little lovelies

family pic saturday (on a sunday)

2012-02-26T21:00:00.000-06:00

I know this family pic is a day late, almost two, but let me explain. We have had a rough weekend. I mean rough. This kid:

whew... 

As cute as he is, this weekend he sure has tested every last bit of patience and self-control we have. He is teething - all four molars at once, I think. That means almost constant whining, fussing, crying, fits, breakdowns, and tears. I feel for the little guy, and I wish I could make the pain stop. So, this picture is to remember the good times, just four short days ago, before all this started. Before my baby lost his mind and decided to try to make us lose ours. So, I'm chanting in my head: It's just one of those phases. This has happened before. We will get through it. Breathe. 

Despite Mr. Birth Control up there, I did manage to get a project completed this weekend during nap time. Blessed nap time. Watch for that this week. Hope you all had a less tear filled weekend, and I hope you have a great week!

five things friday: pretty fonts

2012-02-24T19:24:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday! I am so happy to see another work week down. I think I say that a lot, but I feel like every Friday is a small victory. 

I am such a weirdo, but I have to tell you this despite the major dork alert. Every Friday, as I walk out of the office in the afternoon, and I feel that first breath of fresh air hit me as I open the doors to face two whole days off, I feel like I should be in a sitcom opening theme. Bouncy, triumphant, full of hope and ready to take on the world. I basically see myself as Mary Tyler Moore in the opening credits - HA! (If you aren't familiar with the Mary Tyler Moore opening credit theme, watch it and picture me throwing my hat up at the end. That's what I feel like. Because when you throw your hat up in the air in the middle of the street you are ALIVE.)

Onto less weird things...

I am thinking about a blog redesign, so I am checking out some new colors, fonts, and design elements. I am really loving girly script fonts right now. (All of these were found on dafont.com.)  

I'm off to enjoy my Friday night, cross stitching of course. Livin it up. Hope you all have a great weekend! 

pinned it, did it 7: matchbook needle cases

2012-02-23T15:41:00.000-06:00

pin here

source here: Make it Do

I made a few of these cute needle cases after seeing them on Pinterest. These were easy and quick to make and the tutorial at Make it Do was simple and clear. 

I thought they would be perfect for keeping a couple of embroidery needles stashed here and there. I am a traveling stitcher, so it will be handy to have one of these tucked in my bedside table or in the junk drawer. Just in case you were wondering (and I know you are), my current favorite room of choice to stitch in is our kitchen dining area. It is my favorite peaceful moment of the day when I get home from work, turn on Mad Men on the iPad, and stitch away at our sunny kitchen table while Sawyer naps. 

Can you think of any other uses for these? I thought it might be handy to keep a few safety pins on in my wallet. Maybe make a little sewing kit for travel?   

what i've been up to

2012-02-22T06:30:00.000-06:00

Thank you all for your sweet comments yesterday on my one year blogging post. You all have made me feel so loved and appreciated. 

I have not been posting much the past week. No real reason... just taking a break and enjoying some time for me. So, of course I got sick again. My third illness of the winter. I have had a stomach bug, a cold, and now I have some wonderful combo of cough/head congestion/runny nose. Oh my. 

We are loaded up on sick stuff - tissues, medicine, vitamins, and cough drops. I hate the way all that stuff looks cluttering up the counter, so I threw the cough drops in a couple of jelly jars. They look much cuter this way, don't you think? And can you tell which kind of cough drop I prefer? The candy-like Luden's have been about all I can stomach the past few days. I fell asleep with a Hall's in my mouth Friday night and it was not pleasant to wake up to. After having Hall's goop plastered on the inside of my cheeks and teeth, I just can't stand the taste any more. How's that for a random, why-did-she-even-tell-me-that story? 

Onto (hopefully) more interesting things. 

I've been reading The Night Circus. It is a really imaginative, interesting book, but I am finding it a little slow moving in parts. So far, I like it? I'm not sure yet... You can check out the synopsis on Amazon, since I am not really sure how to explain the storyline. It is making me think and  stretch my imagination, which I am enjoying.

I went fabric shopping with a friend last week. She introduced me to a  fabric shop I had not been to before. As far as quilting fabrics go, it beats JoAnn's by a long shot. I am going to have to try to avoid the place for the sake of my wallet. They have so. much. fabric. It was hard to only pick out a few fat quarters and one other fabric I just had to have:  

It's the new Amy Butler fabric I have been eying. I don't know what I am going to make yet, but I just had to get it to have it in my possession. It makes me wish for spring.

In mail related news, I got a new phone case I ordered a couple weeks ago from Society 6. I do love the feathers and the white background with my white phone. It's such a pretty little thing to look at all day long. 

So, that's about it around here. Coughing, reading, fabric, and a phone case. I also started another cross stitch project and have a couple of craft things I am working on. Nothing too exciting, but it has been a nice week "away". I feel refreshed and ready to get creating. Once I can breath through my nose again I will be unstoppable. 

it's been one year...

2012-02-21T06:30:00.000-06:00

About a year ago, I started this blog. The best things I have done in life have been the most challenging ones, and I can say that this blog has been one of the best things I have done for me. I have grown so much in one short year and done things I never would have done before.

I revamped my craft room.

I learned how to embroider. 

I rekindled my love for cross stitch. 

And of course I created way too many bookmarks. 

There have been so many great things to come from this blog. I have met so many creative, inspiring people. I've learned how to take better pictures. I've started and finished more crafts than any other year of my life. I have learned things about appreciating my own style and that of others. There have been deeper things I have learned too, but I am not sure how to articulate them in writing for all the world to see. It's something I have been thinking about and am going to try to share in the future, but for now I just want to acknowledge this milestone as it is - a whole year of creating and sharing. This little blog has just been such a positive thing, and I am so happy that I hit the publish button a year ago. 

I owe a great big thanks to every one of you reading. You inspire me to keep going and make me feel accepted. Maybe that is a weird or lame admission, but it is good to know that I have crafty kindred spirits out there. Thanks for reading, commenting, and sharing. It has been a great year.

the post where i compare life to embroidery thread

2012-02-16T06:30:00.000-06:00

So, no pinned it, did it project today. I could blame it on the fact that it has been gloomy, therefore bad lighting, therefore no pictures... but that would be a bad excuse considering I haven't even made a project to photograph.

I tried to get myself motivated to make something by organizing some of my supplies - namely, my ever growing stash of embroidery floss.

I didn't get very far, other than piling everything up. Anderson's drill was dead so I couldn't use my self-declared genius method of winding all my thread. I just quit and went back upstairs to curl up in bed and watch tv while I waited for Sawyer to wake up from his nap.  

I like this picture. It's kind of how I feel like my life is right now. Half of it is organized and lined up, half needs a lot of work, but beautiful regardless of the messiness. 

This post is weird, isn't it? I'm just lacking a bit of motivation to do much of anything, I think. I'll get it together sometime. Until then, I think I will enjoy reading a book or two and slowing down. 

I believe when you start seeing the meaning of life in embroidery thread it is time to slow down. 

stitched hand print keepsake

2012-02-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

I am guest posting over at 30 Handmade Days today, sharing a little tutorial on how to make this hand print keepsake embroidery. I would love if you would go check it out!

Happy Valentine's Day!

valentine's day project

2012-02-13T06:30:00.000-06:00

I said last week that I would share some of my Valentine's Day advent I was doing for Anderson. Yes, I realize it is the day before Valentine's so there isn't much of a possibility of you recreating this. Maybe next year? I didn't work on this project with the blog in mind, but I wanted to share it anyway, if for no other reason than to show you some of the ridiculous stuff I got for Anderson. 

 Every day (Feb.1 - Feb. 14) he gets a new envelope attached to this nifty frame I made for our fridge. I clip the card of the day up before I leave for work, and he has a nice surprise when he wakes up. Things like this:

Yes, we play video games together - children's video games. I win like 1,000 cool points. 

Yes, I bought him Twilight cards. He LOVED them. (yeah right.) I thought it was funny anyway. 

I made a very sophisticated card. (I also made these cards that I posted about last week.) 

There have been better, more romantic things in this 14 day line up, I promise. But as a firm believer in not making people gag due to overzealous hubzy-wubzy talk, I will just keep the mushy stuff to myself. 

