Embrace the Retro

I live in a house built back in 1948. We remodeled parts of the house, but the kitchen stayed the same. I have hated the look of my kitchen from day one. I have FINALLY come to accept that my kitchen is what it is. I have decided to embrace the 1950s kitchen. I have lived here for almost 2 years & have no curtains on my windows. SHAME!!! So, I decided to make a valance for my windows & embrace the retro.

I have NO idea what I was doing. I just kind of went with it. I knew I wanted the curtains to have a ruffle, but not sure if I wanted it on the top or the bottom. At first, I thought that I wanted ties to hang the curtains, but decided against it. So, here they are.

I LOVE the ruffle on the bottom. It makes me happy! I think that I captured the retro, but they are also a little modern.

Reflection...

I came across "she left proof" and "she left proof". They talk about Mom's not being in pictures because we are always BEHIND the camera. I know that I am guilty of the same thing. I am hardly ever in any pictures & when I am I criticize how I look...{my hair is a mess, i look fat, i REALLY should have worn makeup that day}. After reading these blog posts...I began to think. Do I ever look back at pictures of my mom & criticize her...NO! I look at the pictures & think how beautiful she is. I am taken back to memories that we shared together. My children deserve the same thing.

Unexpected things happen. You never know what life will bring. I tend to think of moms who unexpectedly pass away, leaving small children behind. Were they in enough pictures?

Am I in enough pictures? I can honestly answer no to that. So, I am going to start a new goal..thank to one of the blog posts above. I will make it a point to take at least one picture of myself with the boys a month. I want to leave my mark on our memories. I want to leave proof that I was there.

Are you in enough pictures with your family or are you the one behind the camera?

Captain America

For Kaden's superhero birthday party...he wanted a Captain America costume to wear for the party. #1..I don't have any clue how to make a Captain America costume & #2...It is going to be about 100 degrees at his party. So, I had to think of another idea. I am loving the blog I Am Momma Hear Me Roar. She has two boys & does all sorts of cute things for them. It is SO hard to find things for boys out there. She did a guest post over at Love Stitched & it was JUST what I needed. An adorable Captain America shirt.

Check it out for the tutorial. She even gives you the stencil that you need to use!

{I buy my shirts at Walmart..they are only $3.50.}



Here is the invite that I made using this picture above & photoshop.

Pinwheel Cupcake Toppers

I am in the process of planning a Superhero Party for my 6 year old. I have a tendency of wanting to go over the top, but can't justify spending the $$...so then I end up over doing it with the things that I make. I have been thinking about this. Who am I decorating for? Am I decorating for the birthday boy or to impress everyone else? Does he care if I have awesome coordinating centerpieces? I don't think he cares about that. So, I am going to try to simplify this party. I am going to try to use things that I already have around the house or other ways to simplify the party & make it all about Kaden. Here is my first simplified project.

I usually make the boys a super cute coordinating birthday cake, but end up being stressed & on edge finishing the cake before the party. So, to fix that I am going to order cupcakes from Sam's Club {simplify...simplify}, but I wanted to make some cute cupcake toppers for the party. At first I was going to make fondant or gum paste stars, but didn't have anything for them. I have seen some cute pinwheel cupcake toppers & I already had the paper for them...SCORE!!! I couldn't find a tutorial on how to make them. So, with a little trial & error...I thought that I would share it with you!

You will need:

3x3 inch squares of paper {double sided would be great, but mine is one sided}
brads
picks or sucker sticks {my picks are from the party store, but you can find sucker sticks at most craft stores}
double sided tape or glue

Here are my 3x3 squares.


I liked to poke a hole in the center of my square...that way it was easier to gage where to cut. Cut a slit from each corner, but do not cut all the way through the center. Then poke a hole through every other corner like pictured below.


I found it easiest to line up each hole with the center hole before starting to put the brad in. You don't want to crease the fold.


Starting at one corner...place the brad in. Work your way around & then put it through the middle hole.


Here is the finished pinwheel's back.


At first, I used double stick tape to keep the pick attached, but ended up putting glue on top of that to make sure it stuck. You might have to decided what works best for you.


The finished product. I will post pictures of the picks in the cupcakes after the party in a few weeks.


Stay tuned for a few more things I will be doing for the party. It will be fun & cute, but simply...just like the kids like it!

