I Make Stuff.

PR&P Outerwear Challenge

2012-01-26T06:37:00.000-05:00

Its been, like, ridiculously warm here in Eastern NC this Winter. So warm that our Camelias just lost their blooms. So warm that we actually saw a blooming Cherry tree tonight on our way home from this photo shoot. Today it was 64 degrees!!! But I digress...

It's been so warm that I just couldn't make a jacket. Not that my kiddos aren't wearing jackets in the mornings but it just doesn't feel like jacket weather to me. So I decided to take some creative liberty with the outerwear challenge and make:

Baby Waders.

Ok, so I know a baby doesn't need fishing waders. But it's so darn cute!

I mean just look at her! How could you NOT love baby waders. It's been raining so much here lately that I think they will come in handy very soon. Sometimes a trip to the grocery store cannot be helped, and a rain jacket on a squirmy 1-year-old isn't exactly that helpful.

We went to the river today to take some photos and came across this sign, and I just couldn't resist. Unfortunately after these were taken the baby was done taking photos so I didn't get all the close-ups I wanted. Don't worry, I will take more when I write up the tutorial!

For What It's Worth Wednesday, Vinyl Tips

2012-01-25T09:34:00.001-05:00

For what it's worth: Sewing with Vinyl is a pain in the butt. It doesn't stretch, It doesn't do what you want it to do, and worse, if you make a mistake and have to seam rip it those holes are there forever.
That being said, once you know a few things about sewing with vinyl, it's really not that bad! I had so much fun this week working on my outerwear creation for the PR&P sew along. So let me share with you what I've learned from sewing with vinyl this week so you don't have to make the same mistakes I did!

1. If you are sewing vinyl side up, you HAVE TO put something on the bottom of your foot so the vinyl will move through. If you don't it'll stick. I used peel and stick interfacing because I found it made it glide better than regular tape, but good old scotch tape will work too.

2. You have to top stitch the crap out of it. Topstitch any seam that you want to lie flat because sewing with vinyl is like dealing with a petulant child. It doesn't naturally want to do what you want it to do, but with a firm hand and guidance, you can make it into something you're proud of!

3. Use a jeans needle. Trust me.

4. Use clothes pins instead of straight pins. Any hole you put in this stuff will stay. FOREVER.

5. If you make a mistake and have to seam rip, turn the fabric vinyl side down and steam it with an iron for a couple of seconds on medium heat. This will help shrink the hole, but it won't disappear completely.

I bet right now you're thinking I made a rain jacket for the outerwear challenge. Maybe I did...

OR DID I!?!?!? :-)

Weigh In Monday

2012-01-23T13:01:00.001-05:00

Starting Point: 175

Last Week's Weight: 168

This Week's Weight: 168

Pounds lost: 7

Challenges this Week: This weekend I fell off the wagon. Waaaay off the wagon. Hubby and I went out to eat two nights in a row, then Sunday my sis and her family came over and we had BURGERS. The last few days were delicious, but no pounds lost this week. Worth it? Definitely.

Accomplishments this week: Hmm, well this isn't really an accomplishment but it's a funny story. I have been trying to wean Ellie off the boob, which for every other of my beloved children consisted of just taking away a feeding at a time and replacing it with a sippy cup of milk. Then they would pretty much lose interest and quit on their own. Oh no, not fourth baby. When she figured out the booby was going away she started pushing the sippy cup away and saying "booooo". Then she gets into nursing position. Then I start unbuttoning my shirt and she says "thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" How to you say no to that?! At this rate she may be breast feeding until Kindergarden.

Shabby Apple WINNER!

2012-01-20T10:48:00.003-05:00

The winner of the Light as a Feather necklace from Shabby Apple is.....

Selected by random.org....

A very lucky lady....

Jonie!

Jonie said:

JonieJan 17, 2012 05:53 AM

I like Shabby Apple's FB page. Actually I LOVE it. Great giveaway!!

Thank you to everyone who participated! Jonie please shoot me an email with your full name, phone number, and shipping address!

PR&P Sew-Along Week 3: Decade

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Well here it is, my reversible Twiggy-inspired jumper. This thing was such a pain in the ass. I now remember why I hate piping. Ok, I don't hate piping, but with piping there's no room for error! No sewing outside the box! You have to be precise or it looks all kinds of wonky. I'm just not big on precision. I drafted this pattern from scratch and I like the proportions and shape of the finished product. Would I pipe the whole thing again though? Probably not unless you paid me for my time and frustration!
Not only was the project frustrating to sew but the photo shoot was pretty much a debacle. Pretty much every photo I got looked like this:

Looooots of that. I would get one good shot...

And then 10 more of sqwunch face. (Yes, I put mascara on my two-year-old, but just because of the 1960s photo shoot. Please don't haul me off to Toddlers and Tiaras jail!)You know what's funny? Even though the jumper is reversible I meant for the peach colored fabric to be the outside and the circle fabric to be the inside. I think I always have a favorite in mind when I make something reversible. Do you do that too? Anyway, once I saw it on her I actually like the circle fabric better!

Grooooovy baby!

Gluten Free HELP

2012-01-19T07:41:00.001-05:00

Hey all you gluten free mamas! I need your help. I need to find gf bread that does not taste like pound cake made out of sawdust. I'd like to start baking my own bread if possible because gf food ain't cheap! Does anyone out there have good gf bread recipes? Should I get a bread maker? Any advice?

My biggest challenge right now is getting the big kiddos on board. They younger two don't really need much convincing but the older two are having a hard time. I'd love to make some really yummy snacks for them so they won't feel so deprived. Does anyone have specific gf recipes that your kids love?

Thanks so much for your help!

For What It's Worth Wednesday: Toms? Really?

2012-01-18T11:19:00.006-05:00

For What It's Worth...Ok, I know I am going to get some backlash for this (but hey, has that ever stopped me before?) I don't mean to be a traitor to the craft/sewing blog community here, but seriously, why is everyone so in love with Toms? I think they look like boats. Especially on the leggy college girls who love them so much around here. Tall, thin, long legs + Toms = OMG your feet are enormous. Am I wrong? Maybe there is something about them that I'm missing, if so please let me know. I genuinely want to know why all the fuss over these shoes.

I get that the company is charitable, donating a pair of shoes for every pair of shoes bought. That's fantastic, don't get me wrong. In fact I admire the company for being such a positive force. But I am still not going to spend $60 on shoes that are only going to make my feet look bigger (I wear a 9...maybe you ladies with smallish feet look better in Toms.) I would rather buy a pair of shoes that flatter my feet and buy a pair of childrens' sneakers and donate them myself to a child in my community, because Lord knows there are people right here in Eastern North Carolina who need the help.

I'm sorry if I've offended anyone, but I've been wondering for a while now what the deal is with these shoes, and I honestly want to know your thoughts. Is it an emperor's new clothes phenomenon in which people love the company so much they make themselves love the look of the shoes? Because they do have some really cute ones on the website, but they aren't the ones that people are so crazy about. Are they extremely comfortable? Like walking on a cloud? Are they secretly slimming? Do they possess some magical powers of which I am unaware? Or do you just like the way they look and I'm crazy?

Shabby Apple GIVEAWAY!!!***CLOSED

2012-01-17T07:09:00.001-05:00

I have died and gone to blogger heaven...Shabby Apple contacted ME to host a giveaway! Seriously?! I guess I've really hit the big time now ;-)

If you're like me you might go the the Shabby Apple website and get totally engrossed in the gorgeous vintage style dresses. Oh the dresses. I have spent hours looking through page after page of beautiful dresses.

I mean come on, do you not just want to be her?

If you're like me you might be so busy looking at dresses that you neglect to look at the vintage style jewelry they have to offer. Well you're in for a treat, because today Shabby Apple is giving one lucky I Make Stuff reader this beautiful necklace (a $48 value!)

I chose the light as a feather necklace to give away because I love it's simplicity. It's right on trend, and yet classic enough that it won't go out of style. I love jewelry like that.

Ok, so how do you enter to win? Go to Shabby Apple's Facebook page and "like" the page. Come back to this post and let me know that you did it. If you already "like" their Facebook page just let me know in the comments. That's it! Easy. A winner will be announced Friday morning at 8am. (Sorry international readers, this giveaway is for US residents only.)

And don't worry, if you don't win the necklace there's more good news. My readers will get a 10% discount on everything on the site! Just enter coupon code "imakestuff10off" at checkout. This will expire in 30 days, so maybe you should go take a peek at the website right now :-)

Monday Weigh In

2012-01-16T08:06:00.002-05:00

First of all, a big hello to my new readers! Last night I finally finished my tutorials page, so please go take a look, they are now all chronicled for easy access!

In other news, Ellie took her first steps yesterday. She walked from the coffee table to the couch (about 2 steps). Of course she only did this because she didn't know I was watching. She's like a little baby ninja. We've been gluten free for a month now, and I have to say I definitely feel a difference! And when Caroline (the one who actually has gluten issues) isn't around and I go for a donut I definitely pay for it the next day! Maybe I have gluten issues too?

Starting Point: 175

Last Week's Weight: 169

This Week's Weight: 168

Pounds lost: 7

Challenges this week: It has been FREEZING here. Well, freezing for Eastern NC, which is actually quite pleasant for other people I'm sure. But if it's below 40 I'm not taking my girls out for a walk, no matter how much I bundle them they complain. So I haven't really been exercising like I should.

Accomplishments this week: I bought a bike! Hopefully with it exercise won't be so much of a chore. Now I just need a trailer thingy for the back.

I invite you to share your stats here in the comments (if you want), share your struggles and successes! It's great to be accountable :-)

Changes!

2012-01-13T07:17:00.002-05:00

Well, this year is going to be a year of big changes for this blog. I've decided to commit to taking it to the next level, adding advertisements. I would like to stick to small shops and Etsy shops, but I'm open to any possibility. Sidebar adds will be just $10/month! Header banners will be $30. I'm also open to bartering, so make me an offer! If you'd like to discuss advertising on my blog please contact me at alidanicolelee@gmail.com.

Another big change...patterns. I've heard from so many readers that like my tutorials but don't do well without a pattern, so I've decided to jump into the world of pdf file patterns. Yikes! I will need some pattern testers, so please comment on this post if you're interested.

Also, you may have noticed that things look a little different around here. That's because Paige from Pink Lemonade is helping me with a shiny new look for a shiny new year! Thanks Paige! If you click on a link and it doesn't work please excuse us, these things take time.

An Open Letter to the Peanut Allergy Haters

2012-01-12T13:41:00.005-05:00

I used to be just like you.

A couple of years ago there was a kid with a peanut allergy in Gabe's class. I felt bad for the kid, not because he couldn't have peanuts but because I thought his mom was totally neurotic. At every class function she would hover over this poor kid making sure he didn't eat anything, didn't touch anything, didn't even look at anything that might contain traces of peanuts. She seemed very high strung to me. I am embarrassed to say I made fun of her. It's not that I didn't know that peanut allergies could be serious, I guess I just thought they only happened to those kinds of moms.

I thought that the kids that got peanut allergies all had crazy moms that sanitized everything to the point that their little immune systems got all jumpy from underuse. "My kids will never have food allergies like that," I thought smugly, "I let them eat dirt! I don't sanitize their hands every 15 seconds. My kids have healthy immune systems!"

Well, call it karma, comeuppance, or a God wink, but I now have a kid with a peanut allergy, complete with epipen and medical alert bracelet.

Yep, that's right, I am now one of those Moms. Anyone that knows me knows will tell you I'm a pretty laid back parent. I don't hover, I let them fall down sometimes, I look the other way when they eat something off the floor (even dog food). But I have learned that it is impossible to be laid back about a peanut allergy. The most deadly food allergy? Kind of hard to be nonchalant about.

My wonderful brother-in-law, whom I love dearly, recently came to visit us and brought with him a Reeses cup. He opened it, ate it, and put the wrapper on the coffee table. O.M.G. I lost it. I was trying really hard not to sound like a shrieking lunatic but I could hear my voice getting all Joan Crawford. (No...more...peanuts in this house....EVER!) Good thing there were no wire hangers around.

I guess this is my point: before I had a peanut allergy kid I thought it was the helicopter Moms causing the peanut allergies. It seems so silly now but I really did. Now I know that having a peanut allergy kid will actually transform any mom into a hovering, shrieking, paranoid whackadoodle.

Hi, my name is Alida, and I'm a whackadoodle. So don't be too smug, you may be next.

Perfect Curtain Length Tutorial

2012-01-12T07:55:00.001-05:00

In case you missed it last week, here's my guest post from Me Sew Crazy's New Years ReSewLution series:

Did you ever have a project that dragged on and on and you thought it would never get finished? In February I declared war on wasted space in my house, and decided that our breakfast nook needed to function as a mud room. I was super excited about it, but then life got in the way and it never got finished.

UNTIL NOW! You see, I had put up the hooks and shelf and had the bench seat, but nothing to really pull it all together and make it look like it was supposed to be there. It needed something. It needed...window treatments!

Let's take another look at the before. Bleck! It's so beige! And I am so not beige.

I have always had a love/hate relationship with window treatments. I love the way they change a room, but I have never been able to get them exactly right. I called my neighbor (an interior designer who specializes in window treatments) for some advice. Here are some tips she told me:

1. Always hang window treatments as high as you can.

2. Use a large bold print. A small print will get lost and you really want a lot of contrast. If the fabric looks pretty enough that you'd want to wear a dress made out of it it's probably not bold enough for window treatments.

3. Large, substantial curtain rods make any window treatment look better.

With these tips in mind I purchased my fabric. 20 YARDS of it! The amount intimidated me a lot. Here's the thing about measuring fabric for window treatments: it's really hard to get it right. There are so many variables to consider. How high is the curtain rod? Is the curtain rod completely level? Is the floor completely level? If you're even half an inch off in your cutting your window treatments just don't look good. So I created a method to getting it right every time. It's not the "right" way to do it but it made sense to me. Hopefully it'll make sense to you. Here we go!

