Thanks Pinterest

More purposeful crafts ideas from Pinterest!

I'm not sure what's come over me in the last year or 2, maybe it's the realization that I'm really in my 30's and should probably look the part a bit more, but I have rekindled my love of shoes and developed an intense appreciation for fashion jewelry.  That appreciation can mostly be attributed to a fabulous store, Charming Charlie!

We have a wonderful outdoor mall that's really close to our place and several times last summer while walking past the store I expressed to B my desire to go in.  He'd always tell me to go in and take a look but I made the assumption that it was a super chic and expensive store so I always decided not to torture myself.  Well once while at the mall with a friend I decided to throw caution to the wind and went in...

I loved, loved, loved the layout of the store; everything is color coordinated! And then there were the prices...absolutely nothing like I had assumed...I walked out with 2 sets (necklace and matching earrings) that day.  I have returned many times sense, and that explains my need for my next Pinterest projects:  Jewelry Storage!

I went back to Michael's and bought another (smaller) unfinished open back frame. Some craft paint in a shade of my favorite color and some pretty damask ribbon from Joann's.  A towel bar, window screening, and circular screws from Lowe's; some "S" shaped shower curtain holders from Walmart and bugged my neighbor to cut a piece of wood that I had laying around my house...and then I went to work!

Hair Bow Frame

For years I have had the intention of making one of those awesome hair bow frames and well, I just never got around to it until now.  Like I've said previously I enjoy making crafts but I especially appreciate and love crafts that serve a purpose or solve a problem.  And my current problem is what to do with the growing number of bows that I have for the girls.  I have moved them from box to box to larger box and they are now bursting out of said larger box.  Add to that the fact that I am STILL making MORE bows for them, it was past time for me to solve the problem once and for all.

So I went to Michael's and bought a 16x20 unfinished open back frame:

Painted it a beautiful, bright lavender:

Mixed some purple glitter with Mod Podge and apply it to make it sparkle:

Added some pretty rainbow colored ribbon using a hot glue gun:

Hot glued on a pretty flower that matched some of the flecks of glitter and hung on the wall:

Added some of the bows (enough to keep it looking neat) and took a final picture:

Chalkboard Menu

I have completed my first (non-recipe) Pinterest project as well as my first project using my Silhouette Cameo.

It has solved a huge problem I had; remembering what I planned to make for dinner at the end of the week.  I always plan the menu for the week on Sunday night and then go grocery shopping on Monday.  By the time Thursday or Friday rolls around I have usually lost my list AND forgot what was on the menu.

I didn't have a beautiful armoire like the original one I attempted to mimic but I do have some pretty crafty friends.  One is really good at carpentry so I bought the materials (wood board and an open photo frame) and cut it all down to the size I wanted.

I am extremely satisfied by how it turned out and it is serving it's purpose extremely well!

Crochet

I decided it was time to expand my needle craft repertoire and give crocheting a try.  I've been wanting to make some bows that look like roses and none of the knitting patters I tried were working to my satisfaction.  So I searched and found a crochet pattern and decided to give it a go with some help from Youtube.  I have made a few to give to friends and one for each of my girls to wear at Christmas.  The photo below is not my first attempt but it is my best one to date, it has taken me a while to get used to the whole crocheting process.

It's About Time

Back in February I ordered what was to be my Easter Dress, I loved it immediately.  I only had one problem:  the dress had cap sleeves and I hate my arms!  So for a while I contemplated what to do and eventually decided that some pretty yarn I had stashed away for some random future project now had a new purpose - I was gonna knit myself a cardigan to wear with the dress.  I only had one problem, at the time when I decided this I was already working on a project and I have a strict policy of not starting a new project until I finish the one that's currently in progress.

By the time I finished the other project, it was March 24th, exactly one month before Easter.  I was kind of in a panic because I wasn't sure if I could knit an entire cardigan in a month's time, but I decided to give it a shot.  I made incredible time, until I made one HUGE, time consuming blunder.  I had finished the back, left side, right side and one sleeve of the cardigan.  I began the second sleeve and then I realized my error, I had misread the instructions and knitted almost the entire first sleeve (aside from the edging) wrong and I knew my only option was to pull it out and start again.  I was extremely frustrated with myself, I had wasted 4 nights knitting a sleeve WRONG and what annoyed me even more was that my perfectionist self didn't catch my mistake until I was knitting the second sleeve.  So I finished the sleeve I was working on and then set out to pull all of the stitches out of the incorrect sleeve and start it over again.  Up until this point I was pretty confident that I would make my deadline but even this setback didn't completely deter me because at this point I still had two weeks before Easter.

