RockNRegalia

The Henry Shirt

2012-02-06T14:28:00.000-08:00

Hey there. To begin, isn;t this a cute picture. It was one of our Christmas card pics.

Photo Courtesy of Chris Gomez Photography

Okay, so now to what I am really talking about today.
In November I won the phenomenal sewing book
Sewing For Boys
by Shelly Figueroa and Karen LePage.

I won it from Stacey over at the amazing blog Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy!

Then in January I had the honor of guest posting with a project from the book, for an event based on the book, at the very same blog.
Yes, I felt special!!!

She had a series based on the book, and she is having a year long sew along.

The projects are great!

The book is great.

The ladies are GREAT!!!!!!!!

As some of you know, I have two wiggly boys who I love so much.

They are known to the world as Monster and Roly Poly.

We live a Rockin' Life Fueled by LOVE,

and we are making leaps and bounds that keep us busier and busier by the day.

Okay, so on to the project at hand.

I instantly knew that I would be sewing the Henry shirt when my book arrived.

I have some fabric set aside that I really want to use for this shirt,

but as a first try I used some remnants.

I used material left over from Monster's first birthday party;

it was a Vintage Americana theme because his birthday is Fourth of July.

I also cut up an old sheet for the main color.

The Henry Shirt is found on page 30 of the book.

And, although this pattern is labeled Advanced,

I found that I was able to complete this project in one LONG night.

There are of course some flaws in my sewing because I am truly an amateur,

but I know that next time I will be able to navigate around these puckers in the fabric.

So, even if you are a beginner,

I say brave this pattern.

Try it!!!

You will be surprised at how much easier it is to follow

than those silly ones from the sewing section at retail stores.

I am already planning my next project from this book.

I think I am going to do the patchwork quilt.

Monster is excited that he will be wearing this to his friend's Birthday Party Saturday.

I wish all of you boy moms, grandmas, aunts, and friends

HAPPY SEWING!!!

What? I have a blog?

2012-01-12T23:25:00.000-08:00

Right now I feel like I forgot something.

What did I forget?

Oh, I forgot about this here ol' blog.

This is a photo from our Christmas shoot this year.
Courtesy of Chris Gomez Photography.

Really, I just have been enjoying time with my family,

relaxing, doing nothing, and in many ways

re-prioritizing the way I spend my time.

What this has meant is less technology, less blogging,

less reading of blogs (like ZERO),

less sewing, less crochet.

LESS. LESS. LESS.

It is not that I do not plan on doing stuff,

or even that I haven't sone some stuff.

Instead, it is that I plan on making this

blog a place for only the best.

I believe that I, like others I am sure,

began to feel obligated to post.

This meant I felt obligated to do.

It began to feel daunting.

I just couldn't keep up with myself.

In October I totally over crafted myself by

saying yes to sewing some stuff for a church event,

plus product to sell there.

I think after three weeks of all nighters,

I needed a LONG break.

I am beginning to feel ready to create again.

I just think at a slower pace,

especially since I will also be taken on a second

class this semester.

Since I haven't taught it before,

it will be an additional challenge.

For those of you who stay, thank you.

For those who go, thank you too.

I understand.

I love blogging.

I love the community of ladies and creativity.

I hope to continue to bring to the world

some pretty and fun things.

Keep creating.

I will have more soon,
like maybe I will be guest posting somewhere tomorrow.

PROMISE!!!

Pilgrim Cuffs Courtesy of Starbucks

2011-11-21T20:51:00.000-08:00

Just look at these lovely pilgrim cuffs

Monster and I whipped up tonight.

They are finished just in time for the

Thanksgiving Festivities on Thursday.

Wanna know how we made them?

Okay,

well first I saved some Starbuck's coffee sleeves.

Yep! That's right.

Coffee sleeves.

I was driving with the Cuban Cowboy a few weeks back when

I slipped the sleeve over my wrist like a bracelet

and an idea was born.

My initial thought was super hero cuffs,

which I am sure will be a project in the near future,

but then I thought of Thanksgiving

and knew that they'd be perfect for a pilgrim outfit.

So here is what we did.

We gathered our supplies:

* 2 Starbuck's coffee sleeves

* White paint and a paint brush

* black paper

* Small circle punch

* glue

Ignore the square punch.
I was going to put buckles,
and then I realized that cuffs have buttons not buckles.

First we painted the coffee sleeves white.

Monster enjoyed this part,
and he really did a decent job of not making a mess.
Well, until I decided
it would be funny if I painted his palms white.

Then we let the cuffs dry.

