tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-322152352024-03-15T18:10:29.019-07:00What's Up Cupcake?Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.comBlogger382125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-39712427385333615242023-02-02T10:09:00.000-08:002023-02-02T10:09:39.319-08:00Let me write that down...<p>This past summer, I started bullet journaling after a friend shared how it had helped keep her organized while using her creative skills. Well, really, it all started when she showed me her sticker collection. Prior to that I had dismissed the idea of bullet journaling because 'I didn't need another hobby.' As a long-time Lisa Frank fan and sticker collector (I still have my sticker album from childhood), talk of 'stickers' instantly piqued my interest. I tumbled into the bullet journaling rabbit hole.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqnxZlhUZpeNsOz2MJ0uWEkkNI45URWCIN4gdaDcMB9smv-oCmMaxjZifFAiJIOlhAsZqPw9u-TUUxvL6UfzL-s0_pg6xi-kq-yJ1ikzK1aOlcfXjs8uFGgopAFB3d5I9p2zAToM01e2Wwee1bcr40n6joejAcl5NqDypEPdLHp7rFvI/s3621/AORecap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="An Archer & Olive journal opened up to a monthly recap page for September." border="0" data-original-height="3621" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnqnxZlhUZpeNsOz2MJ0uWEkkNI45URWCIN4gdaDcMB9smv-oCmMaxjZifFAiJIOlhAsZqPw9u-TUUxvL6UfzL-s0_pg6xi-kq-yJ1ikzK1aOlcfXjs8uFGgopAFB3d5I9p2zAToM01e2Wwee1bcr40n6joejAcl5NqDypEPdLHp7rFvI/w267-h320/AORecap.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my Archer & Olive monthly recap layouts.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>For those who are not familiar with bullet journaling, it's essentially a glorified planner or decorated notebook where you can write lists, keep notes, track activities... it can really take any shape that you want. I first started with an <a href="https://www.archerandolive.com/" target="_blank">Archer and Olive</a> bullet journal because that's what my friend used. It's a dot grid notebook on heavy paper that allows you to draw, paint or color, sticker, tear pages or layer designs, etc. It's a blank canvas that you can use to express yourself in any ways possible. I'll admit, that this was a daunting thought. I have never considered paper crafts to be a strong point, but surfing Pinterest made me think this could be a hobby for anyone.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCO-LAGSO8C2xGa8pdM1BQTEH4FTswbEUIdf5Dtynrh8LgmkHzvStsODGDcY1Oe-kFoUMZIo53wUUdj10iMYfnYnDl2M0GKYmNh4L718Ywy4MI-Xa0Uf41McWU0Hzo_04Na-xbjSTmeJWe_dQSA1gwPzo2CmN4FAcpq35d_pRDxKPXvNw/s4032/AOProject.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="A two page layout with illustrations of bins and houseplants on shelves. Bins have text indicating yarn and projects I'm working on." border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCO-LAGSO8C2xGa8pdM1BQTEH4FTswbEUIdf5Dtynrh8LgmkHzvStsODGDcY1Oe-kFoUMZIo53wUUdj10iMYfnYnDl2M0GKYmNh4L718Ywy4MI-Xa0Uf41McWU0Hzo_04Na-xbjSTmeJWe_dQSA1gwPzo2CmN4FAcpq35d_pRDxKPXvNw/w320-h240/AOProject.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A journal spread I made to track yarn projects.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>After filling a couple of journals over the course of a few months, I realized this was definitely an outlet I could get behind. I also started to follow more vendors in the bullet journaling space and realized how many options were out there in terms of notebooks, labels, layouts, stickers, and more. I made a big shift at the end of 2022 away from <a href="https://www.archerandolive.com/" target="_blank">Archer and Olive</a> and in to the more structured space of the <a href="https://www.1101.com/store/techo/en/" target="_blank">Hobonichi planners</a>. Hobonichi planners are Japanese made planners that use an ultra thin paper (Tomoe River paper), and has a few layouts that can include daily, weekly, and/or monthly layouts. I went with the Hobonichi Techo Cousin Avec. That's a mouthful. What it breaks down to is two six-month planners that include monthly, weekly, and daily formats. While I'd prefer to have a 12 month planner, the divided planner helps to account for the fact that it can get pretty bulky, especially if you're loading it with additional materials like stickers. I would like to be able to carry my journal when I'm working or if I'm planning something like as part of a kids school activity, so I went with the broken down version.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgeKOY3FZLGUIHXeLNdITfDHbopYz8tDe5X6TwTzLz75gL_raSHvkDSDQnnYb9q7qE6KpR2lc7BKmLkK7jD4ybjOpL1w7japcNeqo8WqPym8ohyM9xP6xJpe0xPHBLUoTY17ah8y4BCvOvEXAptSMilDxvIlYxJvtU6sHnLjmX1g3MqL0/s3979/HobonichiWeek.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Two pages in my Hobonichi in the weekly layout section. Various stickers and text indicating activities for the week." border="0" data-original-height="2639" data-original-width="3979" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgeKOY3FZLGUIHXeLNdITfDHbopYz8tDe5X6TwTzLz75gL_raSHvkDSDQnnYb9q7qE6KpR2lc7BKmLkK7jD4ybjOpL1w7japcNeqo8WqPym8ohyM9xP6xJpe0xPHBLUoTY17ah8y4BCvOvEXAptSMilDxvIlYxJvtU6sHnLjmX1g3MqL0/w320-h212/HobonichiWeek.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An example weekly spread in my Hobonichi Cousin Techo planner.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>So far I have been thrilled with the <a href="https://amzn.to/3HueTp1" target="_blank">Hobonichi </a>format. I love having the planner functionality with the structure of a calendar, but also the daily pages to write events, notes, or any other thoughts from my day. My sticker collection has also grown immensely, with some of my favorite independent sticker makers being:</p><p><a href="https://i.refs.cc/LX0l2HOw?smile_ref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjoxMzcwNTc2ODEwfQ%3D%3D" target="_blank">The Coffee Monster Co.</a><br /><a href="https://i.refs.cc/SXfgC0ZR?smile_ref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjoxMzUyNDE1ODI2fQ%3D%3D" target="_blank">Once More with Love</a><br /><a href="https://i.refs.cc/PBixTZZ5?smile_ref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjoxMzY4ODM0Njc0fQ%3D%3D" target="_blank">Every Minute a Story</a><br /><a href="https://i.refs.cc/lPYDcmCw?smile_ref=eyJzbWlsZV9zb3VyY2UiOiJzbWlsZV91aSIsInNtaWxlX21lZGl1bSI6IiIsInNtaWxlX2NhbXBhaWduIjoicmVmZXJyYWxfcHJvZ3JhbSIsInNtaWxlX2N1c3RvbWVyX2lkIjoxMzg4NjQ0NjI1fQ%3D%3D" target="_blank">Moody Cats Design Co</a><br /><a href="https://shinestickerstudio.com/" target="_blank">Shine Sticker Studios</a></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeaebMG8mWDGwSAz7SquZZ81F6eRThlglBipkIbw5b9Hp4_uzXh1nh9Bvmz7X_b2kllpiJjCufktkh6rZ0R9KmCPrl_K9MiATH1xFTvRTW6wYHhKrIDL5i1j6Ihr7d6AqeAi-I2d2pb5ykZ2pbDBAwldCLN1UgULam3VErUmbV5F8PkOQ/s3957/HobonichiDaily.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Two daily pages in my Hobonichi planner with stickers and text." border="0" data-original-height="2821" data-original-width="3957" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeaebMG8mWDGwSAz7SquZZ81F6eRThlglBipkIbw5b9Hp4_uzXh1nh9Bvmz7X_b2kllpiJjCufktkh6rZ0R9KmCPrl_K9MiATH1xFTvRTW6wYHhKrIDL5i1j6Ihr7d6AqeAi-I2d2pb5ykZ2pbDBAwldCLN1UgULam3VErUmbV5F8PkOQ/w320-h228/HobonichiDaily.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An example of my daily layout and sticker usage in my Hobonichi Cousin Techo.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>There are honestly so many more, but I tend to order from those the most.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQX5y9Y0ZHSYCKwFAhHuAEJfewgA2_OKqtTnRQ6a9qBFV-1fBU8LdM9UBw73K6X9vk4OjHj-si1MvVYIy7U4U2k3hYsSuNsJzcSfX7s6sXHdQ19dFTX8jPU5zExgRWoiTcER9d2GKBNayoH_1hTmmDgs5N1_qMrWIwWxFPPjrnhpUiDy4/s4030/AOvsHobonichi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="A pink, full Archer & Olive planner next to a covered Hobonichi Techo Cousin planner." border="0" data-original-height="2177" data-original-width="4030" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQX5y9Y0ZHSYCKwFAhHuAEJfewgA2_OKqtTnRQ6a9qBFV-1fBU8LdM9UBw73K6X9vk4OjHj-si1MvVYIy7U4U2k3hYsSuNsJzcSfX7s6sXHdQ19dFTX8jPU5zExgRWoiTcER9d2GKBNayoH_1hTmmDgs5N1_qMrWIwWxFPPjrnhpUiDy4/w320-h173/AOvsHobonichi.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Archer & Olive journal on the left, vs the 6 month Hobonichi with a cover on the right.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>This has then created the issue of sticker storage, of which I've tried a few different solutions. So far, a <a href="https://amzn.to/3Yj6StX" target="_blank">hinged ArtBin case</a> with dividers has proven the easiest to use and navigate. Before that I had been using a binder with protected sheets, but I was constantly running short on space and it was spreading over multiple binders. At the moment, I can contain everything within my one case with room to grow. Thankfully, I use a lot of stickers daily, too, so I have been good at using my collection. It's not a necessity, but I find the act of daily journaling and my weekly planning to be a grounding part of my day. When I'm feeling overwhelmed, I can take a moment and see what I've already captured, or what I might want to write down or doodle about to refocus and gather my thoughts.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ck6Eo-wEbANnvAACceHbCfnzLA22AV_aMIX_UJHVSwO0b6Rrfe-6owVRu3JUatf-FkNJh97F2PxybHDXFN2GnLx0OFkCmzghGkvFT3Ky4cVujTS0pytj33Pv9h0wOwFD7jdgD7EgR8GI7XLwg2aMnhCuJWNlLS7DU17eqFidrYy3IFQ/s2048/StickerStorage.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A plastic storage bin with handle and lid. Dividers labeling various sticker categories with sorted sticker sheets." border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-ck6Eo-wEbANnvAACceHbCfnzLA22AV_aMIX_UJHVSwO0b6Rrfe-6owVRu3JUatf-FkNJh97F2PxybHDXFN2GnLx0OFkCmzghGkvFT3Ky4cVujTS0pytj33Pv9h0wOwFD7jdgD7EgR8GI7XLwg2aMnhCuJWNlLS7DU17eqFidrYy3IFQ/w240-h320/StickerStorage.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My ArtBin case with a hinged lid and dividers that I made on my Silhouette.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>I also didn't make a complete transition away from my original journals. I still use my Archer & Olive notebooks for my work notes. The simplistic design has made it easy to capture my tasks and meeting notes daily. Sometimes I'll throw a sticker in my work notebooks, but usually, I keep it pretty concise.</p><p>My journaling has gone so far as to get me to sign up for a planner conference in March. I'll be going with my OG journal friend to the Go Wild conference in DC. I don't know quite what to expect, but I can't wait to meet with other journal-obsessed individuals, and I've heard the swag and parties are amazing. I'll definitely post about it afterwards... well, if anything I will journal about it.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj899A-4Cf8agbEgtJa7fHZky9ZBHAHx8umapdb0Addxnq_KKl2K6CylmytHbMVhUGVeHRBLmPD_SuoOIHLQ5L6BrACcXQ8TQPjhSHyXEjhXPxxNHCyXQgbdleF7U6notQjm05SokH5Es9KfRhH5ysWpFiTULCkRmyHc8RsFwkiBvP21rM/s4032/GoWildLlama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="Image of the purple GoWild attendee box with a crochet llama beside it. Pens in GoWild colors sit on a journal on the table in front of it." border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj899A-4Cf8agbEgtJa7fHZky9ZBHAHx8umapdb0Addxnq_KKl2K6CylmytHbMVhUGVeHRBLmPD_SuoOIHLQ5L6BrACcXQ8TQPjhSHyXEjhXPxxNHCyXQgbdleF7U6notQjm05SokH5Es9KfRhH5ysWpFiTULCkRmyHc8RsFwkiBvP21rM/w240-h320/GoWildLlama.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Go Wild attendee kit and a llama I made for the Go Wild theme.</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div>Are you into journaling or collecting stickers? Share your favorite vendors. If you aren't, would you give it a go or does another solution work for you?<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #4b5a7a;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">This </span></span><span style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #4b5a7a;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;">site contains product affiliate links. We may receive a commission if you make a purchase after clicking on one of these links.</span></span></span></div></div>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-77459804520950696152023-01-30T07:54:00.000-08:002023-01-30T07:54:12.807-08:00House (Site) Cleaning<p>It's been a minute... to the point where I forgot how to even access this space. I'm excited to share that I'm still here, just with a lot of life updates and changes.</p><p>So much time has passed, that it might be best to do a quick review of what's been going on:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>The boys are now 8 and 9.</li><li>We're still in the Raleigh area, and still absolutely love it. It has definitely become home, and I'm thankful for our lives have evolved here in the last 9 (what, 9??) years.</li><li>I'm still keeping up with crafts, but they've also evolved with the growth of activities in our lives.</li></ul><div>Let's dive into that last one a bit. I'm doing less sewing and baking, but lots of needlework crafts: knitting, crochet, cross-stitch, etc. More so because those projects are portable and often quick to complete. We do a lot of camping (we bought a camper, sold it, and got a slightly bigger one!), so all of those crafts are very conducive to traveling and transporting them on the go.</div><div><br /></div><div>Around the middle of last year, I also started bullet journaling. A co-worker had gotten me into it and it helped me feel a little bit of control with chaotic life activities. Bullet journaling also appealed to my sticker-loving, pen-hoarding heart, so it was a no-brainer that I'd instantly become obsessed with it. It's help in juggling kids activities, my hobbies (beyond needlecraft, I've also taken up tennis, and I'm still doing a lot of workout coordination and planning), and of course, I have to pay the bills, so work task management.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'll occasionally post with craft updates and maybe some favorite recipes. </div><div><br /></div><p></p>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-17873739001782988662017-10-29T14:59:00.000-07:002017-10-29T14:59:58.149-07:00Turtle Power... or more specifically, Halloween 2017Halloween appears to be the only thing that can motivate me to be consistently crafty. Actually, I recently started crafting again with a group of girlfriends with the plan to get together once a month to socialize and work on projects that we haven't been making enough time for. That has definitely been a step in the right direction to getting back on the crafting train. But every year now, around August, I get the bug to start working on Halloween costumes.<br />