Re-knitting the sleeve took longer than it had taken the first time, I believe it took me an extra night and at this point I realized that I needed to start doing some knitting during the day whenever I could sneak it in.  Well I don't have a lot of time during the day to sneak in knitting, I mostly knit at night after Y and B are in bed.  But I made it past the sleeve and still had about one week left to finish it.  It took me one night to sew all the pieces together and then I only had to knit the edging that goes around the the entire outside of the cardigan.  I knew just from looking at the pattern that it would be intense and boy was I right!  It wasn't until the day before Easter that I realized there was no way I would finish it on time.  I had rushed my way through the edging and realized that I had made too many mistakes to be satisfied with it and so the night before Easter, I pulled the entire week's worth of work out and started again. 

I was very disappointed on Easter and even though everyone thought the dress was gorgeous, I wasn't satisfied with it.  But I kept plugging away at the edging at night and found once again that I needed to pull all the stitches out and start again.  I did it with so much frustration that I even contemplated changing the border completely and doing something much more simple but I stuck it out and last night, the day before Mother's Day, I finished the cardigan.  And today, I was finally able to wear the dress and think to myself, "yes, it is gorgeous!"

Anyway, here's some pictures.  I failed to take any close up pictures of my own cardigan that would show the detail so I went to the website and used someone else's picture.  But I will include a photo of me wearing the dress and the cardigan but I beg you to ignore my swollen legs and feet!

Another Project Complete

So it's been quite some time since I have posted any of my knitting projects, mostly because they were all similar to ones I had done in the past and none of them were for me.  This one is different!  It is actually the first project that I have knitted with the intention of keeping.  That's right, it's the first thing that I've ever knitted for ME!!!  And well, I LOVE it!!!  Here are a few pictures!

Q's Birthday Gift

I mentioned a while back that I was going to knit two boleros for my mother-in-law; one for Mother's Day and another for her birthday (which is Thursday).  Well about a week ago I finished the second of the two but have been slow about posting pictures just because I've been a little lazy about posting and slightly preoccupied with packing boxes.  This one was definitely much more challenging than the first and I faced a few minor setbacks with it but I think all of the mistakes I made are well hidden and barely (if at all) noticeable.  Here's the finished product!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY Q (AKA NANA B)!

Just in time...

The pool here in our apartment complex opens tomorrow, so I guess I finished her swimsuit coverup just in time! When I originially started it, I was using only the torquoise and the purple to make the stripes then I ended up stopping this in order to start making Q's bolero for Mother's Day. I ended up with an entire unused skein of which yarn so I decided to start the coverup over from the beginning and incorporate some white in there. Once I got a few rows done, I was so happy that I had started over because adding the white yarn really brightened it up quite a bit. It fits her a little long for now (at her knees) but I'm hoping that means she will be able to use it next summer as well. I think it's adorable and I'm actually contemplating letting her wear it as a dress sometimes as well! Anyway, here are some pictures.

Mother's Day

I am so very grateful to be a mother! I'm also grateful that we have a day to celebrate mothers and reflect on their invaluable influence on our life. Even though I only have one, beloved biological mom I have been blessed in my life to be mothered by many. I have so many amazing women in my life who have and continue to encourage me through their words, and more importantly their actions. I never imagined that I would enjoy, so thoroughly, being a mother or that I would find it to be so rewarding. More so than any career I could have pursued. The hugs and kisses I receive daily are worth more than any monetary amount I could ever receive. And no matter how frustrated I get because I cook something and she won't eat, and then I cook something else and she won't eat that either (you can see the pattern here) I marvel at her each night I get to put her to bed, and as I sneak in her room and watch her sleep that is when I realized how truly blessed that I am to have her AND to have the ability to be with her during the day and see her face light up each time she discovers something new or says a new word or sings a new song. I have the most PERFECT job in the world, I'm a mommy!!!

