A Sweet Little Find

While at the coast this weekend, we came across the most beautiful furniture (although my mom would disagree). Upon talking with the owner of the store, she directed us to another store. This store belongs to the lady who refinished said beautiful furniture. When I walked into this store, it immediately made me think of one of my friends who adores all things girly, white, and vintage. See what I mean?

Ironically enough, the store is named Sweet Potato Vintage and if you are ever in the Cape Carteret area, you should absolutely stop in and see what she has. Of course, I never take my camera anywhere, so you will have to deal with the camera phone pictures. Oh what I wouldn't give to have the talent to do this myself.

Love this round table. The top tray can be removed and used as a serving tray and you would never know it had been removed by looking at the furniture. How neat!

My husband fell in love with this bench...it can be converted to a table just by pulling the back down. And that is not a painting above the bench. It is a mirror reflecting all the "pretties" in the shop. Like I said, definitely worth a stop if you're in the area. Of course, much to my dismay, I left the store empty handed. Maybe I'll have a better end result next time :).

Can We Say "Last Minute Teacher Gifts"

Well, I made a mistake yesterday of going over to a friend's house. My mistake lies in the fact that I saw her making the most adorable flowers, which she had sent me the link for but I didn't want to take the initiative to try it. I felt pressured (not really pressured, but I like to place the blame on her:)) to make them too. So, last night, I stayed up way too late and made these little pins. Sorry for the poor picture, but it was late and I only had my phone nearby. A phone which had a dead battery which meant no flash, but I had to document these cute little things. Also made a precious hair bow out of these flowers for my 1st grader to wear on her first day of school. Stuck these pins on a piece of Sassy & Co. cardstock and sent them on their merry way. For a tutorial...because we all know I didn't come up with this on my own...click here. Don't be intimidated. Super easy, so give it a try. The possibilities are endless.

Almost 7 Years Later...

(sorry for the crooked pic...it will drive my hubby insane)

We are loving our new master bath. My husband didn't think he wanted to do this little project; however, I think he is enjoying it more than I am. I will tell you some tips I have for doing a bathroom remodel. Price shop online and then go to your local stores and ask them to price match. I found these mirrors at our local lighting store. I then came home, found them online for $40 less, went back to my local store where they agreed to match the price. Not only did I save $80, but I didn't have to wait for them to be shipped to me. Double instant gratification. Also, if you do custom cabinetry, you can save some money by picking out your own countertops. Go to your local natural stone installer. They usually have remnant pieces and will only charge you to cut the pieces to your specifications. This saved us 50% on the granite alone.

Also, this pretty lady...a 1920 Kohler clawfoot tub. I found her at our local architectural salvage and even after having her sandblasted and refinished, we saved $2300 (compared to a new clawfoot tub.) Not to mention the fact that I love giving something old a new look. And what lady doesn't need a shiny new accessory? I mean, I couldn't bring the ole girl home and not give her a little bling bling! :)

Here are the shower and water closet...separate...as they should be. Words cannot express how much we love this shower. All other bathrooms in our house have been completely neglected since this remodel was completed. This little number has been a huge backsaver...no more bending over tubs to bathe children!!! Just wash em, spray em, and send them on. Added bonus, there is also another shower head on the other side so that we don't get cold while giving them showers.
And last but not least, in my husbands words: "I had to girl it up!" He should know he's fighting a losing battle. There are lots of ruffles in his future.

Long, Long Ago

When we bought this house, I knew the bathroom needed a little overhaul. Poor design mixed with white floor tile (not a good combination with long, dark hair) made for little enjoyment. Everyone should enjoy their master bath.

His and her vanities,large (too large for the space) soaking tub, small shower (decided to spare you the disgusting view of the inside)...this room was also the water closet. Who does that? Who puts the shower and toilet in a room together, yet separate from the other portion of the bathroom???? Also, please note that I did not paint the shower room. Tacky? Maybe, but I was holding out hope that our bathroom would not stay this way long enough to warrant painting a room only seen by my husband and I. I made the best of it for almost 7 years. Maybe I will have a post tomorrow with the new and improved. No promises...after all, it is summer and there is warm weather to enjoy.

There Goes the Neighborhood...

This is what our yard looked like for a couple of days!


Think the neighbors were happy?
Stay tuned for before and after pics of our latest project.

Did someone say pattern?