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This year, I had big plans.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWZkWpd9MEpUHvvUA-nUhZYBLcQNs7R8zHfB7LKG8XB7Ot4VOjfr8W4l7naU0BZaLL_6fGuR8rHwEev0gZtjf026GAeCyLEvCwuMpZd-fvhan0dnCP5vleUvilIgPKVulCW4/s1600/TMNT_Battle.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="288" data-original-width="432" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWZkWpd9MEpUHvvUA-nUhZYBLcQNs7R8zHfB7LKG8XB7Ot4VOjfr8W4l7naU0BZaLL_6fGuR8rHwEev0gZtjf026GAeCyLEvCwuMpZd-fvhan0dnCP5vleUvilIgPKVulCW4/s400/TMNT_Battle.gif" width="400" /></a><br />
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When I was a kid, my mom made all of my Halloween costumes. One particularly memorable year, I wanted to be a ninja turtle. She showed me the pattern envelope (Butterick 5143) and I confirmed that it would be the perfect costume. See below. Can you blame me?<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_v6Nb_4vtnqIyy-c8sOM1y3RCM6PwJ2HmD06InHuNo9YXm9UwyHaqCIVZsp62vN23nvuGUqfp_AP9GwOElmFya7mjtaG7gGxmsxMjgF9gdeSiOHHjlOW_bA8c5CLeQwuRYy8/s1600/Butterick5143_F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="288" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_v6Nb_4vtnqIyy-c8sOM1y3RCM6PwJ2HmD06InHuNo9YXm9UwyHaqCIVZsp62vN23nvuGUqfp_AP9GwOElmFya7mjtaG7gGxmsxMjgF9gdeSiOHHjlOW_bA8c5CLeQwuRYy8/s320/Butterick5143_F.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front of the pattern... I still think my confusion was very warranted.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Little did I know that the front of the envelope looked much different than the costume itself. Mainly, the 'mask' of the turtle involved your head being the mouth of the turtle.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhV8l3nA9zby2B-vuVaFFwcxoHMKVX0gu1iiElEi7m1eJin_CggS-iFbjz7_424WSomp9fJ1l1yZ-vvaBlPTDehfZU031xlBANsL1Ux2YQZDg-WRiwXEF13xbvR2pTWJuE4M/s1600/Butterick5143-B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="288" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhV8l3nA9zby2B-vuVaFFwcxoHMKVX0gu1iiElEi7m1eJin_CggS-iFbjz7_424WSomp9fJ1l1yZ-vvaBlPTDehfZU031xlBANsL1Ux2YQZDg-WRiwXEF13xbvR2pTWJuE4M/s320/Butterick5143-B.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clearly, you can see how I wasn't expecting this from the front of the envelope.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When it came time to don this outfit, I was not impressed. I looked enviously at the other kids in my school that had their store-bought turtle costumes and was so envious.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Clearly, I was pleased.</td></tr>
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Now, older and slightly wiser, I still look back at that picture and laugh. So it's only fitting that I wanted to have my kids wear that same costume, especially as I've been brain-washing them into loving the ninja turtles as much as I did. So I hunted down the original pattern. Thankfully, eBay had several sellers offering it. My plan was to make a whole set for the family in time for Halloween.<br />
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Unfortunately, I dragged my feet on starting the costume. While I purchased my fabric pretty early on, I waited until mid-September to start assembly, thinking a month would be plenty of time. But our weekends are pretty jam-packed already, as are weeknights with my teaching schedule. So I waited until my mom came to town and we cut out and assembled the main jumpsuit for the boys. I had already traced out some pattern pieces on Swedish tracing paper so that I could use the various pieces over for each size variation. The boys could both be based off of the smallest pattern size, and James and I could use the largest for our accessories. I purchased a separate pattern for our jump suits.<br />
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In the time it took from me purchasing the fabric and beginning the assembly process, I apparently forgot what was required. My mom and I put together the jumpsuits in a thick dark green fleece. Later that week, after she left, I went to work on their shells... only to realize I had used the shell fabric for the jumpsuit and had a whole, unused bolt of a lighter green cotton that I was supposed to use for the main body piece. Much cursing ensued.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fitting for the costume. The head wasn't stuffed yet but a view of the shell.</td></tr>
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I salvaged what I could of the dark green fabric and thankfully, having already made the main pieces two times, the next two went much faster. Overall as I made each pattern section the second, and then third time, I became much more efficient... though it was still one of the most time consuming clothing projects I've done. I have so much respect for the amount of time my mom spent on our costumes. The hardest part was probably the hood, though the shell was the most time consuming due to the amount of hand-stitching required to baste the designs into the shell.<br />
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I ended up finishing the costumes for the boys on Sunday the 21st. I was so disappointed that I wasn't going to be able to make our costumes in time for Halloween festivities that Friday, but especially mine as I wanted to recreate my original Michelangelo costume. I decided to bite the bullet and go for just one more. I ended up working on it all day Sunday and then Monday and Tuesday evenings. There was no way that I could finish the fourth turtle so I went ahead and ordered the villain, Shredder, from Amazon. I think if I had a complete full day again in addition to the evenings, I would have been fine but our next weekend was already booked with costume instances so there was going to be no way to get that time. It ended up working out perfectly and the boys loved having the 'bad guy' to mock play with.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys loved following along with my progress and trying on the pieces as they were completed.</td></tr>
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I wanted to take some pictures of the family all dressed up in some sort to urban or sewer/tunnel type setting. Obviously without going into a sewer. I had thoughts of a few tunnels I go through on regular weekend runs but my friend suggested the Free Expression Tunnel on NC State's campus. It's not too far from us and online pictures looked promising. We headed over there on Friday afternoon after the school Halloween parade.<br />
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I was not expecting it to have quite so much foot traffic. While the tunnel was really cool, and felt like the perfect backdrop, it was a steady stream of students walking around campus. I almost called it quits but after a quick texting session with my friends, they convinced me to do it. The kids had so much fun during our little photo shoot and didn't want to take their costumes off after. We received plenty of stares and laughs from the students, most of which seemed to be quite familiar with the ninja turtles.<br />
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We have a few more Halloween festivities coming up so I'm looking forward to getting as much use out of these costumes as possible.<br />
<span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: #bd081c; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 153px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 3196px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: #bd081c; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 153px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 3196px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-89992697237459583932017-08-13T17:34:00.001-07:002017-08-13T17:34:58.801-07:00A mouse took a stroll through a deep dark wood...This post is late. More than late... It's two years overdue. But as they say, 'better late than never...'<br />
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Back in good ol' 2015, I had a two year old and a 7 month old, and was wondering what I would dress them up as for Halloween.<br />
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I knew my time in selecting their costumes without a fight or their opinions was pretty limited, so I wanted to make it good. We had been reading a lot of Julia Donaldson books and...<br />
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I wanted a costume due that would work with the two of them, so my heart was pretty set on making the <a href="http://www.gruffalo.com/" target="_blank">Gruffalo</a> and the Mouse. The problem being, it's a British book/show and I'm in the US. At the time, I believe the film was either pretty new or a little harder to acquire here. And my costume options were looking pretty limited. Those that I could find were going to have to be imported and were pricey, or were for an age and size greater than my two year old. I decided to start checking out Pinterest and similar sites for inspiration and even then, I found it lacking. So I decided to make my own version.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdXqCTdlmDTIt-USfHdhFgD1xqvQeJhqsVKnFc7v7rd1hlrLPxxtMf8m8cxNqfnuoiXWK8NolqaKTGtlKUelidr7on5EBH5TRsKj0Q6IOJtnRxEwXnFka3veWQ0qwiSUnC4A/s1600/GruffaloMouse-WuCC1-Blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="432" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdXqCTdlmDTIt-USfHdhFgD1xqvQeJhqsVKnFc7v7rd1hlrLPxxtMf8m8cxNqfnuoiXWK8NolqaKTGtlKUelidr7on5EBH5TRsKj0Q6IOJtnRxEwXnFka3veWQ0qwiSUnC4A/s320/GruffaloMouse-WuCC1-Blog.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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For the Gruffalo, I took the Simplicity pattern <a href="http://www.simplicity.com/simplicity-pattern-1351-toddlers-animal-costumes/US1351A.html" target="_blank">1351</a>, version B (hedgehog) and modified it a little. I used the side spikes for inspiration of the purple 'prickly spikes down his back', and referred to the book for reference to his facial features.<br />
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For the mouse, I had a slightly easier task as I could make some minor tweaks to <a href="http://www.simplicity.com/simplicity-pattern-2506-toddler-costumes/2506.html" target="_blank">Simplicity 2506</a>, version D (mouse), and just change the coloring and the bowtie.<br />
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Both costumes were fairly simple to assemble, with the greatest challenge being in piecing together the Gruffalo from the book. Thankfully, it's beautifully illustrated and the description given is so clear, that it made it easy to pull together.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUT3MlaoPFXIzG7aP0sHQVonst-0b2YlkAy_R2j_J_WRAuG2n92Qkerp82uLX2Vfc582Cd1sgpTC4sDGfNfJaJEL1OhZkl0lVl2k1Ry4UTyuTKnt6tNW32bWKkBhszzHPlv6I/s1600/GruffaloMouse-WuCC4_blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="432" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUT3MlaoPFXIzG7aP0sHQVonst-0b2YlkAy_R2j_J_WRAuG2n92Qkerp82uLX2Vfc582Cd1sgpTC4sDGfNfJaJEL1OhZkl0lVl2k1Ry4UTyuTKnt6tNW32bWKkBhszzHPlv6I/s320/GruffaloMouse-WuCC4_blog.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
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I started the costumes in August and had more than enough time, sleep-deprived and all, to pull them together. By the time Halloween came, the boys looked perfect and were cooperative in their costumes. I used felt as the main material for both costumes which is perfect for how our Halloween's have been trending here in North Carolina. Not too cold, but it definitely starts to get chilly at night. The Gruffly has definitely gained in popularity since then so is a bit more recognizable, but I'll admit that at the time, Big Fig was dubbed 'a cute monster' by most who saw him. But I was so pleased with the outcome.<br />
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I'm excited for this year. I went shopping today for the materials for our Halloween 2017 costumes. Yes, 'our'. I'm going for a whole family theme. We did one last year and it was a lot of fun. They were all store-bought but the process was still pretty stressful, which encouraged me to try making them myself this time. That and once again, I'm thinking my influence on costume selection is limited. This might be the last year I can sway Big Fig into his costume choice so I'm going big. So stay tuned. I promise to update soon with more details, this time as I actually piece it together.<br />