First, decide how much of a hem you want on the top and bottom of your curtain. Add the two together. Fold the top over that many inches and press. (For instance, I wanted a 2 inch hem at the top and a 2 inch hem at the bottom, so I folded the fabric over 4 inches and pressed it.)

Hang it from your curtain hooks. Once it's hung smooth it out so that the fabric is flat.

At each end of the fabric tape the side down to the floor 5 or 6 inches away from the wall. (Not pictured, sorry! I figured that one out on the second panel.) Then take a straight edge and mark with a pencil all the way across the fabric.

Then cut where your pencil mark is. See how it perfectly skims the floor?

If you desire to change the width of the panel you can do so now. Another bonus? You can just leave them up on the hooks until you're ready to sew them! No worrying about where to store the fabric :-) When you're ready to sew them all you have to do is hem it on all sides and you're done!

I love the way curtains can change the whole look of a room. And if you find the fabric on sale (I never pay full price for anything) it doesn't have to be that expensive. I think the biggest challenge is making the first cut once you've bought that much fabric.

I hope I've inspired you to make some window treatments! Next up for me...a roman shade. Wish me luck!

Clip On Tie Tutorial!

2012-01-11T06:46:00.000-05:00

Today I'm going to show you how to make a clip-on tie out of an old shirt. This is by no means the perfect way to do this, it's the quick and dirty way...which is what I usually give you because with 4 kids I don't have time for perfect. However, if a self-conscious 8-year-old boy would wear it, you know it looks good, and that's really all that matters right?

You're going to start by cutting the back out of a shirt. Cut up the sides and around the sleeves until you have something like this:

Since neck ties are cut on the bias, fold the shirt so that the crease is on the diagonal.
Cut the shirt into strips 6 inches wide. For a tie for a 5-8 year old, you'll want two strips at least 20 inches long. (However long you want the tie to be add 7 inches for the knot.) If you need to piece two strips together piece it together as you would bias tape. Dana from Made has a great tutorial HERE.

Cut the bottom of the strips at a 45 degree angle as shown.

You should have this:

Now put them right sides together and sew around the tie, leave the top open.

Now turn the tie right side out and press.

Press the top pieces down.

Topstitch top closed.

Fold the tie in half and stitch up on side using a 1/4'' seam.

Press seam open. Turn the tie right side out and press so that the seam is going up the middle.

Now it's time to tie the tie! Instead of trying to explain this with words I will use photos. I hope it makes sense :-)

Pull the knot tight and slide it up the tie.

Pinch the bottom of the knot and pull the top corners out. If it doesn't look perfect, it's ok, no one sees this part anyway.

Hand sew the back of the tie closed. Now it's time to add a clip!

I used a dollar store hair clip.

Hot glue it to the back of the tie and make sure you put a piece of ribbon or scrap of fabric between the two pieces of the clip. Try not to get it too low or else the tie will sit too high when it's clipped.

That's it! Now go try it on your cool guy (and watch him scowl at you. No? Just me?)

Sorry kid!

Project Run and Play Sew Along Week 2

2012-01-10T06:06:00.003-05:00

You know what I love about fashion lately? It's cool to be a nerd again! I saw this on Pinterest and it totally gave me the idea for this outfit:

Source: jqzay.tumblr.com via Jordan on Pinterest

(BTW, 3d glasses - lenses= AWESOME NERD GLASSES!)

The '90s are back baby! You know what I saw online the other day? Justin Timberlake wearing an outfit similar to this one...to a movie premier! In fashion right now you can get away with pretty much anything as long as you have attitude.And in case you hadn't noticed, my kid has plenty of attitude.

I decided to make him a flannel shirt (or technically, I made a man's flannel smaller to fit Gabe)...

....with a fun clip-on tie out of another old shirt. I'll give you the tutorial for that tomorrow, stay tuned!

Weigh-in Monday

2012-01-09T17:03:00.002-05:00

Starting Point: 175

Last Week's Weight: 170

This Week's Weight: 169

Pounds lost: 6

Challenges this week: Gluten. We have decided to try to go gluten-free since Caroline's doctor suspects a gluten intolerance. She wanted to do an endoscopy...I decided against it. We will be gluten free for several months and see if her GI issues clear up. More on that some other time.

Accomplishments this week: My clothes are starting to feel really loose. I have a couple of pairs of jeans that are falling off! Yay!

I invite you to share your stats here in the comments (if you want), share your struggles and successes! It's great to be accountable :-)

Tulle Pom Pom Tutorial

2012-01-08T06:42:00.002-05:00

I got the idea to use tulle to make pom poms because of the pile of thin tulle strips I had left over from the serger. If you don't have these strips already cut, you can cut tulle strips about 1/2 inch wide. Here is a quick and dirty tutorial!

Wrap the tulle strips around your hand. The fluffiness of your pom pom depends on how thickly you wrap the tulle.

Tie in the middle, using another strip of tulle.

Snip all of the loops.

Fluff and trim off any wonky bits.

Ta-da! Easy peasy, and oh so cute!

These are great for party hats, but I think they'd also look awesome for hair bows, or if made larger even as wedding decorations!

Fabric Party Hats Tutorial

2012-01-07T07:11:00.002-05:00

For her birthday this year Charlotte had a diva's list of requests. On top of that list was a cheetah birthday hat...that was furry. I searched for a fabric party hat tute and didn't find one so I had to wing it. I love the way these came out! They're really tall, which is the look I was going for (maybe we've been watching too much Gnomeo and Juliet lately?)

For the pom pom on top I used long strips of tulle that came off the serger when I was sewing Ellie's birthday dress. I will share that tutorial tomorrow.

Oh, also an embroidery needle and embroidery thread.

Start with a 12X12 inch square of fabric. Mine was a sample of designer fabric (FREE! YEAH BABY!!!) Cut two curved edges as shown (doesn't have to be exact, you will need to trim it later anyway.)

Overlap the two straight ends and pin, then fold so the overlapped edge is facing up and in the middle. Cut the curved edge off.

Then fold in half again so the pinned edge is to once side. There should be a point. Cut that off.

Now cut a piece of embroidery grid, but make it a little shorter than the fabric so there will be a 1 inch overlap.

Overlap the pieces of grid about 1/2 inch and sew closed with embroidery thread. If you dab hot glue at the bottom before you start sewing it helps tremendously.

You can also use hot glue, which is what I did here because I ran out of embroidery thread. Just make sure if you do this you use the low temperature setting because if you don't you will burn your fingerprints off. Ask me how I know. (Sidebar: The cops will never know it was me now! MWAHAHAHAHA!)

Now pin the straight edges of the fabric together and sew using a 1/4 seam.

Now you have two cones.

Put the fabric cone over the plastic cone. Fold the fabric over and using the low setting on your glue gun, start gluing it down.

Glue the elastic to the inside of the hat. I used lacy elastic here but you can also use elastic thread or regular thin elastic.

Hot glue a piece of ribbon around the inside edge so there won't be any fraying. Make sure the ribbon is glued on top of the elastic for security.

Now snip off enough of the top so that the fabric is barely overlapping the plastic, and run the hot glue around the top. Put the pom pom on top and push it into the hole a little bit. I used a pencil as to not burn myself any more.

Ta-da! Now you can decorate it any way you'd like. I wanted to put a ruffle on it but Charlotte said she liked it exactly as is and really hasn't taken it off since. Ric rac would be fun, as would pom pom garland, or even tulle flowers.

If you don't have time to do a fabric hat, Disney at Ruffles and Stuff has a GREAT paper hat tutorial. Those hats in the back? Made from scrapbook paper! Thank you Disney for the decoration inspiration!

Here's a parting shot, just because crying babies in fancy get-ups are always funny :-) Have a great day!

It Only Took Me 10 Months

2012-01-06T07:01:00.003-05:00

First of all, my first baby girl turns 6 today! Happy birthday to my Sweet Charlotte, she may have the cutest toothless grin ever :-)

Ok back to business...

Do you remember back, like, forever ago when I talked about creating a mud room? Well, I am pleased to announce that it is finished (FINALLY!!!) You can read all about it today over at Me Sew Crazy's ReSewLutions!

How is this for a before/after?

My baby is 1!!!

2012-01-05T07:10:00.002-05:00

One year ago I brought a strawberry blonde, 6lb 10oz baby girl into this world. I just cannot believe it's been a year.

She has grown so much! Now she is 19lbs, round and chubby, almost walking! Her strawberry blonde baby fuzz has fallen out and is replaced with the lightest blond wisps of hair on her round little head.

She's so smart, funny, and hopelessly spoiled. Fourth baby gets lots of attention. She learned early that if ya don't speak up around here ya might just get skipped over in the attention department. As a result she is rarely silent :-)

Tonight we will have a safari party for Ellie and Charlotte, since their birthdays are only a day apart.

It will be the girliest safari-themed party EVER.

FWIWW: A Clean Slate

2012-01-04T11:33:00.007-05:00

For What It's Worth: It's a new year, and everyone seems to be talking about a fresh start. Today I'm going to give you a tutorial, but not the kind you're used to. I am going to tell you how to move on from a GRUDGE with a friend. How do I have this information? Well, let's just say that a large part of dealing with my depression has been to take out the emotional garbage so-to-speak, and grudges have been the last to go. Why is it so hard to let go? People go on and on about letting go of your past so you can embrace your future, but no one really tells you how to get there. Since I've had lots of practice lately I'm going to tell you what worked for me. I hope it can work for you.

1. Admit it. As with just about everything, admitting you have a problem is your first step. I used to tell myself "I'm not holding a grudge, I'm just mad because blah blah blah blah." Uh-uh. The difference in being angry at someone and holding a grudge against them is time. Is it because of something they just did or has this been festering for some time? Is this a one time disagreement or is this the straw that broke the camel's back? Have you done something to passive-aggressively hurt them?

2. Why are you really mad? You must figure out the root of your problem with this person. How do you feel they wronged you? Is this a continuous issue you have with them? You have to find the root of the problem. This step is crucial for step 4.

3. Take ownership. I bet if you look deep down inside yourself you can find something you did to contribute to your current situation. You must acknowledge your part in it. If you don't you cannot move forward.

4. Do the work. This is the hardest step. I know it sucks, but write the person a letter. It can be an email, a facebook message, snail mail, however you want to do it. Tell them why you're hurting. Tell them how you feel they've wronged you. Admit and apologize for your part in it (ouch! I know it hurts! Do it anyway.) Tell them you want to fix this. Give them an opportunity to make it right. Guess what? People don't know how you feel unless you actually tell them. This person may not know you have a grudge against them at all! Or they may know, but not know what to do to fix it. The only way to fix it is to talk about it.

5. Set it free. No matter what the other person's response is, you know you've done your part. If you've done all you can do there is no reason to let this take up space in your mind and heart any longer. Take a deep breath and let it go.

Project Run and Play Sew Along Week 1

2012-01-03T14:51:00.004-05:00

Since I'm judging the PR&P sew along I can't really enter this on the Flickr group, so I thought I'd share it with all of you instead!

Yesterday I realized that my baby is turning 1 on Thursday. And my big girl is turning six the next day! That's right, two birthdays back to back, and I hadn't done ANYTHING to prepare. When I saw the Junebug dress on Project Run and Play I decided that fourth baby needed one, because Lord knows fourth baby rarely gets anything new.

I decided to go sleeveless so I could layer it for the Winter. It's frickin' freeeezing here today! I also decided to go with two buttons instead of 6 because the ribbon pattern on the fabric is so busy.

I'm not sure she was crazy about the hat, but I love it. I think she looks like an adorable birthday gnome.

It's rare that I catch Ellie on camera looking and acting like Ellie, but this photo is so her.

Tonight I am making Charlotte's birthday hat, in cheetah print of course ;-)

Weigh In Monday

2012-01-02T08:25:00.002-05:00

Starting Point: 175

Last Week's Weight: 171

This Week's Weight: 170

Pounds lost: 5

Challenges this week: I missed last week's weigh-in. Stuff has been so crazy lately with the holidays. It wasn't a great Christmas but I survived, and that's really all I can say about it. I miss my Mom.

Accomplishments this week: I am so proud of myself! I have managed to kick the holiday's BUTT and lose 5 lbs between Thanksgiving and New Years. Now that the holiday craziness is over I am planning to get back into a schedule of walking every day. Look out Greenville!

I invite you to share your stats here in the comments (if you want), share your struggles and successes! It's great to be accountable :-)

Most-Viewed 2011 Tutorials

2012-01-01T20:36:00.004-05:00

2011 brought me both great joy and great sorrow. I gained a beautiful blue-eyed baby girl, and lost my mother. There were lots of hard times last year and I'm so thankful that all of you stuck with me and supported me in my grief. I love you all!

I decided it might be fun to highlight my most-viewed tutorials of the year. Fun fact: when looking at my stats I saw that if you google "how to turn ugly stuff into cute stuff" my blog is #2 in the google search! Yep, that's pretty much why I do what I do

:-) Here is a look back at some fun tutorials!

Ruffled Nursing Top

30 Minute Ruffle Butt Romper

Cabbage Patch Peasant Dress

Cheeky Trousers

Wool Jacket from Sienna Pattern

A Swaddler That Fits

Cool Cuffs

BDU Bag

I will be back tomorrow morning with my weigh-in post. I'm thinking it's going to go pretty well, especially since I rang in the new year with a stomach bug. A yucky way to spend the holiday but at least it should tip the scales in my favor!

Christmasings

2011-12-27T21:05:00.003-05:00

Christmas 2011 was a success!

This is the only family photo we have that Caroline is actually smiling. Too bad Jason blinked and Ellie is "fighting the power"!

