4th Birthday Dress + Rainbow Cake

The twins celebrated their 4th birthday on the first day of spring. We had a fun, low key day - hanging out, doing whatever they wanted with cake and corn dogs for dinner followed by their first time at the movies to see Rango. (I liked the movie maybe even more than they did!)



They love baking and helped to make a 4-layer rainbow cake with funky frosting -yum! (I've seen this idea several places online, but sorry no links as to where).

Even though they knew we put food coloring in the mix it was still a surprise to cut the first slice!

Leah got a special birthday dress made with Simplicity 2767 in her current fav colors - pink and green. The fabric is from lines Hunky Dory (Chez Moi) and Hushabye (Tula Pink). She loves it and is wearing it again today even!

The sleeves are the very best part of the this dress! The little pleats make it extra special.

An invisible zipper down the back (although the invisible part didn't work out quite right).

And of course the matching hair ties. Her hair is just so sweet in low pigtails.

Keegan is a jeans and sweatshirt guy just like his dad and picked out his own clothes here. I didn't push it since it was his day. He got his first BB gun and ran around exclaiming "I got a real gun just like dad!"

Unfortunately he isn't quite strong enough to cock it on his own yet. Maybe by fall he can go squirrel hunting with dad.

They both had a great day and I must say having a small family party is so much less stressful for all of us than a big party with tons of guests the kids don't really know. This is definitely the way to do it.

(Despite that last statement, did you see this Dora themed party on Prudent Baby? Crazy!!)

we QUILT this city

Finally, finally Mr K's quilt is completed!! Can't believe it took almost 6 months! Don't know why I have that Starship (Jefferson Starship?) song in my head but it's there to stay.

Very orange. It didn't turn out quite like I'd imagined but he still loves it. I guess I bought that orange because it was the only high quality solid at the fabric store that matched the color scheme.

Rather than quilting, I just sewed around the boxes - on the inside and outside.

I really like the contrast of the light binding on the edges. Hours and hours of hand stitching that on but the result really is worth the effort.

Right after these pics, he wanted to go inside and make the bed with his new quilt. Am sew glad he loves it!

Enjoy the sunshine today!!

All That Glitters

It's can't believe its been a week since I've updated. This chilly, gloomy (and as of this morning - snowy) weather has really put me in a funk that's proving hard to shake. I've been lazy, unmotivated and am having trouble concentrating - blah, blah, blah. Please come back to me warm spring weather!

But enough complaining. Here's some fun projects featuring glittery goodness that will hopefully lift the spirits:

First, I about died laughing when I heard my step-son muttering underneath his breath, "The singing princesses live in the stinky castle," while being forced to watch yet another Disney princess movie. Being outnumbered 3 to 1 by girls means that this poor guys vote often gets over-ruled. I guess this statement was his passive-aggressive way of letting us know - hey, this sucks.

I added in lots of pink, glitter and bling to symbolize the world he is stuck living in. The sparkly pink frame is perfect around the face that says "uh, not again!" And finally got a chance to use those princess chipboard die-cuts my daughter insisted on getting.

Oh and I finally found a use for all those clear stamp backings I've been saving! You can print on them just like transparency paper! Just make sure to let it dry completely before handling so it doesn't smudge.

Secondly, here is a wedding cake card I've been dying to make using that amazing resist paper from Pink Paislee and some glittery ribbon. The flowers are actual wedding decor flowers, not a scrap supply. And the initials are just random. Will have to switch them out when I actually give this card away.

Hope your day is going well...

They Call Me Mr. Pig

Say hello to our new friend, Ned. We brought him home on Sunday and he is already quite adjusted to his little piggy pen and is comfortable with us, the kids and the dogs too.

So comfortable in fact that he tried to mount the dog but we won't share photos of that here. Despite that incident :) , they are fast friends.

Since I've had a bit of a cloudy head all day, I'll share a list of fun facts with you about pigs:

1. Not even the shrieks of 3 toddlers who have just discovered they are sharing their bath with a wolf spider can top the ear-shattering squeal of a pig who does not want to be picked up. Yikes.
2. Boy pigs have teets too. 8 of them.
3. Even though he is the same size as our small dogs, this piggy already weighs 26 lbs - as much as our 3 year old daughter.
4. Pigs root around with their snouts, tearing up the grass and what not. It's almost like another appendage and quite adorable.
5. This little guy likes to nibble on loose clothing and also on doggy tails.
6. A pig is an omnivore and eats anything from grain to beef to egg shells. They aren't picky.
7. Some people say that pigs are as smart as dogs and need just as much attention. This little fella has gotten plenty so far.
8. When he is full grown (hopefully by the end of Autumn) he could weigh up to 200 lbs. Now that's a lot of bacon!

Sadly bacon is what he will become but we told the kids that (and I keep telling myself too) right from the start so hopefully it won't be too hard when the time comes to butcher. Either way, I'll feel a lot better knowing exactly where that bacon came from. And who knows, maybe if this little venture turns out alright, we'll get a billy goat or maybe some chickens.