We don't actually have plans for Valentine's Day, but I am ok with that since one of his surprises last week was me arranging for babysitting and a breakfast/morning movie date. We saw the oh-so-romantic movie Man on a Ledge. We're just awesome like that. 500 more cool points. 

family pic saturday: build-a-bear

2012-02-11T20:37:00.000-06:00

My sister and I took Sawyer to the mall on Friday afternoon with a trip to Build-a-Bear in mind. In the past, he has shown little interest in it and doesn't care too much for stuffed animals. I do this thing where I want him to like stuff that I feel like I am too old for (i.e. making a stuffed animal and dressing it up.) We talked it up the whole way there in the hopes that he would participate...

Good news: he was mostly indifferent to the whole experience but didn't hate it. 

We picked a cat and took him to the girl to get stuffed and get the heart added and all that fun stuff. Sawyer really got into stepping on the pedal which evolved into stomping repeatedly. While she was sewing up the back of the cat, Sawyer introduced the new cat to Thomas, of course. After all, if this toy was coming home with us, it had to know it would always have #2 ranking at best. 

Onto "bathing" his new friend and getting a blurry picture with me. Thomas makes an appearance again in the picture. Remember, cat, you will always be second place. 

Last thing on the extraordinarily long list of things to try to get a 2 year old to participate in - naming. I asked Sawyer "What do you want to name kitty?" "Thomas!" Of. Course. So, Thomas it is. I have been referring to him as Tomcat, which makes me feel more clever than I actually am. 

I overpaid for the thing, Sawyer practiced his duck-face (you know the one all the teenage girls do on facebook), and that was that. Our first Build-a-Bear experience. 

In other weekend news, we have taken care of some financial paperwork (yuck), I made a trip to the tailor to have some jeans hemmed, I photographed and finished a guest post for this week, we watched Lady and the Tramp, ate dinner out, and spent the evening with my sister and brother in law. It was such a busy day, but the very best kind of busy. 

Hope you are having a great weekend!

five things friday: floral fabrics

2012-02-10T06:30:00.000-06:00

I am in a flowery kind of mood these days. I have never been one to resist a feminine floral fabric, and I have several on my wish list right now. 

 Starting at the top left and moving clockwise:

1. Rose Boquet in Gold - Heirloom by Joel Dewberry

2. Visions in Powder - Loulouthi Needlework by Anna Maria Horner

3. Charisma Blush - Lark by Amy Butler

4. Dandelion in Olive - Prince Charming by Tula Pink

5. Flower Fields in Berry - Modern Meadow by Joel Dewberry

 Next week I am going to go to a new-to-me local fabric store with a friend and I look forward to picking up a couple new fabrics. My wallet, however, is dreading it. The one I am really hoping for? That Charisma fabric by Amy Butler. I kind of want to make pillowcases with it and I am hoping Anderson doesn't care. Considering that we have mermaid embroidery hanging in our bathroom, cross stitch work and doilies on the walls of our living room, and an entire room in our basement packed with craft supplies, I think he'll go for it. He is the best. Even better than Handmade Ryan. 

Have you picked up any new fabric lately? Leave a comment/link. I would love to see what fabrics you are working with!

pinned it, did it 6: printed valentines

2012-02-09T06:30:00.000-06:00

This is a two-birds-with-one-stone kind of pinned it, did it post. 

 scrabble gram: pin here / source here: oh happy day 

deer card: pin here / source here: the crafts dept. 

I needed an easy week - I just printed, cut, and I had a couple Valentines ready to use in my 14 days of Valentines project I am doing for Anderson. (I will be sharing some of my Valentine's advent this weekend.)

I love the graphic deer and bee and the blocked colors (found at the crafts dept). If you are looking for a modern, unfussy Valentine, this is it. Cut, fold, and stick in a tiny envelope and you are done. The envelopes are 3x3" ones that I picked up at Archiver's.

Another print, cut, and done "card". This one is from oh happy day. 

Now I could try to impress Anderson and tell him I worked so hard and designed these, but he wouldn't buy it. He knows Photoshop makes me weep in agony so I am pretty sure he would call me out. 

On the whole Photoshop weeping note, how about the news that Picnik is closing? I know this is weeks old news, but I am just now able to talk about it. I am not mad or upset - I am nervous for the sake of my pictures. I have to learn Photoshop now... ugh. If you pay attention to details, you may have noticed that I stopped rounding my corners and I also have started watermarking my photos. While I am still doing color/exposure editing in Picnik, I am slowly weaning myself off of it and learning PS. Learning new photo editing is hard! whine, whine. I believe this is what the cool kids on twitter would call a #firstworldproblem.

What about you? Learning Photoshop? Or have you found other online software that is similar to Picnik? Do share!

liberty cross stitch

2012-02-08T06:30:00.000-06:00

I am so excited to share this cross stitch project with you! Seriously, I don't think I have been this excited about something I have made for a long time. 

Maybe it is kind of bragging to gush about your own project, but I just really love this one. After writing that sentence and thinking about it, I am sure it is bragging, especially considering that I did not even design the pattern. All I did was stitch something that someone else came up with. Regardless, I am pretty proud. 

The pattern is from the book, Liberty Cross Stitch. The whole book is such a modern, fresh take on cross stitch patterns and projects. I mentioned this last week, but I wanted to share again in anticipation of future questions - I found it at Crafter's Choice. I think you have to be a member to buy it. (I have been a member for a little less than a year and I love it.) It is also on Amazon, but it says it won't be available until April 1. So if you don't want to join Crafter's Choice, you can wait a couple of months and pick it up on Amazon. 

 The color combo is just perfect. Coral, deep turquoise, and my favorite shade of green. 

 As for finishing, I actually invested some time covering up the back and making it look pretty. Usually I don't worry about the back of my needlework pieces, but I have to admit that I was a bit sloppy on the back of this one. 

For the backing, I used the same fabric that I used for the background in these pictures, which is why it looks like it is camouflaged in that right picture. I didn't document my backing process, but it involves hot glue so I am sure some people will cringe.I know I will never take it out of the hoop, so using a bit of glue doesn't bother me. If you guys are interested, I can document my process next time I am finishing a piece. Just let me know! Finishing is always a challenge, so I'd be happy to share my made up process. 

I have walked around my house holding this up to various walls trying to figure out where I want it to live. So far, I think I need to redecorate my whole living room so this fits in better. My husband just read that and started crying. 

linking:

gadanke journal review

2012-02-07T06:30:00.000-06:00

I am really excited to introduce a great product to you guys. A few weeks ago, Katie, the creator of Gadanke journals, contacted me to review one of her products. 

Here is a little bit about Gadanke: 

"Document who you are and what you crave and believe. Handmade journaling products at Gadanke are filled with creative writing prompts and tidbits to make you think (and laugh!). These baby books, prayer journals, travel books, and diaries make your writing process more meaningful and fun! Plus they're totally eco-savvy with 100% recycled papers."

I chose the She 1.1 journal in blue shore. It is full of fun writing prompts, pretty details, and gorgeous Italian papers. 

Don't you just love that patterned paper? I would totally wallpaper my living room in that if I could. 

I love the quotes that you can find throughout the journal. The details like the envelope, tag and library card make it fun and easy to personalize. I tucked a few mini pictures in the envelope, and used another page of the patterned paper to add a picture and small caption. 

This is such a great little journal to document yourself. A lot of times we forget to write about ourselves. I am really excited to get writing and documenting my thoughts and feelings about being a wife and working mom. I would love a look back at what my grandma was thinking and going through when she was raising her kids. That's why I love the story behind Gadanke. I'll let Katie tell it in her own words:

---

"A couple of years ago, NPR's StoryCorp was in town. It was also my grandma's 90th birthday. The two of us decided to hop into the recording studio to capture some pieces of her story. I had all sorts of prompts to help her with her story telling. (I was always the listener, the one who asked question after question.) The only problem? My grandma couldn't remember. Too much time had passed. Later, my dad turned to me and said, "Katie, I need you to write down your story." I knew he wished he had his mom's stories. So I started writing.

I started wondering about all of the other women who have stories deep inside of them, and I started thinking about how my tendency to just listen and ask could help put those stories onto paper. Gadanke was born with fabulous writing prompts and recycled papers. I feel so lucky to be living my dream!"

---

I love the thought behind this company! Please go check out Gadanke's great shop. Not only can you buy your favorite journal, but there is also a page where other users have shared their own creations using Gadanke journals. Let's be honest - who doesn't want to read another person's journal? You can check them out here. There are some seriously creative folks who have used these books to document their lives. 

