Faith, Family, and Frugality

What I Wore: Pinterest Inspired

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:55:00 +0000

Well, I know I am not the only one who has said it, but I love Pinterest! For me, it has been especially fun and useful in the area of fashion! This week I have a couple of Pinterest-inspired outfits to share.

via Pinterest

I got some really cute black booties at Payless for $4 (they were running a BOGO 50% off and all the red tags were marked down to $5!!) so I checked on Pinterest for ideas for black skinnies and booties and found this. Love the blazer and scarf! Here is my version:

Pants: Lee via Kohl's (with gift card); Shirt: Liberty of London for Target; Scarf: Wal-Mart; Blazer: Eddie Bauer via GW ($3); Booties: Payless

Here's look #2:

via Pinterest

I was looking for ways to wear my black maxi skirt in the fall/winter. Here's my take:

Chambray shirt: Croft & Barrow via Kohl's (used gift card again - got the shirt and pants for less than $25!); Maxi skirt: Kmart; Belt: GW; Scarf: Elder Beerman; Earrings: Avon; Boots: Target

Are you on Pinterest? Please share your boards in the comments - I'd love to follow you!

I'm linking up!

A Great Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:08:00 +0000

We woke up to snow today! I decided to spend a little time entering some crafty giveaways...fingers crossed! I wanted to share this one that has some great scrapbooking items and Michaels gift cards! Good luck and have a great Saturday!

What I Wore

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:33:00 +0000

I only got one outfit pic this week, but you can see a Polyvore version of yesterday's outfit here. My mom gave me a couple of great owl necklaces that were my grandmother's. One is this neat vintage Trifari necklace.

Sweater: Target, Shirt: Penney's, Jeans: Gap/GW, Boots: Target

Don't forget to enter our giveaway!

I'm linking up!

Rainy Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 13:57:00 +0000

Rainy Monday by gracenote30 featuring a vintage jean jacket

Gold tee
$13 - modcloth.com

Jigsaw vintage jean jacket
£46 - jigsaw-online.com

J.Crew j crew pants
£35 - net-a-porter.com

H&M knee length leather boots
£20 - hm.com

Lauren Ralph Lauren bracelet
$25 - macys.com

Lauren Ralph Lauren earrings
$25 - macys.com

Chain link necklace
$23 - modcloth.com

What I Wore: Riding Boots

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 02:42:00 +0000

I am so excited because I finally found some riding boots that I like (love!) for a price I was willing to pay ($20). I am finding reasons to wear them every day right now...and imagining more outfits that incorporate them - I see more dresses and skinny pants in my future!

Olive Turtleck - Target clearance; Skirt - Lands' End; Denim Jacket - Tulle from Goodwill for $4.50! (learned about this brand thanks to reading Abbie's blog); Boots - Target; Necklace - Avon

Dress - Meijer; Tank - Old Navy; Belt - Goodwill; Scarf and Bracelet - Coldwater Creek; Tights - Meijer; Boots - Target

While you're here, stop by and check out my sewing giveaway!

I'm linking up!

A Giveaway...Just Because

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 12:48:00 +0000

One thing I'd like to do this year on the blog is have more giveaways! They won't be big giveaways each time, but I want to share some fun goodies with all of you on a more regular basis. I love to win things and hopefully you will, too!

Today, I have a little sewing/crafting bundle to send out: 3 packs of rick rack, a pack of lace hem tape, and a size 10-22 top pattern(Simplicity 1969). I may include a few other little goodies, but this is what I know you'll get!

To enter, just leave a comment on this post...a project you're working on, a favorite blog, organizing you're doing, the weather where you live, etc. I'll leave this giveaway up until Tuesday, January 24 (2 weeks) and choose a winner after that. The winner should have the items by the end of January.

Thanks for reading and have a great Tuesday!

What I Wore: Skinny Jeans

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 02:01:00 +0000

I only have one photo to share this week for What I Wore...but I'm excited about it because I finally found some skinny jeans at Goodwill! The week before Christmas we were shopping there and I found a pair of Mossimo skinny jeans and a pair of gray Express Editor pants. Total cost for both=$8.50! Both of them were in awesome shape and fit well. I really am enjoying thrifting - too much in fact! I am going to try to "only" thrift a maximum of once a week this month. :) I continue to be amazed at the wonderful pieces of clothing I've been able to find at Goodwill!

It was cold! Jeans - Mossimo/GW, Turtleneck - Target, Sweater - St. John's Bay, Boots - Old Navy

I'm linking up!

