harry potter cross stitch (part 2)

You might remember my last post about my Harry Potter cross stitch project (find it here). 

I have since finished and am happy to share them here with you. 

All finished and framed and hanging in my studio where I lovingly admire them each time I walk by.

Things I learned while finishing this project:

-cross stitch takes a long time

-I love Harry Potter way more than I should

-cross stitch takes a reeeeaaallly long time

Totally worth it though.

(These patterns are from weelittlestitches on etsy. I highly recommend this shop - they have great customer service and the cutest little patterns.)

I am ready to tackle another big project, but I am thinking embroidery this time. I am having a hard time picking a pattern and then I have to think about colors and fabric and then I get overwhelmed with all the decision making and end up in front of the tv with Gilmore Girls. Which is where I am now.

family pic saturday: talking to grandma

I don't know how many of you know this, but my husband is from Brazil. All of his family is still down there, which means we have to get creative when it comes to building family relationships. 

Almost every night we have dinner with grandma, who is 5,000 miles away. Thanks to the wonder of the internet, they get to sing songs, make silly faces, and visit. We also talk to grandpa, Anderson's brother and sister-in-law, Sawyer's cousins, and other relatives who happen to be visiting. 

The internet can be a bad thing, but it can also be such a wonderful thing, another invention to be thankful for.

january giveaway winner!

A big "Congratulations" is in order to Kristin:

(I imagine that is what she will say when she sees this.)

She is the lucky winner of the fabulous clutch! Kristin, I will be contacting you about your prize, so keep an eye out for an email. 

Thank you, a million thank yous, to all of you who entered and read my blog. It means so much to me to have you here.

five things friday: instagrams

1. Tiny deer found at an antique mall. 

2. Sneak peek at my new (old) kitchen table. 

3. Sawyer turning books into tunnels. 

4. The happiest sight in the world - a sleeping toddler. 

5. Pretty embroidery thread.

I am taking a shortcut for this week's five things friday, sharing five of my instagram photos (in a cute way, of course!)If you'd like to follow me on instagram, my handle is allisonmaestri.

I have a busy weekend ahead with way too much to do so I am keeping it short. We have company coming over, so I have to do the crazy clean thing because I am a freak and I like to try to pretend I have it all together. right...

Have a great weekend everyone!

pinned it, did it 4: lace phone case

pin here

source here: Stylelist Home

I don't know if I love this one or not? I love the look of lace and I love the coral color (although I am not sure it is reading coral in the pictures), but the fact that it is not an absolutely perfectly defined lace pattern gets to me a little.

 You can see below that there is not too much definition in the pattern. Maybe I used too much or too little spray paint or maybe the lace I used was too delicate.

 Since I just made this on Monday, I can't yet vouch for the durability either. I think before I put it on my phone to use I am going to spray it with a sealer. 

Pinned it, did it week for was mostly a success. As I keep coming back to these pictures I am liking it more and more. I also pick it up and examine it every time I walk by it. You know, to inspect the undefined lace pattern.

linking:

valentine bookmarks

You guys have probably figured out by now that I have a bit of an obsession with bookmarks. I have made them with buttons, bows, wood, and paint chips. Now you can add valentines to the list.

Head on over to 30 days to check out my stitched heart bookmarks tutorial. And see those cute cards that they are attached to? The super talented Mique of 30 days designed them just for this project! 

I am so excited about this one! Check out the post here. 

cross stitch ombre hearts

As I watch Valentine's Day decor posts pop up all over the blog world, I am once again reminded of how lame my holiday decorating is. I'm not exaggerating what I say I do not own one Valentine's decoration. Until now. 

I made these pretty heart cross stitch pieces over the weekend. The idea popped into my head one day at work, so I jotted it down and then made more detailed notes about it later when I got home. You are about to get a peek into the genius that is my design process.

Amazed? No? Okay. Moving along...

This little drawing sat on my desk for a week or two until I finally got stitching. 

I really love the simplicity and the gradient color. It is so satisfying when a project that you have in your head comes out beautifully. 

In case you are interested, here are the DMC thread colors I used: 

pink - 3804, 3805, 3806, 604

purple - 208, 209, 210, 211

Please feel free to use my "pattern" above for personal use. If you do get time to whip one of these up, please let me know! I would love to see. 

 

I think my Valentine's decor is complete. Seriously.

linking:

family pic saturday: sickies

We have all taken our turns with a cold this week. Sawyer started it last Saturday, Anderson had it by Tuesday, and I caught it on Thursday. Being sick is never fun, but the upside is that this little boy turns a whole lot cuddlier when he doesn't feel good. He snuggled into my side as close as possible and held my hand as we watched cartoons. 

There's always a bright side, isn't there?

five things friday: favorite tv shows

I love TV. Is that a sad admission? Maybe. But I think I do enough in life that I can say "I love TV" and not seem like a total loser.

It was really easy for me to come up with my five favorite TV shows of all time. I thought of it this way: if I only got to have 5 TV series to watch for the rest of my life, what would make the cut? I've got adorkable comedy, I've got geek comedy, I've got reality TV, I've got sarcastic girl comedy, and I've got a drama that will make you think. Honorable mentions: Home Improvement, Mad Men, The Office, and probably a few others that I will be sad I didn't add to the list.

