crazy about coral

A Blush & Dark Green Nursery

2020-03-21T20:25:00.000-05:00

Hello all! Whew has it been a minute since I've posted anything here...
Today I'm popping in to share some pictures of our second baby girl's nursery - she'll be here in less than two weeks! I'm so pleased with how this room turned out and it brings me so much joy and happiness - despite all the heaviness going on in the world right now with Covid-19. Scroll on down below for a lot of pics and room details along the way! :)

I made the little wicker, succulent/floral wall hangings with supplies from Hobby Lobby and a friend made the door hanging for me for my baby shower!

The dresser is painted with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in "Amsterdam Green" and sealed with Satin finish poly-acrylic and the hardware is from Lowe's. My Dad did the honors of painting the dresser for me - it was my childhood dresser and was pretty scratched up. I decided on the green color before we knew what the gender of the baby was and I knew that gold hardware would look fantastic on it. We don't have a dedicated closet for the baby (the closet in this room is full of TC's photo equipment, fabric, and Legos (haha) so I added a hanging rod to the bottom shelf in order to hold a few of baby girl's nicer garments. The gold, floral wall hooks are from Target and I made the two hair bow holders out of some thrifted photo frames, lace ribbon, and gold cup hooks screwed in the bottom to hang headbands from. I still need to get two more cup hooks because I ran out and there aren't equal numbers on the frames and it drives me a little crazy!

The gold framed mirror was given to us by TC's grandmother who was no longer using it in her home - it looks so lovely over the crib and I enjoy the way the artwork reflects in it from across the room. I crafted the mobile myself from felt flowers and an embroidery hoop inspired from ones I saw on Etsy that were selling for FAR more than I was willing to pay. I love how it turned out and by making it myself I was able to perfectly customize it to my desired color scheme. I ordered the felt from this Etsy shop.

The artwork is from this Etsy shop. Originally the mats around the prints were white but I decided they were boring and needed jazzing up so I watercolor painted them blush pink and oh-my-goodness, what a difference that made! The gold frames the artwork is framed in were just basic frames from Hobby Lobby I got on super sale and came without backing (I used old amazon boxes and made my own backs). I made the little wall-weavings myself on Jensen's plastic craft-kit loom with cream colored yarn and wool roving that I ordered from this Etsy shop. I just kind of blundered my way through since I've never done anything like that before- but they turned out pretty cute!

The grey rocking/glider chair is from Dillard's and is Palliser brand 'Theo' style.The gold rack the blankets are hanging on was a lucky thrift store find - the bottom shelf holds a basket with burp cloths for convenient access. Lamp base and shade are from At Home. The curtains are from Target and weren't quite the shade of pink I was looking for - but I couldn't find any others for the price I was willing to pay and I didn't have the energy to sew curtains myself this time around. The gold, wall-book ledges were from Amazon. My friend made these cute mason jars with baby girl's name and they fit perfectly on the wide window-sill

My sister-in-law crocheted this baby blanket and let me tell you, it is the softest thing ever!! The velvet-look pillows are from Ikea and NO they won't stay in the crib once the baby is sleeping in there. They'll get thrown on the floor and occasionally used as back support against the wall when we're sitting on the floor playing with the baby. :) The quilt was made by my mom and she did an excellent job of making my vision for it come to life! The matching large-scale and micro-scale multi-colored floral print fabric was ordered from Spoonflower from this artist's shop and my mom and I shopped for the coordinating fabric at Joann's. The triangle quilt pattern is from this Etsy shop. We're re-using Jensen's old crib from Ikea which is still in great condition.

The nursery is still shared-space with my sewing stuff but I worked hard to get it all consolidated in one little corner! These unfinished wood shelves that I hung ages ago in this room used to hold a bunch of TC's lego builds but they look MUCH cuter now, haha.