Frugal Fun: Calendar Puppets

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 19:13:00 +0000

Whenever a new year begins, I always have a hard time getting rid of calendars! I know there are many uses for old calendars, but I never have tried any of them. This year, when I took my daughter's princess calendar down, I thought about what cute stick puppets it would make!

The princesses were the perfect size for this project, but I am sure it would work well for other animals and characters as well. Calendar paper is nice and thick, making the puppets pretty sturdy.

This is a super simple and quick project - here's what to do:

1. Gather your supplies - calendar, craft sticks, scissors, and tape

2. Cut your puppet images out of the calendar.

3. Tape the craft stick to the back of the calendar image.

That's it! You're done! This would work well as a project for kids to make. I'm pretty sure I got this calendar last Feb. for $2 or $3, so this is a super inexpensive project. I think we'll play with these puppets using our puppet theater made from a project board. Do you have a favorite frugal way to repurpose calendars and cards?

Winter Printable

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 23:36:00 +0000

Well, 2012 is not off to a perfect start, but we are trying to make the best of it! We've been home all day and I've been trying to organize and get some things done! We usually don't take down our Christmas decorations until the 12 days of Christmas are over, but I decided to make a new printable for winter...and I'd like to share it with you.

Nothing fancy, but I love snow and snowflakes and the blue and white color scheme, so I put together this printable. Feel free to right click, save it, and print it out to frame! I printed mine as an 8x10...please let me know if you can use it and if it works for you. :)

Hope your new year is going well...I'll be back with some of my goals for 2012 as well as new projects!

I'm linking up:

2011 Handmade Roundup

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 20:10:00 +0000

One of my 2011 goals was to keep better track of my handmade projects. After learning how to create a collage in Picasa just this week, I thought it would be a fun way to see all of my projects. A few highlights...

-I made several bags as gifts including the 30 minute messenger bag and the One Hour Fat Quarter tote.
-I learned how to put in zippers and made one dress with a zipper and several zip pouches.
-I made (and sold) many different mug rugs.
-I sewed and gave 3 different baby blankets as gifts.
-I made 2 new wreaths.
-I framed some fabric in hoops and got them on the wall.
-I made 3 dresses and several skirts for my daughter.

This was a fun way to see a lot of this year's projects!! I also liked looking through all of my pictures and seeing all of the other things we did...I may make a collage of all the things we did as a family this year as well as one of all of our school activities from this year. What were your favorite projects from 2011?

Blogger's Choice Fat Quarter Bundle

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 02:27:00 +0000

I saw this fun contest over at Quokka Quilts. Choose 12 prints and 3 solids from The Fat Quarter Shop, put them together in a collage, and get a chance to win a half yard of each fabric! This was so fun! I love color and would be thrilled to win this fabric!

What I Wore This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:14:00 +0000

I only took one photo this week, but had some fun outfits! I went through a bunch of fashion photos from magazines I had torn out and got some fresh inspiration this week from the magazines and Pinterest. I also got some great things at Goodwill!! I bought a turquoise Cato sweater with the prettiest bell sleeves ($2), a new with tags Christopher and Banks red cowl neck sweater ($2), and a pair of Worthington trouser jeans ($1.29).

On Saturday, I wore my new turquoise Cato sweater from Goodwill with denim leggings, and scarf, and some short faux Ugg style boots.

On Sunday, I styled my dress as a skirt - I wore a gray knit dress with a slim red v-neck sweater belted over it with black tights and tall boots.

On Monday, I went for layers with some new color combos - a light pink oxford, oatmeal colored v-neck sweater, cranberry colored cords, a tan vest with a fur collar, leopard print flats, and a pretty layered gold necklace. (Leopard print is so fun, isn't it?)

Today's outfit is pretty simple: Striped long-sleeve t-shirt from Target, black Limited pants from Goodwill, Mossimo shoes from Target ($7.50), a scarf from Meijer ($3), and a bracelet I made from this tutorial.

I did get some riding boots from Kohl's this week, but I don't love them, so am returning them. Is anyone seeing great riding boots marked down? I am looking to spend around $25. I also would love to hear what you are wearing for Christmas! I have been hunting for some kelly green tops to wear for Christmas and ordered a couple of things on super clearance from Kohl's - I am hoping they come in time!

Merry Christmas! Thanks for stopping by!

I'm linking up to the Pleated Poppy!

Winner, Winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 02:19:00 +0000

One of our Christmas gifts - idea found here.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by for our giveaway! I loved reading about all of your handmade gift ideas and have a few new projects bookmarked to make after Christmas!