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<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-8339287717578893052014-06-12T07:42:00.000-07:002014-06-12T07:42:29.614-07:00Quiet Book: Mr. Potato HeadOne of my crafting challenges that I've set for myself this year, aside from just getting back into crafting, is to create a quiet book for Ian. If you've never heard of a quiet book, it's essentially a book, usually made of felt, that has little activities, puzzles, and games for your toddler/preschooler to play with. It's great for car rides and I think the original purpose was for kids to have something to keep them quiet at Church.<br />
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There are some amazing quiet book inspiration pages out there and I have a <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/whatsupcupcake/quiet-book-ideas/" target="_blank">whole Pinterest page</a> dedicated to it. You'll also find a lot of blogs with instructions or whose sole purpose is the quiet book. I found one such blog that had fun templates like a Mr. Potato Head activity page. I decided that seemed pretty simple and would be a good starting point.<br />
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You can get the templates to make your own Mr. Potato Head quiet book pages <a href="http://jocelynandjason.blogspot.com/2011/11/mr-potato-head-quiet-book-pages-10-11.html" target="_blank">here</a>. Once I downloaded the templates, I cut out the various pieces to assemble my quiet book. I ordered my felt from <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/BenzieDesign" target="_blank">Etsy</a> - I found they had the greatest selection of colors to choose from and reasonable prices.<br />
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I also have a very extensive collection of embroidery thread. This isn't even the full amount - I have a lot pulled aside for current embroidery projects. I used a combination of hand-stitching with embroidery threads (especially on the small pieces) and my sewing machine on the large pieces.</div>
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I made a whole bucket of various pieces to attach to Mr. Potato Head. They all get stored in the bucket and Ian can pull them out and piece them on to the potato in whatever way he chooses.<br />
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My goal is to create one quiet book page or set of pages for Ian a month until his second birthday. By then he should be about ready to really enjoy the quiet book and he'll have a whole set at that point. I've already completed some of the next pages so I'll share those shortly.<br />
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Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-19704649466999248492014-05-29T07:00:00.000-07:002014-05-29T07:00:07.137-07:00Ian's Mustache Bash<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_5Aj9Rq4TCOajH9X9MbqMH8qbMpm2Y4MQZI6Lw2ZJO80aLJ0_uJ4Z394a16f6ZZK-NVeQ0Nt_vyjwXthaWn4EjBYIDWm5LBROVjzPcskb26_i6iHSeyMc6D97hlTCrocfnY/s1600/1896775_10202490229710039_535678361_n-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi_5Aj9Rq4TCOajH9X9MbqMH8qbMpm2Y4MQZI6Lw2ZJO80aLJ0_uJ4Z394a16f6ZZK-NVeQ0Nt_vyjwXthaWn4EjBYIDWm5LBROVjzPcskb26_i6iHSeyMc6D97hlTCrocfnY/s1600/1896775_10202490229710039_535678361_n-2.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a><br />
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A few months ago, I shared some of the party preparation I was doing for Ian's first birthday. He's now almost 15 months old, so his birthday is long past, but I wanted to share the final result. I did A LOT of crafting for his birthday - starting back in November. Yeah, I might have gone a little overboard, but I was so happy with the result. The final look was everything I pictured it to be (thanks, Pinterest), but above all that, I had a wonderful time celebrating with friends and family.<br />
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Almost everything we did for his party was homemade. I made paper chains for behind his high-chair, the smash cake and desserts were made by myself and my mom, the bunting, birthday boy message cards, food labels for the tables... I ordered a couple of things from online, just because I didn't have that time or expertise. Luckily, my new Silhouette made everything else extremely do-able and fairly easy. I never thought I would veer from my sewing/needlework crafts, but this machine is definitely convincing me otherwise.<br />
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This birthday party taught me a lot. The main lesson being that I will never throw a birthday party like this again. At least not until any future babies turn one. It was a huge undertaking and I would totally say I went overboard. It's hard not to get sucked into all of the pinterest ideas out there. I don't regret it, but I don't think it's really necessary in the future. A couple of things here and there, but I think I'll just focus on activities for kids. At this party we had a little area gated off so that kids could safely play in a small ball pit. I also had a local children's story time performer come in and sing some songs to the kids. I have some great memories from the event and luckily plenty of pictures to remember all of the craziness that went along with the planning.<br />
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<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-70203079005111413952014-05-27T07:27:00.000-07:002014-05-27T07:27:13.679-07:00New Crafting Medium: Heat Transfer VinylWhile I've been quiet on the blogging front, I've been very busy crafting. I've been having a hard time finding the mental balance of making things and actually writing something up about them. I feel like I've taken a lot of pictures with the intent to eventually post something, but I somehow never get around to it. I'm hoping to write a few posts to be released in the near future - maybe it will help to inspire me again. So, if you're still with me... thanks. :)<br />
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One of the newest crafts I've taken on has been working with the Silhouette and therefore: vinyl, heat transfer vinyl, and just a little bit of paper-crafting. I have enough sewing materials, fabric, patterns, yarn, and books that I don't necessarily want to stock up on all new craft supplies, but I've been able to reign in my Silhouette crafting to a so-far reasonable level.<br />
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I started by doing a few vinyl projects. Mainly, labeling my water bottles, buckets for Ian's outside toys, etc, but eventually tested the waters by making HTV shirts for a run that I recently did. Don't act all impressed - it was a beer run. A 4k where at every k, you drank a beer. Classy. But hey, it got me running.<br />
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I ended up making all of the shirts for the ladies I ran with, but it made me want to get a better understanding of HTV. I was frustrated with the pressing process and about ready to throw in the towel by the time I got to the end. But, through some of my Silhouette Facebook groups, I found some designs that convinced me that I needed to try it again on shirts for Ian. I did a bit of research and short of buying a press, I think I found a pretty decent method for applying HTV using an iron. I may still end up getting a press one day, but in the meantime, the iron does the trick. But I'm happy to share the method with you.<br />
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To iron on HTV, you will need:<br />
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<ul>
<li>the garment to iron on (I stuck with cotton onesies). If you're going to use something other than cotton, you will need to do a quick search to make sure the HTV won't melt it. You press down for a long enough amount of time that you will want to be sure before ruining a garment.</li>
<li>iron</li>
<li>pressing cloth. I used a piece of scrap, cotton fabric. </li>
<li>firm, iron-safe surface, such as an ironing board</li>
<li>your design, printed in reverse onto heat transfer vinyl. For this project, I used the Silhouette brand HTV, but you can use any kind - your press time may vary slightly depending on the type, so check with the manufacturers directions.</li>
</ul>
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First, prep your HTV. Weed out any designs that you don't want to iron on to your surface. If you have text printed on your design, make sure it's a mirror image as you will apply it in reverse to the shirt - which then adhere's it in the proper direction. Make sense? You'll see.<br />
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Then, prep your garment. I did a quick iron of the onesie to release any wrinkles and warm the surface up a bit. Make sure you only have one layer of the garment on the side of your ironing board. Otherwise, you may end up bonding the HTV through your article of clothing. To adhere the HTV, set your iron to the 'cotton' setting.<br />
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Place the HTV, with the clear sheet attached, to the shirt. I used a ruler to center the design. When the HTV is flipped onto the garment surface, the design is readable. See? Told you.<br />
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Lay the pressing cloth on top of the HTV/clear sheet. Press your iron down on the pressing cloth for one minute*. I turn on the stopwatch on my phone. Repeat this process on various part of the design (depending on how big it is) to ensure that all sections have been adhered to the garment. Remove iron and let cool for a minute or so before handling.<br />
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Remove pressing cloth and begin to slowly peel off the clear sheet from the HTV. With letters and small pieces, you may need to be especially careful. If something is not adhered enough, it may either need more time to cool, or may need more pressing time.<br />
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Once the clear sheet is removed, your design is done! I do a quick press with the pressing cloth directly over the design, then with the shirt inside out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlfldPP-XmMo48j6eZCQvMO-f2HOwWC3rGS4Td8vrTMuCJf68v4dkBht-eLKwqbzAR_zOxc7DShLdCp9emleBo_UExZeBYRUTFVN1e5FQnnRYqseK43aOhXlyYnDOABvISyI/s1600/IMG_8276.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjlfldPP-XmMo48j6eZCQvMO-f2HOwWC3rGS4Td8vrTMuCJf68v4dkBht-eLKwqbzAR_zOxc7DShLdCp9emleBo_UExZeBYRUTFVN1e5FQnnRYqseK43aOhXlyYnDOABvISyI/s1600/IMG_8276.jpeg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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I went a little crazy and made a few designs, including one that layered two colors. I can definitely see this becoming an addiction with customizing some of Ian's clothing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhJNsVoH38DuKfx4EOZ1napqRHFdXbkt4CcEmNXejvZpznQhp02nnmSGUOxTgWx9iyt2Ktlbpq03FpT2ida_ngbQ-8ed2W3qeXpkoAnjoqvkuoe0f-szWcxU7Inry0Xq0goY/s1600/IMG_8277.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQhJNsVoH38DuKfx4EOZ1napqRHFdXbkt4CcEmNXejvZpznQhp02nnmSGUOxTgWx9iyt2Ktlbpq03FpT2ida_ngbQ-8ed2W3qeXpkoAnjoqvkuoe0f-szWcxU7Inry0Xq0goY/s1600/IMG_8277.jpeg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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Have you worked with HTV before? How was your experience? Please let me know if you have any other tips to share.<br />
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*I pressed my HTV for one minute. I believe the Silhouette instructions said 20-30 seconds, but that did nothing other than cause frustration. You may want to test on some throw-away garments or vinyl first, but I found that one minute was the only way to get the HTV to actually adhere to my different fabrics.Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-4220609016927406812014-02-08T04:00:00.000-08:002014-02-08T04:00:04.796-08:00Sweet Treats Saturday: Sugar Cookie CupcakesThese cupcakes are so decadent. They really emphasize the 'sweet' in 'sweet treats.' But they're so delicious, and would be the perfect compliment to a platter of sugar cookies.<br />
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Don't believe me?<br />
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That's how I served them.<br />
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It was a tough decision. Sugar cookie... cupcake... alright, one of each.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvfMehr8nDW8pcZ5ABMQM1zIJEfHjAmXCY5La4qIeIpXDOToIUPq-Mho1aSQQA4qxdiTLErsvQrvdwnR41lwPYcscZP3DXFFdjYFmsYj_BON9wWuAkezdLgxr3WIWDQ-OpSw/s1600/IMG_5340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvfMehr8nDW8pcZ5ABMQM1zIJEfHjAmXCY5La4qIeIpXDOToIUPq-Mho1aSQQA4qxdiTLErsvQrvdwnR41lwPYcscZP3DXFFdjYFmsYj_BON9wWuAkezdLgxr3WIWDQ-OpSw/s1600/IMG_5340.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a><br />
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<b>Sugar Cookie Cupcakes</b><br />
Recipe from <a href="http://lecremedelacrumb.com/2013/11/sugar-cookie-cupcakes.html" target="_blank">le creme de la crumb</a><br />
Makes approx 12 cupcakes<br />
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<i>Ingredients for the cupcakes:</i><br />
1/2 c butter (1 stick), softened<br />
1 c sugar<br />
2 large eggs<br />
3 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1 1/2 c flour<br />
1 1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
1/8 tsp salt<br />
3/4 cup half n' half<br />
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<i>Ingredients for the frosting:</i><br />
2 tbsp cream cheese, room temp<br />