Now that you have all gone to check out the great journals available and snooped around others' writings, are you ready to get one for yourself? Katie has generously offered you guys a 10% off discount using the code LITTLELOVELIES10. It is good from now until Sunday, February 12, 2012 so get to ordering! 

disclaimer: I was not paid for writing this, but I was given a journal to review. All opinions are honest and 100% mine. 

family pic saturday: our weekend in instagrams

2012-02-04T21:47:00.000-06:00

As the weeks go on, I am not getting any better about keeping my real camera with me. Thank goodness for my iphone camera and instagram (my handle is allisonmaestri if you want to find me there.) Here are a few snapshots from our weekend. 

Starting top left, going clockwise. 

1. I got to go shopping alone - new shoes and spring tops. 

2. I painted my nails Friday night, a gorgeous almost black purple color. I love dark nails. 

3. Begging dog. 

4. It's not a trip to Cracker Barrel until you smell every single candle. 

5. Saturday morning out on a date sans Sawyer. It was blissful. 

6. Grandma and Papa bought Sawyer a drum set. uhm, thanks?

7. How we found Sawyer sleeping. Looks like he was sitting up, playing and then passed out. Cute. 

8. Reading about bullet trains. trains, trains, trains...

Hope you all are having a great weekend! I'm off to enjoy the rest of mine! 

five things friday: crafty literature

2012-02-03T06:30:00.000-06:00

I think I have a craft hoarding problem. A few weeks ago I "purged" my craft supplies. A couple of hours and only one box of stuff later, I was done. In my defense it was a big box. But you know what you won't find in that box? A craft book.  

Why? I just cannot part with them. 

So I have a thing for craft books. I can't resist all that fabulous photography and those wonderful ideas and pretty pictures. I don't really buy books any more, except when it comes to those of the crafty kind. I justify it by telling myself I am supporting artists and expanding my personal library and all those fun things that we think up to justify a purchase. 

Of all my lovely crafty literature, I am loving these five craft books/magazines right now.

 I can't get enough of Cross Stitcher and Mollie Makes. It is my favorite Saturday morning of the month when I get to sneak away to Barnes and Noble and buy these pretty UK magazines. At about $12 each, they aren't cheap, but I love them so. 

Stitch by Cath Kidston is such eye candy. I have thumbed through it so many times and admired the colors and the patterns and the techniques. I haven't settled on a project yet, but I am almost convinced to try working with tapestry wool needlework. Add it to my ever growing project queue.  

Who isn't inspired by Martha? This book is huge and full of seasonal and holiday inspired crafts, all perfectly photographed of course. Add about 10 more projects to that to do list... 

Last, but not least is Liberty Cross Stitch. This is my current favorite craft book. If there were ever a craft book full of colors picked just for me, I think this is it. I am working on one of the patterns now, and I can't wait to share it with you. 

So there you have five of my favorites. Talk to me next week and we could have a totally different list. What about you - what are some of your favorite creative books?  

pinned it, did it 5: beaded straight pins

2012-02-02T06:30:00.000-06:00

pin here

source here: no big dill

 I have had this project from no big dill saved for a long time, even before there was pinterest. I just love the idea of personalized straight pins. 

Here is the post for the full tutorial. Basically it is as simple as it looks - straight pins, beads, and glue.  

I followed the tutorial exactly, using E6000 and a dot of super glue to follow that up, and they seem like they will hold up pretty well under normal sewing circumstances. If you were to use these with heavy weight fabrics like denim, I think the beads could be pushed off as you forced the pin into the fabric. For basic, thinner fabrics I think they would work just fine.  

I think they look absolutely perfect on the antique pincushion my sister bought for me. Pretty little things like this make me so happy!

linking:

rip link love wednesday

2012-02-01T06:30:00.000-06:00

So remember how I announced a bit of a blogging schedule? Change numero uno is happening, only one month in. I am just not loving link love Wednesday. If I don't love it, I don't do it. It's not a time thing. I mean, I just watched the Kristen Bell sloth meltdown video that I shared on my facebook page about four times in a row, so I definitely have time to be link lovin'. 

I am just not crazy writing those posts. I am, however, loving the rest of my "schedule", so keep on expecting pinned it, did it and family pics and five things friday, along with my regular crafty things.

Speaking of crafty side of things, I started learning how to knit in the round. I am working on a hat for Sawyer, which I am sure he won't wear. I also picked out a fantastic new cross stitch pattern to start from this book: 

It is the prettiest pattern and the colors suggested are just perfect! More to come on that. (I don't know why, but the book is only available for pre-order on Amazon. I got mine from Crafter's Choice and there was no wait time.)

I am also working on a surprise 14 day Valentine project for Anderson. He will have learned about it by the time he reads this, so I am not worried about him seeing this post. I totally used to hate Valentine's Day, but I am feeling it this year. I'll share some of the cards and gifts I am giving him as I go along. I'll spare you 14 posts about each day of the countdown, and I'll also spare the mushy stuff. You're welcome. 

harry potter cross stitch (part 2)

2012-01-30T06:30:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-28T20:52:00.000-06:00

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!

2012-01-28T20:51:00.002-06:00

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

2012-01-27T06:30:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-26T06:30:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-24T06:30:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-23T06:30:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-21T12:38:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-20T06:30:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-19T06:30:00.000-06:00

 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

2012-01-18T06:30:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-17T06:30:00.000-06:00

 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

2012-01-16T06:30:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

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

2012-01-13T06:30:00.000-06:00

(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?

pinned it, did it 2: washi tape magnets

2012-01-12T06:30:00.000-06:00

pin here

source here: Twirling Betty

This was such a quick, simple project that I am kicking myself for not doing it sooner. If you click over to the original post by Twirling Betty, you can read just how she made her version of these genius washi tape magnets. I used her idea as a starting point and just used materials I had on hand. 

I made these using adhesive magnet sheet, bought in a roll at Michael's. I believe the roll was $9.99 and I used a coupon on it, so it was $6.00 for a huge amount. Since I don't have any washi tape, I just used patterned paper from my scrap bin. Stick down the paper to the self-adhesive magnet and cut into strips. Cut ridgy ends to look like torn tape, and you are done and done.

I may have gone a bit overboard and made about 50 magnets. 

 Have you made anything from your pinboards lately? Share in the comments! I'd love to see. 

linking:

link love 2

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-06:00

This post by Momastery. It spoke to my weary, guilt heavy heart. So so good I can't even write anything that does it justice. Just go read it. 

Anthroparodie seriously cracks me up. I bookmarked this post because it I can't stop snickering when I read it. (And $798 for that. craziness.) 

Did you see this DIY lucite tray by Chelsea at two twenty one? 

 It is so fab that I might just have to make a trip to the Container Store this weekend so I can make my own. 

Lastly, I wanted to share this post by Michele at The Scrap Shoppe. Please, pretty please read this and check if you are a "no-reply commenter". I get lots of comments and I try my best to respond to them, but if you comment and never see a response, this could be why. Plus, if you enter giveaways this makes it muuuuch easier for the blogger to contact you if you have won. Making it easy for people to give you stuff is always a plus. 

blanket stitching

2012-01-10T06:30:00.000-06:00

Today I am over at 30 days talking embroidery, and I'm sharing how to use the blanket stitch to make this sweet nursery wall art. Check it out here. 

tutorial: make your own iphone wallpaper

2012-01-09T06:30:00.000-06:00

It's been a while since I have done a tutorial, so I am going to fix that today. What you are about to see is possibly the only tech-related tutorial I will ever write, so it is a very special day indeed. 

I got my first iPhone this fall after being a long time android user and I have to say that I am a convert. Even if I hated everything else about my iPhone (which I don't), the camera alone makes it worth having. I am able to capture really great quality photos of Sawyer that I would not otherwise have. And the front facing camera? ah. mazing. 

Back to the iPhone backgrounds. Long story short - I didn't like any of the wallpaper offerings I was seeing, I love my collection of digital scrapbooking paper, so I learned how to replace my ugly background with pretty paper.  

First you want to decide what your background will be. Like I said, I have been using digital scrapbook paper, which you can find from quite a few places. Design House Digital has weekly freebies so keep an eye out there if you want to find some cute free paper. (By the way, I am not able to share any of the backgrounds I made because of licensing on the digital products. You know that "I agree to the terms of use" button? Well, I agreed to the terms of use and those terms say no distributing. I can show you how to make your own with your own downloads though.) 

So, download your paper. Then you want to upload it into picnik (also free, with the option of paying for a premium membership that has more fonts, effects, etc). 