Hope you enjoyed the little nursery tour - let me know if you have other questions or want to know sources for things I didn't mention!

sugar cookie with royal icing recipe

2019-06-30T13:05:00.002-05:00

Hello there, I know it's been forever since I posted anything. LiFe..ya know! Summer, my favorite season, is here! I love the long daylight hours, the warm temperatures (okay hot..), pool time, ice cream, fourth of July festivities/fireworks, and my birthday! I've been in a baking mood here the past month or so and since I have never made 4th of July sugar cookies I decided to give it a go! Over the last five years or so I've been enjoying making sugar cookies and decorating them with royal icing. I finally feel like I've found and tweaked a sugar cookie recipe to get it just the way I like it. Not in any way am I a professional, but my icing technique has definitely come a long way over the years. This recipe is great because the cookies hold their shape really well when baking and taste delicious (coming from me, a person who really could care less about sugar cookies! ha, I'm a chocolate chip girl). I have had several people ask me for the cookie and icing recipes that I use so I thought I'd share them here! Enjoy!

Sugar Cookie Recipe
2 cups of softened butter (salted or unsalted, I use whatever I have on hand)
1 1/2 cups of granulated white sugar
2 tsp good vanilla extract
1 tsp butter extract
4 large egg yolks
4 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
Directions: Cream together butter and sugar. Add vanilla and butter extracts and egg yolks and mix until just incorporated - do not overmix. Slowly add flour and mix until soft dough forms - again, do not overmix. Separate dough into 2 equal portioned sized balls and place each ball in between 2 large sheets of wax paper. Using rolling pin, while dough is between wax paper sheets, roll out to about 1/4 inch thickness. Leaving between wax paper sheets, transfer both rolled out portions of cookie dough to the refrigerator using a flat cookie sheet or large cutting board and leave in the refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes to chill. Once the dough is hard, remove from fridge and cut out cookie shapes with your cookie cutters and place on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. (I have had success tracing my cookie shapes and cutting with a knife as well) After cookies are cut out, place baking sheet back in the fridge and chill about 10 more minutes. Form dough scraps back into a ball, roll out, refrigerate, and repeat the process until all dough is used. Bake the cookies at 350 degrees F for 10-13 minutes. Let cookies sit on the sheet until semi-cool, then transfer to counter or cooling rack. For soft, chewy cookies do not let the edges brown in the oven. Best to take them out before they get to that point, they will continue to cook for a bit sitting on the hot cookie sheet.

Royal Icing Recipe
*this is just the recipe from the back of the Wilton Meringue Powder container*
*I usually double this recipe because I like to have lots of icing to work with*
3 TBSP Wilton Meringue Powder
4 cups of sifted (I don't actually sift,I just spoon into my measuring cup) confectioners' sugar (Powdered Sugar)
5 TBSP warm water
Directions: In a large bowl, beat all ingredients at medium speed of stand mixer until icing forms peaks and loses its sheen 7-10 minutes. (will take longer if you're using a handheld mixer).
My method after mixing: After mixing I separate into small glass or metal (do not use plastic, any tiny bit of grease will ruin your royal icing) bowls in the number of icing colors I'm going to make. Cover bowls you're not working on at the moment with a damp paper towel to prevent icing from drying out. For piping consistency, slowly add water (about 1/4 tsp at a time) until the consistency is about that of toothpaste. Then add your coloring. I use Americolor Soft Gel Paste. For flood consistency add water until when you dribble some icing off of a spoon into the bowl the icing lines disappear in 6-8 seconds. If I am making piping and flood icing in the same color I start with the pipe consistency, separate some off into a decorating bag, then continue to water down until I reach the flood consistency.

New Listings in my Etsy Shop

2019-01-26T18:29:00.001-06:00

Just popping in to share a few items that were recently listed in my Etsy shop. Follow along on instagram @crazyaboutcoral :)

black floral dress | coral and white dress | baby chick dress | watermelon dress
Happy Weekend!

a new big girl bed for Jensen

2018-07-02T21:03:00.001-05:00

Well after being crammed in her crib-converted-to-day-bed for the past couple years we finally upgraded Jensen's bed to a twin sized loft bed..it's about time..she turns FIVE six months from now. She is so thrilled with her new place space underneath, the cool canopy top, and her updated crafting space! What can I say..she gets her crafty from her mama. :) I thought I would share what her room looks like now - most of the decor is still the same as her nursery when we lived in TX - I just rearranged when we moved to Little Rock a couple years ago and have been slowly adding to it over the years.