She's just so happy! She spent the whole day clapping and dancing around.
Christmas morning came pretty early. Caroline loved her dolly, which she named Dolly :-) I have no idea what Gabe is doing here!
Dolly has been lovingly cared for ever since Christmas morning. She's sleeping....shhhhhh.
Ellie got her very first piece of jewelry, a Jenni K bracelet. I got it so she'd have something substantial and cute for her medical alert ID.
Gabe was absolutely thrilled to receive Jason's vintage GI JOEs and Tonka trucks. He also got a pocket knife, with which he promptly cut his thumb :-/
Charlotte's favorite gifts were a tiger hat and tiger paws. She literally has only taken them off when we specifically ask her to. She also lost a tooth on Christmas day right after church!

Oh Ellie Belly, could you be any cuter?

As for me, I got a crock pot for Christmas, probably the coolest crock pot ever! It's stainless steel instead of ceramic. Ceramic doesn't last long in this house. Too breakable.

How was your Christmas?

Christmas Beauties

2011-12-22T10:27:00.004-05:00

It all started with this fabric:

I fell in love. I have been waiting for the right fabric to come along to inspire me and this stuff really spoke to me. We've been in this house for 2 1/2 years now and I have yet to put in window treatments, and now it's finally TIME!! YAY!! So I ordered 20 yards of it.

Of course, I've Pinteresting to see what decor styles spoke to me and I've been loving red and turquoise. Our walls were mostly beige and boring, with a dark olive green in the dining room. Pretty, but too blah for me. I asked hubby if we could paint the living room a light turquoise and the kitchen a light yellow. He said "Merry Christmas!" I love this man.

I can't wait to show you the final results! I wish I had taken better before pics, but I think the best I can do is some pics I took with my phone :-( I'll see what I can come up with.

Last but not least, Miss Ellie Belly wants to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! I'll see you in a few days!

Cupcake or Amaretto Swirl? I can't decide!

2011-12-22T05:16:00.001-05:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PartyLite Simple Pleasures Holiday Sweepstakes for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I don't know about you, but my house always smells like mixture of dirty diapers and kid feet. When I'm having company over I really have to bring out the big guns. We're talking scented candles, room sprays, and a scent warmer or two. I know, I know, sounds a bit extreme, but I have four kids. Nuff said.

I love the home fragrance products, they're a fun way to spruce up your house easily and on a budget. When I heard about PartyLite I was intrigued to say the least! Their products are adorable! PartyLite sells home fragrance products through home parties and also online. I think a PartyLite party would be super fun! I can just see myself and my girlfriends all gathered in my kitchen passing delectably scented candles back and forth. If you host a PartyLite party you can earn FREE products, and I think we all know how I feel about free stuff.

PartyLite launched their Winter/Spring 2012 catalog on Dec 16 and man they really have some cute stuff.

I went to the PartyLite Facebook page to check it out and oh my gosh they have some of the CUTEST STUFF! I love this Amaretto Swirl warmer, how classy is that?

But my favorite is this sweet cupcake! OMG how cute!!! I want it!

You can see more of what they have to offer on the PartyLite Facebook page.

Last but not least, I am supposed to tell you about the awesome PartyLite Simple Pleasures Holiday Sweepstakes, even though it wrapped up on December 15. I feel like it's just plain mean to show you all the fun you missed out on, but since I want to get paid for this post I will mention it anyway. I advise "liking" them on Facebook so that the next time there is a sweepstakes you won't miss out!

For What It's Worth Wednesday...Kids

2011-12-21T09:51:00.004-05:00

Welcome to another addition of FWIWW! Where bloggers and blog readers GET REAL!

I found this submission in my inbox yesterday. Please, if you have any thoughts to share with this reader would you post them in comments? It sounds like she's struggling.

She writes:

"Our kids- they can be a source of great joy, frustration, and love. How do you not take it personal when they make bad choices? Feel like you have failed them somewhere? It feels like when my children make bad choices, that it is a direct reflection of my mistakes as a mother. It is such a great responsiblility to mold children into good, moral, and kind adults. I feel overwhelmed by the responsibility at times. What if I fail?"

This is an excellent question. I wish I had an answer. My kids are still rather young so a lot of their bad choices I chalk up to their ages. Sometimes I think God gave us free will so that we were allowed to make bad choices because from them we learn valuable lessons about life. I know I've made some terrible choices in my lifetime, everyone has. I hope my Mother didn't blame herself, but I bet she did. That's the nature of mothering. We blame ourselves for every second of suffering in our children's lives, whether it's our fault or not!

I have been blaming myself for Ellie's peanut allergy. Even though I know intellectually that the gallons of peanut butter I consumed while pregnant probably didn't cause her allergy, I can't help but feel guilty for eating it. But that's being a mom. The job comes with guilt!

I do know one thing though, anonymous poster, and that is that if you are doing the best you can, you will not fail.

Monday weigh in week 3

2011-12-19T20:39:00.002-05:00

Starting weight: 175
Last week: 172
This week: 171

This will be a short post because in the last two days I have had to take 2 separate kids to the doctor for various maladies. I lost another pound! Yay!

Upcycled Packaging

2011-12-15T20:25:00.005-05:00

With five-year-olds, presentation is everything. Do I think she's going to love this vintage Cabbage patch doll? Of course. But what's going to make her squeal with delight when she sees it on Christmas morning? Probably not a doll wrapped in a potty chair box. Want to learn how to turn any old box into a customized package? Follow me!

First I went to the dollar store and found this pretty striped wrapping paper. I wanted something that wasn't too busy. Then I looked in the recycling for a box I could re-use, and just happened to find one with a window! I knew it would be perfect for a doll. I put the doll and her matching dress in the box and sealed the bottom.

Then I cut a piece of wrapping paper long enough to wrap around the whole box and about 2 inches wider than the box.

Start at the back of the box and coat it with mod podge. Cover it with the paper.

Work your way around the box.

When you get to side of the box that has the window put the paper over it but don't mod podge it yet. Run your fingernail over the edge of the window so that it slightly creases the paper.

Cut along the creases until you have cut out a hole in the paper the same as the window.

Because of the funny shaped cut out on the top right of the window I decided to cut a simple circle instead of the exact shape.

See? That looks nicer I think.

Mod podge the front and lay the paper over it being careful to line up the hole to the window.

(NOTE: I know it's bubbly. Try your best to smooth it out but if it's bubbly don't worry. It'll look better when we finish the last step. Honestly, I wasn't really going for perfect here, I was going for "doesn't look like a potty box.")

Finish the last side of the box. Then fold the overlapping edges down and mod podge them to the box.

Cut out a piece of wrapping paper the same dimensions as the top and bottom of the box and mod podge them on.

Ta Da! It's looking good!

Next to decorate. I found this image on Google Images and printed it out. I cut it out and mod podged it to the box. See how it takes care of that awkward part in top right?

Ok, things may be looking a little rough but the next step will make all the difference.

Coat the whole thing with mod podge and wait until it dries. This final coat will smooth out a lot of the bubbles and make it look extra polished. When it's dry add a great big bow to the top and voila!

Now, I realize you may not have a box with a window conveniently laying around, so tomorrow I'll show you how to cut a window out of a regular wipes box. Stay tuned!

For What It's Worth Wednesday: Reader Submissions

2011-12-14T20:28:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone! I have gotten several emails from readers who would like to share something anonymously on For What It's Worth Wednesday, so here we go! Names have been changed for anonymity's sake. And because I like making up fake names.

FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH...

"My husband and I fight over laundry every day. We just can't seem to make it work! I do like 4 or 5 loads a day and somehow there is always laundry piled up everywhere. I can't stand it! We seem to have a strong marriage but this laundry thing is tearing us apart. I mean, it's LAUNDRY. It's not that important. Is it?"

--Mrs. Washmore in VA

I can totally relate to this.

"I have a dirty little secret that I have never told anyone. I hate the holidays. I love them in theory, but from Thanksgiving till New Years I have the urge to beat my head against the wall. Don't get me wrong I love Jesus. I just hate Christmas. Christmas cards are a waste of money, Christmas lights waste electricity, and Christmas cookies make me fat. I never say any of these things though. I pretend I love the holidays for my children."

--Mrs. Humbug in UT

I can totally relate to this one too.

"I had a naughty dream about Ray Ramano last night!"

--Ooh La La! in NV

Sorry, can't relate to that one! But once when I was pregnant I had a dream about one of the Wiggles...I won't get into details.

"Last week my coworker and I got into it over something stupid. I was really mad at her so I put dish soap in her coffee."

--Karma in TN

Hope she doesn't retaliate!

Keep 'em coming ladies! It feels soooo good to just say what's on your mind!

Monday Weigh-In Week 2

2011-12-12T09:55:00.002-05:00

Starting Weight: 175

Last Week's Weight: 173

This Week's Weight: 172

Weight lost to date: 3 pounds

Challenges this week: First of all my children shared their cold with me, so right off the bat I had no energy to walk. I did it a couple of times, but not every day as I had planned. This week we also celebrated my Mom's birthday, her first birthday in Heaven. It was pretty hard, and I'm a stress eater. I had an accessory swap party (thinking I'm going to make those a bi-annual thing! SO FUN!) and of course a good host has to taste everything before they serve it to guests. And after they serve it to guests. And in the middle of the night after the guests have all gone home. Get my drift? I tried, but had little will power.

Accomplishments this week: I did manage to get out and walk a couple of times, and cleaning for the parties did burn some calories. I walked about 2 miles yesterday, which is a lot for me but it felt good!

I invite you to share your stats here in the comments (if you want), share your struggles and successes! It's great to be accountable :-)

Slim Fast? Sure Why Not!

2011-12-11T19:01:00.002-05:00

This post brought to you by Slim-Fast. All opinions are 100% mine.

As y'all know I've been trying to lose this baby weight, so when Social Spark told me I had an offer to try Slim-Fast for free I was all over it! This week has been challenging because my Mom's birthday was Wednesday, our first without her. I am usually an emotional eater so the good eating plan kind of went out the window for a couple of days. I was keeping track of my calories in my calorie counter app and went over my limit by about 300. How am I eating 1000 calories by 3pm?! I was pretty discouraged, but then I got a coupon for free Slim Fast in the mail and I thought...why not? I went to the store to pick up my free Slim-Fast and since I had to coupon I didn't bring my purse. Well it turns out that here in NC you have to pay tax, so I fished around in my pocket for $0.17 and then I was on my way!

I have tried Slim Fast before, when Gabe was a baby. He was my first baby and I felt like I had no time to eat, all I did was take care of him all day! I didn't follow the plan exactly, I would usually drink it whenever I didn't have time to eat, usually just for breakfast. The baby weight did come off pretty quickly, but I didn't like the way the Slim Fast tasted, and it made my pee smell funny (TMI? Sorry! But it's the truth and I wouldn't lie to ya!) I was skeptical at first that this new formula would taste any better, but I was pleasantly surprised! I tried the Rich Chocolate Royale and it is really yummy! A lot of nutritional shakes have that weird vitamin-y taste to them but this one really doesn't! I like to drink with a straw from a tall glass with ice, it makes it feel like a treat!

Slim-fast has helped me stay in my allotted calories because each shake is 190 calories so if I have a shake for breakfast and lunch and two 100 calorie snacks that puts me at 580 calories before dinner. That is wayyy under what I've been doing on my own. If you think Slim-Fast can help you achieve your weight loss goals go "LIKE" them on Facebook and check out their "Vow to WOW" contest!

Dolling Up a Peasant Dress Day 2

2011-12-11T09:48:00.005-05:00

(Continued from THIS POST)

3. Unexpected Fabrics

For this dress I decided to use some purple crushed velvet. This stuff is a PAIN to work with. I really had a make it work moment because just as I would put it through the serger it would fray all to pieces!

Confession: This crushed velvet was purchased to make a jacket for my finale look for Project Run and Play. I got all the pieces cut out but when I started to sew them together the fabric would fray and the seam would come apart! I was down to the wire, the day before the submission was due, so I just scrapped it. I was too frustrated to make it work.

I finally figured out that if I moved the blade on the serger up so that it didn't hit the fabric as it went by that it helped a lot. I also made the stitches closer together.

With this dress I added a ruffle to the bottom by cutting the velvet as I would a circle skirt. This is called a flounce hem, and there's a great tutorial here.

4. Add a "necklace"

I think this dress is my favorite. Since the bodice fabric is rather tame I thought I'd doll it up with a pom pom trim necklace. I just pinned it in place and sewed it on before I sewed the dress together. Easy peasy! I also added a band of fabric to the bottom for some visual interest. Cute + no hemming! YAY!

I super duper love the way the tulle hair bow came out. All I did was take a strip of tulle that was about 6 inches wide and 24 inches long and gather it at the middle. Then I pressed the edges under on a small scrap of fabric and hot glued it around the tulle. I think it's the quickest hair bow I've ever made and possibly the cutest!

Dolling up a Peasant Dress Day 1

2011-12-09T12:53:00.007-05:00

I decided that since I was giving these peasant dresses as Christmas gifts I needed to spice them up to make them really special. I have been trying to think outside the box with these dresses and the results are so much fun!

1. BOLD print fabric.

This dress didn't need any bells or whistles because the print on the fabric is large and bold. I love mixing up prints!

The only thing this dress needed was a rockin' hair accessory. I took inspiration for this little number from Cheri's Daydreamer Headband at I Am Momma Hear Me Roar. I think it's sassy with a feather!

Don't worry, this isn't Caroline's dress, I wouldn't ruin a Christmas surprise like that! Is she a ham or what?

2. Ruffle Fabric

This dress has a bold print but there aren't that many colors, so i opted to add visual interest by sewing a strip of ruffle fabric down the front. Before the dress was sewn together I cut a strip of ruffle fabric 5" wide and a little longer than the bodice piece and just sewed it right on. I didn't even fold the edges under either. I'm a total rebel.

Vertical ruffles would be darling too! I love how versatile ruffle fabric is. (If you need more evidence check out my Pinterest page!)