Using Random.org, the winner is comment #33!

The winner is:

Beth said...: I made a purse for my mom!

I'll be sending Beth an email so she can pick her prize. Good luck to all of you who are finishing Christmas gifts and Merry Christmas!!

Free Shipping Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:03:00 +0000

Looking for the giveaway? Today's the last day to enter!

Just wanted to stop in and say we decided to participate in Free Shipping Day! Use code: FREESHIP at CJ's Craft Corner today only and get free First Class shipping on any order shipped to the USA! Today is the last day for orders shipped via first class to arrive in time for Christmas!

What I Wore

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 01:56:00 +0000

Looking for the giveaway? Check it out here!

Well, I am really late to the party, but since it is still Wednesday, I'll link up. Only got a photo or two this week, but paired up some leggings and boots with a tunic top this week, so I thought I'd share.

Jacket: Goodwill; Tunic: Sears; Leggings: Meijer; Boots: Sears; Headband: Target

Today's outfit - Sweater: Goodwill (love it! - the sweater and layers are all one piece); Skirt: Goodwill (Liz Claiborne - $1.29); Shoes: Target; Jewelry: Avon

I'm linking up!

Giveaway Day!!

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 01:32:00 +0000

I am so excited for the Sew Mama Sew Giveaway Day! This is one of my favorite times of the year! There are so many amazing giveaways to visit.

This year, we are giving away a $10 credit to our shop. You can choose any item valued at $10 or less and we will ship it out to you free! This includes fabric and patterns, of course, but if you'd like something handmade instead, that would be fine, too. It's your choice. :)

To enter, just leave me a comment (and a link, if applicable) about something handmade you are making or have made as a gift. This includes recipes for yummy sweets!

The giveaway will remain open until Friday, December 16 at 8:00 p.m. EST and is open to U.S. shipping addresses only. We will announce a winner no later than Sunday, December 18 and will get it shipped out as soon as we receive shipping info from you. Please make sure we have some way of contacting you.

Thanks so much for stopping by - good luck and Merry Christmas!!

Christmas Crafting: Wreaths and Gifts

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 20:20:00 +0000

There are so many wonderful crafts to do and there are lots of extra ideas around at Christmastime! I love to craft with my daughter as well as make handmade gifts. I decided to pick one craft each week to do with her and one extra craft to make myself each week before Christmas.

This week, our chosen crafts were yarn wreaths and crayon shapes. Neither of these crafts are particularly difficult, but I will say they both take some extra time. I did manage to make a wreath, but as you can see in the photo above, it is not a yarn wreath. Over the last week and a half, I only managed to wrap about 1/5 of my wreath form with yarn. So, last night, I took the yarn off and looked through my supplies to see what I could do instead.

I wrapped the wreath above with 2 kinds of ribbon, then made rolled fabric rosettes to decorate it. Overall, I am pretty happy with the end result and I am thrilled to have a wreath on my front door again. I just did not have the patience to wrap the wreath with yarn!

We did make the crayons and they turned out well, but we only made 4 of them - and my daughter used 3 of them and gave one away. :) I hope we can still make more to give to the kids at church.

I also made my daughter a chef's hat using the tutorial here at Sewing in No Man's Land. Really easy and adorable - took an hour from start to finish. This one will probably go in her stocking or with the cash register and food set she is getting for Christmas.

I have 2 more crafts lined up for this week - and we already got a head start on this one. What kinds of Christmas crafts are you making this week? I am always looking for new ideas!

I'm linking up!

Thanksgiving, Pie, and a Sale!

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 22:51:00 +0000

Turkey cookies via Pinterest.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful day! We spent a great day with our small family - we got to ride bikes, make some turkey cookies, enjoy a yummy meal- complete with pie!

I wanted to share a couple of recipes we tried this year as it is the first year my mom is eating gluten-free. She was diagnosed with a casein allergy a couple of years ago (no milk or dairy) and even through she doesn't have Celiac, she now has a wheat allergy. It is such a blessing that there are so many good sites and recipes and books out there that have wheat and dairy-free recipes.

She had really been wanting apple pie, so we made this gluten-free pie crust - and she got to have apple pie! It was pretty tasty, actually. We need to add a bit more moisture next time, but it was good.

We also made this pumpkin bread using a Betty Crocker yellow cake mix - and it was good, too, plus super easy!

My very favorite pie ever is my mom's Derby Pie. This recipe is pretty close. :) We omit the pecans and Bourbon.