This Mother's Day was spend in Canada and it was a nice, relaxing mini vacation for me. All I really did was knit and relax. As for gifts I got an iPod dock alarm clock which was expected (I picked it out myself, haha) and a few pairs of earrings which were very unexpected (I LOVE my husband)! My mom recently purchased a gym membership so we gave her some workout clothes and a nifty water bottle so that she can remain hydrated. And for my mother-in-law, well she got what she requested. About 3 weeks ago she asked me if I could knit her "one of those short jackets that everyone wears these days" (those were her words). She was referring to a bolero or shrug as they are more popularly called, but I, being a novice knitter, told her that I couldn't do it because I had never knitted an actual garment before. But I must admit that I do love a challenge so I started looking at patterns and decided that I would make it after all. I am also in the process of knitting her a second one which will be her birthday present. I was slightly stressed about finishing it on time because the only time I have to knit is after we put Y to bed, so I spent many late nights knitting and I still wasn't able to finish it until 11:35pm, 25 minutes before Mother's Day ended! But alas it was done and I am really amazed by it, I still look at the pictures and am in awe of what I did and how fast I did it. I mentioned that it took me about 2½ weeks (give or take) to knit it but that was only working on it for 3-4 hours each night and some nights I didn't work on it at all. I estimate that it took me around 49-50 hours to complete which is pretty amazing considering the lace pattern on the sleeves and the stupid rib border. But anyway, here are the pictures!

On Monday we went and had lunch with one of B's really good friends that he grew up with who has returned to live in the area. Once we returned I put Y down for a nap and left to go out with Q (B's mom) to pick out a corsage for B's brother's prom date on Saturday. We took the long route home, making a few stops on the way and while we were in one store we found some sidewalk chalk. The previous day when Q had taken Y out for a walk Y walked up to a little girl who was playing with sidewalk chalk, picked up 2 pieces and began to walk away as if they belonged to her. And so, the idea of buying Y some sidewalk chalk was born. Here are some pictures of us having fun on the ground. You can see my portrait of their cat (of which I am not a fan) and Q's portrait of herself an P (B's dad). You can also see that Y did more drawing on her own face than she did on the ground...Enjoy!

Baby Blanket

About 2 weeks ago I finally finished the baby blanket that I was working on for a friend, I think it turned out beautifully and I am so very excited for them to use it with their little one. I thought I'd post a picture here for anyone who hasn't already seen it on Facebook. Now that I have completed the blanket I have started knitting some more dishcloths. My Grandma saw the ones I knit for my mom and wanted a few. Once I am done with those I plan on knitting another baby blanket for one of my college roommates who is due sometime in July. I debated knitting her one identical to this one but I think I'll pick out a different one for her...just to keep things a little different.

Part 1 of 4...

I mentioned previously that my next knitting project would be a set of matching mittens and scarves for Y and myself. Well I have finished the mittens that are for me. Since these aren't going to be used until next winter anyway, I have decided that it is okay if I take a little break and come back to finish the other parts later. The reason I'm taking an intermission? Well because a really good friend of mine is having his first baby which is due in May and I really needed to get started on the baby blanket that I'm knitting for the little munchkin. I'm really excited about this blanket and how well it is turning out thus far. I'll post pictures when it's done but for now I'll leave you with a picture of the mittens I knitted. And yes, I did the opposite colors intentionally!

Diaper Keeper

When I posted about my last knitting project I mentioned that I would be making a diaper keeper as my next project. Well I finished that 3 weeks ago and have since started working on my next project which is kind of a 2-in-1 project - I'm making Y and myself a matching set of mittens and scarves (for next winter). Well I'm finally posting a picture of my completed diaper keeper, which I really enjoy! It keeps my purse uncluttered with diapers and wipes, not to mention I just really am pleased with how it turned out. So here goes...

No, this one isn't the one I made, it is instead the one that gave me the idea to make one of my own - only knitted! The main difference (aside from the obvious knit vs. fabric) is that I closed my version with a zipper because as most people know, yarn and Velcro do NOT go well together!

Here comes my creation...