I also added a belt and chose not to use elastic around the sleeves. I think it gives the dress a whimsical touch. I can't wait for Charlotte to try it on!

Tune in tomorrow for more ideas on dolling up a basic peasant dress :-)

For What It's Worth Wednesday: Salt Water

2011-12-07T21:08:00.005-05:00

Source: busybeingfabulous.com via Alida on Pinterest

For what it's worth, it's my Mom's birthday today. She would have been 53. These last 7 months without her have been very hard on me, as you all know. After each pregnancy I get a moderate case of post partum depression which usually lasts until the baby is 9ish months old. Ellie was 3 months old when my mom died, so I was smack dab in the middle of PPD...not great timing.

Because of all of this I started a hefty dose of Zoloft. Zoloft is an interesting drug in that it is your best friend at first, but then at some point it turns on you. Or at least, it did to me. At first it helped me dramatically because it quieted my pain and sadness, it calmed me. That was really what I needed at the time. The problem with Zoloft is that it also quieted my happiness. I didn't want to do anything. It was so hard to stay motivated to accomplish any task because Zoloft took the edge off of my emotions. Nothing seemed urgent. Nothing really seemed that important. My sense of accomplishment was stifled. And the worst, the very worst part was

I couldn't cry.

That's not to say that I couldn't make tears come out, I could, but it took effort. I never go the release that comes from a good cry. I just couldn't make myself do it. I wanted to feel any emotion deeply enough that tears seemed appropriate, but it just didn't happen. And anyone that's known me for a while knows that I'm usually a crier. Happy cry, sad cry, crying watching movies, crying at diaper commercials, you name it I have probably cried over it at some point. So this Zoloft zombie state was super weird for me.

A few weeks ago I decided that i had had enough. I decided the only way to get my life back was to face these emotions, good or bad, and deal with them without the numbing effects of Zoloft. So I weaned myself off of it, and officially quit just before Thanksgiving. I felt ready to reclaim my life! I also, as you've probably read, decided to get off my butt and exercise as well.

On a chilly sunny morning last week I took the girls on a walk. I had my iPod on and was listening to upbeat music. The sun was shining right me and all of a sudden I felt tears welling up behind my eyes. I walked along my neighborhood and cried. (Thank God for sunglasses!) And not for any particular reason other than it was a beautiful day and I just felt so good. So free.

I have salt water back in my life in a big way. I have been sweating every day, crying when I feel like it, and though I haven't been to the ocean lately it's next on the list. My mom would be so proud of me.

Today my siblings and I celebrated my Mother's life. We ate her favorite foods, I baked her favorite kind of cake, and we talked and yelled and tried to hear each other over the sounds of our 8 kids playing. My brother surprised us with a photo album with photos of us, some of which I had never seen. We laughed and reminisced and it as really wonderful.

Now that I can feel emotions again I feel really happy. And really sad. And really thankful that I am reaching the other side of depression. The side where I've clawed my way out, and I can look back at how ugly it was. How empty it was. I can't say I'll never fall back in but I can say that for now I'm in a good place and I am planning on staying there. Thank you all for your support. I don't know what I would have done without y'all to talk to.

It's going to be a Pinteresting Christmas!

2011-12-06T10:24:00.000-05:00

25 gifts for $39.00. That's $1.56 a gift! How is this possible? PINTEREST. My new best friend.

***SPOILER ALERT*** If you think you may be getting a Christmas gift from me you will probably see it below, so please don't look if you want to be surprised! I am trying to be as vague as possible as not to give anything away...but it's so hard!

Times are tough. With the country in economic peril and families on tighter budgets than ever, handmade gifts are making a BIG comeback! I've always been a fan of handmade gifts, but this year it seems to be a necessity. Having a large family and many friends is a true blessing, but it can make Christmas on a tight budget challenging. Here are my picks for this year's gifts.

Source: tastynomz.blogspot.com via Ann on Pinterest

Candied Pecans for neighbor/friend gifts. I must make sure to check with people about nut allergies though! All materials on hand. We have family members that have a pecan tree ;-) COST: FREE

Source: sewmamasew.com via Alida on Pinterest

Making some of these to use up mismatched socks. I am even making batting out of mismatched socks. I'll let you know how that goes! Everything from this project I had on hand as well. COST: FREE

Source: cor104.deviantart.com via Alida on Pinterest

Printing these out and laminating them for some little girls I know :-) Cost: about $10 for card stock and laminating supplies.

Source: armommy.com via Alida on Pinterest

Some boys in my life are definitely getting fort kits. Easy way to use up flat sheets that otherwise sit in the closet. (Do your kids do this? My kids have never met a flat sheet that they liked, so we they never use them!) COST: 5$ for glow sticks and rope.

Source: craftyandcookingmomma.blogspot.com via Alida on Pinterest

This shawl will be perfect for one awesome lady in my life! I already made it (used yummy knit fabric instead of fleece) and I highly recommend it as a quick and awesome gift. COST: $8 for Fabric

Source: marthastewart.com via Alida on Pinterest

I am totally addicted to these scarves. Totally. COST: $9 for yarn.

Source: etsy.com via Alida on Pinterest

I'm going to repurpose an old leather jacket from Good Will to make a couple of these for some special men in my life. COST: $7.00 for Jacket

TOTAL COST: $39

How many gifts did I make for $39? 25 gifts! Oh yeah! Taking cheap to a whole new level!

Up next: I show you how I wrap everything in old paper grocery bags and decorate with items on hand!

Check Me Out!

2011-12-06T06:29:00.002-05:00

I am SUPER excited to announce that I will be judging next season's Project Run and Play Sew Along! If you haven't already heard, there are some big changes over at Project Run and Play. There will be contestants as usual, but there will also be a Sew Along competition. Each of you will have an opportunity to compete and post your creations to the Flickr page. Myself and the other two lovely judges will award points to our favorites, and the designer with the most points will win that week! There will be awesome prizes as well as a feature for the winner.

I can't wait to see what you creative designers come up with!

Weigh in Monday!

2011-12-05T09:29:00.002-05:00

In case you missed it, go to THIS POST and THIS POST to catch up on my weight loss journey and plan...

Hey everyone! Well it's been one week since I embarked on this weight loss journey and here are my stats:

Starting Point: 175

Last Week's Weight: 175

This Week's Weight: 173!

Pounds lost: 2

Challenges this week: On top of all the other craziness that goes on in my house, this week we decorated for Christmas...which we all know means one thing: COOKIES. I did great all week keeping it under my allotted calories but when the weekend rolled around I just had no control. I also caught my kids' nasty bug so I had a very sore throat and the only thing that soothed it was ice cream or soda.

Accomplishments this week: I stuck with my "get off the couch and walk" rule every day! When it rained we went to the mall, when it was nice we walked outside in the crisp morning air. It really made me feel great!

I invite you to share your stats here in the comments (if you want), share your struggles and successes! It's great to be accountable :-)

Want an awesome cookie recipe?

2011-12-05T00:05:00.002-05:00

You know how Pinterest is both a blessing and a curse? This cookie recipe is a perfect example of that. Before I found this recipe I thought gingerbread cookies could only really be good with lots of frosting on them. I would never eat them plain because they were just, you know, eh. Not these cookies. These cookies are so flavorful, soft and easy. I had a hard time saying no to them so I had to put them away in a tin (on top of the fridge, so if I wanted to get one I had to drag out the step stool).

They are really that good.

How will this effect my weigh in? We'll have to wait and see tomorrow morning! Am I nuts to weigh myself on the internet after baking and eating copious amounts of cookies?

Cabbage Patch Peasant Dress TUTORIAL

2011-12-03T12:48:00.003-05:00

Cabbage patch peasant dresses may just be the easiest, fastest, and most addicting project I'm making for Christmas. Once you are in the zone you can crank out 3 or 4 and hour! Seriously!

I was planning a detailed photo tutorial but I realized something: there are TONS of peasant dress tutorials out there, and they are probably more eloquently written than mine would be. My favorite one is from indietutes, you can find it HERE. She gives instructions on how to use rectangles or make the bodice A-line. For a doll I would just stick with rectangles. You can use the same tutorial using these measurements:

For the bodice your rectangle should be 14" long and 10" wide.

For the sleeves your rectangle should be 6" long and 10" wide.

(I was using scrap fabric here my sleeves were two rectangles sewn together to equal 6" X 10".)

The "J" shapes you make for the arm holes should be 3" long and 1 1/2" wide.

The elastic should be 10" long. I left out the elastic for the sleeves because I like them better without.

I used a 1/2" hem for the sleeves and an inch hem for the bottom. I also made coordinating hair bows using a technique similar to this one at A Beautiful Mess.

I have a couple of fun tips for dressing up a boring peasant dress coming up soon, so stay tuned!

Tonka Trucks and Cabbage Patch Dolls

2011-11-30T10:19:00.005-05:00

In planning for this Christmas my family has decided on a wacky new idea:

STOP.SPENDING.MONEY.ON.CRAPPY.TOYS.

Every single year we buy the kids mountains of toys that they play with for 5 minutes and then toss to the side. The toys end up in their countless toy bins, untouched or rarely played with. Then eventually we go through the bins and get rid of them and give them to charity.

WHY? Why do we do this every year? To make them happy? I've had enough. I would rather give them gifts that are made with love, and teach them to appreciate them.

This year will be different. Mr. Med School and I decided to take a peak in his parents' barn and find his old toy box. We didn't really know what we'd find, it was kind of like a scavenger hunt! Well we opened the box and low and behold there were a TON of cool boy toys! GI Joes (some of which still make sounds!), metal tonka trucks, and of course a bag full of plastic army men. All circa the mid 80s. LOVE! This truck has some rust on it...but it's nothing that a little spray paint won't fix :-)

On the other side of the box there were 5 original cabbage patch dolls. O.M.G. I squealed I was so excited! They belonged to Jason's sister, who is no longer with us, so of course I asked my mother-in-law's permission before I took them. She said she would be happy for the girls to have them!

The kids are going to have a wonderful Christmas, and we barely spent any money.

Why not look through your old toy box and see what you find? Your children might get a kick out of receiving a toy that you loved as a child.

Tune in tomorrow for a tutorial for the Cabbage Patch Peasant Dress, as well as some tips about jazzing up a simple peasant dress. Be ware though, because once you see how easy and quick they are to make you might not be able to stop!

WOW Y'all are so AWESOME!

2011-11-29T18:41:00.004-05:00

First of all, I promise I will have a craft-related blog post tomorrow. Let's just say it involves Cabbage Patch Dolls and peasant dresses :-)

Now that I got that out of the way, can I just say I love you? Yep, every one of you. I have had such an amazing response to my last weight-related posts! Several of you have shown interest in joining me and being accountable for your efforts, so I've decided to have a weigh-in every Monday here on the blog. I will weigh myself and post my weight every Monday, and then if you feel so moved you can put your weight in the comments. If you don't feel comfortable putting your weight you can just say how many pounds you lost/gained that week. I do have to say that putting my weight on the internet has been incredibly freeing. I don't know why, but it feels wonderful to be able to say "I weigh 175, and I'm not ashamed. I am getting healthy!"

In other news, my dinner this evening came from a not-so-healthy place:

Usually I would have seen this as a failure...BUT because of my calorie counting app on my cell phone I only ate half the fries, and that puts me within my calorie limit for the day! In fact I still have 118 calories left in case I want a snack later! WOOT!

The Game Plan

2011-11-29T07:20:00.001-05:00

I was going back and reading yesterday's post and I realized that I didn't really say anything about how I was planning to lose this baby weight. That's probably because I didn't really have a plan when I wrote that post. I just knew I wanted a change.

Yesterday I thought a lot about how I was going to do this and I came to a conclusion: small changes are the way to go. There will be no crazy hardcore exercises, no P90x, and definitely no 1200 calorie limit per day. Those major changes are not sustainable for me! So here is my "weight loss plan." Feel free to join me!

Step 1: I am going to stop stuffing my face like every time I'm bored/sad/happy/walking by the fridge. This is my first hurdle. I am an emotional eater, and I'm also home allll day and the fridge is just 10 steps away from the couch. I decided the best way to accomplish this was to make myself accountable for what I eat with a food journal. I installed an app on my phone that counts my calories for me. Since I'm still breast feeding I'm allowing myself 1800 calories a day.

Step 2: Get OFF THE COUCH. I have a spot on the couch which everyone knows is my spot, and I spend a great deal of time there. I surf the internet, blog, nurse, play with the kids all from that spot. It's been my place to wallow ever since April. It's my safe place. So instead of starting a crazy work out routine I am vowing to get off the couch and out of the house every day with the girls. There is a park about a half mile away in our neighborhood, so walking there and back will burn 130 calories, plus I will burn some playing at the park! Yesterday I decided to go to Target and parked way far away from the store, then circled the store 3 times while shopping (unintentionally, lol). I felt so good when I got home! Getting out of the house is crucial to my sanity!

Step 3: SLEEP. To say I'm chronically sleep deprived is kind of an understatement. Caroline was born in February 2009, and proceeded to have the WORST sleep habits of any child I've ever known. She got up at least 4 times a night until she was 14 months old! Around that time my milk dried up because I got pregnant with Ellie, and she decided it wasn't worth getting up if there was no booby involved. When I was pregnant with Ellie I slept horribly (I always do when I'm pregnant). Now Ellie is almost 11 months old and like her sister she wakes up several times a night still. It's not that I don't get several hours of sleep, I usually go to bed at 11 and get up at 6, it's the segmented sleep that gets me. When your sleep is segmented you can never really reach a healthy sleep pattern. I finally decided that I have had enough, so I asked Mr. Med School to help me sleep train her. I'm hoping that if it's him getting up with her instead of me she'll realize that the night boob train has left the station and it won't be worth it for her to wake up anymore. (BTW he's a saint, seeing as he's doing his internal medicine rotation right now, it's probably not the best time for this. But he loves me and wants me to feel better.)