I had planned on switching out the pink canopy for a white one that I made because originally I felt the pink was way too much.. then I put the the white canopy on and her bed looked like she was in a covered wagon on the Oregon trail - so I switched it back! haha. I made tassel edged curtains for underneath the loft bed and Jensen loves to sit under there and play with them pulled shut. It's amazing how much more time she spends playing in her room now! I customized the bed a bit more by putting up cute printed scrapbook paper on the bed panels- my inexpensive hack for wallpaper that only cost $7. There are tons of cute options for bed decals on Etsy if your budget allows for that and you don't want to go the DIY route. Her toy box is at one end of the play area and the shelf with cubbies between the wall and the bed allows for some added storage (aka Hide The Mess! am I right?!). My mom made Jensen the beautiful triangle pattern quilt and I love it hanging at the end of the bed so that it can really be seen. TC's parents found the small table and chairs from a flea market a couple years ago and this past weekend I FINALLY got around the re-painting them this cute teal color called 'Ocean Mist'. They were previously a dark, brownish red so this was a much needed update! On the wall above her craft table is a little area for displaying her art work that I made from strips of wood and mini, colored clothespins. Cute, functional, and beats the taping-directly-to-the-walls method I was previously using... The little scalloped shelves were a thrift find and make the perfect home for her little goat stuffed animals that I think are ridiculously adorable.

This is such a happy room and it fills me with joy that I was able to create it for Jensen. We love playing, reading, and learning in here!

Kura bed | Checkerboard rug | Ballerina Doll | Batman Nightlight | Chalkboard/dry erase easel

a spring wrap dress

2018-04-21T11:50:00.000-05:00

Hey Hey! happy "Sewing Saturday. Spring is here! At least it seems to be...the weather has been nuts the past several weeks with the fluctuating temperatures! What better way to welcome the warm, spring sunshine than donning a pretty, flowy, floral wrap dress! I found this lightweight, stretch fabric in a beautiful blush pink at Joann's and thought it would make the perfect dress. I'm short and also have a short torso so finding a ready-made wrap dress that hits my waist in the right spot is difficult but I knew if I made my own I'd be able to solve that problem with no trouble. I only bought 2 yards and it really wasn't enough fabric for my comfort! I had to piece together scraps for the facings and the sash to make it work - that was after shortening the pattern pieces for the skirt, sleeves, and bodice. I always feel like patterns overestimate how much fabric you need but I really shorted myself this time haha. I used this Butterick pattern bought at Joann's for less than $2. The dress came together very easily and quickly. I've had the dress done for a while but needed to hand-stitch on the hook and eyes and tack down the facings...hand sewing is not my favorite and I usually put it off forever. Can't wait to wear it out and about!

Easter Weekend 2018

2018-04-09T21:45:00.003-05:00

We had wonderful, warm weather on Saturday then it got cool and cloudy on Easter Sunday - not as much fun to hunt eggs in the cold but at least it wasn't snowing like at my parent's house in Illinois! Jensen enjoyed three different egg hunts this year - and is everyone else stepping on like a thousand plastic eggs strung out throughout the house now? Ha ha. I made her dress this year and I know I say it every time - but this one REALLY is my favorite! I made myself a coordinating skirt so we could be matchy matchy -because I love it so! We enjoyed a visit from TC's parents as well and went out to his grandfather's farm on Saturday. Of course the weekend wasn't complete without dyeing Easter eggs! After church on Sunday we enjoyed a big Easter lunch and indulged in some sweet Easter themed treats that I enjoyed making. Hope everyone had a nice Easter!