Lots more to share this week, hope I get around to it all! Hope you stop back!

Storytime + Brave Girl

Today was the perfect to day to work on outside projects. So warm in fact, that I wore a tank top to paint the curb dresser we picked up this morning (soon to be a TV stand) and to help my hubby build the pen for the pig we picked up from a friend this evening. That's right - we have a pet pig! He's so cute, can't wait to share pics!

Also wanted to share a couple challenge pages from current and past SC sketches.

First is a sketch taken from April's page. The design was so cute so I pretty much left it alone. Every Wednesday morning we go to story time at the local library. The kids love hearing stories read by another person and it gives them the chance to interact with some other kids.

I finally used the bookshelf stamp as well as 3 other stamp sets. I tell ya, having my stamps organized in an album rather than shoved away in a box really makes a difference. They actually get used. Also used a colored cardstock which I rarely do with happy results.

The page was made using the current sketch from Waleska. Her page was pretty minimal but I added in a bunch of extras. Also flipped to sketch sideways. This page is about my daughter's recent trip to the ER with some pics from her playing at the park the next day.

You can't see well in the picture but she had some exterior damage that I circled to highlight.

Well that's all for tonight. Am ready to crash.

Paper Issues Blog Hop!!!

Today is the start of a brand new issue at Paper Issues and we are hosting a blog hop to celebrate! Come on over and link up your favorite projects, about your favorite subjects, using your favorite products - that's right, the theme for the next 2 weeks is favorite things. 

I created these magnets to display our kids' favorite drawings on the fridge that has all my favorite food inside - well that's a fav but really has nothing to do with it. ;) Symbols of springtime - birds, flowers, rainbows, sun are my favorite to incorporate into projects. I used some of my favorite manufacturers - BG, MME, Crate, Bazzill, SC - as well as favorite techniques - machine stitching, paper piecing, layering, misting. These will def make me happy every time I go to open the fridge.

Even got a little crazy here with the puff paint!

The sun for my step-son (sorry can't resist a pun!)

And a little potted flower for the sun to shine down on. There are 2 strong magnets on the back of each so they can actually hold paper - there is nothing more annoying than pretty magnets that can't serve their intended purpose!

Now for the best part - the RAK! I am giving away a pack of paper with coordinating embellies. You can enter to win by leaving a comment below and by becoming a follower of this blog. Reblog or repost a link to the hop for a second chance to win (leave a link in the comments please)! I'll keep this open until April 2nd and will draw a winner that day.

Head back to Paper Issues site for a chance to win some Crate goodies and to link up some favorite projects of your own. Thanks for stopping by! xo

In the Aviary - 2 pager

Two page layouts just kill me! but I challenged myself and put one together anyway. It's so much easier to fill all that blank space when you cut it down to 8 1/2" x 11" sheets and I'm hoping will add a little extra visual interest to our mostly 12x12 page albums.

This one is from our trip to the Blank Park Zoo. It's too cold for most of the animals outside but all the birds, fish, and amphibians in the aviary are fairly active. The kids like to chase the birds best of all anyway.

I had a little fun creating a terrarium with chipboard and patterned paper, enclosed in JBS clamshell packaging. Have wanted to make one of these with real plants forever but this will have to do for now.

That's all for tonight. Stop back tomorrow to participate in the Paper Issues blog hop - there will be lots of RAK given away! xo

Refashion: Mourning Gown

We had the misfortune of starting off the week with a funeral - our landlady passed away on Friday at the age of 92. She was such a sweetheart - couldn't hear a thing - but always lots of good jokes and lots of candy. She will be missed and I only hope that if I should live as long to have as much energy and feist and wit as she did. They told so many funny stories at her funeral about the things she said that it was hard to feel sad - and I don't think she would have wanted it any other way. Her life was certainly long and full.

Of course it is standard to wear black as a symbol of mourning but the only thing my daughter owns in black is a pair of leggings and a faded Harley tee that was once mine. After digging through the donate pile, I found a sparkly black dolmain sleeve top that was too large and got to work. The material is so stretchy so no zipper required. Also added some nude satin and tulle at the sleeves and chest.

The sleeves and bodice are a mix of a couple different Simplicity patterns and the skirt is just 2 rectangles.

It won't be long until her hair is the color of that hay again.  Here's the before of the shirt:

I'll be linking this up at Project Restyle.

This little stinker also had her first visit to the ER yesterday. She fell off the tetter-totter at the park from about 2 feet and conked her head on the metal bar below. She kept falling asleep and was disoriented on the ride home and then threw up pretty hard so we raced into town! Nothing big like this has ever happened before and I was terrified. Turns out it was nothing - not even a small concussion - thank goodness. Needless to say, we won't be playing at that park anytime soon. At least until they remove all the busted old equipment.

Monday, Monday

So I have been MIA for the last week and have felt a little guilty about neglecting this blog and all my online stuff really - but not that guilty. The weather is getting nicer here and the kids and I have been away from the house, spring cleaning fever has hit me and also I've been working on projects for the twins' birthday and my sister's upcoming baby shower. Mostly stuff I can't share just yet.

