only had tea and Kool-Aid... We are just tired... exhausted really, but it was a fun night!

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!!!

Sew Cute Apron

Isn't this cute! I found it on Betz White. Thought I would share this cute idea!

Sharing Your Gifts With Others -- Follow-up

Callie and I were discussing reasons why we "do things the way we do in sewing" as we pinned some pieces together. I like shortcuts and I love to share my shortcuts. And I truly can not stand pics of myself... at home I go for simple and natural, so no glam here!
One day I hope I take photos of my teenagers hands doing this very thing! I think this is so beautiful! From tiny little baby fingers with no coordination to teenage hands fully able. Yeah, it is Mother's Day in a couple of days... I am sentinmental!!

My "student" in full concentration. Shhhh! She doesn't know it yet, but she is a natural at this stuff. She won't need me long!Callie modeling the finished product back at her home. She was so kind to email me this pic and and thank you note. Thanks Callie for letting me "teach" you!
Go check out Callie's website at http://www.creationsbycallie.com/ .

Sharing Your Gifts With Others

I am so excited! I got to get my sewing fix today. I have to say that sharing your talents with others is so joyful!! I have never made one of the bandana skirts that I shared in this post and Michelle has started making , but today I got a chance to teach Callie to make one!! And you may be thinking, "How can you teach something you have never done before?" Well, that is how easy this project is! Callie did it all with just my guidance. By the way, Callie is the oldest (14) of five homeschool children that we are so blessed to have met almost two years ago.

And isn't that a metaphor for what it is like to homeschool?! An epiphany!!!

**I'll post a photo update later. Callie is plannig to wear the skirt over next week.

Recycling DRAWERS

I can't say I am LOL because my eyes are buggin' wide open on this one!! :0

I am pretty cheap and I really do like to re-purpose things, but I have to tell you it is really more about the fabric for me.

You have GOT to go read THIS POST. And when I say "recycling DRAWERS" this is not a reference to furniture. This honestly shows CREATIVITY, if nothing else. :0 Uh-hem... if you decide to try this re-do yourself ... uh... let me know... uh... I just want to know....

Refashion: Added "Detail"

And about the refashion yesterday... I forgot to note that the strap I used around the neck was the elastic edging I cut off at the top off the original piece. It had a serged edge, so I ran it through my serger again to "catch" the raw edge I had from cutting it off. You could use a zig-zag or cut the excess fabric completely off... depends upon your item. I cut it the length I needed and sewed it on. Because it is stretchy it will stretch over the head and nothing extra (i.e. buttons, snaps, ties) is needed.

It's Raining, It's Pouring .... Refashioned Dress?!

It's Raining.

It's Pouring.

I'm finally sewing!

Well, it is just a quick "refashion" that I promised Sierra about a month ago. We were at a yard sale and a held up this Trendy Junior' Tank Top and I saw a sundress!! I held it up to Sierra and knew it would be the right size. I asked how much it was and the lady said it was 25 cents!! Well, that sealed the deal.. even if I never got to it.

Originally, I thought I would use it just like it is and just take it up a bit in the back to fit around Sierra's chest. The only addition would be a strap around the need in a solid fabric/ribbon. I have to say I just don't like that straight across the chest look too much on my kids and the more I thought about it I knew that I would be "bothered" by it when I would see it on her. So I decided to give it a little shape around the bodice. Nothing fancy.... just quick and easy (see last pic).

So, this is how it turned out and Sierra loves it and says it is "beautifulish"! I have not sewn for her like I have for Savannah, so she really gets excited to get something... umm, and Savannah is a bit jealous, I think. So, guess what I will be doing next!!? Savannah does understand, but you can still tell she wants something, too.

The chopsticks in her hair were to get her hair out of the way for try-ons, but she thinks she is Chinese when they are in her hair. Even strangers have said that she looks like a little China doll (especially as a baby), so it is very fitting for her to have chopsticks in her hair. I find it interesting that some things are the way they are .... oddly... Her favorite animal has always been a Panda and she is drawn to Chinese types of things and even speaks Chinese some thanks to Chik-Fil-A and cartoons on TV.
So, you see I just serged the edge and folded it down to where I wanted... Nothing perfect. When I sew for my kids we sew for it to work and get through with sturdy seaming, but as long as it looks good on the outside I don't care too much about the details inside. When I sew to sell I do all that details stuff... even used to add my own hang tag. Anyway, I think using topstiching is my secret to no one knowing all that when my kids wear it. I can't say enough about how much simple topstitching adds to the quality of clothing.