Make these! Peppermint Meltaway Cookies

2017-12-10T22:11:00.001-06:00

Hey you guys! 'Tis the season...for Christmas cookies! Today I'm sharing a recipe for these Peppermint Meltaway Cookies that I just made for a cookies and cocoa with Santa party our church had after our Christmas Candelight Service tonight. The cookies REALLY do kinda melt in your mouth and the peppermint is not overwhelming - since I know some people aren't a huge fan of that flavor. I found the recipe on Taste of Home's website and was leery to try it because of the mixed reviews - but mine turned out great with a few, minor modifications. I will definitely be making these again! Recipe after the break

COOKIE INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of butter, softened
1/2 cup of powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar)
1/2 tsp peppermint extract (use a little more if you like a stronger peppermint flavor)
1 & 1/4 cup of flour
barely under 1/2 cup of cornstarch (I know it sounds like a lot of cornstarch but this is a delicate, crumbly, shortbread like cookie)

FROSTING INGREDIENTS:
2 TBSP of butter, softened
2 TBSP of milk (I used whipping cream because it's what I had on hand and it worked fine)
1/4 tsp peppermint extract
1 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup crushed peppermints (I crushed up 3 candy canes and I had quite a bit left over so probably really only like 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup needed)

INSTRUCTIONS:
In a bowl (or bowl of stand mixer) cream together butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, beat in extract. In another bowl whisk together flour and cornstarch until mixed thoroughly (I actually sifted mine together in a mesh strainer as well). Gradually add flour/cornstarch mixture into butter/sugar mixture just until incorporated. (DO NOT OVERMIX!!!) Your cookie dough should now be soft and slightly sticky, dump out onto piece of saran-wrap or wax paper and wrap up lightly. Place in refrigerator for a minimum of 30 minutes. This step is VERY important - do not skip refrigeration as your cookies will spread too much while baking if the dough is not refrigerated first.

While dough is in fridge go ahead and make frosting. Cream together the butter and milk (or whipping cream) then add extract. Gradually add powdered sugar - frosting should be thick and smooth. To crush peppermints or candy canes place in plastic bag and whack with a meat tenderizer or crush with rolling pin. Once my candy canes were crushed I dumped the bits through a mesh strainer and separated the powdery part with the more chunky pieces and placed in two separate small bowls.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Remove dough from refrigerator and roll into 1 inch balls and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheet. Place cookie sheet in refrigerator along with any remaining dough as you will probably have to bake in two batches like I did. Let dough balls sit in the fridge for about 15 minutes until nice and chilled again and oven is nice and hot. I use this time to start doing my dishes and putting the kitchen back in order. Remove cookie sheet from fridge and place directly in oven. Bake for 9-11 minutes until bottoms are very lightly browned. Using a small spatula, move cookies to a wire rack and allow to cool completely. These cookies are delicate and crumbly by nature so be gentle. Repeat for remaining cookie dough.

Once cookies are cooled, frost them and top with your crushed peppermint! My frosting method: spoon frosting into a plastic, decorating bag with a large, round tip. Place frosting tip in center of cookie almost touching the cookie - squeeze frosting bag and frosting will come out in a smooth circle! Turn cookie upside down and press into powdery bowl of crushed peppermint, then press into bowl with larger peppermint chunks. Enjoy!

Yield: about 30-35 cookies

halloween 2017

2017-10-28T17:17:00.000-05:00

When I asked Jensen what she would like to be for Halloween this year she told me enthusiastically that she would like to dress as "a happy witch!" and I was happy to oblige! This is my fourth Halloween of making her costume and she just gets more fun each year. We have been rather busy this year so I made it a little easier on myself by only designing and making the skirt and just decorating a store bought hat and broom. I still think she turned out as cute as can be! I found the spiderweb fabric and sparkly tulle fabric from Joann's and also got the decorations for Jensen's hat and broom from there as well. The socks are actually adult socks that I altered down to Jensen's size! We've already had a trunk-or-treat at church and then yesterday was trick-or-treating at my office. She'll get to wear her costume again on Halloween day for their party at daycare. Here are a few photos I snapped yesterday after we left my work...the temperatures dropped pretty significantly so we definitely didn't spend too much time outside since it was cool, cloudy, and windy- as you can see by how much hair is in her face in every single picture! ha! Happy Halloween sweet girl- you're the cutest witch I ever did see. p.s. Past Halloween pics here: Baby Jensen as a pumpkin, as a toddler super girl, and last year as the Morton Salt Girl!