1/2 c butter (1 stick), softened<br />
5 1/2 c powdered sugar<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
4-5 tbsp half n' half<br />
Optional: Food coloring<br />
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<i>Directions for the cupcakes:</i><br />
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin.<br />
2. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in vanilla extract and eggs until blended.<br />
3. In a separate bowl, add flour, baking powder, and salt. Add dry ingredients to the butter mixture, alternating with half n' half. Mix until blended.<br />
4. Spoon batter into cupcake liners. Bake 15-20 minutes until just browning on the edges. Let cool on a wire rack.<br />
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<i>Directions for the frosting:</i><br />
1. In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter. Slowly add powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Add in vanilla. Slowly add half n' half until frosting is smooth. Mix in food coloring until desired color is achieved. Decorate cupcakes... and enjoy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PHR9ZX5pTfjc3lYdUT-0OgA287zA96tqhnCcyWM6cai9YF4qdLpKEneVSnnGTt5TuVNu1aG_cBuwCZ92DzJdQrZie-IbYo6NJncAHHmXgqwGu4eLXe9bkwzAosb2_BIdK7s/s1600/IMG_5337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7PHR9ZX5pTfjc3lYdUT-0OgA287zA96tqhnCcyWM6cai9YF4qdLpKEneVSnnGTt5TuVNu1aG_cBuwCZ92DzJdQrZie-IbYo6NJncAHHmXgqwGu4eLXe9bkwzAosb2_BIdK7s/s1600/IMG_5337.JPG" height="266" width="400" /></a><br />
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<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-44312674323389347782014-02-01T04:00:00.000-08:002014-02-01T04:00:07.810-08:00Sweet Treats Saturday: White Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Raspberry FrostingIn my ripe old age of... well, early 30's, I've started to like desserts with fruit flavors. When I was a kid, you couldn't get my to touch them! Well, mainly fruit fillings. Why would you want to ruin a cake with that?? Now, though? Love it.<br />
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I saw a similar recipe to this online, but it was in a different language, and the conversion measurements just didn't seem to be adding up to a full batch of cupcakes. So, I improvised! I went off of a combination of multiple recipes that I had in my head, and made my own variation of white chocolate chip cupcakes, topped with a raspberry cream cheese frosting.<br />
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I'm even impressed with myself.<br />
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I gave these out at a holiday market as a fundraiser for the church that rented us the booth space. The market patrons had nothing but good things to say, and we had snacks on hand in between sales.<br />
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We really didn't eat that many... but it was tempting. They're REALLY good! How perfect would these be for Valentine's Day??<br />
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Hopefully you'll enjoy them too!<br />
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<b>White Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Raspberry Frosting</b><br />
Makes approx 24 cupcakes<br />
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<i>Ingredients for cupcakes:</i><br />
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1/2 c butter (1 stick), softened<br />
1 c sugar<br />
3 large eggs<br />
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2 c all-purpose flour<br />
1 1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
1/8 tsp salt<br />
1/2 c milk<br />
3/4 c white chocolate chips<br />
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<i>Ingredients for frosting:</i><br />
1/2 c butter (1 stick), softened<br />
4 oz cream cheese, room temp<br />
3 1/2 c powdered sugar<br />
1/4 c raspberry jelly (seedless)<br />
red food coloring<br />
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<i>Directions for cupcakes:</i><br />
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin.<br />
2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (approx 2 minutes). Slowly add in eggs.<br />
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry mixture into the butter mixture, alternating with the milk until blended. Stir in white chocolate chips. Spoon mixture into cupcake liners, filling approx 2/3 of the way.<br />
4. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until light golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.<br />
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<i>Directions for frosting:</i><br />
1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese until smooth. Slowly add in powdered sugar and mix until blended.<br />
2. Add in raspberry jelly and blend. Add red food coloring until desired color is reached. Use to frost cupcakes.Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-72776441152250831022014-01-30T06:54:00.000-08:002014-01-30T06:54:31.514-08:00First Birthday Party Planning<div style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">
Believe it or not, my little guy is approaching his first birthday. Doesn’t it feel like yesterday that I even <a href="http://www.whatsupcupcakeblog.com/2012/09/bump-ahead.html" target="_blank">announced</a> he was on his way?<br />
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I’ve taken this birthday party planning business seriously, and though I was torn between multiple themes over the past six months (yes, that’s how long I’ve been thinking about this), in November I made the final decision to do a ‘Little Man’ theme and have gone full-blown ever since. Because I’ve had plenty of time to think on this, I was able to take advantage of some great deals, including black Friday and after Christmas specials. I also made the leap over to the dark side: vinyl and paper cutting with the purchase of a Silhouette Cameo. I’m kinda addicted.<br />
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I want to share with you some of the party resources I've found. Stores and online shops to buy supplies from, and places of party inspiration. Today I'm going to focus on the theme, invitations, and favors, but later posts will include decorations, party prep, and, of course, food.</div>
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Starting with the theme. I wanted to do something that he probably wouldn’t pick for a future birthday. This ruled out trains and cars (just from what I’ve seen in little boys birthdays, they seem to gravitate towards those topics). I was torn between little man, Where the Wild Things Are, and Dr. Seuss. I may do one of the latter two for a future birthday, but once I found this mustache fabric from <a href="http://www.hartsfabric.com/" target="_blank">Hart’s</a>, I instantly ordered two yards and declared it the winner. Choosing a fabric to go off of really helped, as I didn’t have to choose from a wide range of colors… they were already selected for me. And luckily, mustache’s are really popular right now. Etsy is swimming with them for all occasions, Target and Walmart have bits and pieces (Walmart actually has a small section right now with party supplies in the mustache theme), and there are so many inspiration posts in the blogosphere. If you don’t believe me, check out <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/whatsupcupcake/ians-birthday/" target="_blank">my Pinterest on the topic</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSwV_dYpfnRiFl8iA7a-3lFv9YO88PRhDAo5P9PURQi3wGs4wrvifniyzF054QUGq5yCkVw0GAfJ8cnMkkslRo0MAYkvS4UK9nOtbDMmIn9eHWDanG9k3ocOn0T9HpWIlNgA/s1600/IMG_6753.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSwV_dYpfnRiFl8iA7a-3lFv9YO88PRhDAo5P9PURQi3wGs4wrvifniyzF054QUGq5yCkVw0GAfJ8cnMkkslRo0MAYkvS4UK9nOtbDMmIn9eHWDanG9k3ocOn0T9HpWIlNgA/s1600/IMG_6753.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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I made the invitation myself, using Adobe Illustrator and the Silhouette to cut out the pop-up mustaches. I gathered my inspiration from various designs on Etsy, and made it into one that fit the party. You could pretty easily make one yourself, or again, check out Etsy for some amazing sellers. Some of my favorites were:</div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/123633010/little-man-bow-tie-mustache-bash?ref=favs_view_11" target="_blank">Petite Party Studio</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/114558660/mustache-bash-birthday-party-invitation?ref=favs_view_12" target="_blank">ChelsiLeeDesigns</a></div>
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I got the invitation paper from <a href="http://www.paper-source.com/" target="_blank">Paper-Source</a> and with shipping, it can be a little pricey (as card stock goes). I miss the days of having a Paper Source 15 minutes away. I’ve been told that Michael’s actually has really good card stock, so I’ll have to check next time I’m in the area. I didn’t know how many paper invitations I would need, as I’ll also be distributing an invitation electronically to most of my local mommy friends, so I went with 50. I’m going to use the extras to make stationary, so it works out in the end. You can never have too much stationary sized card stock.</div>
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I used foam, adhesive dots to raise the blue mustaches on the invitation. I love the effect that it gave it. I also printed the back of the envelopes with a little teaser, and I used mustache printed washi tape to add the finishing touch.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqZed4Lo5bU1rD_sz7TvQElBpBWXIsAT-1f1vPuZQ58hDsOWErxCWvg_05z7uQsVKnU6EXkfBY2oQr-tAY7frJmBF1AybHWanYwcv2dJPgQqADilv29VFU4AXnkW_EnV1qqM/s1600/IMG_6735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJqZed4Lo5bU1rD_sz7TvQElBpBWXIsAT-1f1vPuZQ58hDsOWErxCWvg_05z7uQsVKnU6EXkfBY2oQr-tAY7frJmBF1AybHWanYwcv2dJPgQqADilv29VFU4AXnkW_EnV1qqM/s1600/IMG_6735.jpg" height="400" width="266" /></a></div>
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Next, I want to share with you the goodie bags that I put together. The average age of the kids at this party will probably be from 8 months – 2 years. There will be a few older (I think from 3-8 years old) kids there, so I wanted something that would be toddler safe (with supervision), and also fun for the older kids. I really spent a ridiculous amount of time figuring out how to package these things. Seriously, I don’t think normal people do this. I was torn between paper, cellophane, and burlap type bags. I did a lot of price comparisons and thoughts as to how everything would be displayed when making pretty much every decision on this party, and with my love of fabric, I ultimately went with the muslin bags. I found them for a reasonable price (again, lots of price comparison shopping), and once I figured out the contents of the bags, I ordered the size I needed. They came with a twine-type ribbon that matched the bags, but I had ordered plenty of <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/126276154/shore-bakers-twine-240-yardsspool?ref=shop_home_active_1" target="_blank">bakers twine in blue</a> so I swapped it out. It was a little bit of a pain to do as I had to slightly cut the openings of the top of each bag but the twine looks so good with it that I’m really happy with the extra work.<br />
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I love the 'goodies' that I found for the bags. They all went with the mustache theme, and aside from the sidewalk chalk, all came from Oriental Trading Company or Century Novelty (both are bulk party supply stores), so they were really inexpensive.<br />
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<a href="http://party-supply.centurynovelty.com/search?p=R&srid=S1-USESD02&lbc=centurynovelty&w=mustache&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.centurynovelty.com%2fdetail_201_146-2043.html&rk=33&uid=198088445&sid=2&ts=ajax&rsc=kKEmyl7eWbE40x9z&cnt=300&method=and&isort=score&view=grid" target="_blank">Mustache Whistles</a><br />
<a href="http://party-supply.centurynovelty.com/search?p=R&srid=S1-USESD02&lbc=centurynovelty&w=mustache&url=http%3a%2f%2fwww.centurynovelty.com%2fdetail_227_146-2145.html&rk=74&uid=198088445&sid=2&ts=ajax&rsc=anNd1gIH8eHWO3sx&cnt=300&method=and&isort=score&view=grid" target="_blank">Rubber Duckies with mustaches</a><br />
<a href="http://www.orientaltrading.com/mustache-roll-stickers-a2-9_1480.fltr?prodCatId=90000+1977" target="_blank">Stickers</a><br />
<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/YesterdaysEchoEvents?ref=l2-shopheader-name" target="_blank">Mustache shaped sidewalk chalk</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSO9beQtdoIIZPyw9B9-GXZOKokwHUmPAXspldjo-JZOVOSiV1EOPH_UpUBb0a0Ve8kF9ldNiaHjI88Ku3MBTZUu_0EE7dKi7txIKXjm_VgXvrYF2aOce2nd3_1Q7SjkKUAk/s1600/IMG_6741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcSO9beQtdoIIZPyw9B9-GXZOKokwHUmPAXspldjo-JZOVOSiV1EOPH_UpUBb0a0Ve8kF9ldNiaHjI88Ku3MBTZUu_0EE7dKi7txIKXjm_VgXvrYF2aOce2nd3_1Q7SjkKUAk/s1600/IMG_6741.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a><br />
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The finishing touch on the favor bags were tags that I made on my Silhouette. I designed the top, 'thank you' tag on Adobe Illustrator, then cut that and the black/blue hanging tag bases on my Cameo. I used the foam adhesive to elevate the two levels, and tied them onto the bag. I used card stock from AC Moore which, sadly, was of disappointing quality. It does the job, but I'm going to check out my other craft stores as I've been told they have some better options.<br />