OK, so I feel like I've written a novel. Thanks so much for all of your kind comments and advice yesterday! It's very freeing putting your actual weight on the internet. After you do that it's kind of hard to be in denial! I will be putting weight updates up every Monday so you can track my progress (another motivation!)

Throwing down the gauntlet (instead of the cupcakes)

2011-11-28T07:42:00.009-05:00

Over Thanksgiving there were many many many photos taken. Usually that means that I'm behind the camera, but this weekend a lot of people offered to take photos with me in them too! What a thought!

The downside? I now see what I have been able to deny in the past. I am the heaviest I have ever been in my adult life. Ever since getting pregnant with Gabe I have done a weight yo-yo dance. I am 5'5'', and when I got pregnant with him I was 140 lbs (I thought I was fat then, how ironic!) I gained almost 60 lbs with that pregnancy! However, after he was born the weight just sort of fell off. I really didn't have to do anything. I just got smaller and smaller until I leveled out at about 130. I think being 22 years old had something to do with that. Then I got pregnant with Charlotte and gained 40 lbs, and again after she was born I didn't really have to work that hard to lose it all. When Dan died I weighed about 135, and in about 2 weeks I lost 10 lbs, weighing 125, the least I have ever weighed in my adult life.

I was too thin, sickly looking even. Then I met Jason and we fell in love, the weight crept back up because I was happy. That was a glorious time, I looked healthy, I felt great. When we got married I weighed 140ish.

Then I was pregnant with Caroline and gained only 25 lbs. You'd think that weight would have melted back off right? NOPE. This time I had to fight for ever pound I lost. In fact I weighed the same 2 weeks after her birth as I did before she was born!

I finally made it down to about 155, then got pregnant with Elinor.

I gained 40 lbs, and now she's almost 11 months old and I have only lost 20 lbs of it.

(BTW...I thought chevrons were slimming...not so.)

So that puts me at...gulp...175. I have chins. Something I've never had before. I also still look 5-6 months pregnant. I'm totally using Caroline to hide my gut in this picture. I had been wallowing in post partum depression, and after my Mother died wallowing in grief. I have definitely used food as a comfort.

Sometimes you need a slap in the face to get you moving in the right direction, and looking through the Thanksgiving photos is just the slap I needed. I'm hoping that with a little self control that by Christmas there will be a little less of me. Anyone else crazy enough to try to lose weight during the holidays? How do you even do it?

For What It's Worth...Weekend Edition

2011-11-27T20:13:00.006-05:00

For what it's worth, this weekend was difficult. It was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be. Before this weekend I was really looking forward to the holidays, and although I'm still looking forward to them there is now a cloud over my head because I realized that my mother won't be here. She was very noticeably absent from the Thanksgiving festivities, and she will be absent again at Christmas. And for every holiday thereafter. And that's a hard realization.

Last year there were actually less of us than this year. My sister, sister-in-law and I managed to each add a baby into the mix since last Thanksgiving. But this year's photo looks so empty to me. Don't get me wrong, it's a great family portrait, but it's just missing her. It's missing an entire generation. Last year's photo has my beautiful mother and the man that I believe took her away from us. I wish I had thought to photoshop him out.

As of right now I have made a decision to put myself and family first this holiday season. I will be accepting no Etsy orders until the holidays are complete. I just need to concentrate on getting through this season. I hope you all understand.

Cool Cuffs Tutorial

2011-11-21T08:54:00.000-05:00

In case you missed it, here's the cool cuffs tutorial that I posted on Project Run and Play last week. Enjoy!

Before I get started I'd like to say that all photos from today's tutorial were taken on my iPhone, and if anyone has seen my camera battery charger will you please let me know? It's still missing :-( Anyway, today I present to you an easy fix to a common problem. Kids just keep growing and their clothes don't. When you realize your little one has just grown a couple of inches and all of his pants are too short (AGAIN!) you can grab some cute fabric and extend the life of those pants.

You will need:

"Cool" fabric 4 pieces 6" tall X 9" wide*

Lining fabric 4 pieces 6" tall X 9" wide

A Scrap of "cool" fabric

A pair of Jeans

Sewing machine and thread

A JEANS NEEDLE (trust me!)

*These cuffs fit my son's pants which are a size 8. Your sizes will vary. To calculate the width of your fabric measure the width of the bottom of the pants and add 1/2 inch. The height of the cuffs depends on the look you're going for, but 6 inches seems to work very well for most sizes of childrens' clothes.

All seam allowances are 1/4".

Cut out your cool fabric and your lining fabric. I used some blue flame fabric my aunt gave me (thanks Auntie A! You're the best!) For the lining fabric I used an old faded black tee shirt that Gabe had grown out of.

Sew together two "cool" fabric pieces, right sides together. Repeat with the other two "cool" fabrics. Then repeat for the lining fabrics.

Press all of your seams open.

Flip a lining fabric cuff piece right side out and insert it inside the "cool" fabric cuff piece (which is still wrong side out). Pin together and sew along one side. That will be the top of the cuff. Repeat with the other cuff pieces.

Turn right side out and press. Zig zag or surge the raw edges at the bottom of your cuff.

Flip your jeans inside out and mark 1/2 inch above the hem on the pants leg.

Now this will feel wrong and weird but go with me on this (have I ever steered you wrong?). Pin the zig zagged edge of your cuff on the line you marked. You want the pants to be inside out and the cuff to be right side out. Sew it on.

Now you have something that looks like this. You may be thinking....oops what the heck did I do??! But wait. Turn that cuff up and....

Voila! Your pants are cuffed! I would tack it down in a couple of places for added security.

You can also add a cool applique to make the jeans really special. If you need help with applique I have a tutorial on it HERE. With jeans I recommend omitting the stabilizer and using a straight stitch instead of a zig zag. You will lose functionality of the pocket but let's be real, that just cuts down on the number of rocks and bakugans that go clunking around in your washer. (Or is that just at my house?)

Now you can wait just a little bit longer to buy new jeans :-)

I hope you enjoyed this thrifty fix today! Come check me out at I Make Stuff for more!

For What It's Worth Wednesday Take 3

2011-11-16T07:11:00.001-05:00

For what it's worth...I should have known better. I really should. And in the back of my head I'm sure I knew what the outcome was going to be. I knew that I would have to spend my precious time taking the car seat out, taking it apart, washing it and putting it back together and back in the car. After 4 children I knew this. I should have weighed the pros and cons.

But sometimes a sleep-deprived, frustrated, this close to losing it mom will do just about anything to shut the kids up for 5 minutes. And boy, did they shut up. Blissful silence. For about 5 minutes.

Be sure to email me your submissions for next week alidanicolelee@gmail.com. I will be featuring several people who emailed me in the last couple of weeks. Each has asked to remain anonymous so far, and of course I will do that! Get something off your chest won't you? It feels GREAT!

Stationery card

2011-11-15T22:21:00.001-05:00

Joy and Magic Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly's collection of Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Guest Posting At PR&P Today!

2011-11-15T07:40:00.000-05:00

Have you been anxiously awaiting my Cool Cuffs tutorial? Well I'm posting it over at Project Run and Play today. Go check it out!

PS, I think he likes them!

Look who got her cast off!

2011-11-14T11:51:00.004-05:00

Yep, this kid! And yes, I bejeweled the heck out of that cast. It almost hurt me to throw it away, but really do I need it around the house? On a related note, if anyone has any advice on how to restore her arm skin to it's normal state let me know, because it resembles a croissant right now. (I know, I know, ew. Sorry but that's the only way I can think of to describe it!)

We Will Never Forget You

2011-11-11T07:02:00.004-05:00

Sgt Daniel Woodcock, KIA March 11, 2007. We will never forget.

For What It's Worth...Thursday?

2011-11-10T07:42:00.004-05:00

Well oops...my week is all messed up. I don't know what day it is!

Sorry to keep you waiting for the cool cuffs tutorial! I have two very valid reasons for not posting the tutorial yet. Reason #1: I can't find my camera battery charger! I imagine some tiny 2-year-old fingers wandered away with it and eventually it'll turn up with stickers and play-do all over it...ya know...after I buy a new one.

Reason #2 is kind of a secret, but I can tell you that something big is in the works here at I Make Stuff! Hopefully I can spill the beans soon, because I suck at keeping secrets.

In other news, for what it's worth, we've been dealing with this lately:

Ellie has three allergic reactions in three weeks. The first seemed to be from peanuts, the other two I have no idea. The last time the hives lasted 4 days :-( Poor miserable baby. Our allergist appointment is on the 16th, and it can't come here soon enough.

Sneaky Peak: Cool Cuffs

2011-11-06T12:29:00.003-05:00

I'm SO EXCITED about this tutorial coming up, I just couldn't resist giving you a sneak peak!
Tune in tomorrow to learn how I turned a pair last year's too-short khakis into his favorite pair of pants!

It's Shutterfly Time!

2011-11-04T08:11:00.000-04:00

It's the moooost wonderful tiiiiime of the yeeeeear! Once Halloween is over I get all giddy about Christmas cards, Calendars and Christmas party invitations. I have been a Shutterfly customer for years, and now they've given me the opportunity to talk about all of their super cute holiday wares! YAY!

Can I tell you how much I love photo Christmas cards? I love looking through all the beautiful templates and playing with different photos, playing with black and white or colors, changing my mind a hundred times. I usually spend weeks trying to create the perfect card.

And I mean, Shutterfly doesn't make it any easier.
Look how gorgeous these cards are! It's so hard to decide on a card, let alone the photo(s) to put on the card. I particularly love the ones for dog lovers! (If only I could get Rosie to sit still long enough for a family photo. Good luck with a golden retriever.)
I love the simplicity of this one.

If you're having a Holiday party you have to check out these awesome invitations. I love these two because they aren't too girly! I think that unless you're having a girls-only cocktail party your invitations should have a cool, unisex vibe.

I love light blue as a backdrop for Christmas colors!

Shutterfly also has awesome gifts for your loved ones. Who doesn't love a photo mug? We bought one for my father-in-law for Fathers Day and now my mother-in-law has to have one. They are shameless in showing off their grandbabies :-)

The only thing I love more than creating Christmas cards this time of year is creating calendars. Every year I make photo calendars for the grand parents (you know, the ones that shamelessly show off their grandbabies?) and they just love it! Shutterfly has some amazing designs for calendars.

Well I'm off to play with photo cards on Shutterfly, you know where to find me for the rest of the day! I love this time of year!

Evil Dr Pork Chops (Crock Pot Meal!)

2011-11-03T08:29:00.000-04:00

Ok so it's actually pork tenderloin, but the only way to get Caroline to try it was to call it Evil Dr Pork Chops (after her favorite Toy Story Character) and well the name stuck. It's shocking how easy and delicious it is! Plus it leaves you plenty of time in your day to do any evil plotting you need to do...

Ingredients:

1 3 lb pork tenderloin

2 (16 oz) packages frozen vegetable stew veggies

Evil Doctored-up onion soup mix (see recipe below)

1 can condensed tomato soup

2 cups water

parsley flakes

Evil Doctored-Up Onion Soup Mix

3 boullion cubes

1 packet Goya Sazon cilantro and tomato

8 TBS dry onion flakes

1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

*The secret here is the Goya seasoning. This stuff is Ah-mazing. It's always good to have around. Also the red pepper flakes give the dish just a little kick. A little heat without being too spicy for kids to enjoy. It really makes a difference!

Mush up the bullion cubes with a fork and then mix all other ingredients together.

And there you have it. Evil doctored-up onion soup mix.

The rest is super easy. Pour the frozen veggies in the crock pot. Put pork tenderloin on top of veggies. Mix together Evil Doctored-up onion soup mix (or regular soup mix will do), tomato soup and water. Pour it over the tenderloin and sprinkle with parsley flakes.

It's not even cooked yet and already it looks delicious!

Cover and cook on low for 8 hours. THAT.IS.IT. Now you have a whole meal. No other prep work to do, no side dishes to make. Just serve it up and dig in!

FWIW Wednesday

2011-11-02T11:31:00.000-04:00

For What It's Worth...

I think a child that's old enough to come up to you and say "Sorry Mama, I just peed on the floor in your room!" is probably old enough to PEE ON THE POTTY.

This child is teaching me patience. She's lucky she's extraordinarily adorable.

Reader Feature: Ruffled Messenger Bag

2011-11-02T08:11:00.001-04:00

Susan, of Joyful Mom of Many, may just be my new hero. Not only does she have 12 kids (TWELVE!!!) but she also home schools them, AND she finds time to sew and craft! She recently emailed me to tell me she had made a bag using my Messenger Bag Tutorial, and I just knew I had to share it with all of you. She added these delicious ruffles to the outside:

Isn't it gorgeous?!!? It's made out of a drop cloth, y'all. A drop cloth. I mean can you believe it? I want one! Or 10. I think one in every color would suffice ;-) Do they make hot pink drop cloths?

She wrote a tutorial for her adaptations to my tutorial HERE on her blog. Check it out! This would make a fabulous Christmas present. (Wink wink nudge nudge...)

Ellie's First Peanut Butter AKA The Day I Started Hating Peanuts

2011-11-01T08:33:00.002-04:00

It was a beautiful Saturday morning. We had planned an outing to the Zoo with the grandparents and the kids were so excited!

When we got there I realized that I had LEFT.MY.CAMERA. Luckily I had my phone, so I still got a couple of pictures.

We went through the North American exhibit and the kids marveled at the seals, mountain lions, and bears. Then we decided to go back to the car for lunch. We didn't feel like walking all the way to the picnic area so we decided to camp right on the grass in the parking lot. I have never been more thankful for my laziness.

We were eating sandwiches and peanut butter crackers. It was Ellie's first experience with peanuts but I didn't think for a second that she would have a reaction. Fast forward 5 minutes and we were in the car speeding towards CVS for a benadryl.