Making this little list made me want to watch Gilmore Girls with my sister. Maybe I'll get out my old seasons and relive all the sarcastic and quick-witted goodness. 

I really wanna know - what are your favorite TV shows? The ones that would make the desert island cut? Of course it is a given that your desert island would have electricity and a television, in which case, send me now! 

pinned it, did it 3: knit washcloths

 pin here

source here: ravelry

These knit washcloths were quick and so easy to make. They are perfect for a beginner, but also a good stash and time buster for any level of knitter. 

 Can I just say how good it feels to just make stuff? Not write a tutorial, not stop every step to take a picture, not spend hours editing pictures and writing a post. Don't get me wrong - there is a certain kind of satisfaction and enjoyment in writing your own tutorials and writing a blog. Maybe so much so that I have forgotten that there is also joy in just making stuff. In the words of Martha, it's a good thing.
 
Last week I mentioned announcing a Pinned It, Did It link party. I am going to put it off a week or so longer. It's coming, I promise. I am just trying to build the anticipation.

yeah, that's what I am doing.

link love 3

hello friends!

Hope you are all having a great week! I'll just go ahead and say that I am having one of those weeks. Sick baby, very little sleep thanks to 2 am tornado sirens, busy at work, lots to do around the house, a couple of deadlines I have to meet, and all I want to do is eat candy and watch tv. Really, it's a major accomplishment just to function throughout the day.

I don't like to be all whiny, but I just want to let you all know I get it. If you feel like you are about to drop dead of exhaustion and stress and whatever else ails you, I am right there with you sister. Can I interest you in a Snickers bar and an episode of Glee?

Back to what this post is supposed to be about... link love.

I am totally loving Lucky Jackson's project 365 Lucky Days. She is creating a new original piece of embroidery work every day for a year. Seriously guys. These are amazing.

Source: 365luckydays.blogspot.com via Allison on Pinterest

I am also keeping an eye on her shop because I just have to have one of these little works of art. 

This article from New Scientist about why we have this urge to diy. I found this read via Young House Love, another favorite blog of mine(and probably everyone else's).

I think I'll leave it at that. Happy Wednesday!

january follower giveaway

 Sometimes you run across something you just have to have. This happened to me this week. Wanna see what I got?

It is the most perfect little clutch/wallet. It holds my credit cards, phone, coupons, and one of those plastic flip book things that I keep frequent customer cards and gift cards in. I don't usually carry a purse, so this is perfect to slip on my wrist and go. You know what makes it even better? The material is plastic-y so I can wipe it down. eek! I love it!

You know what makes this post something worth reading and not just a "look what I got" post? I got one to giveaway to one of my fantastic followers. I know it's not my usual crafty giveaway, but it is lovely and my blog name is little lovelies, so it qualifies. 

Here's how it works:

Mandatory entry: Be a follower of little lovelies and leave me a comment telling me so.

Optional entry 1: Follow me on twitter and leave a comment telling me so. 

Optional entry 2: Follow little lovelies on facebook and leave a comment telling me so. 

Giveaway ends on January 27, 2012 at 10:00pm CST. Open to anyone - that means you international readers are free to enter! Please make sure you leave your email address in your comment(s) or have it linked to your profile.

The winner will be chosen via random.org and announced here on the blog on January 28th. 

 Giveaway now closed.

Thanks for being the greatest followers around. 

good luck!

tutorial: easy banner cards

Remember these banner cards I made? Well, I suppose I have a thing for banner cards. They're just so darn festive. It's like a party in an envelope! (aaand...just by saying that I think I have proven my lame partying skills.)

 

They are really easy to make (I promise!) and require minimal supplies. 

You first want to make your triangle "templates." I used a few different sizes, but you could certainly make yours all the same size. To make the flags for the banner, fold a piece of paper and trace your banners on, with the fold on the paper making the top part of the triangle. Yikes. I have a way of making something simple sound really complicated. Read on and you will see what I mean. 

See, once you cut your banner shape out, you have triangles that fold onto themselves. To make the banner, just put a dot of glue on the inside and fold them over a length of string. 

Insert a couple of brads into the card to act as "nails", tie on your tiny little banner, and you are done. 

If you want to make the card occasion specific, just stamp a sentiment on the inside. 

Told you it was easy, despite my wordy explanation.  What can I say? It's Monday, which means free pass day. You can blame all of your shortcomings on it simply being a Monday, which might actually make it the best day of the week. 

Have a great week everyone!

family pic staurday: haircut

I finally took Sawyer to get his hair cut. I figured when other kids started calling him "she" it was time. I have no emotional attachment to him having longer hair - I just put it off because he hates it so much and I am embarrassed by his fits. 

The children's salon I found was so much fun. He sat in a train, had a toy train in his hand, and watched trains on tv while she cut away. She was quick and efficient and Sawyer even let her use the trimmers around his ears. We were in and out in 15 minutes and oh my goodness why did I wait so long? I would even go so far as to say he enjoyed it.

Maybe because I bribed him with a cupcake?

five things friday: cross stitch patterns

(clockwise from top left)

1. peacock feather by andwabisabi

2. three arrows by Sewingseed

3. polka dot fawn by pickleladyfarm

4. red flower by andwabisabi

5. gnome by Sewingseed

All of these pretty pattens can be found on etsy. Click the links to go to the pattern. Which one is your favorite?