Little Guy Ties

I am so excited to show this to you. I just can't tell you how much I enjoy sewing! I love my little boys in cute little ties. But, they are difficult to come by & can be a little pricey. I came across THIS tutorial/pattern for a "little guy tie".

My brother & sister in law got married about a month ago. I used this tutorial to make some ties my boys & two of my nephews for their wedding. It is really fun and addicting to make these ties. The pattern & tutorial are VERY easy to follow with a TON of pictures that will help even the most beginner of sewer!

Jammies!!!

I have been on a major jammie making kick. It all started with making the boys new jammies for when they get their tonsils out. They ended up being pretty easy to make & it was fun, so I kept making them jammies. Then, I decided that I could use some new jammie shorts. It was fun being able to use all of the cute girlie fabric for once too!

So, here are my jammies that I made. Yes, I am headless. I chose to sew instead of get ready today & I don't regret my decision.



Here is another pair that I made...TOTALLY girlie! This picture shows off the drawstring waist a little more.




I used an awesome tutorial over at MADE. I followed the tutorial to the letter. I didn't make the boys shorts have a drawstring, but 3 out of 4 of mine do. The drawstring just adds a little character I think.

If you want a tip...I made a little tag for the back of the jammies. It helps when sewing & if you don't put in a drawstring...it can get kind of confusing! I just used a little piece of muslin that I had left over. I usually sew it with white to finish off the edges, but on this pair...I got too lazy to change the thread...so you get black. Don't look to close at the stitching. I am not a pro AT ALL!!!




Here is a recap on some other jammies that I have made...

Freezer Paper Stencils

I have been wanting to try out Freezer Paper Stencils for a while. I have made quiet a few shirts now & feel like I can tell you how to make them...

Here is the latest freezer paper stencil that I did. The circle is done with this technique. The "K" & lightening bolt are an applique.


You will need...

Freezer Paper {about $5 at Walmart-in the plastic wrap/foil section}
XACTO Knife
Fabric Paint
Iron
Paint Brush
I also like to use a self healing pad
a template for your design {I use photoshop or google the silhouette you are looking for.}
a shirt or something to stencil. {Joanns has really nice shirts that I like to use for pajamas on sale for $3. Walmart has nice solid shirts for about $3.50...just unpick the pocket.}

Here are a few of the items pictured....



I use Tulip Fabric Paint. I have used the "matte" & "pearle" version & like them both. The "pearle" has a little shimmer to it. You can buy it a craft stores & I have seen it at Walmart too.


Place your stencil under your freezer paper. There is a shiny side & a dull side on freezer paper. You want the shiny side to be down. Cut out your design as carefully as you can. Any thing that you cut will show on your shirt or whatever you are stencilling.


Once you have your design cut out. Place the freezer paper shiny side down onto your shirt. Place it how you want it & then iron it down. Be careful not to catch the stencil with the iron...it can tear {speaking from experience}. Make sure that all of your edges are ironed onto the shirt & there are not gaps.


BEFORE YOU START PAINTING...TAKE ANOTHER SHEET OF FREEZER PAPER & PLACE IT INSIDE OF THE SHIRT. This will keep your paint from bleeding to the back of the shirt.

Paint from the outside in. If you go inside to outside...your paint could catch the stencil & bleed out. Try not to do too many coats, but do enough to cover the area.


Once you have painted the whole thing...let it dry. I am not a patient person & I struggle with this.


Once your paint has dried, pull off the freezer paper.


Using a cloth {I use an old pillow case}, cover the painted design & iron over the design to set it.


Then...share the joy with your little ones!


If you need more info on doing an applique...leave a comment. I will also link to the tutorial that I used to make the pajama shorts soon.

Jammies

My babies are both getting their tonsils out next week. I decided to get them some new jammies. Who knew that it would be so impossible to find short jammies in July. So, I decided to try making some on my own. I will tell you a little more how I did it, but I wanted to post the finished product!

Wedding Cake

It has been mighty crazy around here for the last bit. My brother got married yesterday & I made ties for all of the little boys & their wedding cake. I will post pictures of the ties tomorrow, but today I wanted to show off the cake I made.

It was a lot of work, but the bride & groom loved it. I am in NO WAY a professional & I will only make one of these every few years. I had fun making it, but I am so glad that it is over!