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If you're doing a mustache theme'd party, there are so many awesome products out there! Just in my search for links to share tonight, I saw that Oriental Trading Company has added even more items. As much as I would love to splurge, at this point, I have quite a stash and don't want to be accused of going overboard. Ok, I might have already been accused of it, so too late there. Regardless, check out resources like your local craft stores, Etsy galore, Target, Wal-Mart, dollar stores... you can find some hidden gems out there and get some great deals!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZJiK4KdOIOgWCac7xAuWWcDANIPm43LJb3u5J_luybJjsrqkP8wlcCbJfmeYAHoWt1rw4OqXcbY5TgJwoyEouX3Dt-mE1qg8rgY7f2vYjDzPWCraNw2tGfgGZoKepbk3Yng/s1600/IMG_6739.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZJiK4KdOIOgWCac7xAuWWcDANIPm43LJb3u5J_luybJjsrqkP8wlcCbJfmeYAHoWt1rw4OqXcbY5TgJwoyEouX3Dt-mE1qg8rgY7f2vYjDzPWCraNw2tGfgGZoKepbk3Yng/s1600/IMG_6739.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-44388142806665538332013-12-08T06:07:00.004-08:002013-12-08T06:07:49.657-08:00Holiday Crafting and Felt OrnamentsHoliday crafting is in full swing. My friend and I were invited to participate in a <a href="http://www.saintnicholasmarket.com/index.html" target="_blank">local holiday craft fair</a> with a European theme. We were thrilled to have the opportunity but we needed to come up with some new items along those lines. I decided to try my hand at felt ornaments as I had a stash of the fabric and I've been wanting to dabble in it for a while now.<br />
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Can I say that I'm in love?<br />
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I know, dramatic. But seriously - stitching in felt is so awesome! It's smooth, easy to work with and manipulate, and it got my creative juices flowing. Once I got started, I couldn't stop! I made over 40 ornaments over the course of two weeks. Intense, yes, but it felt so nice to be crafting like that again.<br />
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I think our display ended up looking beautiful, and the craft fair was a lot of fun. There was tons of foot traffic and we met a lot of great people.<br />
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I'm really proud of all of the stuff that I made up for the fair, but I do need to get my Etsy shop updated with some of my newer baby items. I did get a chance to put some of my holiday ornaments and decorations in though, and readers of this blog get a holiday discount! Just use the code '10PERCENT' for 10% off of your purchase. I can ship pretty much immediately, so there's still time to get things for the holidays. Here's the link: <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/whatsupcupcake" target="_blank">What's Up, Cupcake? Etsy Shop</a><br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/ILHDesigns" target="_blank">Isabel</a> made up some adorable onesies in fun holiday designs. She also had these new onesies with a crochet flower. The flower detatches to make for easy washing. How clever is that?? I need her to help me clean up my crochet skills. Her work is so delicate and intricate, and to be honest, I feel like mine can be a little sloppy.<br />
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Aside from ornament crafting, I have a few new baby lovie designs to stitch up. I'd love to get that done in the next few days so I can ship them out as well. I've already had some mommas asking for them in my online groups. And then, I'm hoping for some R&R. Spending time cuddling with my little guy and enjoying the winter weather with my family.<br />
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I hope you, lovely readers, are doing well, and enjoying this holiday season! I have some more yummy treats to share with you and I'm going to be cutting out my Zinnia skirt soon. It feels good to be at the sewing machine again!Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-8861993353584175832013-12-07T04:00:00.000-08:002013-12-07T04:00:07.611-08:00Sweet Treats Saturday: Sugar and Spice CupcakesSugar and spice and everything nice!<br />
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I've been craving spice cake. It happens every Fall. Ok, really... year round. But I remember it every Fall when I smell spices in the air or think of mulled cider. This time, I decided to try my hand at a spice cake recipe.<br />
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I still feel 'new' in the area. North Carolina, that is. I've met so many new people who don't always know about my love of baking. Well, the word is getting out. These cupcakes brought about some new converts and I can't hide my secret (ok, really, it isn't much of a secret) much longer.<br />
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<b>Spice Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting</b><br />
Frosting recipe from <a href="http://www.iwashyoudry.com/2013/07/22/fluffy-brown-sugar-icing/" target="_blank">I Wash You Dry</a><br />
Cupcake recipe makes 24 cupcakes<br />
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<i>Cupcake Ingredients:</i><br />
2 1/2 c cake flour, sifted<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice<br />
1/2 c butter, room temp<br />
1/2 c light brown sugar, firmly packed<br />
1 c granulated sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1 1/4 c buttermilk<br />
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<i>Cupcake Directions:</i><br />
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two cupcake pans.<br />
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.<br />
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a mixing bowl and using electric beaters), cream butter and sugars. Once fluffy, slowly add eggs and vanilla extract. Beat at high speed until light and fluffy, approx 5 minutes.<br />
4. Add dry ingredients, alternating with buttermilk, mixing until just combined.<br />
5. Pour batter into lined cupcake pans, filling 2/3 of the way. Bake for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.<br />
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<i>Frosting Ingredients:</i><br />
1 c brown sugar, packed<br />
1/4 c water<br />
1/2 c light corn syrup<br />
4 egg whites<br />
2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
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<i>Frosting Directions:</i><br />
1. Mix brown sugar, water, and corn syrup in a medium saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil (being careful not to burn yourself as the mixture will rise). Let it boil at medium heat until the syrup drizzles from the spoon in a hair-like string. This will take approx 10 minutes but may vary so keep an eye on the mix. Remove from the burner and set aside to cool.<br />
2. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.<br />
3. While beating the egg whites, slowly pour the hot syrup in a thin stream into the egg whites. Don't rush this step! Continue beating until the icing holds peaks, then add the vanilla.<br />
4. Let cool until room temp and frost the cupcakes when ready to serve.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgosqokbNaezll4RsZMORTJAYBPuP77LuKhHO3ONsCr_JQikzdnzs2esJxaDhvo58PJb6L7-zeEG4szAnF7vnudacK_u_vSkSKBZ-ykyVcrx4El_tImF6JgcOQn5NS9yi2Ak/s1600/IMG_5108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgosqokbNaezll4RsZMORTJAYBPuP77LuKhHO3ONsCr_JQikzdnzs2esJxaDhvo58PJb6L7-zeEG4szAnF7vnudacK_u_vSkSKBZ-ykyVcrx4El_tImF6JgcOQn5NS9yi2Ak/s400/IMG_5108.JPG" width="400" /></a>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-35205375304741220482013-11-28T01:00:00.000-08:002013-11-28T01:00:07.992-08:00ThankfulI have so much to be thankful this year that I couldn't even begin to list it out. But of course, what I am most thankful for is my happy and healthy family.<br />
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<b>Wishing you all a very happy Thanksgiving and start of the holiday season!</b>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-66310597034641081882013-11-23T01:00:00.000-08:002013-11-23T01:00:04.427-08:00Sweet Treats Saturday: Goat Cheese Sugar CookiesOk, if you've made it this far, you are in for a treat!<br />
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Yes, the sugar cookies have goat cheese in them. No, you will not taste it. What you will taste is a delicious, crispy, buttery, sugar cookie.<br />
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When I saw this recipe come up on my Pinterest, I was instantly intrigued. I'm a sucker for goat cheese - on my pizza, in tarts... and apparently in my sugar cookies. But I'm also the type of person who would pick a sugar cookie over chocolate chip, anyday. My husband calls it blasphemy.<br />
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The ingredients (other than the goat cheese) were things I would normally have in my pantry. And I actually had the goat cheese on hand as I planned on using it for pizza night later in the week. And while we are at it, how about sprinkles in fall colors? Perfection!<br />
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These cookies were so easy to make and so crispy and delicious. I love a sugar cookie all rolled up in sprinkles and these were probably on my top 5 sugar cookie of all time list. Yes, I have such a list.<br />
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Surprise someone and whip up this batch of cookies. I didn't tell anyone the secret ingredient, and they never would have guessed anyways. But they were all raving about how delicious they were!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr27NR-O2r9lQfL2ELTlHJm9nCMDJ8orzPlJePw6rX03jJ7OjgaOYRV47953dxLnaPJaMkzBflrQDcUWVYPxbg1AeWtkKl3Ak_moCXxYwxFYQV2V3NcN9eOS17RzL5xnORdIM/s1600/IMG_5350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr27NR-O2r9lQfL2ELTlHJm9nCMDJ8orzPlJePw6rX03jJ7OjgaOYRV47953dxLnaPJaMkzBflrQDcUWVYPxbg1AeWtkKl3Ak_moCXxYwxFYQV2V3NcN9eOS17RzL5xnORdIM/s400/IMG_5350.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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<b>Goat Cheese Sugar Cookies</b><br />
Recipe only slightly modified from <a href="http://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2013/10/goat-cheese-sugar-cookies.html" target="_blank">Love and Olive Oil</a><br />
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<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1 1/2 c sugar<br />
1/3 cup (3 oz) soft goat cheese, room temperature (I used the crumbled kind)<br />
6 tbsp butter, softened<br />
1/4 c vegetable oil<br />
2 tbsp milk (1% was fine)<br />
2 tsp vanilla extract<br />
sprinkles or sanding sugar<br />
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<i>Directions:</i><br />
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet.<br />
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to sift. Set aside.<br />
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar, goat cheese, and butter. Mix with an electric (or stand) mixer until it forms a smooth paste. Slowly add in oil. Then add egg, milk, and vanilla extract, stirring until all is blended and smooth.<br />
4. Slowly add in flour mixture until it is all blended. Batter will be soft and may need to be placed in fridge in between use.<br />
5. Fill a small bowl with sprinkles or sanding sugar.<br />
6. Use a small cookie dough scoop or tablespoon to scoop out dough. Scoop into bowl and roll around until mostly covered. I leave space on the bottom but you could cover the entire cookie. Arrange on prepared baking sheet. The cookies do not spread too much but leave a little space in between each one.<br />
7. Bake for 10-12 minutes until cookies are set and slightly golden. Cool and transfer to wire racks.<br />
<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-11619363669108266502013-11-22T09:06:00.000-08:002013-11-22T17:42:13.926-08:00Craft Fair Recap and Lessons LearnedThis past weekend, I had my first craft fair. I teamed up with some local moms, and we rented out some tables under the name 'Milk Mamas.' We all met from our local breast-feeding support group so it was a pretty fitting name. All of our items are hand-crafted and primarily focused on the wee ones.<br />
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The craft fair was put on buy the local Junior League chapter. It's the first or second time they've run it so it was a smaller affair. It was in their local Community Outreach building and there was about a dozen vendors total participating.<br />