pumpkin patch

2017-10-21T17:59:00.002-05:00

A few weekends ago when my mom was visiting us we headed out to the pumpkin patch for a few hours of fun! This was our first time out to Motley Family Farm and it did not disappoint! Jensen enjoyed the hay ride (although my country-girl-mom informed us that it was technically a "straw" ride), picking out some pumpkins, a tractor-pulled train ride, and jumping on the giant bounce pads! Lots of photos below! p.s. last year at the pumpkin patch

bell sleeve lace dress

2017-03-26T21:40:00.003-05:00

Hello everyone! Just popping in to share a few photos of this bell sleeved lace dress I recently finished making. I made it from stretchy lace knit in a beautiful blush color that I purchased at the Dallas wholesale district a couple years ago. I also got some solid knit in a blush color that I intended to line the dress with..but I used part of it for a different project and then didn't have enough left to line this dress. I ended up just getting some nude knit fabric from Joann's for the lining and I'm pleased with how it turned out. Here are a few photos that my husband graciously took for me while Jensen danced around just outside the viewfinder!

A day at the Pumpkin Patch

2016-10-26T21:21:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday we headed out to a pumpkin patch in Scott, AR. The weather was perfect and we had such a fun day! This pumpkin patch had a lot of activities - perfect for families! There was a little animal train, hayrides, a sand pile, swings, a big slide, a petting zoo, pig racing (whaat?!), and much more! Jensen loved picking out a little pumpkin for herself and helping us choose a big one to carve as a family! TC's grandfather and aunt also came out the pumpkin patch with us! We've been so busy lately! Our church trunk-or-treat was this evening, her daycare Halloween party is tomorrow, then she gets to come to work with me for part of the afternoon on Friday for trick-or-treating at the office! My brother and TC's parents are coming to visit this weekend as well!

my favorite people!

Introducing...the Morton Salt Girl!

2016-10-16T22:22:00.003-05:00

Halloween is almost here! I've started a tradition of making Jensen's Halloween costume each year (her first Halloween as a pumpkin, and last year as Supergirl) This year is definitely my favorite - she is going as the Morton Salt Girl! I finished her costume a few days ago and we thought it would be a good idea to go ahead and take some photos of her in it since we're going to be pretty busy later this month. She had so much fun twirling around in the full circle skirt and carrying her little white umbrella! I used a Simplicity 1547 Project Runway pattern pieces for the sleeves, bodice, and collar but then adjusted the sleeve length, embellished with adorable trim at both the waist and sleeve and collar edges. I also added a full circle skirt instead of doing the gathered rectangular one that the pattern called for. After pairing her dress with white tights, yellow shoes, and an oatmeal container I converted to look like a Morton Salt container her costume was complete! We (well all the really good photos were taken by TC) took these photos at The Old Mill in North Little Rock! We're so excited for actual Halloween now! Jensen keeps wanting to put back on her dress and shoes! ha!

fall home tour

2016-10-04T11:30:00.000-05:00

Come on in! and can I just say that I love Autumn? Pumpkin pie, sweaters and boots, the changing leaves, ahh all of it! Today I'm sharing a few photos of our apartment all decked out in full out fall! I made myself wait until late September to start pulling out my autumn decor, but really I was itching to start half-way through August. I know that's a bit ridiculous though! Hardly any of my decor is new this year, I just repurposed a few things, wrote new sayings on my chalkboards, and printed a couple freebie fall printables. I did sew a new runner, fabric napkins, and place mats for our table and got a few new faux floral stems and autumn berry type garland for 60% off plus a 25% off coupon at Joann's - score! (This girl can't afford real flowers in the apartment all the time!) Do you like fall as much as I do?!

Aren't those brown, floral pillows awesome? I thrifted them for $4 each back when we were living in Dallas. They're even stuffed with down/feathers not just a cheap synthetic pillow form! Changing out my pillow covers is one of the changes I make each season! I made all these covers a couple years back and just keep reusing them!

Chalkboard thrifted several years ago and 'Autumn Welcome' banner made a couple years ago by stenciling letters onto scrapbook paper.

