~Sewing: Pillowcase Nightie~

I made my daughter another little nightie. Cut out and started yesterday, finished today. I love quick projects!

And my daughter is in love with her nightie. ♥

Isn't the kitters so cute?

Details:
Vintage pillowcase - thrifted for $.99
Pattern - Bodice from Simplicity 2377
Additional Notions - Elastic, thread (from stash)

I thrifted this adorable pillowcase quite a while back. I didn't know what I was going to do with it, but it was too cute to leave behind!

I made the whole nightie out of the one pillowcase; for larger sizes you would need additional fabric or two pillowcases. I'm fascinated with this pillowcase, in that it doesn't have side seams. The fabric was woven together to form a tube. You can see the join if you're looking for it, but it is smooth.

~Sewing: Shirred Sundress~

This little dress took me 15 minutes, at most. I'm glad it only took 15 minutes, because I don't think I could have been patient with the "is it done now"s I was getting for too much longer. ;-)

I used pre-shirred fabric, and wide grosgrain ribbon for the ties.

My daughter thinks any dress is a princess dress, but this dress is doubly a princess dress with the Disney princesses along the bottom.

I have made shirred sundresses before (see here and here) but pre-shirred is definitely the way to go! So much less time-consuming!

~Sewing: Shorts~

I made two pairs of these little shorts last year, and really liked them.

Pattern: Simplicity 7189, view D (minus the lace), Size 3

So far this spring I have made two more pairs. One in denim (same as last year), and one in a denim-weight khaki.

I had to buy the pattern again, since I cut it out in size 2. But I got it when it was on sale (99 cents, I believe), and the fabric and thread came from my stash.

These have been washed and worn several times. I keep setting them aside to take a picture, and my daughter keeps wearing them before I have a chance to get a picture! LOL Just picture the above shorts in dark denim. ;-)

I'd like to make at least one more pair. They're nice for play, and super quick and easy to make.

~Christmas Napkins~

Something I rarely do is seasonal crafting or sewing. The reason is that I think of seasonal crafts, and come up with awesome ideas, but then I forget about the project until two days before the holiday. At that point, I have more pressing matters, so I say, "next year".

I recently acquired a piece of fabric which had six panels on it. Perfect for napkins! I cut them out on Sunday afternoon, and sewed them after church. It was a nice little project and I'm glad to have them done now and in a stack next to my linens. Waiting for Christmas. That's better than saying, "next year!"

Turning up the hem was so easy - the panels were edged with green fabric, so it created a line for turning.

Once when I was a teenager I sewed on Sunday afternoon, and then told one of the older ladies at church about my sewing project. She told me that for every stitch I sewed on Sunday I'd have to pick out with my nose in Heaven. Somehow I don't believe her. ;-) These napkins made for a relaxing project on Sunday, so I'm not going to worry about picking stitches out in Heaven. :D

~Sewing Up a Storm~

I've been busy sewing. It seems I've turned a corner and my time spent in making is usually at the sewing machine, not with knitting needles.

I made these three things in March. It was still cold, but I didn't want to sew something that would only get used for a month or two. So I turned to summer sewing.

A nighty made from a thrifted pillowcase:

A peasant dress:

And a twirly skirt:

The best part of all three of these projects is that I used fabric and supplies I already had on hand. I'm trying to sew through my fabric, but there are two problems: 1) I then have scraps and my scrap bin is full and 2) I just acquired a hefty stack of fabric so I now have way more projects in sight!

All three of these are for my daughter. She especially loves the skirt!

I have some more projects to share - stay tuned. :)

~Lemon Garlic Linguine~

Yesterday I purchased linguine on an impulse, and then when I got home I decided that we should have it for dinner. So I went on Pinterest and searched under "linguine" and settled on this recipe.

Only I changed it all up, so it is my recipe now. ;-) I added garlic, added more cream, and cooked my sauce. While I can pull up a chair and eat my fair share of cookie dough, I can't stomach the thought of adding raw egg to a dish on purpose (though the hot pasta probably heats it sufficiently). Cooking the sauce also thickens it slightly.

half pound of linguine
2 T. butter
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 egg yolk
zest of one lemon
juice of one half lemon
3 small garlic cloves, minced
salt
pepper
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

Cook your pasta according to directions on the box.

While the pasta is cooking, make your sauce in a small sauce pan over very low heat. Melt your butter, add the half-and-half and then whisk in the egg yolk before the cream gets hot. Add lemon zest, juice, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue whisking until it has heated through and has thickened slightly.