Once they were dry Monster punched the circle,
with my help of course.
Card stock can be difficult to punch through.

Finally, with some Elmer's glue he adhered the circle where buttons would go on cuffs.

The "seam" of the sleeve is perfect because it makes them look even more like cuffs.

This one even got a little wet and bent so it looks more like fabric.

I LOVE THEM!!!!

I am going to make Pottery Barn copy cat felt pilgrim hats tonight now that the boys are in bed.

They will be perfectly festive on Thursday.

Oh yes, and after our fun photo shoot Monster decided
that his little brother needed to participate too.
So, he put Roly Poly in the middle of the pumpkins,
and I let him take some photos.

He is always trying to eat things

Okay, so go and try this with your little one.

It is easy.

Cheap.

Fun.

A Little Help For My Friend

2011-11-18T13:48:00.000-08:00

Last Friday Monster's bestie is having her third birthday party.

It was AMAZING.

Her mommy enlisted The Cuban Cowboy to help out a bit

by drawing up a poster board size Hello Kitty

for a game of

PIN THE BOW ON HELLO!

Too cute!!!

And here it is in action.

It was wonderful to see everything in full effect,
especially since I helped my friend with some cutting and pasting and general crafting.

I love a good kids party.

Oh yeah, and to go along with the theme,

I whipped this baby up a few days before the party.

I was inspired by Pinterest, but had to hunt down a good tutorial.

I found this AWESOME one at Made by K.

I love that the red yarn has gold sparkles through it.

It will be perfect for the holiday season,

while it also matches the parties decor.

I will say that I am not wholly satisfied with the face.
It is much harder than I thought,
but I just didn't have the patience to keep redoing it.

In the end . . .

great gifts are handmade,
and that is all that matters.

I hope that you all had a wonderful Veteran's Day last week.

I know that mine was full of Hello Kitty fun
followed by an evening of BUNCO.

What more could a gal ask for?

{What I Wore Wednesday} Missoni Madness

2011-11-16T14:35:00.000-08:00

Do you remember a few months back when Target had the Missoni line?

Do you remember the madness that ensued?

Well, I live in the middle of no where,

which means there was a little less madness.

In fact, there is still some Missoni left at all four

Target's near my house.

Anyway,

about a week after the madness I picked up

a lovely pair of Missoni socks.

I liked the pattern, color, and price.

I have worn them a few times,

but today I got to wear them the way that I really

planned on from the moment I purchased them.

Wanna see?

Here's a gander of the socks up close.

Aren't they delicious.

I thought that our '58 Chevy would be a cute set up for this little impromptu shoot.

I love the combo of yellow and brown.

Sunny yet fitting for Fall.

Dress: Gift/Macy's, Cardigan: Nordstrom BP, Shoes: Kohl's, and Socks: Missoni

Did you have Missoni madness?

Just curious how many of us are suckers for chevron goodness.

Perfectly Pumpkin

2011-11-06T08:21:00.000-08:00

I really enjoy seasonal cooking.

Part of why I like it is because
even if the weather isn't what I desire,

the food can still be yummy.

Some of my favorite seasonal recipes are Autumn recipes.

Pumpkin and squash.

Soups.

All those things that start the cozy feelings
in preparation for winter.

Sooooo . . .

for dinner last night I created a delicious menu
full of Pumpkiny goodness.

On the Menu:

Pumpkin Soup

Fresh French Bread from my favorite local bakery

(The Brass Cupcake)

Adult Beverage: White Wine Beverage

(made with peaches instead of plums)

Pumpkin Frozen Yogurt

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Latte

Okay, so all of the recipes I used are stolen more or less.

So I have used photos from the points of origin

and then linked back to them so that you too
can have a fun Fall feast.

The exception is the Pumpkin Spice Latte.

The photo above and the link are to a recipe
I found online that I would like to try,

but I have not yet tried.

Instead, I did things simply this time.

I just made my normal Cafe con Leche

(AKA Cafe Latte)

using Cafe La Llave brand espresso and my cafetera.

I left it hot unlike my preciously posted ice mocha version.

You can read a little more about this from the previous post here.

Then I added a splash of pumpkin pie spice, sugar to my taste,

whip cream atop, and a little more pumpkin pie spice for prettiness.

I hope that you try out some fun seasonal recipes.

I have used the Pumpkin Soup recipe for three years now, but the other were all new to me.

I found most via Pinterest.

Enjoy your Fall.

Winter will be here before we know it.

All Dressed Up and No Where to Go

2011-10-31T23:52:00.000-07:00

I know that I haven't been around much.

