A Simple Thank You

I simply cannot get enough of the Simple Stories papers. They are so cute! I made this card for my dear friend on the East Coast that opened her home to us while we were there. It was so sweet of her and her husband to let us bombard them like that. Our kids had so much fun playing together and we had a great time catching up. So, thank you Amy and Anil! 

Pillowcase Dress

Hanna Andersson is selling these dresses for $28. Granted, their fabric choices are bold and beautiful, but seriously, $28? When I saw this pattern by Simplicity for pretty much the exact same dress, I decided to go for it. Especially when on the pattern, it says "It's So Easy". I went to Joann's, my second home next to any crafting store and found this bold, red pattern that I thought Paige would like. After reading and rereading the directions on the pattern, with the assistance of my mother-in-law at times, I finally was able to piece it together. I forgot how confusing these sewing instructions can be sometimes. I made my client happy once again and got good practice in for Paige's Rapunzel dress that we will be making for Halloween this year. Thus the reason her hair is getting so long!

Celebrate.

I recently discovered a great line of papers from Simple Stories. I love the coordinating paper and the ease of which to use for scrapbooking and cardmaking. I used the balloon stamps from Stampin' Up to create this card. I also sewed on a card for the first time! 

Sew Happy

I can't even remember how long it's been since I have been wanting my own sewing machine. I must have been a good girl this year, because Santa finally brought me one. The days of borrowing everyone else's is over, yay! My first project was to make a simple skirt for Paige. I choose Valentine fabric and searched the web for a pattern that I thought would be easy to follow. I found one at The Long Thread, a great website for those re-entering the world of sewing after a long hiatus. Although, I struggled with the basting and gathering part, I think it came out pretty good. And the fact that the client was happy made my day.

Happy New Year!

2012 has arrived and while most kids have gone back to school, we have a few more days left to enjoy our beautiful weather. The kids and I went to the park today to meet some friends from Paige's class. I took advantage of the time to grab some quick photos. Paige lost her top tooth last night, so I had to capture her in all her toothless glory.

Merry Kissmas

We are giving a group gift to Nick's preschool teachers and I offered to make the cards for each. Since I order printed Christmas cards for our friends and family, I love having the opportunity to make a Christmas card, from the heart, for teachers and other special people in our lives. This Pure Innocence stamp is so adorable, it's hard to resist! It certainly warms my heart just looking at it. And how cute is the sentiment, "Merry Kissmas"?

We're Camping

We went camping this past weekend along the coast with my best friend, her husband, and son. Even though it was raining on Friday, we took a chance during a break in the storm to set up our tent. Ten minutes into it, it started pouring. Brian and I were soaked from head to toe, but chalked it up to a character building activity. It rained until about midnight, coming down very heavily at times, but luckily the kids slept through it all. My best friend has a different story to tell about that night, but I'll leave it to her to tell it. What a whooper! We woke up to a beautiful day. We spent four hours playing and exploring the beach. Back at the campsite, we went on a family bike ride, grilled burgers, and made s'mores. We made great memories and can't wait to return to the great outdoors, but next time, when there is no rain in the forecast.

The Birthday Girl

My little Halloween birthday girl turns six today. The six things I love about Paige are: her genuine sweetness, caring for others, affectionate, smart, loving, and silly-goofy side. I'm not biased or anything. For her birthday, she really wanted a pool party. So when we decided this last month, we made sure she knew that it was based on the weather. She must have been saying her prayers each night because we had a gorgeous sunny day here yesterday, perfect for a Little Mermaid pool party. Paige and I made bracelets and magnets for her guests using bottlecaps and beads. Most of the papers are from the Cosmo Cricket Sea Salt line which is perfect for a pool party.