There were hives all over her face, her lips were starting to swell, and my husband was in panic mode. He is usually very calm about things so I knew that if HE was freaking out it was serious. Thankfully we got to the drug store and got the benadryl in her quickly, and within 15 minutes she was fine.

Now I am terrified to let her eat anything. She seemed to have a reaction a few nights ago and we are not even sure what she reacted to! I have scheduled an appointment with an allergist but until then I am to treat it as if it's a life-threatening allergy and read EVERY SINGLE label to see if there is a peanut warning.

Anyone out there with peanut allergic children? Any advice?

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T15:09:00.005-04:00

We spent the weekend with my sisters and brother and our whole mess o' kiddos. It was wonderful! We have a habit of being pregnant at the same time so we have two five-year-olds, two 2-year-olds, and THREE babies under 1! Poor Gabe is the odd man out. It must be tough to be the oldest.

It is raining here in Eastern NC so I am scrambling to figure out something indoors for my kids to do for Halloween! Wish me luck!

Don't let them take me to the ZOO!!!

2011-10-27T08:33:00.004-04:00

Yesterday was kind of a Mommy fail and also kind of awesome. I finished Charlotte's cheetah costume and she was THRILLED! When I told her we were going to the pumpkin patch she insisted on wearing it, which meant Caroline had to wear a costume too. Of course, Gabe is too cool to wear a costume somewhere where other kids may or may not be wearing costumes, so opted to bring his along just in case.

I love 5-year-old logic. Charlotte is genuinely concerned that people will mistake her for a real cheetah and therefor try to take her to the zoo. She told me that if someone at the pumpkin patch tries to catch her I should yell, "It's ok! It's just a costume!" And don't EVEN try to call her a leopard, jaguar, or other spotted cat. She's a CHEETAH.

Her costume was super fun to make, and really it was not that hard! You can make just about any animal costume out of a pair of pants and a hoodie. The pants are just basic pajama pants, and the hoodie is an adaptation of this tutorial on craftstylish. Add ears and a tail and voila! A costume so real she may get taken to the zoo. (Hey...that's not a bad idea...maybe I should make similar costumes for the rest of the crew!)

If you're saying to yourself these don't look like pumpkin patch photos, you would be correct. That is because we got there and the place was empty. It's only open Friday-Sunday. Major face-palm moment.

So we took the kids to Little Washington (or the FIRST Washington, as locals call it) for dinner and ice cream. They were grumpy, hungry, and didn't really feel like stopping for photos. Especially my little mermaid.

I am so thankful for my good-natured children, who could have turned the outing into a cry-fest because we didn't go to the pumpkin patch as planned. It turned out to be a pretty great evening!

For What It's Worth Wednesday Take 2

2011-10-26T08:01:00.004-04:00

For what it's worth, I finally got off my butt and did a little Halloween decorating. And by "a little" I truly mean little. As in a window cling. But hey, it was 50% off at Joanns, so it only cost 5 bucks! Procrastination FTW!

Anyway, I am super excited to have my first FWIWW guest! Marcia Colgar shares her take on online personas, for what it's worth:

Online Personas

Everyone is online these days. From social media sites like Facebook and Twitter to online virtual worlds like Second Life, society is telling us that it’s just as important to “keep up appearances” on the Internet as we would in real life.

While there are many benefits to having an online identity, such as keeping up with faraway friends or sharing opinions with the world, they can also be damaging. Behind the safety of our computers, we can more easily control and alter how others perceive us. Some examples of this include:

- Altering photos of ourselves so that we look “better.”

- Only posting content that make us appear in a positive light, such as smiling photos or statuses about the good things that happen to us, but not the bad things.

- Providing false information about ourselves, such as age, interests, or things we’re doing.

- Using an avatar in a virtual world to create a completely false identity.

Such activities can warp our self-image and cause us to strive toward a form of perfection that we will never achieve. Using such false identities online acts as a mask to hide the things we don’t like about ourselves or that we think others won’t approve of. As a result, we feel better about our “selves” online and lower our self-esteem in real life.

We need to learn how to celebrate who we are. Ironically, blogs –an online social networking tool – are one way in which we can do just that. Blogs allow individuals to express their personal views and provide opportunities for readers from anywhere in the world to comment on those views. Through such conversation, we can connect with others through honesty. We may share personal stories, hardships, or simply rant to get something off our chests. We don’t have to be perfect – our honest imperfection is what makes us beautiful.

There is something wonderfully democratic about blogs – anyone can create one, read one, or comment on one. Although some are more popular than others, blogs represent the full spectrum of the human experience.

Do you have something on your mind? Perhaps you might consider creating a blog, or joining in a conversation on one you already read. You could also contribute to Alida’s “For What It’s Worth Wednesday” posts.

Marcia Colgar runs the site http://www.onlinechristiancolleges.com Christian Colleges. She writes various articles about faith-based education.

Thank you Marcia! Have something you want to get off your chest? Email me at alidanicolelee@gmail.com.

Confessions of a Tired Mommy

2011-10-20T07:15:00.003-04:00

As I sit here awake for the eleventeenth time with a baby that has croup (my 4th baby in fact) I started thinking about when my first baby got croup and how scared schmidtless I was. I think I called my mom sobbing and she told me to turn the shower on and steam up the bathroom and sit in there. I just couldn't believe that he was going to survive this, it sounded so awful. So here is how my Mom journey has changed through the years. New mommies, you may think I'm exaggerating, or you may think it'll never happen to you. *Insert maniacal laugh*

Croup

1 Kid: "Hi doctor, my poor sweet baby has a horrible sounding cough! I googled it and I think it might be whooping cough. Is he going to be ok???"

2 Kids: "Hi doctor, my child has a bad cough and I think it might be croup. Can you listen?"

3 Kids: "Hi doctor, I think it's croup again. Yep, I need my own parking space here."

4 Kids: "Hi doc, my kid has croup. Again. Can you please write the Rx for the Decadron in a hurry because if I'm not in the carpool lane by 2:47 (pronunced two forty SEVEN) I'll lose my spot and have to sit in the parking lot for an HOUR."

Calling husband to inform him your child may have broken a bone

1 Kid: (SOBBING) "He fell! I know, I know I should have been watching him closer. I'm so sorry! I think there's something really wrong with that arm! Should I call an ambulance? I don't know if I can drive." (Then peels out of the driveway anyway leaving a tire mark that would make a Nascar driver jealous.)

2 Kids: "Honey, Teeny fell out of the tree and now her arm is all swollen. I'm taking her to the ER. Yes I gave her ice."

3 Or More: "Hi, Daredevil drove her car down the stairs and hit the ground pretty hard. Pretty sure that's a fracture. She won't leave the ice on so I had to duct tape it around her arm. Meet me at the ER, and can you bring food, I haven't eaten yet today." (TRUE STORY)

Messes

1 Kid: Picks up spoon and bowl up and washes them, cleans rice cereal off the floor with a clorox wipe. Gives clean spoon and bowl back to baby with new rice cereal in it...for him to throw on the floor. Again.

2 Kids: Picks up spoon and scoops salvageable baby food back into bowl. Licks spoon to clean it and gives them back to baby...for her to throw on the floor. Again.

3 Kids: Meh, the dog will get it.

4 Kids: I can't even tell which mess is new and which is from breakfast. I'll get it when the kids nap. (Which is code for I won't think about it again until hubby is walking through the door. Because they never nap at the same time. NEVER.)

Leaving

1 Kid: Cries before the babysitter shows up. Reapplies makeup. Cries after the babysitter shows up. Reapplies makeup again. 15 minute long goodbye and then texts the babysitter every 10 minutes the whole evening.

2 Kids: Kisses the kids goodbye and maybe sings them a song. No crying. Misses kids a lot but glad to be out for the evening.

3 Kids: Kisses kids goodbye and hurries out the door. Realizes keys are still inside. Schmidt. Goes back in for keys. Kisses kids goodbye AGAIN. Gets to car to realize purse is still sitting on the couch. Eh screw it, hubby will just have to drive and pay. Problem solved!

4 Kids: Sees babysitter pulling up so grabs keys and purse and says hi to her and bye to the kids while speed walking to the car. Later on receives a photo text from babysitter of baby being cute. Replies back "That's great, but please don't text me unless someone is puking or bleeding. Thanks!"

Cry It Out

1 Kid: NO cry it out method. Rocks child to sleep every night. May, at some point, try to ease into putting him down to sleep drowsy but awake. He screams...aaand gets picked up.

2 Kids: This cry it out stuff might not be all bad. Might try it for about 3 nights. It works. Or it doesn't and bedtime is back to usual.

3 Kids: Yep, crying it out. But this time DAD is in charge. Mommy is too sleep-deprived to have that kind of will power.

4 Kids: Cry it out was not really a conscious choice. Hears baby from across the house. She sounds pretty mad. Kids set up an obstacle course of homework questions and hey mom look what I can do! between mom and baby. Gets to baby's room only to realize she cried herself back to sleep. Oops. And by oops I mean awesome.

For What It's Worth Wednesday

2011-10-19T08:58:00.004-04:00

Welcome to the very first For What It's Worth Wednesday! This is a place for bloggers to get real. If you would like to submit something for FWIW Wednesday please email me at alidanicolelee@gmail.com. You can submit whatever you want, a story, a struggle, a photo, anything you want to get off your chest. Getting real is so freeing...you should try it! You do not have to have a blog to submit.

I made a new button for this occasion, and really, doesn't it just say it all?

Feel free to grab the button! Copy and paste this code:

For my first FWIWW post I'd like to show you a photo with a back story.

"This photo was taken the day my mother died. I was setting up for an accessory swap party and I was taking photos of all the pretty (and FREE!) decorations I came up with. It's pretty, right? Every time I look at it all I can think of is the fact that I could have been on the phone with her instead of taking this stupid picture. Maybe things could have been different. Why was a having a stupid party instead of talking to her one last time? This photo haunts me and it probably always will."

I hope to have a reader submission for next week's FWIWW so please email me! Thanks!

On My Heart...For What It's Worth

2011-10-18T20:13:00.005-04:00

I should be Halloween crafting. I know I should. My house is sadly undecorated and it pains me to see everyone's awesome Halloween crafts day after day. My heart is just not in it.

I feel that God has laid something on my heart so big that I didn't even know where to start. Until now. It was the realization that everyone has an online persona. Most bloggers have the beautifully-photographed, funny, quippy, and upbeat personas down pat. I know I did! I was super guilty of this. Only a handful of times have I put an unedited photo of myself on the internet. And when people tag me in less-than-flattering photos on facebook I ask them to delete them. But vanity aside the damaging part of this online perfection is that it's impossible to live up to. It can also make others feel inferior. I totally used to feel that way. I would read these beautiful craft blogs from which the pictures and words seemed to just flow like honey. I thought to myself "there is no way I can ever compete with them."

So, the point of this post is this: I have a new goal for this blog. It will still be a craft blog, but it will also be a place for bloggers to get REAL. I am starting "For What It's Worth Wednesdays", a post each week that will be dedicated to breaking down these barriers of internet perfection and sharing stories, struggles, triumphs, prayer requests. Whatever is on my heart that week. I would also love for my readers to submit whatever they feel led to write.

Alternatively, if you'd like to submit a photo that is deceiving and then post the REAL behind the scenes dirt, that would also be acceptable (and awesome).

I'll be posting my first "For What It's Worth Wednesday" post later on today. Stay tuned!

Love ya, mean it,

ALIDA

PS I have brown hair now. Check it out.

PPS This photo is unedited.

Family Time is the Most Important Thing. Period.

2011-10-17T19:57:00.004-04:00

I know I've been MIA since the end of Project Run and Play. Can I just say what an amazing experience it was to make it to the finale? I mean, everyone was so very talented and every single week I thought I was going home. Congratulations to Simple Simon! They did an amazing job.

Aaaanyway, like I was saying, I have been MIA for a good reason. I have been trying to focus on preserving my sanity. PR&P was an amazing competition but it was super stressful, especially with 4 kiddos, so I just needed a little breather.

Last weekend we went to Mumfest in gorgeous New Bern, NC. It was amazing! The kids had a blast, we had a blast, and best of all my in-laws were there with us. If you don't know me IRL you may not know this, but I hit the in-law LOTTERY. My in-laws are fantastic, beautiful people and I am so blessed to have them in my life. Mumfest sounded like the perfect way to celebrate so we headed out to New Bern.

We got the kids' faces painted....

I took photo after photo of them being adorable. (Is she not the spitting image of her Daddy?)

They rode rides over, and over, and over.

We watched the ducks. I think that was everyone's favorite part! And it was free. Shoulda known...

Ellie loved the ducks so much! She woke up for a moment to coo at them.

But soon was back asleep.

A wonderful time was had by all, and you can't put a price tag on that. (I promise I was totally there...just didn't make it in front of the camera...)

Oh yeah, and by the way, I went brunette. Can't wait to show you a picture, if I ever get around to taking one that is.

My Skin Needs Therapy

2011-10-07T18:00:00.001-04:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Allu Ultimate Skin Care for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I'm trying to be very selective about the products I choose to write about here on I Make Stuff. I don't want to turn my readers off by becoming a microphone for a bunch of random companies. But when opportunities to get FREE beauty products come along I feel that I am obligated to share them because who doesn't love free beauty products?

Has your skin been acting up lately or is it just me? Any time the weather changes my skin gets all wonky. I get dry patches, I get oily patches, I get splotches. And we won't even talk about those little laugh lines that have recently popped up. (Thanks Thirty!) Anyway, the beginning of Fall is when we should be pampering our skin to get it ready for the Winter. Enter Allu Skin care:

Allu Skin Care is having weekly giveaways of it's coveted Ultimate Skin Therapy cream. To find out more about this product visit their Website. (Even if you're not interested in the product you should go read the story anyway, Dr. Bute is kind of the Indiana Jones of skin care!)

To enter go to the Allu Ultimate Skin Therapy Facebook Page and "like" it. Then there is a short entry form. Easy Peasy right? I'm going to go enter right now!