We're in a rental and the kitchen cabinet color is not one that I would choose myself, but I'm living with it! This kitchen doesn't lend it's self well to do a lot of decorations but I did hang a wreath I made, put a faux-floral arrangement together in this cute mustard vase I thrifted, and put some fall leaf-garland up on top of the cabinets and it'll do!

This is our small (multipurpose) dining room- here we also house our ikea bookshelves! Since we don't have a mantle, these bookcases get decorated as one! The cream and gold artwork is actually a piece of fabric remnant stapled to a regular painters canvas! I made the 'Give Thanks' banner from stenciled scrapbook paper and some wide, burlap ribbon. The pumpkins on the bookcases are from Hobby Lobby a couple years ago. The small chalkboard sign is from Target's dollar spot and the pumpkin candy dish is sadly empty right now because we're in the middle of doing the Whole 30! As soon as it's over you can better believe there will be some kind of chocolate or candy corn in there! ha ha

Some new faux-floral stems mixed in with ones I previously had look great in this Farm Fresh bucket that I thrifted years ago. The me-made runner, placemats, and fabric napkins coordinate perfectly! I always end up moving them all out of the way though before we eat because I don't actually want to spill food on them! Happy Fall Y'all! :)

new product for local retailer!

2016-10-03T14:21:00.000-05:00

I just finished making a small line of baby accessories that will be sold in Arkansas Baby, a local shop here in Little Rock! Their grand grand opening is TODAY- if you're local you should definitely check it out! Located over on Chenal Parkway, it's a super cute shop that's mission is to provide parents with the products they need to make green, sustainable choices for their family. Arkansas Baby is for the natural baby in the natural state - love their slogan! I designed these cute ruffled baby bonnets and some coordinating baby boy bow ties. Also available are some 3-pack hairbows!

The little bonnets are my favorite...seriously! Why didn't I make these for Jensen when she was a baby?!

Sucker for baby bow ties right here!!!

off the shoulder ruffle blouse

2016-08-27T14:12:00.000-05:00

Last weekend I actually got around to sewing something for myself! I had a barely-over-a-yard piece of pretty grey floral fabric that was screaming to be made into something flow-y and ruffled! I like the off-the-shoulder blouses I've been seeing a lot of, but I'm not crazy about how far off-the-shoulder most of them actually fit on me...plus I really wanted to be able to wear the shirt to work as well! I didn't have enough fabric to make the neckline as ruffled as I was originally envisioning, but I'm still really pleased with how it turned out! Here are a few pictures of how I wore it paired with bell-bottom jeans and super tall wedges out to brunch! My jeans are really old and used to be super wide leg all the way down but I altered them to make them into true bell bottoms. I asked TC if he liked my outfit and he said I looked like a hippie! Ha!

my sewing/crafting corner!

2016-07-07T22:36:00.002-05:00

We're almost settled in to our new place here in Little Rock and since we have three bedrooms (for the first time ever!) TC and I have a room that is dedicated to our creative hobbies - sewing/crafting for me and Legos and photography for him! I don't have to sew on the dining room table any more!!! yippee! Most of the room is set up with camera equipment that TC has been accumulating over the past 10 years or so but I have claimed the wall that the window is on and the small corner next to it! This room will also serve as a guest bedroom when we have company - there is still plenty of floor space for our queen sized air mattress, ha! The large window gives this room great natural light - perfect for sewing *tricky to photograph though!!! I only used things I had on hand for this room with the exception of the board, shelf brackets, and screws and I'm thrilled with how it turned out! Here are a few pictures! :) The room details are further down in the post!