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I was up late every night of the week, frantically churning out burp cloths and lovies. It's been ages since I've participated in a craft fair, and never selling goods like these... I really didn't know what to expect. My<a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/whatsupcupcake" target="_blank"> Etsy shop</a> has been doing pretty well, considering I do minimal advertising and it's mainly with online mommy groups. My lovie's are definitely the top seller as I'm usually advertising them on sites specific to the swaddle brands that I use. But would they perform as well in person?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nCdaBBUFw9eit2wDCsIm7p3sS-2-9mmUYSzd4E3GjU-fO6big3Xx9Cll804g0qibIxg7zSyvoSe8ZM5mecNJRoyWjuPbCfxVz7Gl35yCoNiNtCW7tZ3q0-t8TkZAfx0h1CU/s1600/IMG_5311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nCdaBBUFw9eit2wDCsIm7p3sS-2-9mmUYSzd4E3GjU-fO6big3Xx9Cll804g0qibIxg7zSyvoSe8ZM5mecNJRoyWjuPbCfxVz7Gl35yCoNiNtCW7tZ3q0-t8TkZAfx0h1CU/s400/IMG_5311.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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We arrived early and I covered the tables in my pastel table-cloths. I brought them 'just-in-case' but they definitely came in handy to cover up the drab, plastic tables. We divided up the tables between the 5 of us and arranged our goodies for display. In the future, we could definitely use more space. We all had a lot of great stuff! <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/ILHDesign" target="_blank">ILH Designs</a> and her onesies could have taken up two tables alone as she had so many cute designs available! Her friend was selling <a href="http://www.norwex.biz/pws/isabelheineman/tabs/home.aspx" target="_blank">Norwex cleaning products</a> at the far end of the table, and the other two ladies had some adorable bows, infinity scarves for babies and adults, and felt quiet books. I think that with the combination of all of these items, I can safely say that we were one of the most popular tables at the craft fair. We all sold a few pieces - not quite as much as we would have liked to do, but with approximately 50 people coming to the fair (one of the vendors counted), I think we made out pretty well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHextqcjTccLhZDNbQ-ZUPlwYon29BvP0uzc7iOaMR5960sPcECnCoCuRsMJ5G1JI_cNE6LnDYoU-uC821dP52kalw9TAhjrBsXW8-zC_WsZQ9zESarI_rPiQZGfANxHi8WGg/s1600/IMG_5304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHextqcjTccLhZDNbQ-ZUPlwYon29BvP0uzc7iOaMR5960sPcECnCoCuRsMJ5G1JI_cNE6LnDYoU-uC821dP52kalw9TAhjrBsXW8-zC_WsZQ9zESarI_rPiQZGfANxHi8WGg/s400/IMG_5304.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
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Once I got home, I also reached out to my local online groups and mentioned my items, and was able to get quite a few more sales directly through my Etsy shop. So in the end, it came out to be a successful day. I made back what I spent on the table, which was really my main concern, I got my name out there, and was able to gauge what people were interested in.<br />
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Much to my surprise, the burp cloths were equally as popular as the lovies. Not that I don't think they are a great product as well, but on Etsy, they don't sell nearly as well. I feel that my pricing is very competitive, but I think Etsy is pretty saturated with burp cloth sets. I'm going to keep at it though, focusing on them at shows like this, but also keeping really cute designs in stock. In just the last week since the fair, I picked up some new prints that are ridiculously cute. I'll list them online after my next craft fair, tomorrow. Yeah, that's right - back-to-back craft fairs. Tis' the season!<br />
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One quick craft that I whipped up for the fair were some little name labels for my items. At the time, I was just doing burp cloths and lovies. Again, since the fair, I've been on a bit of a crafting spree and was inspired to come up with a few new things. More on those after this weekend. I stitched these each up in about 30 minutes. I made a quick little cupcake and plotted out the spacing for the words. I love how they turned out, and tied my two little baskets together. Now I just need to make a couple more for my new goodies.<br />
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<b>So overall, what did I learn from this craft fair experience? </b>Sorry, it's about to get a bit wordy, but hopefully you will find this useful.</div>
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1. Don't set too many expectations. Try to find out as much as you can about the fair itself so that you can anticipate how many people will come. Who will mostly make up the audience? I knew that this was a fairly new fair, so I didn't expect a huge turn-out, but I definitely had more products than I needed. It's good to have variety, but you also don't want to over-do it and bring too much clutter. Through this all, you can still find that even though you did the research, you just didn't get a lot of customers. While I think you should take a look at what you are selling overall, making sure it is something people are interested in, you also don't want to go in to your first (or even later on) craft fair expecting to be wiped out of everything. Just be realistic about what to expect.</div>
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2. Price right. Be competitive, but make sure you're not underestimating yourself and what your time is worth. Etsy has some <a href="http://www.etsy.com/blog/en/category/seller-handbook/" target="_blank">great resources</a> to help you calculate how much you should be selling your items for in order to make a profit. If you are finding that your goods are priced too high, you need to figure out how you can keep costs down... better vendors to buy your supplies, more time-effective solutions to make them, or maybe it's something you just need to pass on.</div>
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3. Adding on to the topic of price, are you really incorporating ALL costs into your goods? We had one person who was not charging extra for custom prints. It doesn't take her much extra time to do, but something that was missing from her calculations was the cost of getting the end product to the customer. At the fair, you hand them their item, the transaction is - in a sense - over. Custom items require a little extra work but they also do not leave the customer standing in front of you with the goods in hand. The items either need to be delivered in person (if local, and willing to meet) or shipped. This adds gas costs or just shipping and packaging costs. While it can be exciting to get the sale, you also want to be sure that you are not completely eating away at your margins only to find out you're now in the red. Custom orders may require an extra couple of bucks added on... or more depending on what is actually involved.</div>
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4. Listen to your customers. What is it that they are looking for? What are they saying about your products (or the products of the person next to you). For our baby items, what I heard the most was that people wanted a good variety of items for boys, girls, AND gender neutral. It seems obvious, but you may need to take a closer look at your items to make sure they are offering a good variety of options for all customers.</div>
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5. Little things count. Keep your stuff neat, easy-to-see, and fun. This draws people in and can impress them with your professional appearance. While some people may like the Becky Homecky look, most people want to buy something that is presented well. Again, seems obvious, but you would be amazed at how some people display their items at craft fairs. If your booth is a mess and it's hard to get an idea of what is actually for sale, you probably won't draw many people in.</div>
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6. When possible, let people really SEE your product. I left a few lovies out for people to touch and play with because they are so soft. The rest were neatly packaged up, but this way they could see exactly what they would be buying.</div>
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7. What's your follow-up plan? Did you make any connections at the craft fair? Anyone you need to reach out to or custom order to begin working on? Do these things in a timely manner, while your memory is still fresh and so is the customers. It's also just good customer service to get back to them when promised (or sooner). In my case, I didn't have custom orders, but I saw my small supply of burp cloths had a big dent. I needed to replenish before the next fair, so I went out to get more supplies. In doing so, I saw new prints that met #4... listening to what they were asking for. Some cute, new, gender neutral prints, and fun designs that I think will be really popular. I also advertised online, and ended up selling twice as much as what I sold at the fair in person. I was already in the shop frame of mind, so it only took me a few minutes and got me a few new customers.</div>
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8. Finally... BE FRIENDLY! I saw some vendors with a frown on their face for most of the show. One thing I noticed about them... hardly anyone went to their booth. You don't need to be a cheerleader, but people probably won't want to stop by if someone with a giant scowl is staring you down.</div>
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Alright, I think that's it! Did I miss anything? I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences!</div>
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Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-27699945958075010492013-11-11T04:00:00.000-08:002013-11-11T04:00:12.425-08:00Sew White DressWhat's this?<br />
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An actual dress, you say?<br />
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For the first time in... well, I'm too lazy to go back and look - let's just say it's been a loooong time. I made a dress. For myself. In fact, it took so long that the dress is just slightly out of season.<br />
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For my first foray back to sewing, I eagerly set out to make the <a href="http://shop.byhandlondon.com/product/anna-dress" target="_blank">Anna dress from By Hand London</a>. I snatched up the pattern and tried to plot out what fabric to make it in. I looked around my sewing space before I ventured to my local fabric shop, and saw a few yard of white eyelet that I had picked up. I was inspired to buy this fabric at one point because I saw a black lace dress that I totally thought I could make myself. Except, I couldn't find lace that I wanted to use, or it was too expensive. And then it wasn't black. So I looked at eyelet instead. But still... not inspired by what I saw, and black eyelet is not so easy to come by. So I switched it to white. And then I finally found this eyelet design and bit the bullet. So, it's not what I originally intended, but it could do the job. I had never used a pattern from By Hand London so I decided I wouldn't be too heartbroken if it didn't work out.<br />
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I picked up a thin, white cotton fabric to go underneath the eyelet. We wouldn't want it to be see-through, now would we? I treated the lining as if it were one with the fabric. It made it easier to cut out and assemble the dress, and I didn't want to have to deal with the logistics of a lining.<br />
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The pattern was super easy to put together. The hardest part for me was remembering how to do a pleat (I looked up the designer's tutorials, just to make sure I did it right) and installing my invisible zipper. It had been a long while since I did one so I didn't want to make any mistakes. I took it slow, and referred to Colette's sewing handbook instructions, just to be safe.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3j8TJSOw4D0kKfA9m4z-xF0SXxRRpkxd-3lZQQRFA6wIBT24eBnrVeDpwMyYOaoWXOotfJPqvl3wOxm9wIfWxDu11Ei__wHQ2-mR9OYVCarltKATY_hATqQq0-sFywmn03Uc/s1600/IMG_5092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3j8TJSOw4D0kKfA9m4z-xF0SXxRRpkxd-3lZQQRFA6wIBT24eBnrVeDpwMyYOaoWXOotfJPqvl3wOxm9wIfWxDu11Ei__wHQ2-mR9OYVCarltKATY_hATqQq0-sFywmn03Uc/s640/IMG_5092.jpg" width="425" /></a><br />
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Now, in California, I could totally wear this dress in the Fall. Except for the whole 'no white after Labor Day' but is that still a thing? Since I've been planning this dress for a while, I probably could have worn it in the early Fall... except we are far enough into the season here in North Carolina, that it's pretty chilly. I could wear it with a sweater, tights, and boots... but I'd probably still be a little cold. So this will probably get tucked away into my closet until the Spring. But I do like it, and overall the fit seems to be good. I was worried that it wouldn't fit, but it feels perfect. The pictures make it look like it's straining at the bust, but I didn't see that in person, and my hubby denied it too. Regardless, by the time I wear it in Spring, I won't be breastfeeding anymore so I have a feeling the size will be different in that respect. Is that TMI? Trying to be realistic.<br />
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So, it's a lovely dress! I will definitely make it again, though I think with the v-neck option instead. Now I need to get realistic about cold weather sewing options. Do you have any recommendations of favorite patterns? Maybe the <a href="http://www.coletterie.com/colette-patterns-news/new-patterns-plural-coming-soon" target="_blank">new release from Colette</a> will be something fitting...<br />
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<b>The Facts</b><br />
<b>Fabric: </b>Approx 3.5 yards cotton eyelet, from stash<br />
<b>Pattern: </b><a href="http://shop.byhandlondon.com/product/anna-dress" target="_blank">Anna from By Hand London</a><br />
<b>Year: </b>Contemporary<br />
<b>Notions:</b> 16" zipper, hook closure<br />
<b>Time to Complete: </b>Approx. 4 hours<br />
<b>First worn:</b> For photos<br />
<b>Wear again: </b>When it's warmer<br />
<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-78811290991848177072013-11-09T05:00:00.000-08:002013-11-09T05:00:07.561-08:00Sweet Treats Saturday: Cornflake CookiesEverywhere I go I have to stop whenever I see a bakery or cupcake shop that I haven't tried. Being that we're in a completely new home, I'm having to stop an awful lot. <br />