You need to crop your image to the right size - and for the iPhone that is 320 x 480 pixels. The crop tool is under the Basic Edits tab of the Edit toolbar. 

When cropping, you want to make sure you enter the correct pixels (seen above as 320 x 480) and also make sure to check the "Scale Photo" option. If you don't click that you will have this tiny little box cropped and you won't be able to see any of the pattern. By checking the box, you can decide and adjust how much or how little of the pattern you want to see in the 320 x 480 pixel area. 

Apply the cropping, and you are ready to personalize. 

Add words using the text tool in the Edit tab. You could also add stickers or effects or whatever else you like. (Keep in mind that much of picnik is free, but there is a premium subscription you can buy that gives you access to even more of the options.)

When you are done personalizing, you can save your image by closing the photo. An option box will pop up and you click save to get to the next screen where you can name your image. 

Name it and save it to your computer. 

Now to get this pretty new background to my phone, I just email the photo to myself and open up the email on my phone. 

Click on the image and the option to Save will pop up. 

Save the image and it will go to your photo album. Open it from your photos. 

When you open it, click on that little share arrow on the bottom left. 

Click "Use as Wallpaper"

You have the option of scaling it, but since we already did all that in picnik, you shouldn't need to. 

Decide if you want your wallpaper on the lock screen, home screen, or both. I set mine to my lock screen. 

Boom. Revel in your techy awesomeness. Make about 50 more because it is so easy and fun. Then change your background about every hour just to see which one looks best. 

Here are some that I have made. 

The idea for the "be present" one came from this post by Oops, I craft my pants. (She offers some free chevron iPhone backgrounds in the post if you would like to download one for yourself.) I love the idea of having a reminder when I pick up my phone to "be present". I spend waaaay too much time looking at pinterest, twitter, fb, and on and on when I should be talking with my husband or playing with Sawyer or enjoying a movie that we are supposed to be watching. It is just a really needed thing to see.

Enjoy making your own pretty phone wallpapers! We can all use a little more lovely in our life. 

**I am not affiliated with Design House Digital in any way. I just like them and their pretty free things.**

linking:

family pic saturday: feeding Moose

2012-01-07T19:58:00.002-06:00

According to my new schedule, today is the day to share a family picture. Guess who didn't take one family type picture all week? me. Did I take about 300 pictures of cards, buttons, embroidery, etc.? yes. Note to self: take more pictures of your child. 

Knowing that I had to get a picture, I kept telling Sawyer all morning to do something cute, blog-worthy, and in an area with good lighting. Why don't two-year-olds get it? 

Turns out he did do something cute and in a spot with good lighting. I guess we'll keep the kid after all. 

Sawyer decided to hand feed Moose breakfast this morning, which was not only the cutest thing we had seen all day, but it was a big move for our skittish little chihuahua. Usually Moose won't let Sawyer within a five foot radius, so letting Sawyer touch his food is a big deal. Eventually Moose got tired of the game and we made Sawyer stop. As you can tell from the last picture, he took it well. 

five things friday: printables

2012-01-06T06:30:00.000-06:00

I have been on a bit of a printing kick lately. In the past I have kind of ignored posts that boasted "free printables!" because I just thought it wouldn't turn out good on my crappy printer or most of them were not my style. Thanks to a lack of Christmas tags and an abundance of free ones found via pinterest, I am now a convert and want to share some of my favorites with you. I have actually printed all of these out to test them. You know sometimes a link is broken or it doesn't print just right or whatever else can go wrong when it comes to technology? Maybe that's just me? very likely. 

 printable note card found here

 I love this note card and printed a few to jot down some meaningful verses on. It was found via the Creature Comforts blog and clicked through to where it originates from, tocotoco magazine. 

printable flash cards found here

 I printed these for Sawyer and maybe for me because they are just so darn cute. Before I hand them off to the wild child I am going to laminate them so that they might last a little longer. Even if they don't, the download is free so I can just print them again. nice!

flamingo notecards found here

 These are found on the Creature Comforts blog, which is amazing. I just discovered it and I can't get enough. Seriously, I have gone through the archived posts like every day. There is a plain version (pictured) and a thank you version of these. I used the thank you version for my Christmas thank-you's and they were perfect. Nothing says thanks like a flamingo in a scarf. 

daily to do printable found here 

I may or may not have a girl crush on Heather from Life Made Lovely. For real. She is adorable, talented, spiritual, and just an all around lovely lady. Now I love her even more for this. Looking at this makes a yucky to do list so much better, don't you think? 

Haunted Mansion bookmark found here

I realize that I may be posting this bookmark and not one person will appreciate it. That's ok. This is inspired by the stretching room in the Haunted Mansion in Disney World and it makes me smile. If you love this as much as I do, props. If you don't, that's ok. Not everyone can be a totally cool Disney geek like me.  

I have started a printables board on my pinterest for those that are interested. Do you have one? Share your favorite printables (or pins) in the comments below - leave a link! 

pinned it, did it 1: magnet board

2012-01-05T06:30:00.000-06:00

pin found here

source here: Nic and Kate 

When I saw this on Pinterest, I took action by making Anderson go to the auto store and pick up an oil pan. I haaate going into automotive stores. It's just that I am not a fan of being treated like I know nothing even though I actually know nothing about cars. Anyways, Anderson picked one up for me. I cleaned it and cleaned it and cleaned it, probably no less than 10 times. It comes with this filmy coating on it that is best cleaned with a grease fighting cleaner like dish soap or Lysol Kitchen (that's what I used). fyi, I tried Windex and it just didn't work that great. After it was all cleaned,  we hung it with 3M removable Velcro strips.  

This has been perfect for all of Sawyer's magnet toys. I have considered painting it, but am not sure yet. Translation: I'm lazy and this does the job as is. Sawyer loves it and I love that my refrigerator is not a primary colored hot mess. 

link love 1

2012-01-04T06:30:00.000-06:00

Season 7 of One Month to Win It started today. My friend Jessica from Sunny Tuesday is competing. So go vote and then go check out Jess's blog while you're at it. 

I can't stop clicking through National Geographic Best of 2011 photos. They are so SO amazing. You have to click through and look at the painted elephant. Now I want an elephant to paint. You hear that, Anderson?

Last but most certainly not least: the 2012 Owl Lover Calendar from My Owl Barn. Free, customizable tiny works of art! I love this so much I have already printed my own and even have pictures to prove it. 

I printed it at home on 80 lb. card stock, cut it out, and used a corner rounder to give it a finished look. It is so pretty and will be gracing my desk at work. Go design your own calendar at My Owl Barn. 

a new plan for the blog!

2012-01-03T06:30:00.000-06:00

Ah, a new year. Although I don't get caught up in all the new year resolution talk (mostly because I don't keep resolutions), I do think there is something refreshing and hopeful about January 1st. For instance, I got a new planner. It's so clean! The pages aren't wrinkled, there isn't spilled coffee on it, and the cover is still shiny. I just have this feeling of determination to plan and organize and start again. 

In the spirit of planning, I came up with a schedule of what you can expect to find on my blog this year. I am really excited for the year to come and all of the big plans I have for little lovelies!

Monday: Tutorials, projects, works-in-progress, guest post announcements, etc. I am going to try to be better about sharing more of the crafty things I work on. I make quite a few things that never make it to the blog and I thought you guys might like to see them, even if there isn't a tutorial to go along with it. 

Tuesday: See Monday - more of the same. Some weeks I might have so much going on that I need two days to share all of the creative goodness. Some weeks I might only post on Monday. It'll be a surprise!

Wednesday: I want to share links to things that I find interesting. Maybe shopping sources, maybe other blogs, maybe your blog?, funny stuff, tutorials, freebies, etc. I am open to suggestions. I know that I love this sort of thing from other bloggers because it's like discovering little treasures. Some of my favorite blogs and resources have been found this way, so I want to pass on some of my favorites. 

 Thursday: I am perhaps most excited about this addition to my schedule! I will be sharing projects that I have done inspired by something I pinned on Pinterest. I have something like 600 things pinned and I have only done a handful of them. This whole blogging community is about inspiring and being inspired, and I want to act on all of the ideas I am gathering up. So, I'll be doing one thing a week off my pinboards. I would love for you to participate. Perhaps you would be interested in this being turned into a link party? I would love your feedback on this!

 Friday: I'll be continuing Five Things Friday, but trying to be more consistent about it. I have been kind of hit and miss in the past, so my goal is not to miss a week. 