I wanted some storage on the wall, but didn't want to buy a shelving unit so I used a 1x12 x 6ft common board from Home Depot cut in half (I used the other half for TC's Lego shelves) with 12 X 14 inch wall brackets. The shelf is home to my sewing basket which holds all the tools I use most often (shears, needles, chalk, bobbins, rotary cutter, seam ripper, etc), two photo storage boxes that I use for some of my Etsy shop supplies, a wooden basket tote that holds random findings (it was actually my sewing basket in college before I got my real one!), spare serger thread, my iron, pretty markers and paper scissors, buttons, and ribbon (just some of my ribbon, ha) ! I displayed my fabric on Jensen's extra crib rail since it's since been converted into a day bed. My bulkier and random cuts of fabric, interfacing, batting, and sewing patterns are in a plastic tub in the closet. My ironing board is not pictured (because it's super gross!) just stays propped up against the wall when I'm not using it! My sewing table was actually a Goodwill find years ago! It was an ugly wood veneer (here's a before picture!) and the kind that you can drop a machine down into so I covered the hole, reinforced it really well, spackled over the seams, painted it a pretty color and put on some new knobs! We've moved about 4 times since I first fixed it up so it's not as pretty as it once was! The curtains are actually tablecloths that I purchased on clearance at JC Penney back in 2012! I drew the scissor, thread, and pincushion sketches myself and found the quotes on the internet and printed them in a floral text. They are hard to read in the photos so this is what they say "Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don't unravel - unknown author", "The only place where housework comes before needle work is in the dictionary - Mary Kurtz", and "a creative mess is better than tidy idleness". I may frame them at some point, but right now they're just taped up there with leftover Washi tape at the corners. My thread is currently stored in a hanging jewelry organizer that was a gift from TC's grandmother several years ago. My dress form was also a gift and I always love displaying something I've made on it - and just because it looks better with clothes!! I also have one that you can adjust the measurements but I haven't yet put it back together after our move. A pink plastic basket from Hobby Lobby holds my sewing/DIY related books- some of them are even textbooks from college! My small collection of wrapping paper/prop paper is hanging on the small wall behind the door to the room. I had this lightweight curtain rod on hand and some leftover drapery hooks so I decided to put them to use! It is SO much better than having the wrapping paper rolls crammed in the closet where they always tip over and get crumpled! ha ha! It's so nice to have a space to sew and create and if we're really being honest here, to leave my mess and be able to shut the door so Jensen can't get to everything! ha! :)

4TH OF JULY 2016

2016-07-04T16:40:00.001-05:00

Happy Fourth of July! Hope everyone is having a nice long weekend! Jensen and I arrived back home in Arkansas from our trip to Illinois on Saturday evening and we all were pretty exhausted from the drive. We all headed over to TC's grandfather's farm late Sunday afternoon for a little pre-fourth celebrating. After eating a yummy supper, we all headed outside at dusk to shoot off the fireworks that TC's brother brought! Jensen was a fan of the bright, pretty fireworks and the sparklers (for the most part) but she did not care much for the loud sounds!!! We headed back out the farm this morning to spend a little more time with TC's grandfather and aunt Joanna. It rained off and on all day today so we didn't spend too much time outside! I took a lot of photos of Jensen because she just looked too cute not to!ha! Happy Birthday America! :)

FLAMINGO FUN (RUFFLE SLEEVE TANK DIY)

2016-06-29T22:37:00.001-05:00

Sharing a few photos of Jensen modeling her fun flamingo ruffle sleeve tank that I made her! The top was super easy to make and you can find the tutorial and the FREE printable pattern right here in this previous post! It's hard to take pictures of toddlers because they are so active (at least mine is!) and rarely want to smile when you want them to! - but I think I got a few good ones! ;)

water fun in the country

2016-06-29T22:25:00.002-05:00

This week Jensen and I are hanging out in the country at my parents house in IL. Jensen is loving all the outside time that she is getting! We set up the little kiddie pool and the sprinkler and every day she wants to go right out to the "poo-dle" (how she says 'pool' ha ha!) Here are a few pictures of her enjoying the pool with her uncle (my brother)!

RUFFLE SLEEVE TANK DIY TUTORIAL

2016-06-22T21:24:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! Today I'm popping in to share this easy tutorial for this adorable ruffle sleeve tank top! I purchased this cute flamingo fabric at Hobby Lobby in early spring and thought it would work perfectly for a summer top for Jensen. I had some black and white fabric left from a different project that I used for the bias binding and it looks great contrasting with the flamingos! The top was super easy to stitch up and features an elastic neck for easy dressing!