Project Run and Play Week 6...the FINALE!

2011-10-07T07:46:00.001-04:00

When thinking about my signature style I came to a realization: I love everything. I love modern, vintage, bright color and muted, over-the-top and understated. It's so hard for me to pinpoint my 'style'. So I decided the best thing to do would be to think about my fashion priorities when it comes to children's clothing. First and foremost I think children should look like children, not mini-adults. Their clothing needs to be fun, colorful, and a little wacky (just like they are!) Because I love bold colors and patterns and mixing them up I decided to go with layers of bold but modern patterns. The back of the shirt has a fun keyhole detail with a fabric-covered button (which I'm sort of addicted to lately).
Second, I feel like children's clothes have to be COMFORTABLE. No matter how good it looks if your child hates wearing it neither of you are going to be happy. I used this super soft and stretchy knit for the shirt and then embellished it. Because I thought regular buttons would be too pokey on her chest I chose these felt buttons instead. The skirt has plenty of room for her to move around and play.
Finally, I think children's clothes should be versatile. That is why I chose to make a knit shirt and a skirt instead of a dress. The shirt would look great with jeans at the park or with a skirt at church. The skirt has every color of the rainbow so it can be worn with any solid-colored shirt. I also love how great it looks with a jean jacket, boots and a hat. It can easily be dressed-down or up depending on the occasion. Most importantly, Charlotte loves it. And what more could I really ask?

Go on over to Project Run and Play and VOTE for your favorite look!

Irreplaceable

2011-10-06T23:01:00.001-04:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Carbonite for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I am about to share a very sad story with you. As most of you know my first husband was killed in Iraq. When he left Charlotte was just a baby, so there were very limited photos of the two of them together. A few months after he died another heart breaking thing happened. My computer crashed and I lost EVERYTHING, including all of my photos. Thousands of photos. All of the digital photos of Dan that I had. Now I only have 3 pictures of Charlotte with her father. THREE. There is no getting those sweet moments back.

Why am I telling you this? Carbonite asked me to write a post about their online backup service, and I can't think of a better way to illustrate the necessity of backing up your files than by telling that story. If I had had an online computer backup service all of those photos would have been saved, and I could have accessed them from anywhere. I could have even accessed them with my iPhone or iPad! How cool is that? Imagine having those irreplaceable files at your fingertips! Imagine that it does it automatically, so you never have to worry about it! Oh, and did I mention that the space is unlimited?

Carbonite is offering my readers a 15 day FREE TRIAL with no credit card required! After the trial if you decide to buy the service you can get 2 months free by using the code BLOGAD. Give it a try!

Do You See Jesus?

2011-10-06T07:30:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I took sweet Charlotte to the cardiologist for an echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart). She was totally freaked out by the whole experience, but when the echo began she was extremely nervous. She refused to look at the screen and even made the tech turn it so she couldn't see it. I asked her what was wrong and she said "do you see Jesus?" I said "what do you mean?" and she said "you told me Jesus lives in my heart!"

I love how literal and innocent 5-year-olds are.

BTW all test results were normal, so her little heart is fine! They even found princess DNA in her blood, confirming what I've known all along :-)

My "Signature" Style Sneak Peak

2011-10-04T07:35:00.001-04:00

Oh my gosh y'all I can't believe I've made it to the finale on Project Run and Play! Thank you everyone who voted for me and believed in me. I really needed this to concentrate on right now. As you may remember my posts previous to PR&P were pretty dark. I am in a much happier place now, and I feel like God put this in my life at this time to show me that life will go on after my my Mother's passing and that I can still find joy whenever I sit at the sewing table.

Anyway....

I am here today to reveal a secret. A secret that I've been carrying around for a long time when it comes to this blog:

I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. I make everything up as I go along.

I am not a planner. When I have something I have to do and I know I have to do it ahead of time I will let things roll around in my head for long time before I sit down and sew. But I don't put anything down on paper. The projects in my head are very fluid, they change as each tiny inspiration hits me. So when I start a project I have a pretty good idea of what I want it to look like, but no real plan. I don't use patterns. I let the fabric talk to me. (Your fabric doesn't talk to you? Weird...)

So for the "Signature Style" challenge I've been trying to think about what defines me as a designer. Here are my thoughts on children's fashion: I don't like children's clothes to be "too perfect." Children need fun, funky clothes that show off their personalities. They need to be comfortable. I love to use vibrant colors to show off their vibrant personalities. I love bold patterned fabrics, and I love to mix them up in unexpected ways. I love putting my girls in clothes that I wish I could still get away with but are just too whimsical for adult life.

I feel like my strengths as a designer are in using knits to make comfy shirts, embellishing with prints, and mixing different bold prints in a way that is pleasing to the eye. So here is a sneak peak of what I have coming up for this week's challenge...I hope you love it as much as I do :-)

Thoughts on Project Run and Play

2011-10-02T07:39:00.003-04:00

Something you may not know...

Cruella wasn't my only costume for Project Run and Play. I actually made these 1930s bathing beauties costumes first.

After getting killed in the judging last week I knew I really had to step up my game, and though these costumes are adorable I didn't think they would get enough votes to vote me through to the finale.

Now I don't know what to think. I'm totally second-guessing myself. Every week I think I know how the votes are going to come out, and every week I'm surprised! Now I'm wondering if I should have submitted these. I guess now I know how the contestants on Project Runway feel. No matter how well you think you did you NEVER know what the judges are going to think and how the people are going to vote. I feel so blessed to have made it this far, and if I get eliminated this week I will have all of these beautiful clothes for my children, so I am ok with that.

Project Run and Play: Challenge 5

2011-09-28T11:11:00.007-04:00

I had a major "make it work" moment this week when Caroline fell down the stairs and broke her arm :-( The poor baby has a fracture in each bone above her wrist. To make matters worse, her cast couldn't fit into the sleeve of her Cruella coat! I had to run to my craft room and re-do the whole thing and make a poncho, which actually turned out pretty cute!
I made Ellie a doggy costume that can double as a bunting for when it's cold this Winter. She loved being warm and snuggly!

This little one was sooo cute sitting in the basket...until she fell head first into the mud. Luckily the mud doesn't show up too much in the pictures.

Doesn't she look like a delight to work with? Good thing I chose Cruella!

Cruella is all about glamour so I made a red ruffle fabric dress for the base of her outfit. I usually like little girls to wear a higher waist but a drop-waist dress is fitting for the time period. Her dalmatian poncho is made out of soft polar fleece for extra comfort and warmth. The fur trim is from a collar I purchased at an antique store. Of course the feather wig is my favorite part...stay tuned for a tutorial!

Make sure to go to Project Run and Play and VOTE for your favorite look!

Sisterly Love...notice the crying baby...

Sneak Peak PR&P Week 5!

2011-09-28T06:41:00.002-04:00

, a photo by Alida@I Make Stuff on Flickr.

I'll give you a hint...a certain someone who just broke her arm has the PERFECT demeanor for her costume...

Uprinting Giveaway Winner (and a trip to the ER)

2011-09-26T19:42:00.001-04:00

Poor baby!, a photo by Alida@I Make Stuff on Flickr.

Hey y'all! I was going to post this this morning but life got in the way. My 2-year-old decided it would be fun to ride her car down the stairs. Several hours (and $150 copay!) later we found out she broke both bones above her wrist. She has a hot pink cast, which is gonna look awesome with my next entry to Project Run and Play :-)

Now for the WINNER of the Uprinting giveaway...chosen by Random.org....

#8, Fancy Matter! I will be emailing you shortly.

Have a great night everyone! I am going to have a much needed glass of vino ;-)

The Before Pics

2011-09-25T20:16:00.002-04:00

Looking for the Uprinting.com giveaway? Go HERE! Only 4 hours left!

I want to share with you the before photos of the clothing I used for the Project Run and Play challenge this week:

Check out that sequined shirt! I think it looks much better now :-) Make sure if you haven't yet you go VOTE for your favorite look!

Project Run and Play: Challenge 4

2011-09-23T07:32:00.002-04:00

Recently my friend and I were chatting about how our kids are little hipsters. Because of Netflix they can stream all of those awesomely random cartoons from the '80s (anyone remember Heathcliff? It's my kids' fave.) My kids are fascinated with technology from my youth that they will never have, like audio tapes and rotary phones.

I found this awful zip-up collared shirt at the thrift store and I had to get it. It has black shiny sequins all over it for goodness sake! The fabric was way too fun to be such an ugly shirt.

Since hipster fashion is centered around making thrift store finds hip, I decided a baby hipster outfit would be perfect for this challenge! The vest was the inspiration for the look.
Hipster fashion 101:

Large hair bow-check

Retro tee shirt-check

Oversized 80's style vest-check

Skinny Jeans-check

Graffiti shoes-double check

The shirt was an old tank of mine that never fit well. I gave the shoulders a squarish shape to emphasize the 80s vibe. The skinny jeans are made from a jean dress that got ruined in an unfortunate laundry accident (do you notice a theme here? I suck at laundry.)

The shoes are hand-me downs given new life with a sharpie pen :-)

Make sure you go VOTE for your favorite look!

Uprinting Giveaway!!!

2011-09-22T14:38:00.008-04:00

***Disclaimer***. This giveaway is sponsored by Uprinting.com. I am receiving no monetary compensation, although I am receiving free labels for hosting.

I am so excited to be able to bring you this giveaway! One lucky reader will receive 250 FREE Labels from Uprinting.com! Uprinting is one of the online Printing Companies that offers Custom Labels. If you are a crafter and sell your goods you NEED TO GET IN ON THIS!

The winner will receive:

250 labels (2"X3.5"), 70lb label matte, front-only printing, 4 business-days turnaround

***Must be a US Resident and 18 years of age or older***

GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED

Want to enter? Here's how!

Comment on this blog post-1 Entry

"Like" Uprinting on Facebook-1 Entry (make sure you come back here and tell me you did!)

Follow Uprinting on Twitter-1 Entry (come back here and tell me you did)

Giveaway will close Sunday, Sept 25 at 11:59pm, so hurry up and enter!!! The winner will be announced Monday morning!

PR&P Week 4 Sneaky Peak

2011-09-21T08:30:00.002-04:00

Can you guess what this week's challenge is? Can you guess what I've made?

Can you wait for last week's results post? Because I sure can't :-P

BDU bag tutorial

2011-09-18T21:59:00.006-04:00

Hey everyone! While we're all anxiously awaiting the PR&P results from last week (no? just me? Am I the only one biting my nails over this?) I've decided to do a quick tutorial on how to make the one-shoulder BDU bag.

To make this bag you will need:

A jeans needle (trust me on this!)

A BDU top or any heavy-duty work shirt

1 yard of nylon webbing
Cut through both layers of the top so you have two pieces. I used the left side of the BDU top but I could have easily used the other side with the name tag on it and just reversed everything. I really just didn't want his name all over the internet ;-)

Cut off the bottom right corner. Now you have two diagonal cuts where the strap will go.
Then I serged the top of both pieces (you could also zig zag it if you don't have a serger). I could have just serged all the way around but for some reason I didn't, so let's just pretend I did. Fold down the top of each piece and press it (towards the inside), then sew in the velcro.

Now you need to cut two strips for the shoulder strap. Mine were 3 inches wide. I used the sleeve. I used every inch available on the top and the strap fits around my 8-year-old perfectly. You may need to use more or less depending on the size of the recipient of the bag.

Sew the two strips into a tube and press. Now you have a strap! Lay the back piece of the bag right side up and pin one end of the strap on the top diagonal, pin the other end of the strap to the bottom diagonal. Now pin the front piece of the bag on top, right side in (like a bag sandwich). Sew all around the bag except for the part where you sewed the velcro.

You could stop there, but to make it more functional we're going to add some nylon webbing. First fold the end over and sew it down right where the strap and bag meet.

Then decide what you want to fit in the nylon 'pockets' and put it where you want it to go. For example I chose a water bottle. I pinned it on both sides so it was very snug, then I sewed the nylon webbing down where the pins were.

A small pocket for sunglasses :-) When you've added all the little 'pockets' you want sew the other end of the nylon webbing to the other end of the strap.

Now give it to a special little man in your life...

And watch his eyes light up!

Superheroes Are Real.

2011-09-17T08:38:00.001-04:00

This post was supposed to coincide with September 11, but for the life of me I couldn't make myself sit down and write it then. I have a hard time writing about that day, and an even harder time talking about it. For the boy challenge on Project Run and Play I made my son a bag out of BDUs, and working on that project has made me do a lot of thinking. Thinking about real-life superheroes. The real people who our sons can look up to and admire. Instead of keeping it all inside, as I usually do, I decided to share these thoughts with you.
We all know where we were on that day. We all remember hearing about the heroes who gave their lives on that day. And then there are the heroes who gave their lives in the 2 wars that followed. All of these men are real superheroes.
My first husband was one of those heroes. He was KIA March 11, 2007. Many of you are new to my blog, so to catch you up you can go to THIS POST.

These are actual photos of his memorial in Iraq.
This is the Gulf War Memorial in Cumberland Maryland.

When I was preparing for the boy challenge on Project Run and Play I decided I wanted to make a bag for Gabe with special meaning, so I went into the attic and opened up the big black box to get a BDU top. I have only opened it a handful of times since it was shipped from Iraq.

I cut into the BDU top and started sewing it together. I pressed the seams, and a strange thing happened. The fabric still smelled like him. That manstink that soldiers get when they don't shower for days out in the desert heat was STILL IN THEM. Somehow the steam and heat released it. I was taken aback. It was a very real reminder of his presence in our lives, even though he's not here physically he is very much here. Every time I look at my son I see him.