Saturday: I'll be sharing a picture each week that represents a moment in our family's lives. I considered a picture a day sort of thing, but realized that I had already skipped January first. Not a good start. So, onto once a week, which I think is much more realistic and manageable for me. At the end of the year, I'll have 52 pictures to be made into a family book, along with my blog posts that remind me what that picture meant to us. 

Whew! Ambitious. Hopefully not too ambitious. I am excited to get started, and I am so happy that you are here for the ride! 

catching up

2012-01-02T19:53:00.000-06:00

I'm back! It's been good to take a break, but I am ready to get back into creating and blogging again. I haven't made anything for a week or two now and I am getting the itch to see something made with these two hands. 

We had a great Christmas! Sawyer still kind of doesn't get what is going on, but he does get the idea of presents. He still points at random things and says "Present!". What innocent optimism to see the whole world as one big present. 

We tried to go easy on the gifts this year. His big present was a play kitchen, and he also got a few little trains and some books and other small toys. I have such a battle over wanting to get him more for Christmas versus wanting to get nothing.  Tangent coming... Have you read the Five Love Languages book? If you haven't, go get it now and read it. Seriously, it changes the way you think about communicating love in relationships. My love language is gifts - giving and receiving. I love to buy people stuff, so I struggle to keep my Sawyer related spending in check. Christmas is a battle of wills for me, but I think I did pretty good this year. 

After Christmas it was back to work for the week and on to New Year's weekend. I already talked all about our exciting night here, if you are interested in reading what happens when you become a lame parent. 

Now I am enjoying my last day off work before it is back to the grindstone. Creatively, I believe I had hit a dry spell or a sort of writer's block. The good thing is that I feel like I might be coming out of it. Blame it on too much Christmas, too many sweets, too much mind rotting television (or, as Sawyer calls it - "tee-bee"). I don't know but it's time to set this mind of mine to work. 

Stay tuned for my next post. I'll talk about what is going to be happening on the blog. yay!

2012!

2012-01-01T22:51:00.000-06:00

How is it already 2012? Really... 2011 seems to have flown by for us. 

We spent New Year's Eve running errands and sneaking in a quick trip to the zoo to ride the train. That is where the above picture was taken, which explains why my child is practically emitting sunshine. Seriously, he is the happiest when we are on that silly train. Anderson and I spent the evening watching The Help, playing video games, starting to watch the Doctor Who? series, and snacking away. I managed to stay awake but I think I crashed at about 12:02. I am totally lame, I know. 

I know I have been scarce around here for the past week or so. I plan on getting back into the groove of things this week. I have a couple things to share, along with a schedule of sorts that I plan to start. hm, we'll see how that goes. 

I am excited for a new year, full of great things to come!

be back soon!

2011-12-27T22:04:00.002-06:00

fyi...

I suppose I am taking a little unplanned break along with a lot of other bloggers. I think with Christmas and upturned schedules and illnesses, I am off my game. Among the many things I am doing:

-writing thank you cards (I used these free printable ones)

-putting away Christmas decor 

-enjoying a little time off work (not enough)

-planning away for next year, but kind of not knowing what to plan

-eating leftover Christmas cookies and not feeling any guilt

-playing lots of video games with Anderson

All very important things, of course. I think my mind needs a creative break. I'll be back next week with pictures and posts and crafts and all sorts of good things. 

Hope you all are enjoying your holiday!

very merry!

2011-12-24T13:08:00.000-06:00

Happy Christmas Eve! 

I was doing so good this week with my blogging, sharing Christmas gifts and projects we had been working on. Then Thursday came around. oh Thursday.... I came home from work (I managed to stay the whole day - can you say workaholic?) feeling really sick to my stomach. I chalked it up to not eating enough or eating too much or too many sweets or too much soda. I don't know what, but I refused to be sick. A couple hours later and a few dates with the toilet, I had to admit I was sick. I called in the reinforcements - my sister and husband - who took care of me and Sawyer and the house. Thank goodness for family to help! 

So here, I am, two days later, feeling much better, but dreadfully behind. Our house is a mess, I still have Christmas gifts to put together/wrap, and I have not even taken a shower today. tmi? 

So, here is one big mash up post of all the things I was going to share on Thursday, Friday, and today. 

I made some of these lovely waterless snow globes I have seen floating around Pinterest. I used the tutorial found {here} by Tidy Mom. I went on a mad hunt one week before Christmas to find those tiny trees and snowmen and that messy fake snow. The stores are wiped out! I did find some, and I stocked up on the trees for next year - they are just so darn cute. 

I also made some ornaments using the same small trees. 

I love these even more than the little snow globes. I used the tutorial found {here} at Jame (the tutorial is by delia creates). They were a bit finicky to get just right, but I managed. They are so pretty and wintry (I spell checked wintry but it doesn't look right). I would definitely recommend filing this one away for next year's Christmas projects. 

I was also going to share something I made two years ago, long before I was blogging. 

My son's stocking that I laboriously slaved over stitched. It's one of those admittedly tacky kits from Hobby Lobby. I know some people hate these, but I love them for purely sentimental reasons. My sister and I each had our own growing up, and I have such great memories of sneaking out of bed early to get our stockings. Don't worry! It was allowed. We would open up our little treats and sit by the heater vent to wait for the time when we could wake up mom and dad. I remember studying our stockings and all the little sequins and details and stitching. 

I don't know if it will be the same for Sawyer, but I knew before he was even born I wanted to make him one. 

 I spent the last couple months of my pregnancy working on this. I thought I wouldn't be done in time, but alas, I did not have Sawyer on his due date or really anywhere close. No, no. I went through 42 weeks of pregnancy. So while I anxiously waited for labor to start, I sewed on sequin and bead after sequin and bead, cutting and stitching and stuffing. 

Pretty much I will never have another child again because then I will have to make another one of these. (joking!)

So there is a couple days of posts and projects all in one. I hope you all are enjoying a wonderful couple days of family and friends and gifts and surprises. 

Merry Christmas!

non-diy gifts

2011-12-21T06:00:00.000-06:00

I don't make most of the gifts I give. Is anyone else in this boat with me? I am kind of weird, but I get all embarrassed and vulnerable when I give someone something I made. If they don't like something I bought from the store, who cares? If they don't like something that I hand made, I cry every night for a month straight. Kidding. I only cry for a week. 

Seriously though, I do have a hard time giving handmade things. Don't worry - this is not a self discovery post where I write about how I overcame my issues thanks to blogging or inspirational quotes on pinterest. I bought gifts from the store and then handmade a disposable portion of the gift. I don't even think that is progress. "I made part of this gift for you, but only the part that you throw away."

 Original, I know. Lotion. 

I cut and stamped the tags and tied them on with baker's twine. I let the packaging on the lotion do all the talking. It's already shiny and festive, so my work was done.

These are for some of my coworkers, so I figured a bottle of lotion to keep at their desks is a nice little gift.

And we can't forget about those handmade gift tags. Feel free to throw them away.   

sentimental ornaments

2011-12-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

We had so much fun doing Christmas stuff this weekend. We made a gingerbread house, watched Frosty, and even made some ornaments for the grandparents. 

I knew I wanted to make a keepsake type of ornament. I am pretty sure my mom and grandmas would much rather receive something made by Sawyer than something bought from a store. But making something just wasn't enough - I wanted to add in a picture of their sweet grandson along with it. 

There is no tutorial needed for these. I bought a 5 page chipboard album in the $1 section at Michaels. It's precut, thick cardboard and already has a hole punched to string a ribbon. One dollar for five ornaments? I'll take it. 

Then I got out some white paint and let Sawyer work while I took pictures. After they dried, he decorated them with snowflake stickers (or in his words, "seekos"). 

That's where I took over. I printed the picture of him painting the ornament and traced the tree shape onto the picture. Cut out, glue down, and add a ribbon for a hanger. I also added the date at the top. 

An ornament, a picture, a 2 year old's masterpiece. Perfect!

gingerbread house

2011-12-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

We started a holiday tradition last year - decorating a gingerbread house together. And by together, I mean Anderson and I. So far, we have left Sawyer out. Candy, icing, cookies, and a perfectionist mom do not mix. Eventually, Sawyer will get to help out but for now Anderson and I have enjoyed doing this together, just us. 

This is one of those gingerbread house kits from Target, along with some extra candy I picked up at Walgreens. 

