Holiday Apron - Day 141

 I bought this fabulous fabric with some birthday money. I wanted to make a vintage dress and matching apron that I could wear for Christmas. Needless to say I did not have enough time to complete them before Christmas. So I finished it in time for the New Years Eve party we are having at our house. I will show you the apron today. I love pleats and I knew I wanted the top of the apron to have them. I used some leftover material from the boys birthday and some of the polka dot fabric I bought for the dress.

 

 Then I looked all over my house for any red fabric I had and draped it on a bias so it flows beautifully. I liked the asymmetrical look and I didn't finish any hems or seams so you get a rough effect against the nice fabric. I also added some white pom-poms.

   

It is just so classy! I love it! It is the nicest apron I have ever made/owned! I can't wait to try it out!

Model: Barbara the dress form

Taquitos - Day 140

 I made these taquitos the other day and they were yummy. I didn't follow the recipe exactly because I didn't have black beans or regular peppers, onions or corn tortillas. I used red bell peppers, green onions, pinto beans, and flour tortillas. It was ok, but I think it would have been better with the right ingredients. I will link you the real recipe.

Mr. Hammy - Day 139

 I want to introduce you to a friend of mine. Mr. Hammy. We started our friendship at college and has followed me since. He is an ironing buddy. You know when you go to iron a piece of women's clothing that is supposed to be 3D (bust) and it makes weird folds cause the fabric doesn't know where to go? Me. Hammy fixes this problem. He is made especially for placing under bust points and any other 3D part of a garment so you can iron it properly. Also this is a good tool for when you are making a dress shirt. You form the collar here. So his real name is just Ham and I am sure you can find him at fabric stores!

Did you know the difference between a garment looking homemade or store bought is the ironing? It is everything in finishing the look of a garment. So  a little lesson in ironing: There are three components of ironing: Heat, pressure and moisture. Did you know that the average person doesn't leave the iron on the garment long enough for it to do anything? We are so scared of burning that the garment suffers. So you need to have the highest heat you can for the garment, use pressure (that is why the old iron Irons are so heavy), and use the steam button. That is my favorite step in ironing. It totally makes things easier!

Mr. Hammy under the bust of a dress I am making!

Scraper thingy - Day 138

 My mom found this awesome tool at Wal-Mart. It is less than a dollar and is awesome! It is a wedge design and an easy grip. It gets EVERYTHING off dishes. I use all day long and is a lifesaver. I love that it is so cheap!

Treasure box - Day 137

 Daniel and I have been wanting to get Benjamin his own little treasure box. Daniel had one growing up and he loved it so he wanted Ben to have one too. I had been looking for one for months. Finally we found one at a flea market. It was in pretty rough shape. Everything that is metal was nasty. I had to replace it all. The inside had a yucky chain that had to be removed. Then the inside needed to be covered. So I did what every crafty person would do....modge podge. We found some cool map paper and I placed it all over the inside. It looks awesome now and I was actually kind of jealous that I didn't have one. Ben loves it and we got him a little lock and key to put on the front so only he can get into it. I can't wait to see what he tries to hide in there. Good and not so much alike!

 

Angry birds - Day 136

 Here is the second hat I made and it belongs to Ben. I pictured them both together so you can get the full effect. They got their pictures with Santa in them!

Merry Christmas - Day 135

Here is a gimps into our Christmas!

Christmas Eve making cookies for Santa.
Ben has his finger in the frosting. The next pic taken he was licking the finger.

We Started a new tradition this year of putting crepe paper up in the hall so the kids can't get through until we are all ready. Then they bust through!

 

The kids loved their gifts. They loved ripping open the wrapping paper. Most of the time Ben helped Tayrien open his.

Santa key - Day 134

 

I saw this idea last year and started on it, but finished it this year. We do not have a chimney so there is this dilemma of how Santa gets in. I found this cute little skeleton key and made a bag to hold it. We put it on the front door knob Christmas ever in case Santa wants the easy way in our house. I painted a key on the front using a freezer paper stencil and fabric paint. It looks a little blobb-ish.

 Ok, so I hate it and before the paint was dry I made something else from book paper, fabric and hot glue. I cut out circles from the book paper and crumpled them up a few different ways. Then I folded each one in half and then half again. So quarter size. Then I glued them onto a felt piece. Then I made a rosette out of red and white fabric and glued it to the center. I put some bling on and then glued the whole thing to the front. I love this so much more than the boring old blob!

Puppet nativity - Day 133

 My mom had the pattern for nativity puppets years ago and recently made them for an enrichment activity. I was able to make a set myself. The boys are really into puppets so they love these.

Oh and i had to throw this pic in. Ben playing with play dough!

30 day vegan challange - Day 132

I got this wonderful book yesterday! I am so excited! It has been on my wishlist ever since I decided to go vegan. It is so much better than I thought! This book helps you transition from meat eater to vegan. She helps you find and make good food and gives you the knowledge you need. If you are serious about changing your diet, this is the book you need!