One of my favorite things to do as a seamstress is to make something without a pattern. I use to be afraid, but with a little encouragement from friends, I am somewhat fearless. Generally, we will find a picture in a catalog of a dress or pair of paints costing way too much. Not being willing to pay that price, my friends encourage me to figure it out. Well, this past weekend we did just that.

See these pants? Chasing Fireflies Photo

They can be yours for the low, low price of $98.
Or, you can figure it out like we did and make them yourself.

How fun are these?

See this dress?
Chasing Fireflies Photo

Yours, too, for the same price.

Here is my version.
Not an identical match...I know. But it will work for me. Now, if I can just talk my friends into splitting the price of the pattern software, we'll be in business.

My hubby...my hero...

This past weekend, my girlfriends and I had the opportunity to get away for a long weekend and it was fabulous. While I was away, my wonderful husband was left with all of my duties (minus laundry). He did a great job and I am so blessed to have him in my life. He went on a field trip with our middle child, on which he had a group of children from her class plus our youngest child (who apparently was not on her best behavior). He took them to Chuck E. Cheese...something even I would not tackle by choice. In addition to that, we are doing some work around the house, so he had to pick up supplies. One of the workers that was at the house, decided it was "bring your child to work and let the homeowner watch him" day...all weekend. Poor guy. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, but he survived and so did the girls.

As for me, I had a delightful time. We sewed...A LOT!!!! And then we sewed some more. It was so much fun.

In addition to sewing, we had a little time for this... and this.... and I finished the weekend with this...

For a more detailed and well written post about what we accomplished, I'll turn it over to Amy. I forgot my camera, so I had to use the camera phone. I'm sure her pics are much better.

A great time was had by all and we have already started planning our next trip...once our hubbies recover from this one. Regardless of how much fun we had, it is always so good to be home.

Shower for some Sweet Peas

I recently had the pleasure of hosting a shower with some friends for my sister-in-law. I have been waiting for this opportunity for quite some time. These little twin boys are quite a blessing and it was such a joy to be able to provide their mamma with some much needed adult social time. The theme of the shower was a garden theme along with two peas in a pod.

This is what I like to call a growing tree. It is covered in Bible verses regarding growing, loving, nurturing...all things a garden (and family) need to thrive.Some of my shower ideas came from TomKat Studios. Have you ever visited that blog? Let me just say...Oh My!!!! I am in love with her party ideas.

This little number was an idea I got from Bakerella. Cute, cute stuff. She used cake pops...I didn't have time for that. I had a friend dip marshmallows in chocolate and then I topped them with the flowers.

So, enjoy your visit at these other blogs and I hope you enjoy the pics from the shower.

Oh, and I have included two recipes from the shower that I hope you enjoy.

Pesto Cheeses
1 block of sharp cheddar cheese
1 block cream cheese
Pesto Dip (I used Basil Pesto Dip)

Put cream cheese in the freezer. While that is chillin' cut block of cheddar cheese in half lengthwise, then cut into 1/4 inch slices. Pull our cream cheese and cut in the same fashion. Layer cheeses (like dominos) but closely together and spread pesto dip on top. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Serve with crackers. Easy and yummy!

Grape Salad
2 1/2 lbs. of grapes
8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup sugar

Blend sugar, cream cheese, and sour cream until smooth. Fold in grapes. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Just before serving, add 3/4 cup brown sugar, stir and then drizzle with caramel. You could also add nuts if you'd like. I prefer it without them. Enjoy! Easy Peasy.

Auction, Auction!!!

What happens when your closest friends find out you can sew? You get drafted into making items to be auctioned. That is quite a daunting task. Think about it. Your handy work on display for people to bid on. It's not like you can set a price and people can decide whether or not they want to buy it. They actually put down what they want to pay for it. Of course they are not going to put down top dollar...I know that. The bidding starts out fairly low and I inevitably find myself walking by the table to see what the bid is at...again and again. I also know that it's not about how much it goes for, but the fact that it's a donation for a good cause. However, my human nature gets the best of me. Anyway, here are the items I recently made for the auctions. Which might explain why I haven't been blogging very much! :)

First Auction Outfits

Ruffler Dress

*Octopus Pajamas

*Disclaimer: Octopus was cut out by Amy!

Auction #2




















Ruffler Dress again

and

Dragonfly Pajamas


How cute and sassy are these little girls. While I would proudly claim them on any given day, these precious models belong to Amy...as do the outfits. So glad I get to see them on these girls. Even happier that if the outfit falls apart, the owner will gladly send them my way to repair. :)

The Job He has for Me...Now!