The roof is made of Necco wafers. I sampled all of the candy, of course, including these. What the what?! People actually eat these on purpose? They are SO disgusting and now I feel like all of my teeth are going to fall out. Let me just give you an idea of what these taste like. Petrified tums-flavored chalk. I would rather eat Tums than these, and Tums gag me. Sorry Necco wafers - cute roof shingles though. 

These are my favorite part! I used gummy lifesavers to make little wreaths.  I just cut wedges from a red lifesaver and used icing to secure them down to make a bow. 

Mini Charleston Chews make up the bricks for the walkway.

The fence is made from the hook parts of mini candy canes. It was Anderson's idea. 

I told him "That's a really good idea." 

He said "I know." 

It was a fun afternoon. Maybe one day I will make my own gingerbread... How likely is that? Probably about as likely as me eating Necco wafers again. 

Just for fun, here is last year's house: 

What are some of your holiday traditions? 

five things friday: last minute gift ideas

2011-12-16T06:00:00.000-06:00

9 days until Christmas! I have all of my shopping done, but I still have a couple of things on my "to-make" list. Maybe you still need a couple of last minute gift ideas? Here are five projects that are easy and cheap to make. Maybe you even have the supplies on hand... 

1. Tie on dish towels by Trey and Lucy. I have had these on my to do list for myself for a looong time. My dog likes to pull down dish towels and then chew the corners off, so these would be handy. You could customize these to the recipient with different color towels and fabric - I think they would be perfect for just about anyone. 

Source: treyandlucy.blogspot.com via Allison on Pinterest

2. Circle zip earbud pouch tutorial by dog under my desk.  Most everyone has earbuds and this would be so handy to have. What a perfect stocking stuffer for teens!

Source: erinerickson.com via Allison on Pinterest

3. Felt flashcard memory game by Sew Much Ado. An easy project for the littles, and great for a last minute stocking stuffer. Plus it's a portable, lightweight, quiet learning toy. I am always looking for church toys, and this fits the bill. I think I have just convinced myself to make this. How long do you think this would take? 

Source: sewmuchado.blogspot.com via Allison on Pinterest

4. Chocolate party spoons by Delicious Delicious Delicious. Package these up with a hot chocolate packet and you have a sweet gift for coworkers and friends. I love the sprinkles and candies - so pretty!

Source: deliciousdeliciousdelicious.blogspot.com via Allison on Pinterest

5. Felt bird ornament by delia creates guest posting on Jame. These are made with plastic ball ornaments, sticks, and felt. Aren't they sweet? 

Source: readjame.com via Allison on Pinterest

There you have it. Five easy and cheap last minute gifts. I selfishly want to make all of these things for myself. That's the spirit, huh? 

If you love these ideas as much as I do and want to pin them, please click on the photo or link to pin them directly from the source. I want these ladies to have all the credit for their beautiful work! 

a gift for you!

2011-12-12T21:11:00.001-06:00

I am over at 30 days again, doing my needle arts guest posting thing. You didn't know about that? I have been posting on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month over at Mique's fab blog. She even made me official. Here's a picture to prove it: 

In my past guest posts, I have talked about getting getting started in embroidery, the back stitch, chain stitch, and stem stitch.

Today I am sharing something toootally awesome. You'll have to go check it out so see...

glitter, embroidery, and a red and turquoise color combo. Are you intrigued?

p.s. there may be a free pattern involved... 

this and that

2011-12-12T06:30:00.000-06:00

I have a few things I want to share with you guys, just bits and pieces. Sorry, no tutorial or project. With all the holiday craziness and work picking up, crafty things are being back burnered right now. I have a couple things up my sleeve though, so keep an eye out. 

First up, who is on Instagram? It is a pretty fab iphone ap that lets you take pictures, pretty them up with filters, and share them with friends. 

oh-so-pretty! It makes even the lamest of us (me) look trendy and cool. My instagram name is allisonmaestri if you would like to add me on there. I will add you back - I just looove looking at people's photos. I am nosey, I will admit it. 

Next up, I discovered one of the funniest blogs. It is called Handmade Ryan Gosling. I can't really explain it - let me just show you. 

Ryan Gosling, crafts, poking a bit of fun at all of the crazy things we crafters do - a winning combination! Check it out {here}, you will not be disappointed! (Photos used with permission from the blog author). 

Last thing - I would like to do a little shout out to all of you lovely ladies who have made some of my projects.  I have gotten several emails and comments that you all are making things inspired by some of my tutorials. If you are, I would love to see and possibly feature you in an upcoming post. So, if you have pictures, you can leave a link in the comments or send me an email at littleloveliesbyallison (at) gmail (dot) com. Sharing is caring!

Random enough for you? I hope so. Have a great week everyone. Mine will be full of work, work, work, some Christmas shopping and wrapping, finishing some work-in-progress projects, catching up on housework, and maybe about three hours of sleep. 

december giveaway winner!

2011-12-11T17:05:00.001-06:00

Thank you so much to everyone who entered December's follower giveaway! I had so much fun reading through your entries - especially your jokes and funny stories!

Chosen by random.org, the winner is:

 Congrats Jody! I will be contacting you about getting your prize. 

Thanks again to all of your for entering! It was such a fun giveaway and I look forward to next month's! I'll have to think of something good...

five things friday: christmas movies

2011-12-09T21:55:00.000-06:00

I love Christmas movies so so much! I even like those totally lame ones they play on ABC family and Lifetime. Then again, I am always game for a trashy Lifetime movie. Throw in a Christmas tree and it's so bad it's good. 

So let's talk Christmas movies. Sorry Lifetime, there is no room on my list for your fantastically terrible movies. These holiday movies are the best of the best.

1. Elf. Seriously, duh. I can't not laugh when I watch this one. 

Favorite scene: I guess it's not a scene, but I seriously almost peed my pants the first time I watched this and Buddy got slammed by the taxi in the middle of the street. So I guess that tells you something about me. In the midst of all the funny quotes and clever comedy, my favorite is someone getting hurt. Merry Christmas!

2. White Christmas. I love the music and singing and dancing and costumes. It is so festive and heart warming. 

Favorite scene: The "Sisters" song that Betty and Judy sing. Then again the war scene where they sing "White Christmas" is also fantastic. Just watch it.

3. Home Alone. As a 90's child, I would be doing my generation a disservice if I didn't have this on my list. My sister and I would watch this movie over and over when we would visit my grandparents. It reminds me of my grandpa (he thought it was hilarious when the robbers got hurt - maybe that is why I think people getting hurt is so darn funny), so besides being a really good Christmas movie, it holds a special place in my heart. 

Favorite scene: Too many. The whole movie. My post, my rules - so my favorite scene is the whole movie.

4. Little Women. I don't know if this is really a Christmas movie, but there is a great holiday scene where the girls - ahem, little women - take their Christmas breakfast to a needy family. Mainly I just love this movie because it reminds me of watching it with my sister when we were little. I probably forced her to watch it, but it was for her own good, so I don't feel bad. 

Favorite scene: I don't know - I just love the whole movie - the costumes and the sets and the acting and the story. Two in a row that the whole movie is my favorite scene. 

5. The Santa Clause. Another classic around here. Nothing clever to say about this one - I just like it. 

Favorite scene - I like when Scott visits the North Pole for the first time - it is just magical! 

What about you? What are your favorite holiday movies? 

snowflake mobile

2011-12-08T06:30:00.000-06:00

I am so in love with winter I can hardly stand it. All you summer lovers can hate all you want, but winter is the best. There is snow, hot chocolate, boots, scarves, hats, Christmas, Elf, and a million other things that are just so cozy and wonderful. 

To celebrate my love for winter (and a mighty good deal I got on Martha Stewart punches), I made a little snowflake mobile to hang above my desk in my craft room. 

 It was a quick project that added a little cheer. 

Punch out lots of snowflakes. 

Make a snowflake, glue, string, snowflake sandwich. 

Place them close together or far apart. Make long strands or short. Whatever you want. 

Tie your snowflake strings to an embroidery hoop and hang.  

linking:

tutorial: rice handwarmers

2011-12-05T06:30:00.000-06:00

I have an easy tutorial for you to do. And when I say easy, I mean it. If it in involves a sewing machine and I can make it, it must be easy. 

Rice hand warmers! 

I saw some hand warmers pinned on Pinterest a few weeks ago, and decided I would like to tackle my own.

I also decided I needed to make his and hers versions. Because good enough is just never enough for me. 