...this is the fabric I used to line the inside of the diaper keeper, it's bright, vivid and I really just liked it in general...

...and this it a picture of it and everything that it holds.

It is great for those quick trips out when I don't need to carry an entire diaper bag worth of supplies.

Knitting

Lately I have really felt like I've been neglecting my blog and the only excuse I have is to say that I really, really, really, really enjoy knitting!!! It is my new found way to just relax and unwind. After Y is down for bed I just sit and knit while B watches TV or looks for houses on the internet. After B goes to bed I knit some more while listening to my iPod. So far I have made a lot of dish clothes for my mom and mother-in-law (I'll include a picture below). The first project I'm working on for me is a diaper keeper. If you haven't heard of this it's just a small pouch for your purse which holds a travel sized wipe case and a couple diapers. If you click the link above you can see some pictures of them. Well I knew I wanted one but decided I wanted to knit mine instead of making/buying one that is sewn. I found an awesome website called Knit Picks which has an amazing selection of yarn in the brightest, most vivid colors you will ever find! I ordered a bunch of yarn and started knitting away at my diaper keeper. I am ¾ of the way done with the knitting part then I'll just have to stitch it up, find a fabric that I wanna use as a lining and add a zipper. When it's done I'll be sure to post a picture of it...I'm really excited about it!!! After that is done I'm gonna try to learn to knit mittens. I'm thinking that I'll make Y and myself a matching mitten and scarf set! I'm beginning to scare myself with how excited I get about my knitting projects. I told my college roommate that I taught myself to knit and she got a HUGE kick out of it...I told you it's a shocker for anyone who has known me for a long time.

I have done a few sets of these in what is obviously my favorite color combinations - black, white and gray. I have even gotten so good at it that if I don't have too much else to do (good luck with that) I can complete one within 24 hours!

My Latest Project

I freely admit it...I am becoming domesticated! To many this probably doesn't seem like a big deal or anything to write a post about. But those who have known me the longest will probably be pretty surprised by this admittance. You see, I was never the one to cook, bake, make things, and definitely would not entertain the notion of being a stay at home mom. But people change and evolve based on their life circumstances - I am living proof.



While in college at Virginia Tech, my roommate LeAnn always wanted me to cook or bake with her. She would come home from class and I would likely be taking a nap (I typically had 8am classes or had to work early) and she would swing open my door and yell: "U, let's make some cookies." At first it was a little weird and then it became funny because she knew that I had no intention of making cookies with her, but she would come in and jump on my bed or whatever it took, but I still never made those cookies. I really think she just got all her joy out of waking me from my long naps.



Fast forward a few years and now I enjoy cooking, baking (when I have the time), and LOVE to try new recipes. The weird thing is that it changed almost overnight. One day I hated everything to do with a kitchen and the next day I got married and loved cooking. I remember relatives asking B what he was going to do since I couldn't cook. I always corrected them by saying, "It's not that I can't cook, it's that I DON'T cook." Once we were married I actually found joy in it...maybe I just needed someone to cook for.

A similar thing happened once I became pregnant. I developed a new found interest in crafts. I would find things that I wanted to put in Y's room and then I would decide that instead of spending a ton of money to buy it I would spend a little money and a lot of time in order to make it myself. Well once she was born AND I was in school the projects pretty much ceased but recently they have started again. You all saw my Christmas cards, well immediately after I finished those I started on another project - hair bows for Y!!! She was born with so much beautiful curly hair that I always wanted to put things in it. Last year it was headbands, which I still love! Unfortunately Y doesn't nearly love them as much as me and as soon as she realizes it is on she pulls it off. I went out and purchased many bows but either couldn't find all the colors I wanted or didn't wanna pay the price that it cost to buy all the colors I wanted. So I did a little research online and found FREE instructions on bow making, found 2 that I liked and went to town making the bows. Fortunately I was able to find a website that sells Grosgrain ribbon by the yard because I didn't wanna purchase full spools of ribbon for the small amount that I actually needed for each bow.



Anyway, I'll quit rambling now but here's a picture of my latest completed project. If you're wondering what is next, I'm teaching myself to knit. I've already started, haven't created any masterpieces yet but when I do you can be sure that I'll post them here!