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I popped in to a little bakery near my house as I heard they had amazing brownies. The brownies were alright but in the process I spotted a cookie that I'd never heard of... I think they called it a 'rocket' cookie? Its description said 'cornflakes, coconut, and pecans.' Cornflakes in a cookie?? I was intrigued.<br />
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I brought it home and nibbled on a corner... which promptly turned in to devouring the whole thing. It was so good! For the sake of my wallet, I thought I should figure out how to make them myself. I did a search on 'cornflake cookies' and nothing sounded quite right. I finally found one that sounded exact - minus the pecans. So I whipped up my own version.<br />
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I think they turned out almost exactly the same. I would be tempted to get another one just to compare, but what I baked was a buttery, crispy, mildly coconut-ty cookie with a little crunch from the pecans and cornflakes. The coconut isn't overwhelming and the cornflakes have a mystery about them. These may be my new sugar/oatmeal cookie addiction.<br />
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<b>Cornflake Cookies</b><br />
Recipe modified from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/chewy-crispy-coconut-cookies/" target="_blank">Allrecipes</a><br />
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<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
1/2 c butter (4oz)<br />
1/2 c brown sugar, packed<br />
1/2 c white sugar<br />
1 egg<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1 c all-purpose flour<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
1 c cornflakes cereal, crushed (I poured into a ziploc bag and crushed them by hand)<br />
1 c old-fashioned oats<br />
1 1/3 c flaked coconut<br />
3/4 c pecans, chopped<br />
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<i>Directions:</i><br />
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.<br />
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until smooth and fluffy. Stir in the egg and vanilla.<br />
3. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Stir into the creamed mixture. Add the oatmeal, crushed cereal, coconut, and pecans, and mix until combined.<br />
4. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto a prepared cookie sheet. Cookies should be about 2 inches apart. Bake for 9-12 minutes until edges are light brown and the tops are golden. Remove from baking sheets and cool on wire rack.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdjDFcHsJfPuM3qocuzyOqw9hPkOZwFTEZUTLyDQKFun97ug88CA05ufJ-LRq0DPSqN_Cp0sxKQhLr7PQGbuLHmv6ElSZYeXclr7jkf4V8_EyoSHwZ4vAhBSVO5ajxIzZcus/s1600/IMG_5023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtdjDFcHsJfPuM3qocuzyOqw9hPkOZwFTEZUTLyDQKFun97ug88CA05ufJ-LRq0DPSqN_Cp0sxKQhLr7PQGbuLHmv6ElSZYeXclr7jkf4V8_EyoSHwZ4vAhBSVO5ajxIzZcus/s400/IMG_5023.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-56482194144661302782013-11-05T05:00:00.000-08:002013-11-22T17:57:10.629-08:00Lovies and an Etsy ShopI've been doing a lot of sewing lately, though still not a garment for myself - mainly crafts. One in particular has been little lovie blankets for babies. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFw5fCGa7vl5wHgWwry7ez8eDlwFhwR7mDb7V448n33txTwqWe8EmuOoGTelwEU4VydgoBuq4dChMYFwMzFZVIdEhgPqcZsFoMDt0WOIsAMiPEgKJbj5eUzbReEJ9EoXLi2j4/s1600/IMG_4227.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFw5fCGa7vl5wHgWwry7ez8eDlwFhwR7mDb7V448n33txTwqWe8EmuOoGTelwEU4VydgoBuq4dChMYFwMzFZVIdEhgPqcZsFoMDt0WOIsAMiPEgKJbj5eUzbReEJ9EoXLi2j4/s400/IMG_4227.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Having Ian introduced me to many things... baby love and snuggles, dirty diapers, breastfeeding, and the world of baby accessories being just a few of them. Within this world, I found muslin swaddle blankets. When I first heard of them, I couldn't understand the appeal. Sewing muslin does not usually bring to mind the softest of fabrics. I found that this muslin they speak of is actually cotton gauze. A soft, lightweight cotton that is perfect for swaddling little babies in. There are a few big designers, especially Aden and Anais, Swaddle Designs... and it seems like so many more are constantly popping up.<br />
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Tilly recently featured a post on <a href="http://www.tillyandthebuttons.com/2013/09/selling-your-handmade-stuff.html" target="_blank">Selling Your Handmade Stuff</a>. It was a good read, and had a few things I had to consider when coming up with my shop. I checked out the existing market for lovies and found that most were made from minky and cotton fabrics... but why not from these beautifully designed blankets? I set to work. I made a few designs and offered them within my online mommy groups. They performed really well so I thought it was time to reopen my Etsy shop. I've made a little inventory and had my first few sales... and I'm really pleased with the results. I think the lovies turned out beautifully and I think they will make many a happy baby. My little guy loves his. I have a few more versions to make before the holidays but I'm trying to squeeze them in between my own personal sewing projects.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvnPdPwjmL0-B73uSWKVNuqq-Ar-y_-UXBKBdtbXvRc98Ehwl3dN9al403xf0xpv-dH76EB1rXEFjodI8si0BmtUfBrtLzBrgt-1OYOlDohtLDJh083PCPv7g5rfrwP-LPHU/s1600/IMG_4476.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXvnPdPwjmL0-B73uSWKVNuqq-Ar-y_-UXBKBdtbXvRc98Ehwl3dN9al403xf0xpv-dH76EB1rXEFjodI8si0BmtUfBrtLzBrgt-1OYOlDohtLDJh083PCPv7g5rfrwP-LPHU/s400/IMG_4476.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Ian on one of his swaddle blankets</td></tr>
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If you would like to purchase a lovie, you can get them from <a href="http://etsy.com/shop/whatsupcupcake?ref=l2-shopheader-name" target="_blank">my Etsy shop</a> with a 10% discount for blog readers. Just use the coupon code '10PERCENT'<br />
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<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-50045502853693573382013-11-02T04:00:00.000-07:002013-11-02T04:00:00.499-07:00Sweet Treats Saturday: Pear and Apple CrispAutumn is here in North Carolina, and I love it. Though we've only been here for a few months, I'm already loving the changing seasons. People always complained that California doesn't have that, and I never really had a full understanding of what that meant. Sure, it went from hot to cold... we didn't have snow, but I'm cool with that. But here... I could pinpoint the week when summer transitioned to fall.<br />
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Ok, enough melancholy. Fall means food. Family gatherings, apples, squash, soups... my mouth is watering thinking about it. My weekly CSA box has been filled with these goodies and I wanted to make a warm fruit crisp to enjoy some of the bounty.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxBCQqINuVkEBNXI2hzlZmUdb3HgZZlYmllHv5xvEAJq6blMQwhL0ZkpMfopEsUK3sofQ8MVvap-HGvOCSakXgJzsvQS-10kXQ528kG_DddDddNkPxbqJBuowwEfuAL_T6Yc/s1600/IMG_4791.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLxBCQqINuVkEBNXI2hzlZmUdb3HgZZlYmllHv5xvEAJq6blMQwhL0ZkpMfopEsUK3sofQ8MVvap-HGvOCSakXgJzsvQS-10kXQ528kG_DddDddNkPxbqJBuowwEfuAL_T6Yc/s400/IMG_4791.jpg" width="266" /></a> <br />
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I didn't have any special ocassions or celebrations coming up, but I wanted a recipe that would use a variety of these fruits and make a small enough batch that hubby and I could finish it over a few days, or that I could easily serve when we have a couple of friends over for dinner. I downsized the original recipe and made a few changes. Even the hubby, who is not usually a fan of fruit-based desserts, wanted more. The combination of pears and apples was a nice change to the standard apple crisp.<br />
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<b>Pear and Apple Crisp</b><br />
Recipe modified from <a href="http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/brown-butter-pear-crisp/" target="_blank">Two Peas &Their Pod</a><br />
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<i>Ingredients for the fruit filling:</i><br />
2 pears, 1 apple (or the reverse combination), peeled, cored, and chopped<br />
1 tbsp lemon juice<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1/4 c light brown sugar<br />
3 tbsp granulated sugar<br />
2 tsp all-purpose flour<br />
1/2 tsp cornstarch<br />
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
dash of ground nutmeg<br />
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<i>Ingredients for the crisp topping:</i><br />
1/4 c butter<br />
heaping 1/2 c old-fashioned oats <br />
1/2 c all-purpose flour<br />
dash of salt<br />
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon <br />
1/2 c brown sugar<br />
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Directions:<br />
1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine apples, pears, lemon juice and vanilla. Mix to coat.<br />
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2. In a separate bowl, mix sugars, flour, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Sprinkle the mixture over the fruit and stir until thoroughly combined. Pour into a small baking dish (9x9 or similar). Spread until mixture is evenly distributed and covering the bottom of the pan. <br />
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3. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat, ocassionally swirling the pan, until the butter is a golden brown color with a nutty smell. Transfer to a bowl to cool.<br />
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4. In a separate bowl, combine the oats, flour, salt, cinnamon, and brown sugar. Pour the butter over the mixture and stir until combined. Crumble mixture over the pear and apple mixture in the baking pan.<br />
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5. Bake for 35-45 minutes until the crumble is bubbling around the edges and the top is golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS15yb7TpM6opDGIu8ff0S6q5OyJ9qCVRHI_x-nkiK2Uomg1TtPOl7DLwN0hJxC1XxGSMSskE9IxV855blauXMySlKi2YTrw11mL2ntOxK-CrDnEyT_TGknCvHbWghVMVXfE4/s1600/IMG_4801.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS15yb7TpM6opDGIu8ff0S6q5OyJ9qCVRHI_x-nkiK2Uomg1TtPOl7DLwN0hJxC1XxGSMSskE9IxV855blauXMySlKi2YTrw11mL2ntOxK-CrDnEyT_TGknCvHbWghVMVXfE4/s400/IMG_4801.jpg" width="400" /></a> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWi1wPoM2iZV91kCDqVIVlYq1XUfCs91lwm3r7gQ7_NQbJJibrTF8CV_d7bHwuqVCFTkkNBFkQcDpvHrDunG69NRZOQzZ5hqU8Y5pvv-OdABI9Q1LWlA448Yspkfbabhz4lLQ/s1600/IMG_4805.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWi1wPoM2iZV91kCDqVIVlYq1XUfCs91lwm3r7gQ7_NQbJJibrTF8CV_d7bHwuqVCFTkkNBFkQcDpvHrDunG69NRZOQzZ5hqU8Y5pvv-OdABI9Q1LWlA448Yspkfbabhz4lLQ/s400/IMG_4805.jpg" width="400" /></a>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-67004206816780837162013-10-31T05:00:00.000-07:002013-10-31T05:00:12.580-07:00Happy Halloween!My favorite pumpkin wishing you a happy Halloween!<br />
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<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-18305867956300761972013-10-27T16:39:00.003-07:002013-10-27T16:39:55.745-07:00Pants for my baby boyAfter <a href="http://www.whatsupcupcakeblog.com/2013/10/little-man-shorts.html" target="_blank">making shorts</a> for my girlfriend's little boy, I wanted to make some for my own. My little guy is just 7 1/2 months now and the weather is a bit colder where we are, so I modified <a href="http://www.danamadeit.com/2013/06/new-pattern-kid-shorts-are-here.html" target="_blank">the original pattern</a> to make a pair of flat front pants.<br />
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I had some leftover fabric from the hubby's Halloween costume. Yeah, that's right. I'm making his Halloween costume. Except... I don't know if it's going to see the light of day. The fit is a bit off and I'm just not pleased. <sigh> Anyways, I had some extra fabric and you don't even need a full half a yard to make a pair of these pants. I had more than enough to make my baby boy his own pair of trousers.</sigh><br />
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<sigh><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIR25vETS9IDwzhg3WX3_9shN7dsUydaWWbUWwjHsZRPNx8aTHftBcJuGMIR13JKTG5OfcndWasCZk01SGZPZmILzbWGcbpXUOQFXCWvNSBXwktTy-lVXEQZ1u0feMkC_JUXc/s1600/IMG_4949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIR25vETS9IDwzhg3WX3_9shN7dsUydaWWbUWwjHsZRPNx8aTHftBcJuGMIR13JKTG5OfcndWasCZk01SGZPZmILzbWGcbpXUOQFXCWvNSBXwktTy-lVXEQZ1u0feMkC_JUXc/s400/IMG_4949.jpg" width="266" /></a></sigh><br />
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The pants probably took about half an hour to make. I used the original pattern but used a pair of his own pants to determine how much length to add. It was just about 3 1/2 extra inches. Looking back, I would probably use elastic all around the waistband next time. They fit fine but because he's just about crawling now, he pulls them down when he drags on the floor. If he was walking there wouldn't be an issue, so something to think about the next time I make a pair. But again, the fit was great and they look so cute on him! I never thought I'd be able to make clothes for my baby boy, but I'm excited to find these little patterns throughout the web. I plan on making him a bathrobe next, but first, a little something for myself is in the works...<br />