Here is what you will need :

Flannel fabric. It needs to be 100% cotton - no synthetic fibers since these will be heated and you don't want the fabric to melt.
Coordinating thread.
Rice.
Funnel (for filling the warmers with rice.)
Sewing machine, scissors, iron, etc.

1. Cut out two rectangles (Mine were 4.5" x 4")

2. Pin together, right sides together. I drew a line so you can see where to sew. 

3. Sew together. Make sure to leave a space to turn inside out.  

4. Turn inside out and press. 

5. Top stitch around the edge. There's that line again to show you where to sew. 

6. Use your funnel to fill with rice, and then top stitch closed. 

 As far as heating them up, let me start with a disclaimer. Please don't hold me responsible for burns of any kind, ruined microwaves, rice all over your floor, or anything else. 

I heat mine up in the microwave for 30 seconds. Depending on if you use more or less rice, you might need to adjust that. Also, microwaves have different power levels, so you have to factor that in. I would experiment first, starting with 15 seconds or so at a time. Always test them before you hand them off to the kiddos. 

One last thing. When I was researching how to make these, I read some things about these possibly ruining your microwave because the rice takes moisture from the microwave or something. Some recommendations say to warm them up with small cup of water. Other people say that they have been warming them up with no water and their microwaves are fine. 

So. Maybe after reading all those warnings you are thinking there is no way you are going to make third-degree-burn-giving-microwave-killing-rice-bags. I get it and I might be scared to tackle them too. I just wanted to give you all the info I could. Let me follow up all those neurotic warnings by saying we are burn free and our microwave still works and we have used them a few times. 

They sure do keep your hands toasty. Plus, they're pretty. 

 linking:
 

the big 0-6

2011-12-03T06:30:00.000-06:00

Today is our 6 year anniversary. 6 years? I feel like I may have already said this recently, but time flies. Public displays of emotion aren't my thing, so no gushy gushing here, but I think it is an appropriate day to express how much I love my husband. Plus, I forgot to get a card. I think announcing your love to hundreds of people counts? 

 Life is hard, but having your best friend by your side makes all the work a little easier. The bad times aren't that bad, and the good times are better than you could imagine. 

Thanks for six great years, husband. 

december follower giveaway

2011-12-01T06:30:00.000-06:00

I know we just got done with November's giveaway, but I want to hurry up and start December's giveaway because I want the lucky winner to get this by Christmas. ooooh - this is a good one! 

December is my favorite month of the year. I love the cold and the snow and of course Christmas. It just seems to be a month full of celebration and fun and cheer. I knew I wanted this giveaway to be the biggest, best yet. After all, it will make a wonderful present for one of my lovely winners. 

So here is the best, most random giveaway I could come up with to celebrate:

1. Doodle Stitching by Aimee Ray - my favorite embroidery book! I dare you not to like it. 

2. A set of 10 bobby pins and cabochons to make some little lovelies for yourself (or to give away if you're feeling nice). 

3. A set of clear owl stamps. If it has an owl on it, I am in. These are the cutest!

4. A Martha Stewart snowflake punch and shimmery glitter. Can't go wrong with Mar-Mar. 

5. Pretty cotton yarn. Perfect for whipping up a few washcloths for a quick gift. 

6. Chipboard letters by 7 gypsies. Use them for home decor, scrapbooking, or whatever else your creative mind can come up with. 

What do you think? This is my kind of giveaway. I love all sorts of giveaways, but I can't resist one full of random bits of goodness specially chosen by the blogger. 

That's just what I have done - picked things that you, my wonderful readers, have liked in my prior posts and giveaways. 

Here are the guidelines:

1. Mandatory Entry: Follow little lovelies and leave a comment telling me so. Want to add in something funny or a joke to that comment? Go ahead - I would love to read some funny bits while sorting through the comments. 

2. Optional Bonus Entry: Like little lovelies on facebook. Leave a comment telling me so. 

3. Optional Bonus Entry: Follow me on twitter. Leave a comment telling me so. 

Giveaway ends on December 10, 2011 at 10:00pm CST. U.S. residents only please. As usual (please don't make me beg!) leave your email address in your comments if you don't have it linked to your profile. This giveaway is sponsored by me and my crafting stash. 

Good luck to all!  

the big 0-2

2011-11-30T21:41:00.001-06:00

My son is two today. I know every parent says this but I will say it anyway. Time flies! 

We had a traintastic day full of playing with trains and train presents and buying a new train and watching trains. It was quite a day! I'll spare you a play by play, but it was a great celebration. Perfectly full of presents and sweets and all the good things that a birthday should have. 

I am so proud of my baby turned big kid. He is so smart and funny and just full of life. Two years down, and I look forward to so many more. 

stem stitching

2011-11-29T22:02:00.001-06:00

Hi! I am over at 30 Handmade Days again, this time sharing a how to for the stem stitch. 

In case you have missed it, I have already covered what you need to get started in embroidery, the back stitch, and the chain stitch. Lots of embroidery to be learned. 

In other news, guess who is turning 2 tomorrow? hint - it's not me. I am so excited for all the fun I have planned for the train obsessed birthday boy! I have baked cupcakes, hung balloons, and I even made train track wrapping paper. I'll share pictures tomorrow. They might be iphone pics because I plan on taking in all the time I can with my sweet boy on his fun day without lugging around a camera. Yay! 

brown paper packages

2011-11-28T06:30:00.000-06:00

I am really trying to get ahead of the game this year and get my Christmas shopping done. Why? Let me tell you. Last year I waited until the last minute and then thought it would be a good idea to take Sawyer with me to the mall on December 22nd at about 5:00 at night. (shudder) It was terrifying.

This year I am trying to shop online and ahead of time so that I don't end up at Walgreens on Christmas Eve doing my shopping from that classy gift card rack next to the shelf of Snuggies and Shake Weights. Because goodness knows I will not be at the mall the week before Christmas. 

Enough about the gift buying. The really fun part is wrapping. 

This year I am keeping it simple with brown paper and colorful yarn. I got a roll of brown paper from the office supply section of Target (it's with the mailing stuff.) For about $5.00, I have enough to wrap all of our presents. 

The yarn is from my stash. This is a great way to use up small bits of leftover yarn. I just made some pom poms and simple bows. 

No tags- I just write the name of the recipient on the back of the package. Simple.

The best part about this method of wrapping is that all my presents under the tree will match. Add any color of yarn, and the pile of gifts under the tree looks cohesive and pretty.

Plus, it's cheap. $5.00 to wrap everything? I'll take it. More money to spend on the good stuff.

So, I have three presents. Many more to go. 

november giveaway winner

2011-11-26T20:46:00.001-06:00

The winner (chosen by random.org) of the Amy Butler book and fabric is:

 Congrats Jamie! I could not find your email address, so please contact me as soon as possible. I think I found you on twitter/fb, but I don't want to message the wrong person :) 

Thanks so so much to all of you for entering. Stay tuned, because in about a week I will be announcing December's giveaway. It's going to be a fun one! 

thankful

2011-11-24T15:06:00.001-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving! 

I hope you are all enjoying your holiday - cooking, eating, watching football, or whatever else makes up this day for you. We have had an absolutely wonderful day here. We slept in, made a fort in the living room, and watched the beginning of the Macy's parade. Then we went to the gym and had a nice long work out while Sawyer played in the childcare. We made spaghetti for lunch, and now Sawyer is taking a looong nap. No turkey for us, no traveling, no stress. It has been glorious. We celebrated Thanksgiving last weekend so I guess you could say we are off the hook today. I do believe that this is the way to go. It has been the most peaceful, idealistic family day that I can imagine. Just us three. 

Even though we are not celebrating Thanksgiving in a traditional way, I do believe that there is so much value in the idea behind it. Although I strive to be thankful every day, today I am especially thinking about all the things I have to be grateful for. 

Like piles and piles of laundry.

Because it means we have plenty of clothes to keep us warm and dry and comfortable. 

And even though I hate washing them, I am thankful for the never ending parade of dirty dishes.  

 Because it means we have an abundance of food and a clean place to prepare it in. 

Even though I think dreadful things when I trip over one of the many toys that litter the floor, I am thankful for this playroom. 

Because it means Sawyer has somewhere all his own to play and learn and make a mess and just be a kid. (Plus it means no toys in my living room. Yay!)

I am so SO thankful for this messy place all my own.

Because even though it is never clean and always cluttered, it means I have an overflow of things to keep my creative mind busy. It means I have a husband who has graciously carved out this space in our home. 