Add to cooked, drained pasta, coating thoroughly. Stir in Parmesan (you can certainly use fresh, but I just used the pre-grated Parmesan.)

And then: enjoy. Kevin liked it, a lot. But he said that he did not get quite the spiritual experience that I had. All through dinner last night, I was thinking about making it for lunch today. And I did. Yuuuuum.

~A Little Surprise~

Life is never dull around here! I love finding little surprises like these shoes lined up across my bedroom floor!

~Saying "hello"!~

This is an interesting way to eat a bagel...

Life has been full, and busy lately! It's been almost a month since I posted to my blog! The two biggest things over the past month were a 3rd birthday celebration and a week-long visit in California.

I have had blog posts running about my mind, but haven't done anything about it! I'll have to remedy that! :)

~Fast Food Free February Recap~

So...the end of the month is here! At the beginning of February, I wrote about our decision to not eat fast food for the month of February.

We had only a few instances where we ate fast food:

:::Kevin was out around lunch time and picked up Taco Bell (for himself only)
:::We ate at Subway before going grocery shopping
:::We got milkshakes at Steak and Shake for a little treat
:::We had pizza for dinner a few nights ago, on a day where it had been impossible for me to get out and get groceries

Overall, I think we did great! Some might not classify Subway as "fast food", or say it is healthy, but after viewing Subway's ingredients in their "meat" I would rather stay away from them!

I haven't missed burgers, fries, or Taco Bell in the slightest!

~Amazing Race 20~

I'm excited that a new season of Amazing Race is here! I had to watch the first episode online because my DVR didn't pick it up. But now it is scheduled to record all the episodes so we're good.

This is one reality show that I really enjoy, for a number of reasons. One reason is that I feel it is the least unscripted of the reality shows out there. If they miss a shot they can't exactly ask the contestants to go back and redo what they've done. Commentary by the contestants is limited, so you're seeing straight action all the way through. Each episode is a nail-biter!

I haven't picked a favorite yet. Last season, I was anxious for several teams to be eliminated, and my least favorite ended up winning! So far I don't have a favorite or a team I'm rooting for elimination for! :)

Do you watch? and do you have a favorite yet?

~Yogurt~

I finally did it! I made my own yogurt. I knew it wasn't "hard" because my dad used to make it all the time. I've been wanting to make my own yogurt for quite a while now but I just never got around to actually doing it, until last Saturday.

I used the cooler method, in which a large pot of hot water is placed in the cooler, along with your jars of warm milk and yogurt mixture.

It turned out beautifully! On Saturday night I pulled it out of the cooler to put in the fridge, and started doing a little jig. Kevin said not to celebrate till I tasted it. ;-) So on Sunday morning, I did another little jig when I tasted it and it was awesome!

I made two quart jars, since that was what would fit into the cooler with the pan. This is the last of the second jar - time to make more yogurt!

~Happy Hearts~

I don't usually decorate for Valentine's Day but this year I threw a few heart things around the living room and called it good. ;-)



I made the paper heart chain, using an idea I saw on Pinterest.

I also put up the felt heart garland I made two years ago.

Valentine's Day has never been a hugely celebrated holiday for us. Last year Kevin was really sick so we did nothing. This year, what we did felt huge in comparison to last year. LOL Kevin grilled steaks and I made mashed potatoes and green beans almondine. We had a few little gifts to exchange with one another and we watched AFV together as a family. Just a quiet, fun evening together!

~Thumbprint Fun~

Yesterday I pulled out Ed Emberley's Great Thumbprint Drawing Book



and my daughter and I set to work having fun!



I got my book at a yard sale for $.20, and it is the older version of the book pictured above. I heartily recommend the library or a yard sale, but if you can't find it used, the picture above links Amazon, and is a referral link.

~Found~

I found this list in a library book. I always find it interesting to find lists, such as at the grocery store. The only thing you know about the person is what they wrote down.



At first I thought part of this list is a "ta-da" list (the top three items) and that the rest is a "to do" list, but then again it could all be a to do list. I wonder if she wrote this list again, after she lost it?

~Off the Needles~

One more project off the needles! My Pink Rivulet (Ravelry link) is finished! So excited! (Again...I have to weave in the yarn ends and block it...)