I also wanted to post our weekend code for the shop! Our sale will run from now until Monday night, November 28. Use code CYBER15 to get 15% off any order. We have lots of new goodies to add - coffee cozies, car trash bags, mug rugs, fabric, scrap bundles, and more, so please stop by!

One Hour Fat Quarter Tote

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:09:00 +0000

I've been trying hard the past couple of weeks to stick with the idea that a little bit of sewing still accomplishes something - and it has! I had a great time working with my Kate Spain charm pack. I made some mug rugs for the shop and saved enough charms to sew myself a tote. I also have a batch of Christmas mug rugs and a table topper all ready to be quilted. We plan to have a Black Friday-Cyber Monday sale in the shop. I'll post info about it on Wednesday.

I got a burst of energy last night and decided to give this One Hour Fat Quarter Tote tutorial a whirl. It took me a lot longer than an hour, but I did finish this bag in an evening + 45 minutes this morning. I started with half yards and yards, so I know it took me longer to cut the fabric down to fat quarter size. It would have gone together more quickly if I had started with fat quarters.

I really love how it turned out! I think this will be a Christmas gift for my mom and I hope to make a few more - one for me for sure! I made a few changes (used fusible fleece), but this is a great tutorial and the tote is really roomy and sturdy. It will be a perfect library bag.

Are you working on any Christmas gifts right now? Please share!

Ebates, Swagbucks, and More

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 01:45:00 +0000

With Christmas coming, I am always on the lookout for ways to save a little money by earning cash back on online purchases or by finding deals that allow me to get free gift cards. Here are a few of my favorites and some that are new to me:

Swagbucks: Sign up for Swagbucks here and then use their search engine to do searches. Searches can generate Swagbucks which can be redeemed for gift cards and products. A $5 Amazon.com gift card is 450 Swagbucks.

StumbleUpon: Sign up for StumbleUpon then go here to get your referral code. You can share your unique referral link on Facebook, Twitter, your blog or via email. When 5 of your friends sign up for StumbleUpon, you earn a $10 Amazon.com gift card.

Ebates: I always forget to use Ebates but I will try to remember as I shop online this Christmas season. Sign up for Ebates here.

Then, make sure to log in to Ebates each time you shop online to earn cash back on your purchases. You have to log in to Ebates and access the online store you want to shop at in order for your purchases to be recorded and to earn your percentage back on your purchase.

Do you have any other favorite places to save when you shop?

**Please note, these links are my referral links.

What I Wore Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 01:57:00 +0000

Here are some outfits from this past week. We had a lot of windy weather, but some pretty warm temps for November in Ohio.

Wednesday - Dance for my daughter, Tween Game Night at the Library: Black t-shirt - Penney's ($2), Khakis - Lands' End, Orange Corduroy Blazer - St. Johns' Bay (Goodwill), Jewelry Set (Avon - I need to get a close up of it - really pretty and vintage-looking.)

Sunday - Church: This was the first time I've worn black and brown together in a really long time - if ever. I was inspired by several pins on my Pinterest style board that mixed black and brown plus the wide belt. I would have liked the boots to be a bit lighter, but overall, I was happy with the look. - Dress - Target (75% off), Cardigan - Target (75% off), Belt - Goodwill, Boots - Target (75% off), Jewelry - AvonMonday - Work: Brown Shirt - Worthington, Corduroy Jacket - Lands' End, Skirt - Made by me from this fabric, Boots - Target, Belt - Goodwill, Jewelry - Same Avon set again - I guess I like it!

I was so excited to find a wide belt at Goodwill for only $2.50. I've been looking for one and this one works pretty well!Tuesday - Work: Purple striped t-shirt - WalMart, Pants - The Limited (Goodwill), Cardigan - Kohl's, Infinity Scarf - Made by me (from $0.75 worth of fabric!!), Purse - Linea Pelle at Target (75% off!!)

Funny story: I decided yesterday I needed a new fall/winter bag. I am a person that changes purses every 2-4 months. I often make them, but don't have the time right now. Imagine my joy at finding this 75% off beauty at Target last night for under $9. Apparently, Linea Pelle is a big designer name...I've never heard of the designer, but I was just excited to find a clearance purse in my very favorite color. :)

Here's a scarf close-up. The fabric is a nice light weight rayon type fabric. It said to dry clean it, but I prewashed it before sewing and it seemed to come out alright. And it only took about 20 minutes to make!

I'm linking up to What I Wore at the Pleated Poppy! Check it out for some fabulous outfit inspiration!