Of course I am thankful for so much. So very much. I have a lovely home, a healthy child, a good job, the best husband.... I could just go on and on. There is so much to be thankful for, even in the always-there-messes and the chaos and the stress of life. There is always something good. 

Happy Thanksgiving. 

I hope you all have so much to be thankful for today. 

Did you write a thanksgiving post? Leave a link in the comments. I would love to see. 

tutorial: stamped clay ornaments

2011-11-23T06:30:00.000-06:00

Edited after being accused of stealing this tutorial: I wrote this tutorial for Craft Snob as a participant in her handmade ornament parade. I am just reposting it here on my blog.  

This post was originally posted on Craft Snob as part of her Handmade Ornament parade. You can see the original post here if you'd like. 

---

I tend to lean towards a simple, clean style, so I knew I wanted to make an ornament that reflected that and would fit in with my home decor. I came up with these:

They are really easy to make, and would be a great craft to do with kids with different shaped cookie cutters and stamps.

Supplies:

clay (I used Sculpey oven bake clay)
round cookie cutter
straw
stamps
twine

Start by conditioning your clay. You just want to knead it in your hands until it is smooth and easy to work with. This is the longest part of the project, but it is an important one. If you don't condition your clay enough, your baked ornament could be brittle.

Once you have conditioned your clay, roll it out and cut into circles using your round cookie cutter. Christmas shape cookie cutters would also work great.

After I had my circles cut out, I used a clear doily stamp set to make impressions on my clay. 

 Use a straw to make holes to string your ornament. 

Bake according to directions, let cool, and string with twine.

 Simple and lovely.

Just a reminder - any cookie cutters/straws used for these should not be used for food prep again. You probably already know that.  

---- 

Stay tuned for lots more Christmas projects coming up. I am trying to hold off for all those who get annoyed by Christmas before Thanksgiving. Personally, I say bring it on. I have been listening to Christmas tunes for a month, started my shopping, and I even got mocked by a lady at Hobby Lobby last week for being one of THOSE people who put up their trees early. It was very nice of her considering I had a 5 foot tree and a screaming toddler in my cart. Spreading the Christmas cheer early, I suppose. 

feather headband

2011-11-21T06:30:00.000-06:00

I am so happy it is a short work week - Thanksgiving week! And for me it is like a bonus vacation because our family already celebrated Thanksgiving this weekend. So, all the cooking and cleaning is out of the way, and we get a short week with 4 straight days of relaxing family time. I plan to catch up on some projects, read, sleep in, and of course spend lots of time with Sawyer and Anderson. 

I was able to get a bit done last week, so I have something lovely to share with you this week. 

I was at Kohl's last week and saw a headband that I liked. I didn't take a picture of it, but I filed it away in my busy little brain as something to try. Translation: it's a wonder that I ever thought about the headband again. But I did. I even looked it up online so you can see it too (here it is). 

And here is my prettier version. Sorry Kohl's. 

 I don't have a tutorial, because you don't need one. I bought a pack of skinny headbands at Target. I bought a white feather from Micheal's and trimmed it to the size I wanted. Yep, you can trim feathers. I also got the rhinestone trim at Micheal's in the jewelry section.  Hot glue the feather to the headband and then hot glue the rhinestone trim on top. 

Easy. Really. I don't mess around with difficult projects these days. 

It's such a pretty wintery little accessory. 

Hope you all have a great week - safe travels and Happy Thanksgiving!

p.s. Don't forget to enter my Amy Butler giveaway here. You have until Friday! 

linking:

five things friday: sweets

2011-11-18T14:13:00.001-06:00

I think it might be the holidays coming up, or maybe the fact that I have pretty much eliminated sugar from my diet, but I am having some major cravings for all things sweet. In fact, I have a whole pinterest board devoted to sweets. 

For this week's FTF, Here are five recipes I want to try. 
drool.
5 minute coffee cake in a mug
Source: prudentbaby.com via Allison on Pinterest

How to bake a heart into a cupcake
Source: madewithloveby.me via Allison on Pinterest

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
Source: alittlebitcrunchyalittlebitrock.blogspot.com via Allison on Pinterest

Pioneer Woman's iced coffee
Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Allison on Pinterest

Monkey Bread muffins
Source: thepioneerwoman.com via Allison on Pinterest

Just a reminder, please click on the link under the picture if you want to pin these. Pin from the source when you can - it's just a nice thing to do. I just don't want to take any of the credit away from these talented ladies. 

have a sweet weekend everyone! (see what I did there?)

november follower giveaway

2011-11-16T17:08:00.001-06:00

 GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED 

Is it really already half way through November? Can't forget about my monthly giveaway for all of my lovely followers, now can we?

Remember my 27 before 27 post? Well, number 23 on that list was to purge my craft supplies. It's time to pare it down a bit and focus on the things I really love and am good at. One thing I am really not good at: sewing. Especially complicated things. I can sew a line, and I can sew on a card. That's really about as much as I can handle. 

So from my unused stash to your (hopefully) used one: 

An Amy Butler giveaway! 

The book Style Stitches by Amy Butler as well as a yard of some lovely fabric of hers. (1/2 yard of each pictured). 

Just look at some of the beautiful projects in this book!

I know you want this one, so here's how to win:

1. Mandatory entry: Be a follower of little lovelies.

Leave a comment telling me so. 

2. Bonus entry: Like little lovelies on facebook.

Leave a separate comment telling me so. 

3. Bonus entry: Follow little lovelies on twitter. 

Leave a separate comment telling me so. 

Please make sure your email is linked to your profile or leave it in your comment(s). This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only (books are heavy to ship!) and will end on Friday, November 25th at 10:00pm CST. 

Thanks to all of you for being such lovely, supportive followers. Good luck!

leaf garland guest post

2011-11-15T21:15:00.001-06:00

I am participating in the Give Thanks blog series over at Whatever Dee Dee Wants. 

I am sharing a tutorial for some simple Thanksgiving decor that I whipped up. 

Check it out here. 

ornaments!

2011-11-15T07:00:00.000-06:00

I am over at Craft Snob today participating in her Handmade Ornament Parade. 

I'm sharing these little beauties. Come check out the tutorial and say hi!

tutorial: felt monogram pillow

2011-11-14T06:30:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday! I have another one of my guest posts for you today. This one was from the blog swap I did with Rachel from Maybe Matilda (see her post here). I am finally getting back into some creative time, so look for some new stuff from me soon. I have four or five things in the works right now, so it is just a matter of finishing a few things up, photographing, editing, and writing the posts. Okay, so maybe it will be a few days... 

-----

I was the one who suggested to Rachel that we swap blogs for the day. I also suggested that we do our take on making the same thing. I may have also suggested pillows. (I sure do sound pushy, don't I?) What was I thinking when I suggested pillows? I only have myself to blame for the afternoon of frustration I had while working on this project. I barely know how to sew so I don't know why I suggested it. I should have just spray painted an existing pillow (isn't that what you do in blog world? spray paint everything?). 

I finally decided on a felt monogram pillow. 

It ended up turning out ok, but lets just say I got friendly with my stitch picker thing. See? Not a seamstress, so don't expect anything technical here. 

I got this fabulous mustard colored felt at JoAnn's. It is sold on the bolt in the fabric section and is 35% wool so it is really sturdy. I cut out 2 14" squares, and another small piece to cut the monogram out of. 

To get the "pattern" for my monogram, I just used Word and picked a font I liked. 

When I had my letter the size I wanted, I taped a piece of paper over my screen and carefully traced it (you don't want to poke a hole in your screen). 

 No wasted ink, which is great since I only remember to buy ink for the printer about once a year. 

 Cut out your monogram, trace onto your felt face down, and cut out. 

Once you have your monogram cut out, pin in to where you want it on your pillow.

This is where I started having some trouble. It took a bit of practice for me to carefully stitch around the m and I got to pick out stitches four or five times. To say I was frustrated would be an understatement. 

I managed to get it mostly right, but see that last leg of the m over on the right? It is sitting just a little higher than the rest of the m. You live, you learn. Next time, spray paint. I am only halfway kidding...

 Pin your pillow sides together, sew, and stuff. 

It turned out really pretty, despite my issues. If you are a talented sewer, I bet you could finish this project in under an hour. I think these would make great newlywed or Christmas gifts. Easy, inexpensive, and personal. Perfect.  

linking:
Show Me What Ya Got 
 