I finished the knitting about a week and a half ago. Once I get it blocked, it will be one more item off my UFO list!

I'm linking up to Susan's UFO Progress Report, if you'd like to see more click here.

~Fast Food Free February~

Try saying that 10 times fast!

On the 31st, I talked with Kevin and convinced him to do a no-fast food challenge for the month of February. He agreed, with one condition: Taco Bell for dinner. LOL

We don't typically swing through the drive through a lot, but our consumption rate has been creeping up. It is a convenient, though unhealthy, answer to the "what's for dinner?" dilemma on the way home from church or the cure to "I don't feel like cooking dinner tonight".

So far we're doing great. ;-) I was actually tempted today - my daughter and I were out grocery shopping during lunch, and a baked potato and chili from Wendy's would have been so easy and quick. And besides, Wendy's isn't fast food, right? Remember their slogan a while back? "We're waaay better than fast food." You can't compare yourself to something you are, right? Like I wouldn't say, "girls are better than girls" because that just doesn't make sense! LOL But I resisted, and we came home and ate leftovers.

Would anyone like to join with me for a Fast Food Free February? You can make your own rules up! For our family it means no Wendy's, Burger King, McDonald's, Little Caesars, Taco Bell, etc. If it's fast, it's out!

~Pink + Orange~

Last week I went out in search of a sweater with a pop of color. I am getting tired of the reds and blacks in my closet! And winter is not over yet, in fact we're just getting started, so I'll definitely get a lot of use out of a new sweater. I used some gift money from Christmas to get a T-shirt and sweater from Old Navy. The sweater was on clearance, and the T-shirt on sale, so I got both for a good price. I've never done this color combo before but I decided to give it a go:


I think I like it!

On my return home, I was listening to the radio and the temperature was 13 degrees with a windchill of negative 3. Spring flowers may be {quite} a ways off, but I can have a little cheer now, by way of my wardrobe! :)

~Empty Needles~

I am very happy to have these:


Empty needles!

From what? you may ask. My Twilight Lace Wrap (Ravelry link).


Technically speaking this project is not finished yet because I still need to weave in the tails and block it. But the knitting is finished!

I do not have blocking wires for lace so I am going to do what another knitter on Ravelry talked about and use the plastic wire from a weed wacker. The only problem is that it is dead winter so I might not be able to find it in the store. We'll see!

So, so, so excited to finally have this done! I started it in May, 2008!

I'm linking up to Susan's UFO Progress Report, if you'd like to see more click here.

~Organizing~

Well, I haven't really made any resolutions this year, but a few friends and I are going through this calendar and keeping each other accountable. At first, I thought it was an awesome idea, and then I printed out the calendar and started looking through it.

It isn't my style.

But then I started considering what, exactly, constitutes "my style" of organizing. Hmmm. Rip a whole room apart from top to bottom. Put it back together over a week. And then be so exhausted that I don't do any organizing for quite a while.

So I decided to give it a go.

The first week went great. This week, ah, this week! I started in with great gusto on my bedroom. The first two tasks for this week are to clean out your nightstand drawer and clean under your bed.

Before I knew it, every stitch of bedding was off the bed, anything washable was thrown out of the room and...you guessed it...I was exhausted! But my room is CLEAN now!

I'm trying to slow myself down and do my organizing little by little so that I'll get more done in the long run. Before Christmas, I sold some things on Craigslist and took a carload of things to a local thrift store. I have a bin in my basement for donations, and it's almost full already! Finding things to get rid of is an adrenaline rush for me, so I'm pretty happy to have a bin full already! :D

~Nifty Gifties~

Some little things I got for Christmas that I'm really enjoying:

Sweater tights. It's like sweaters for your legs. LOL I wore them in 20-degree weather and I stayed nice and warm. Well, that's not exactly true. My nose and hands felt like they were going to freeze and fall off but that's because I wasn't wearing a scarf or gloves.

Smashbox lip gloss. So pretty and feels so nice.

Organic Honey Lip Balm from Whole Foods. My new favorite lip balm and we don't even have a Whole Foods within driving distance. This could be a problem when I run out!

OPI lotion. Apparently this wonderful stuff is not available to the general public, so if you know someone in cosmetology school see if they can get you some. :)

Chocolate. A whole drawerful of chocolate that even Brenda Leigh Johnson would be happy with. It was fun having a stash but *ahem* it didn't last as long as it should have. I'm not too disciplined when it comes to things like this.