What I Wore Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 12:49:00 +0000

I managed to get around half of my outfits from last week...

Work outfit: Tie neck sleeveless blouse - Banana Republic (Goodwill), Cardigan - Target, Pants - Lands' End, Boots - Target
Church: Cardigan - Penney's, Pants - Lands' End, Shirt - Ann Taylor Loft (Goodwill), Boots - Target
Work outfit: Shirt - Target (Purchased online for $3.50!), Pants - The Limited (Goodwill), Red Flats - Target, Scarf - Elder Beerman ($4)

Work outfit: Dress - Ann Taylor (Goodwill) and I wore a black tank from Penney's under it, plus a cardigan from Kohl's - Shoes were the same red flats from above. It was really warm yesterday! My daughter took all these photos - she is 4 tomorrow - I think she does a pretty good job. :)

As I am writing about the components of each outfit, I keep thinking to myself - oh I got those shoes for 75% off and that cardigan was 75% off and those boots were 50% off - the clearance racks at Target are some of my favorite places to look for deals, not to mention Goodwill. Where are your favorite places for fashion deals?

I'm linking up to What I Wore Wednesday!

A Thank You and a Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 18:47:00 +0000

Yesterday was our daughter's birthday party. We all had a very nice time and are enjoying a pleasant day of relaxing afterwards. I hope to share a few details and a little wrap up of the party in the next few days, but today I want to say thank you.

I received a fun little package in the mail yesterday from Anita who sent the sweet quilted pumpkin as my gift from a pay it forward from her blog. I love it and am using it as a mug rug in front of my computer right now! Thank you so much!

Now it's time for my turn! If you'd like to receive a little handmade something from me and are willing to make something for 3 people

1. My part: I will make a little something for the first 3 people to comment on this post. It will be a surprise and it will arrive at any time before the end of this year (you can take up to 365 days to make and send yours!)

2. Your part: To sign up to receive a gift from me you must play along too. Share the love on your blog by promising to send a handmade gift to the first three people who comment on your blog post. (Of course, this requires that you have a blog.)

3. I must have a way to contact you, and so you cannot be a "no-reply" blogger. If you are, then you'll need to leave your email address in your post.

4. After commenting on my blog, you have to post this (or something similar) on your own blog to spread the word and spread the love. I would love to hear from you, so please leave me a comment if you'd like to participate. :) I also came across this fun challenge for the week at Joy's Hope and I think I am going to give it a try. I would love to have you join me on this, too. Doesn't the button make you smile? Happy Saturday!!

What I Wore Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 12:09:00 +0000

This is my first time linking up with What I Wore at the Pleated Poppy! I've enjoyed reading and seeing lots of different outfits there for awhile and decided to link up this week for the first time. I didn't get a photo each day, but here's what I have!

Friday: Pumpkin picking - cardigan - St. John's Bay, jeans - DKNY (Goodwill), turtleneck - Merona, infinity scarf - Mark, suede boots - Mossimo

Sunday: Church - shirt - Alyx (Goodwill), pants - a.n.a, scarf - gift, boots - Sears, earrings - Letmenatalya on Etsy

Halloween: shirt - Ann Taylor Loft (Goodwill), cardigan - Meijer, jeans - Gap (Goodwill), hat - Mark, boots - Mossimo

Tuesday: Home in afternoon, taught workshop (sorry for the terrible pic!) - dress - Apt. 9 (Goodwill), boots - Target, scarf - Mark, wore with a denim jacket from Lands' End

And that's this week! Hopefully my photos will improve! :) Thanks for stopping by.

31 Days of 31 Minutes: Day 31 - A Chapter Completed

noreply@blogger.com (Carly) — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 02:16:00 +0000

Today is the last day of my posts all about 31 Days of 31 Minutes! It has been a fun month and I did manage to post every day for a month. I've learned a lot about myself, my time, and what I value over the last month. I may not get to sew every single day and some days (like today) it's hard to get much extra done, but for the most part, I can find a small snippet of time each day to do something that energizes me and helps me to cultivate some of my own interests.

Looking back over the last month, I can tell that right now, I am rediscovering fashion and shopping - in the form of thrifting and Pinterest. I think I'll be linking up to What I Wore Wednesday for the first time this week. I also love to bake, run, sew, and spend time with my family - not necessarily in that order. :)

I actually did like blogging (much) more often than I had been. I know I won't be blogging every day in November and December, but perhaps once or twice a week I'll pop in. I appreciate everyone who read along during this month and I found some great new blogs through this series as well.

Have a great evening and Happy November!!