This post is in no way meant to toot my own horn about my sewing...so please do not take it that way. It's definitely not a horn worth tooting. However, every time I go somewhere with my girls and they are wearing an outfit I made,

there is "ooing" and "aahhhing"(it helps to have stinkin' cute models :))
and inevitably the statement, "You could sell that you know". And yes, I know that I could sell it. I know that people would buy it. And besides the fact that I have very little confidence when it comes to the quality of my finished product, I just know that is not what He has in store for me at this point in my life. I would love to sew children's clothing. It really is a passion of mine. I love the look of the finished product and the joy that comes from knowing I made it. Amy even designed a logo for me so that I could have my own label. Isn't it awesome!
(We laugh and say that she is the "Co")
Here is the bottom line...I could do it and it would consume a lot of my time. My time is not the issue...my family time is. Not only would I be taking away my free time (said with lots of laughter), but I would be taking time away from this...

This is what He has in store for me. This is God's will for my life right now and I am loving every minute of it...well, almost every minute...we all have those moments we wish calgon would take us away from. Maybe one day I will pursue my other passion, but this is my moment in time to make an impact in the life of my family for His glory.

It's All in How You Word It...Or Is It?

I'm fighting back tears with all my might as I type this. I just finished a phone call with the school psychologist for my oldest child. She recently turned eight, which means they can no longer use the educational diagnosis of "developmentally delayed". So she was evaluated and the school psychologist said that it was up to the IEP (Individual Education Plan) team, which includes us as parents, to decided what her overall diagnosis would be. She was leaning towards "Intellectually Disabled." I realize that some of you may think this is no big deal. In the scheme of things, it probably isn't. I, however, know that this is a term recently adopted to replace the term "Mentally Retarded". I HATE the word retarded!!! It should be omitted from the English language. It just makes me want to slap someone when I hear them say it. So, I am aware that intellectually disabled is less harsh than mentally retarded, but it still cuts to the bone when someone is referring to your child...your very own perfect blessing from God. That's what she is to us. God's precious, perfect gift and I can't imagine how ordinary our lives would be without her. The way she is so proud of not putting her shirt on backwards, or doing something "all by herself", telling us that she loves us and we are her best friends. I love the way she is so nurturing to all the baby dolls who are real in her mind. I love that she has taught us the true joy and appreciation for every milestone in a child's life. So, while I am sad to think of my perfect child being intellectually disabled, I am thrilled to know that God thought we were the perfect parents for her! What an honor. So, if that is the diagnosis that we all decide on, I will proudly say that I am the parent of an Intellectually Disabled Child because that was God's plan all along! I am a firm believer that His plan is always bigger and better than anything we could imagine for ourselves.

We interupt the formerly exciting post to bring you...

Kendra...at My First Kitchen. I have taken several cooking classes from her and she is awesome. She is hosting a give away today for the movie "Food, Inc.". Head on over to her site and you'll have a chance to win as well.

Fabriholics Anonymous

They say the first step to overcoming addiction is admitting that you have a problem. I am here to tell you...I have a problem. But can you really blame me? I mean look at this...


I ordered all of these glorious fabrics from Allegro fabrics and they are having a sale this month to celebrate their two year anniversary. When my husband delivered this bundle of fabric to me, I thought I was going to leap out of my charm. I am a pretty subdued person (unless presented with confrontation), so for me to show such emotion, it can only mean one thing. I LOVE FABRIC!!!

Just Precious!

These babies need your prayer!

Awesome Friends

Have you ever had that person in your life that is uncomplicated and has lots to offer? Well, I have a friend who is oh so talented. She has painted many objects in my house. She is quite the artist...although, you will never hear her say that. I sew for her... she arts it up for me. It is so easy to be friends with her. She gives and gives and gives and requires nothing in return. Don't get me wrong, I am required to remember both her children's schedules and mine and I am often reprimanded when SHE forgets something. But other than that, she is absolutely the greatest friend a girl could have. All of this to say, she started a blog a few months ago. I have been telling her for years that she needed to start one, but she claimed the same thing we all do..."I don't have time". Well, here she is in all her glory...meet Amy. I am so excited to introduce her to you because she is showing the remodeling process of her house. They are done...for now. I've known this couple for 11 years and I know better than to think they are really done. This is their 2nd house remodel.

They both have a vision for things that I could've never thought. I hope you enjoy her blog. Be careful...you might become addicted.