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<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-22396497224623092392013-10-03T07:36:00.000-07:002013-10-03T07:36:29.044-07:00Little Man ShortsI've been working on little sewing projects for the last couple of weeks but I've finally made my first garment in a while. I'm so happy with how this project turned out.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUZti2E7G_MPBUCpsinvZQiHaKpOOy3ksVatl5SenGs4-Xc_L4CvYXDoW4jQqAPV47_bgrOiKJBsqB9twEaeX87igX5Av228xdRxMhcN9M-RRp0e0Sclcp1wqnT-fk0vbvLA/s1600/IMG_4184.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUZti2E7G_MPBUCpsinvZQiHaKpOOy3ksVatl5SenGs4-Xc_L4CvYXDoW4jQqAPV47_bgrOiKJBsqB9twEaeX87igX5Av228xdRxMhcN9M-RRp0e0Sclcp1wqnT-fk0vbvLA/s400/IMG_4184.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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I've been complaining about the lack of patterns for baby boys, when I stumbled across Sew Charleston's blog. She had recently made <a href="http://sewcharleston.wordpress.com/2013/08/12/baby-shorts-for-andrews-first-birthday/" target="_blank">baby shorts as a gift</a> and I instantly clicked over to see where she found the pattern. <br />
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Dana, over on the <a href="http://www.danamadeit.com/2013/06/new-pattern-kid-shorts-are-here.html" target="_blank">Made blog</a>, had come up with a shorts pattern for kids. I love them for a few reasons:<br />
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- the basic pattern is so cute, but she offers so many variations and modifications that you can do. This includes making a shorter, 'racer' short, adding pockets to the front or back, flat front or elastic all the way around... there are so many options!<br />
- the sizing is for 12months to 10 years. I can use this pattern for so many more shorts!!! As Ian grows up, if I have more babies... because....<br />
- it's for boys AND girls!<br />
- The price is right! It was only $6 for the whole pattern set. Love. It.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgR87nh17o7bFF3YtxV0P78J_SbA1ewE1g9vPwgOhI0ZZ2sVgSbdsKtGSZTCyZncjYwyDdLzqtq42DLQthlWdg_ChriyK2TqAmD3Cern2RCo7q-lEKA8gWVXKQqs9MaahQ38/s1600/IMG_4186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIgR87nh17o7bFF3YtxV0P78J_SbA1ewE1g9vPwgOhI0ZZ2sVgSbdsKtGSZTCyZncjYwyDdLzqtq42DLQthlWdg_ChriyK2TqAmD3Cern2RCo7q-lEKA8gWVXKQqs9MaahQ38/s400/IMG_4186.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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I ran out to get some fabric. A pair of shorts for a baby boy takes up less than half a yard. That can't be beat! I got a couple of options, just to test the waters, and made up the 18 months size.<br />
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Let's backtrack a little. Aside from having my own baby boy to sew for, my girlfriend back in California was getting ready to celebrate the first birthday of her own little boy, Dylan. I was so sad that I couldn't be there to celebrate, and wanted to make something a little more personal. She has been an amazing support system to me with the birth of Ian and I wanted to make something special.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLqvVrFsFOskVblaGQYsHG3OmdunViBPw-fc5hLHTP_VcemxrxmliD1rxVYACE40LFXVgqjy_Ph9PxjYxkItorzcGl9h11b2Uv5OLNd_3XCWezPH7A8GixSa-KrM7rgde5v8/s1600/IMG_4188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMLqvVrFsFOskVblaGQYsHG3OmdunViBPw-fc5hLHTP_VcemxrxmliD1rxVYACE40LFXVgqjy_Ph9PxjYxkItorzcGl9h11b2Uv5OLNd_3XCWezPH7A8GixSa-KrM7rgde5v8/s400/IMG_4188.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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Her husband is a deep sea fisherman, and avid hunter. I had to tie that in somehow. Oh, and the theme for her little man's birthday? Pirates! So I found two prints that would be perfect... ocean waves with pirate ships, and camo!<br />
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I was able to quickly whip up the two shorts. I made the camo version as a regular length, flat front short. I did the pirate ship in the 'racer' style with bias tape trim. I decided to omit pockets because I didn't think her baby boy would need them just yet. I added a little cupcake ribbon tag into the back of the shorts, to help identify the front and back, and to add a professional touch. All of the exposed seams are serged so there's no risk of it unraveling with use from an active little boy,<br />
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Can I tell you how fun it is to make such little garments? Not only are they fast to sew, but they are so adorable and mini... I couldn't stop showing them off to anyone who was around to see them. I think my husband did a great job at matching my enthusiasm and he only scared me a little when he said 'will they fit?' Well... I hope so! Though her little man was turning 1, I made the 18 months size because I assumed sizing would be similar to the clothing industry... in which you can typically wear the size until the date. So my little man, who is almost 7 months old, would wear the 12 months version. Baby Dylan, just turning 12 months, should then be ok for the 18 months size. Fingers crossed.<br />
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I shipped off the shorts and was excited a few days later to receive some pictures from my girlfriend. The shorts fit great and Dylan looks even more adorable in them! Or is it that the shorts are adorable because of him? I don't know, but look at this little guy - isn't he the cutest??<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_m0Bp0YdKIFId-arx4mtuErzG7z7wdUoxatg3GHByTaMsw1PlVgQFfXGgJ0hDD__hJpC3f0eQQE-OD66gEZSHRsLVVUduG1lmhtV4S-l_WZP_-JlX6jxlugT2TuVRx2DeAo/s1600/photo-10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif_m0Bp0YdKIFId-arx4mtuErzG7z7wdUoxatg3GHByTaMsw1PlVgQFfXGgJ0hDD__hJpC3f0eQQE-OD66gEZSHRsLVVUduG1lmhtV4S-l_WZP_-JlX6jxlugT2TuVRx2DeAo/s400/photo-10.jpg" width="298" /></a><br />
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Now I can't wait to scrounge up some more bits of fabric to make them for Ian and for other babies with birthdays coming up!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-HhWBhabXUDigxDsErkexE6imRmd6u6OLy8IDzhQFDhclUpcj9ffPViducVUMSrAOYiv0B1BExT_UyhgV8MWIXeRCEsF7ADMdJdvZV6-uPKLefzIgWT1RBiBP2XWrlKUBtVM/s1600/photo-13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-HhWBhabXUDigxDsErkexE6imRmd6u6OLy8IDzhQFDhclUpcj9ffPViducVUMSrAOYiv0B1BExT_UyhgV8MWIXeRCEsF7ADMdJdvZV6-uPKLefzIgWT1RBiBP2XWrlKUBtVM/s400/photo-13.JPG" width="298" /></a>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-78169167418634948192013-09-28T01:00:00.000-07:002013-09-28T01:00:09.094-07:00Sweet Treats Saturday: Kitchen Sink BlondiesFriday night. Dinner is devoured. Dishes are done... and I'm itching for something sweet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIGXPcrbFb70xxpxAKO_Y_gbu9a9HKYMG0jh8dACOmPXXD3GK8kDiPFixvF5xdIjtmWUcXkImc58NlUYPZsMiPfsFsEkbh118tRHpeFTrjJS_nerwSUQECmXJxqob5vPiH7SA/s1600/KSBlondies3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIGXPcrbFb70xxpxAKO_Y_gbu9a9HKYMG0jh8dACOmPXXD3GK8kDiPFixvF5xdIjtmWUcXkImc58NlUYPZsMiPfsFsEkbh118tRHpeFTrjJS_nerwSUQECmXJxqob5vPiH7SA/s400/KSBlondies3.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
I decided to surprise the hubby with blondies. Chocolate chip cookies are probably his #1 favorite dessert that could only ever be topped by blondies. But in order for me to fully enjoy them, we would have to include toffee. Fair is fair, right? So I started collecting ingredients and decided to basically throw in all of the add-ins I could find. Thus, the kitchen sink blondies were created. Chocolate chips, heath bar, peanut butter chips, walnuts... enjoy!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAndkLiIAlLz7Tt5t7CfPsYCzWNBYFjWxnzv6cfRdOz_t3wvtvya57H3U_cF2d6yARxVfuvLlooFkWwr3mqWmJmoa-uxiCzbJaN3QRP60roxya_wZ-lZbUSgWxuiChBI4wsas/s1600/KSBlondies2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAndkLiIAlLz7Tt5t7CfPsYCzWNBYFjWxnzv6cfRdOz_t3wvtvya57H3U_cF2d6yARxVfuvLlooFkWwr3mqWmJmoa-uxiCzbJaN3QRP60roxya_wZ-lZbUSgWxuiChBI4wsas/s400/KSBlondies2.jpg" width="400" /></a> <br />
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<b>Kitchen Sink Blondies</b><br />
Recipe modified from AllRecipes<br />
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<i>Ingredients:</i><br />
2 1/4 c all-purpose flour<br />
2 1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1 3/4 c firmly packed brown sugar<br />
3/4 c (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened<br />
3 eggs<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
1 c semi-sweet chocolate chips<br />
1/2 c heath bar bits<br />
1/2 c peanut butter chips<br />
1 c chopped walnuts<br />
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<i>Directions:</i><br />
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13" cake pan.<br />
2. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.<br />
3. In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla extract. Then, gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in desired add-ins (chocolate chips, heath bar, peanut butter chips, walnuts).<br />
4. Spread batter into greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwflN6iGo30BQkUrnLEiWhVsMUNSWh7EOmxHy3548QMKYwQF4DwlRLhDs8El-tUhVVHVad0Xtq9FuYmEH4V3hvEq26eu5Hbzq9JQEaWc9eqcvBIqjPAicGTlkmIDliytXCKi0/s1600/KSBlondies1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwflN6iGo30BQkUrnLEiWhVsMUNSWh7EOmxHy3548QMKYwQF4DwlRLhDs8El-tUhVVHVad0Xtq9FuYmEH4V3hvEq26eu5Hbzq9JQEaWc9eqcvBIqjPAicGTlkmIDliytXCKi0/s400/KSBlondies1.jpg" width="400" /></a> <br />
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<br />Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-6333693299779389992013-09-25T01:00:00.000-07:002013-09-25T01:00:12.590-07:00Holiday StockingAlright, I'm breaking the unspoken rule that September is way too early to be planning for Christmas already, but... I finally finished a craft I've been working on since last November! I know, that's a long time, and I can't even blame things like a baby for it. It was just a really slow project.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq65QB62wG6hR_t-u2gabRIMx-46cV2pMdovuZLU0AmMljJ3S51jNxLsPDWhnTSSTuAlMOzKmnu0VBet3J13ZIC5152iSvI_m_u93dyQhZ5kPrliAnUmf9pYr6HkE4vVdQP9A/s1600/Stocking2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq65QB62wG6hR_t-u2gabRIMx-46cV2pMdovuZLU0AmMljJ3S51jNxLsPDWhnTSSTuAlMOzKmnu0VBet3J13ZIC5152iSvI_m_u93dyQhZ5kPrliAnUmf9pYr6HkE4vVdQP9A/s400/Stocking2.jpg" width="266" /></a><br />
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The project in question was a holiday stocking for my little man. A cross-stitch stocking. For some reason, I thought it would go a lot faster than it did. But it was so detailed and intricate... Ultimately, I love how it turned out. But I would never do it again. Or at least, I said I wouldn't. Until the same day that I uttered those words, a friend gave me a gift of another stocking kit. Same company, but luckily, this one is just needlepoint and not cross-stitch. I've actually already started on it and made some progress. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2luXMAXcjPk97-nK17hyrUKOjuSDpWb-vHNx5PRxfSxyTZziD0UZ-UBqyZfyEhK-mnGlxyxsyDeQVaMMkwlNPz8BvxTcKUOIkihQ667p_DqvAxQNgPUbe7yejcmfY7mW4vVM/s1600/Stocking3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2luXMAXcjPk97-nK17hyrUKOjuSDpWb-vHNx5PRxfSxyTZziD0UZ-UBqyZfyEhK-mnGlxyxsyDeQVaMMkwlNPz8BvxTcKUOIkihQ667p_DqvAxQNgPUbe7yejcmfY7mW4vVM/s400/Stocking3.jpg" width="266" /></a><br />
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I have a hand-made stocking that my grandmother made for me when I was a child. I've always loved having my own, custom stocking, and wanted to do one for Ian as well. My husband is excited that I got another kit so that he can have his own. Maybe I could even finish his in time for this holiday season? No promises - I'm still working on his Halloween costume so he'll be lucky if he gets that in time!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7It5LAOUEbBHGpIHSxA3O_0A6vRAg3yVytcTUiBRuf425TbJxxQWkUdQrlIlm8Azt5xK1SIVwoixudxg-5oqL60RtZ4ZaWNiQV7bAHgk-OJifG9WExkxLWWfzJJZY19xISq4/s1600/Stocking1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7It5LAOUEbBHGpIHSxA3O_0A6vRAg3yVytcTUiBRuf425TbJxxQWkUdQrlIlm8Azt5xK1SIVwoixudxg-5oqL60RtZ4ZaWNiQV7bAHgk-OJifG9WExkxLWWfzJJZY19xISq4/s400/Stocking1.jpg" width="266" /></a><br />
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If you are feeling brave (or a lot faster than I am at cross-stitch), here's the link to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dimensions-Needlecrafts-Counted-Checking-Stocking/dp/B0002I8OEE/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1380041883&sr=8-13&keywords=cross+stitch+stocking" target="_blank">the kit on Amazon</a>. It includes everything you need to make the stocking. I added a velvet back because I didn't like the felt that the kit provided, but aside from that, everything was included.<br />
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Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32215235.post-78665924517716363272013-09-24T09:39:00.000-07:002013-09-24T09:39:10.923-07:00HousekeepingSorry for the housekeeping post, but Bloglovin' wants me to 'claim' my blog by including this link. So here you go! If you weren't already following me on Bloglovin'... especially with the change over from Google's Reader, then now is a great time to start! :)<br />
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<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/2111106/?claim=pkhc35kvhzy">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>Christinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14276267832947658587noreply@blogger.com0