I finished this mini album for my sister last week. You can see the rest of the details up on the Lucky Girl blog here - it is the Friday Fun Day project. You can use it or any of the other inspirational projects created by the Lucky Girls for a chance to win April's kit - A Boy and His Toys. Believe me, we just saw the contents of this kit last week and you are not going to want to miss it!

I also created one final project with the leftovers of my March Lucky Girl kit, Homemade Happiness. There are just a few left in the store and boy does this kit go a long way! Love this picture of the girl's kissing their brother, he was quite unhappy about it and that makes it even cuter. I used a PageMaps sketch for the design.

The newest challenge also went up last week at XOXO girls week - you can enter it here. There are 16 pages to choose from and all you have to do to enter is scraplift one or more for a chance to win an awesome prize from our sister site, Candy Shoppe Designs. I love these photos of my stepdaughter and MIL from last fall - they just look so happy together!

Hmm, let's see... here is my photo for Project 52 from last week. Taking all these photos of myself is starting to feel a bit narcissistic so I'm considering abandoning but am not sure. Maybe I'll just compile all the pics in an About Me album. My daughter might appreciate that someday.

Last is a page made using the weekly challenge at Studio Calico to use scraps. All the little bits on my desk went onto this page and now it is clean! Sadly I am really behind and this challenge ended on the 7th! I thought it was last weeks! Not my usual style, but I really really like how it turned out. It reminds me of my talented friend Michelle.

Well that's about it. I'll be around again this week but I have a feeling the nice weather will be making posts more sporadic. Later alligator.

Lucky Girl blog hop winner

Congrats to Valerie Durham! You are my winner from the blog hop!! Please email Jessica at jasafras98@yahoo.com to receive your redemption code for $7 in store credit to the Lucky Girl Crafts store!

March Counterfeit Kit

The March kit is up at Counterfeit Kit Challenge and they are putting together kits from Studio Calico. I actually was given a subscription as a Christmas/birthday gift (thanks mom!!) but there was one add-on, Sunny Clearing, and a few embellishments I would have really loved to get too from add-on 4 but did not.

So here is my add-on kit, matched as closely as possible:

The papers are yellow Jenni Bowlin, multi-stripe BG and blue BG from Urban Prairie collection, red Studio Calico, which doesn't really match but turns out I don't have many red papers at all, Cosmo Cricket journaling cards and Crate die-cut paper. I may even stitch around the edge to look more like the KI paper.
The ribbon is a really close match only the plaid is blue rather than red and the ric rac is red instead of blue.

I DIYed the alpha, which was originally pink to look like the thickers in the kit. They are painted yellow with a JBS paint dabber in Lemon Drops and then stamped with a graph stamp covered in red ink. The flower button was also paint dabbed.

To recreate the Cosmo Cricket doilies from the kit, I stamped some doily stamps onto yellow paper (and blue and pink) and cut them out. The butterflies and medallion are both Martha Stewart punches.

From the Wildflower add-on, I included the pink buttons, pink alpha and made some tulle flowers. These cost $5 for a package but I purchased the tulle ribbon from our Ben Franklin store for 16 cents per yard and had enough to make 3 sets.

For the blue, cut 10 3" circles, layer on top of one another, fold in half then snip with a scissors close to the middle but not all the way through. Sew to secure and fluff.

To make the pink and yellow flowers, cut a 12" strip of tulle ribbon, twist loosely and fold in the middle to make the first flower petal. Sew down and make 4 more petals. Put a brad in the center and voila.

Can't wait to get started creating with this counterkit! I am so glad I break down and buy it because almost everything was already in my stash!

weekend update

Hello! Hope everyone is having a great weekend! We've been home all day, just relaxing and I've spent the last hour putting together a big pan of manicotti - it's the first time I've made it and though wow, was it time consuming, it smells like it will be well worth the effort.(PS - We've ate and I'm still writing this post. SO good! Find the recipe here).

Anyway I just realized the final project I created for my guest stint at Design Dollies never was posted here even though the Trifecta challenge started on Monday. Eek! It's a combo of the weekly sketch, color combo and elements challenges. As a bonus, everything used here came out of the scrap bin.

Also got a little progress accomplished on my step-son's quilt that was started last fall - all that's left is the binding!!

Rather than actually quilting, I just sewed around the blocks on the inside and outside of the border. Here's a close-up:

One final project I completed this afternoon was a layout using the Feb sketch at Sweet Peach Crop Shop.

I just pulled a bunch of random colorful stuff outta my stash to coordinate with this fun photo we took modeling the dress I made last week (or was it the week before, hmmm? either way,see more details here). The girls play dress up all day long but the truth is, I love to do it just as much as they do!!

Here's a close-up of the details.

And another of my first attempt flick-misting with the end of spritz tube. Love the look! I would just die to win the kit that is the prize for the sketch challenge - their is a vinyl paper in it (from their August kit) that I am seriously coveting!! Wish me luck! xo