I know it's a little late, it's not September 11 anymore. But it's never the wrong time to remember the real superheroes. The ones who died, the ones who are still fighting, the ones who enlisted even though it was a time of war, knowing they were risking their lives. My (now) husband, Jason, enlisted in the Navy after the wars began, and I have always respected that so much. It takes great courage take that risk to serve your country. I guess I have a thing for superheroes ;-)

Project Run and Play: Challenge 3...BOYS!

2011-09-16T07:30:00.003-04:00

This week's challenge has been my favorite so far! My son has recently become obsessed with Tony Hawk and skateboarding at the skate park, so I thought I'd make him the ultimate skateboard outfit! The tee shirt is an upcycle of a tee that was too small for him.

He just couldn't bear to part with it!

The sweat shirt is an upcycle as well. My hubby's sweater shrank in the wash (oops!), so I thought it would make the perfect base for an awesome skater hoodie. The back has a skater guy on a ramp, which I have to say is my favorite part.
Every skater needs to bring along accessories like extra wheels and bakugan cards (ya know, the essentials) so I made him a bag to go along with his outfit. The bag is made from his father's BDUs. You can read more about him HERE.

I hope you enjoy boy's week as much as I have! Go to Project Run and Play and VOTE!!!

Wool Jacket Tutorial

2011-09-14T08:30:00.002-04:00

Here is my tutorial for the Sienna Dress Pattern Remix! If you haven't yet, go check out what I'm up to on Project Run and Play!
Modifying the sienna dress pattern into a coat is not as hard as it may seem. With a few tricks you will be sewing up a beautiful wool coat in no time! I felted the wool so that it wouldn't fray (which=less work in the long run!) I used THIS tutorial.First you'll have to cut your pattern pieces. I recommend going up a size from what size you'd make your recycled tee shirt dress because tee shirts are stretchy and wool is not so much :-)

The above is the bodice piece. The back bodice piece will be cut on the fold. The front bodice piece will be cut 2" away from the fold, then cut down the middle.

You need to add an inch to the sleeve length.
Now you'll make the bottom of the jacket, which is essentially a circle skirt. I used the bottom piece that we cut off earlier to measure along my circle. For the measurement of the top of the circle skirt you'll have to do some measuring. Measure along the bottom of the back bodice and the front bodice pieces and subtract 1". Use this as your radius. Dana from Made has a fabulous tutorial on this, so I will refer you to HER TUTE for the equation. When you are done cutting out the skirt part cut down the center of the front.

Following the instructions on LBB's pattern you sew the bodice pieces to the sleeves. (Please imagine that you DON'T see that the front is all hemmed and buttoned...I kind of jumped in to this project without thinking it through.) Pin together the front pieces so they don't move around too much. Sew up the sides right up through the sleeves (right sides together). Now sew on the skirt.

Now you're going to turn your jacket openings under 1" and hand sew the hem using a blind stitch. Do the same with the sleeves.
To make the collar you could use another equation, or you could just put the jacket top on top of the fabric fold and trace around it. You'll have a semi circle. Then measure out 3 inches and mark the outside of the semi circle. After you cut out that piece you will cut a slit down the middle front.

Now you're going to put the smaller end of the semi circle collar inside the neck hole and sew it in. Then flip it over and stitch in the ditch.

Almost done! Now all you have to do is trim up the collar to your liking and add buttons and button holes. You can also hem the bottom if you want but I didn't. The magic of felted wool!

Ta-da! A jacket fit for a royal occasion. If you'd like to know how I made the hat I found an awesome tutorial HERE.

PR&P Week 2 Winner!

2011-09-12T19:48:00.003-04:00

Thanks everyone for taking the time to vote for their favorite design on Project Run and Play. In case you haven't heard...I won this week's challenge! Next week will be boy week, and I am SO EXCITED about the outfit I've made. Here is a photo from the photo shoot. It doesn't really show the outfit but it's too handsome not to share! I mean seriously...how handsome is my kid?!

Sienna's Royal Remix

2011-09-09T08:06:00.001-04:00

Here is my entry for week 2 of Project Run and Play! Make sure you go VOTE!

My girls and I watched the royal wedding of Will and Kate while wearing dresses and drinking pink tea. It is still on the DVR, and we still watch it at least once a week. What a magical event! As we were watching the guests walk in we were in awe of their coats and hats! When I found out this week's challenge I knew what I wanted to do: turn the sienna dress pattern into a coat fit for a royal wedding guest.

I started with this beautiful turquoise wool and decided to felt it to make it easier to work with. I was very pleased with the results. This is not the first jacket I've attempted, but it is the first jacket I've ever completed! I wanted the floral dress to have a very modest cut on the top, fit for such a hallowed event. It has a growth pleat in the front so that when my model outgrows it I can let it out for her.

The hat is my favorite part! Something about peacock feathers just screams "royal" to me. The gold ribbon on the hat is vintage, I found it at this adorable antique shop in a rural town. It gave me the perfect color pop I needed to complete the look.

Am I crazy for giving her a blowpop during the photoshoot? Probably. But she was about to lose it!
These buttons are fit for a princess!

I can't wait to see what the other ladies create!

Quick Sweatshirt to Vest Tutorial

2011-09-06T13:17:00.005-04:00

If you've been following my blog for any length of time you know that no clothing in my house goes to waste. I love refashioning and repurposing clothing from my son to look pretty for my girls. It's like getting one over on the "man" or something. (I'm such a rebel!) Anyway, when I spilled bleach on my son's school uniform sweatshirt I kept it...knowing I could find a way to repurpose it. Last week's Project Run and Play challenge gave me the perfect opportunity!Unfortunately my SD card (as well as my purse, diaper bag, and dvd player) were stolen out of my car last week so I lost my tutorial photos. I have put together a picture tutorial from the sketch app on my iPad. Let me know what you think!

Now, go chop up some sweatshirts and enjoy!

New Ruffly Stuff

2011-09-03T09:06:00.006-04:00

I have been working for a while now on this pattern and I'm so happy to be able to share this with you! I have reworked the Rufflebutt Rompers for Fall. Now I am offering Rufflebutt OVERALLS!

These would be great over a turtleneck, but they are adorable on their own. Very versatile!

There are several colors and fabrics to choose from, and if you have something specific in mind I will special order fabric for you at no additional charge!

I have also had several emails since my debut on Project Run and Play asking if people could buy the ruffle leg warmers. I wasn't planning on it but if y'all want it I am more than happy to deliver! I present to you my Ruffle Leg Warmers!

If you haven't done it already, make sure you head over to Project Run and Play and VOTE!!!

Project Run and Play: Challenge 1

2011-09-02T08:00:00.002-04:00

Project Run and Play is finally here!

This week's challenge was Back To School, and I had so much fun with it! I decided that since my kids have to wear uniforms to school, I would design the most fun, girly uniform I could while still being within the school rules.

The shirt, vest, and shoes are made from Gabe's old hand-me-downs. I have four kids, I can stretch a penny! The skirt and leg warmers are made from scraps from other projects.

Charlotte is always getting cold so she loves LAYERS. She also loves pink so I had to make sure there was some pink in there somewhere :-)

See the flower on her hat? It's actually the top of a cupcake!

I wanted the skirt to be comfy yet modern so I decided on puffy layers, but made the inside of the skirt out of an old khaki colored tee shirt. The outside layers are made of stretch poplin.

I hope you like what you see! Make sure you go over to Project Run and Play and VOTE on your favorite design!

Project Run and Play Teaser :-)

2011-08-31T09:19:00.003-04:00

I have been working so hard getting my looks together for Project Run and Play and I just can't wait any longer to show you something. I just submitted my first outfit for the competition!
Can you guess the challenge? Can you guess what I've made? Make sure you go to Project Run and Play on Friday, September 2 and vote for your favorite look!

Come on Irene

2011-08-28T14:35:00.003-04:00

Irene has come and gone, with very little damage on our end! Thanks for everyone for your prayers and emails. We are safe and sound and have power. Praise the Lord!

To School They Went!

2011-08-26T22:07:00.004-04:00

My kids went back to school yesterday. It was bittersweet, while I was overjoyed to have a quiet(ish) house again I can't believe my Charlotte is in KINDERGARDEN.

I mean just look at this face! How can she be so big already? Even more troubling was the fact that she wanted to ride the bus on the very first day of school! I had imagined driving her there, walking her to her class and hugging her goodbye, and crying all the way back to the car.

She apparently had other plans! We all walked to the bus stop and I was filled with nervous energy. I kept thinking the bus was going to come and she was going to panic.

NOPE! My once very shy daughter yelled "bye Mom!" and ran onto that bus.

I think it helps having a big brother :-)

Girls Just Wanna Have Fuh-un

2011-08-18T16:08:00.004-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posting lately. I've been working really hard to get ready for Project Run and Play. To look the part of a model I decided Caroline needed her hair curled...she decided she also needed lipstick :-) This petty coat that is going under...um...something for the contest (ok it's a dress, I know you're shocked) is really an old flower girl dress. It was an actual flower girl dress that has been banished to the dress up box for years because of stains on the bodice. I decided it was high time to give it new life as a petty coat. This is her getting ready for our little photoshoot, and she was so cute I couldn't help but share with you!
I have been dying to show y'all what I've been up to, but you'll have to wait until Sept. 1 when Project Run And Play starts. Gotta keep the competition guessing ;-)

Sooo Excited!

2011-08-05T20:04:00.003-04:00

This could not have come at a better time. I have been needing something to occupy my brain space lately and what could be better than being a contestant on Project Run And Play!!! How in the world I got chosen for this I don't know because the competition is FIERCE. These bloggers I am competing against are amazing! It's a good thing my husband does a spot-on Tim Gunn impersonation, I think I am going to need to hear a lot of "Make It Work" in the next few months!

Coming back

2011-08-01T10:24:00.003-04:00

I dug myself a little hole to hide from the world. I dug myself deeper and deeper until all I could see was darkness. I wanted to die. Suddenly, people started reaching out to me. Some were people I hadn't talked to in months. Did they think this radio-silence was a cry for help? Did they think the reason I did it was so that people would worry about me? Well it wasn't. I did it so I didn't have to talk to anyone. So when these well-meaning friends called me I lashed out. I wrote an angry email to one friend in particular who I had texted and facebooked and called but hadn't gotten back to me. I told her that she hasn't been there for me so why would I want to talk to her now? I told her she didn't have to feel obligated to check on me anymore. I told her I felt abandoned. I was downright mean, which is not in my nature. Immediately after I pushed send I regretted it. But then a miracle happened: she didn't leave me alone. She wrote me a long email back and apologized for making me feel that way. She reached out again and invited me to lunch. She drank margaritas with me while I poured my heart out to her. That was the beginning...

Mr. Med School was scared to death at this point. It must have been so hard for him to se me hurting so badly. It must have been hard to be gone at the hospital all day knowing that at home things were crumbling. He called a friend of ours who is a social worker. She called and texted, but I didn't really know what to say so I blew her off. But after pouring my heart out at dinner I felt empowered. I decided it was time to call her back and ask for help. So I did. I told her how I had felt abandoned by my friends, I told her all of the things I had been bottling up for months and didn't think anyone would care. And you know what she told me? People weren't reaching out because I was going out of my way TO SEEM FINE. I was putting on a show and everyone was believing it. I didn't actually call anyone and tell them I needed a friend, I needed help, I can't do this on my own. She told me it's ok not to be perfect. I am not supermom. I am not super blogger. I am not super friend. I am just human, and I need help sometimes like every other human. And that's ok.

I so badly needed to hear those words. You know the ironic thing? While I strive desperately to be supermom, superblogger, superfriend, super EVERYTHING, on the inside I feel like I am not really doing a good job of anything right now. I needed someone to tell me that it's ok. I needed to believe it's ok.

I'd love to tell you that I'm doing great now, that it's all behind me. But I'm not, and it isn't. But I am at the beginning of the journey out of my self-created hole. And I can see light again.

I'm Back...For better or worse

2011-07-30T20:50:00.004-04:00

You may have noticed that I Make Stuff disappeared for a little while. I wish I could tell you that I was redesigning it and that now I'm back with a new look and some kick-ass projects. But that would be a lie. The truth is I am a mess. Mind you I'm always somewhat of a mess because I have four children, but this time I really went off my rocker. I've done grief before and it sucks. I've done post partum depression before and it sucks. But I've never had to do them at the same time before and I'm here to tell you I have had days lately when I wasn't quite sure I was going to come out of this one alive.

Here's the thing: I suck at asking for help. I suck at admitting that everything is not ok and I do not, in fact, have my shit together. But before when I had struggles I had my mother there to kick my ass and say, "hey you're not acting right. I'm worried you're getting depressed. You need to admit it and ask for help.". She was always right, even when I didn't know it. Whenever I needed it, whenever she sensed my struggle she was there to give me the kick in the pants I needed before things got out of hand.

Now she's gone. And no one has stepped in to fill in for her! How dare they believe my "everything is ok" bullshit? How could they abandon me in my time of need? (Cant you just hear the violins playing the saddest song ever?) Well of course they believe me, of course they think I'm ok, because I am damn good at keeping everyone in the dark. That is one thing I certainly inherited from her (this is also why she was so good at seeing through it!). This is where things start going off in the ditch. I came to an emotional place where I couldn't deal anymore. I couldn't deal with reading everyone's chipper facebook status, couldn't deal with people contacting me about the blog. I couldn't deal with Etsy orders piling up on me. So I just shut it all down. All of it. And immediately after I did it I felt relief. My side show freak life was not on display anymore for all the world to see. I could be in my dark little hole of pity and grief and no one could bother me. My friends, that is not a good place to be. Ever. Trust me on this.

The story of how I came to the decision to climb out of the hole I created is kind of a long one. I am off to have a glass of wine and write it out. I'll post it tomorrow. I'm keepin it real with you gals, the good, the bad, and the worst. Because these words give me power. And if anyone out there is feeling as low as I've felt lately I want you to know it's ok. I'm with you. We'll survive this thing together.

Blessings,

Alida

I Make Stuff.

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