Print my free 2T pattern for the tank top HERE and follow the directions after the break! Happy Sewing! :)

1. Cut out fabric pieces using pattern and stitch side seams with right sides together. Finish edges with serger or pinking shears.
2. Stitch a narrow hem on edges of ruffle sleeve pieces to finish the edges
3. Cut strips of double fold bias tape and attach to the underarms of the tank.
4. Place sleeves underneath the front and back pieces and stitch in place.
5. Cut a third piece of bias binding, unfold it, and stitch it down all the way around the unfinished sleeve edges and neckline of front and back pieces on the WRONG side of the shirt.
6. Turn shirt right side out, fold bias binding in place and stitch down leaving an opening to insert your elastic.
7. Insert your elastic to gather the neckline, stitch opening closed. Finish the hem of the shirt with a basic hem! That's it!! :)

the cutest pinapple romper i've ever seen

2016-04-28T20:45:00.004-05:00

Hi you guys! Today I'm sharing this pineapple print romper I just finished for Jensen and I can't handle the cuteness of it! This fabric was a Hobby Lobby find! I almost always go to Joann's for fabric because I can work those coupons and get great deals (and sometimes I have a gift card thanks to my awesome family members that know me so well!) - so I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of cute fabrics in Hobby Lobby right now! I knew if I didn't snag some of this adorable peachy/pink polka dot pineapple print fabric I'd be kicking myself if it were to be sold out next time I'm in the store! I have enough fabric left to make one more romper - so if you're in the market for a baby or toddler girl romper hit me up and I'll make you one on commission! :) I love the ruffled pocket detail too - so girly!!! Jensen got so excited when I showed it to her. I love this age - she is thrilled with any clothing I make for her!!! Gotta take advantage of this while I can, right?!

mother's day wishlist

2016-04-25T22:26:00.001-05:00

Recently my husband asked me what I wanted for Mother's Day - since Jensen is still so young he's in charge of the shopping! ha ha! I really don't need anything, but its always fun to get a gift! I think I told him that I wouldn't mind having a new watch! While browsing around online I found several other items that I think most young mamas would enjoy getting for Mother's day!

I think this Fossil watch is my favorite! How cute is this 'Mama Bear' necklace from this Etsy shop! What mama wouldn't love sporting this cute tee that says Mama in three languages from ILY Couture. This roomy tote is perfect for spring and lugging around all the mom things (snacks, diapers, wipes, etc!). You can't go wrong with a pair of tortoise sunnies and these are a nice classic shape! These pretty pumps and these earrings because moms like to get dressed up too! How awesome are these gold coasters..you know moms are notorious for telling people to use a coaster! This stationary is super cute! And lastly, if the mom is a crafter/seamstress like me, you can't go wrong with Girl Charlee Fabrics..like this cutesy pinnapple print!

NEW LISTINGS IN MY ETSY SHOP!

2016-04-24T13:33:00.002-05:00

Hello! Just popping in to share a few photos of some new listings that are now live in my Etsy shop! The little dresses are so cute! The aqua Ikat print dress with bloomer shorts is a size 2T and the grey bird print dress with diaper cover is a 12-18 month size! I am about to begin working on a few custom orders here pretty soon- a dress for a baby girl and a cute little outfit for a baby boy! Can't wait to share photos when I'm done!

custom bow ties, suspenders, & baby girl dress!

2016-04-10T20:19:00.003-05:00

Recently I posted my designs for a custom order I was working on (see the post here). Well, the order is now complete and I love the finished products - this family will look so cute in their photos! :)

six flags

2016-04-05T07:30:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we spent Saturday morning at six flags over texas. TC is a season pass holder and loves amusement parks of all kinds. It was bring a friend free weekend so I tagged along. Jensen is under three so she gets into the park for free! We got there as soon as the park opened and spent almost two hours there. I am not an amusement park fan because I get severe motion sickness but Jensen on the other hand takes after her daddy! By the end of our morning I had a migraine and upset stomach (even from the kiddie rides!) but I still had a great time! We were able to get a few photos of our day!