Instead I have been sewing up a storm.

First, aprons for a women's event at church.

Then I was working on product to sale at said event.

Finally, I had to whip up some Halloween costumes.

Phew, that is a lot.

Well, everything turned out.

The boys did get to wear their costumes last night.

However, they were all dressed up with no where to go.

Why?

Oh yes,

in the midst of all the crafting chaos

we were struck by the worst flu I have ever seen.

My children sound as if they are dying.

They act as if they are dying.

Mom and dad have it too.

Yes, none are immune.

So this is what are Halloween looked like.

Draco Malfoy and Baby Harry

Cute, yes?

I made the Slytherin robe and the Gryffindor onesie.

Monster did get to go to 4 houses,

however he was done after that.

I told him he was done and he said,

"Okay, I am sick.

I want to go home."

It is so sad to see my crazy three year old,

not even care that he misses Halloween.

Seriously, that means he feels MISERABLE.

I hope that your evenings were much better than ours.

At least the boys looked cute while feeling icky.

Hopefully next year will be better.

Maybe next year we will do Star Wars or something.

I am sure that Monster will be old enough

to put his say in by then,

so who knows what will happen.

{Boy Spaces} On Pinterest

2011-10-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

Of course we cannot have a discussion of the awesome Boy Spaces that can lend us inspiration

without mentioning some great things that I have come across on Pinterest.

So let's end this here event with a montage of some of the wonderful things that I have on my

Boy Spaces Pin Board.

Hopefully this board will continue to fill with awesome and amazing ideas.

laurenclarkphoto.com or blogs.babble.com

ohdeedoh.com

boligliv.dk

I just have to end this with the perfect wall art

saying for any little boy.

I know that you will find it to ring true just like I did.

ohdeedoh.com

Thanks to all of you who followed along with this mini-event.

I had it in the back of my mind and on my agenda
for SEVERAL months, like since March.

I just have a passion and love for all things little boy.

I hope that you are inspired. I know that I have been.

{Boy Spaces} Just Keep Swimming

2011-10-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to our adventure through boy spaces.

Today we are going to move outside of the
bedroom and into the bathroom.

Yes! This needs to be a fun and cute place for the kiddos too.

We only have two bathrooms in our house, so when it was getting time for Monster to start brushing his teeth on his own, and playing in the tub once or twice daily,

we knew that our martini clad guest bath had to go.

I knew this was extra true because
our wall border had drink recipes on it.

That had to go before he reads.

So, last summer we began the mild overhaul.

The walls were already a wonderful bright green here.

This just meant that I needed to pull down the wall paper border and put up a new one.

What went with lime green?

I just kept thinking.

We almost went with Toy Story,
but since the movie had just come out

I didn't want to be so cliche.

I was still thinking about it when I stopped by a local store called Fallas y Parades.

While I was there I stumbled upon these here towel sets for $3.

That was it!!!

NEMO was going in the bathroom.

Like many, I am not keen on the licensed stuff
being slapped all over my house

or my kids clothes.

With this in mind, I didn't want Nemo overload.

I needed to look for a wallborder,
so that I wouldn't have to repaint.

However, didn't really like any of the Nemo ones.

Then I saw this wall border online.

Amazon.com

I liked that although it was licensed Nemo,

it didn't actually have Nemo or Dory on it.

It had Bruce and his shark pals.

WAY awesome.

Okay, wall border check.

What next?

We needed a new toothbrush holder and those sort of things.

I picked these things up at Target.

A little hand towel rack at Ross.
Several months after redecorating the bathroom,
I found the Huggies flushable wipes case with Nemo on it
and I was SOOOO very excited.
Flushable wipes are a must with toddlers.

Naughty Roly Poly. You shouldn't be in there.

Next I moved Monsters diaper caddy
from his bedroom to the bathroom

so that it could serve as a magazine holder
as seen below atop the toilet.

What was left?

We needed to get a shower curtain and a rug.
I picked up the cool Circo brand shower curtain at Target.
I loved that it matched without being Nemo.

The rug was easy.

I really liked this Nemo one.

Buy Here

I ordered it with the wall border from
Amazon for free combined shipping.

The art work above the towel rack
was made from some thrifted stuff.
If you previously missed the tutorial post
you can click here.

Last but not least I created these Land of Nod knock off typography pieces.

They are one of my favorite things about this room.
You can find out more about them here.

And, since they are so dear to me,
I am giving away a set today.
If you would like a chance to win just follow these rules:

MANDATORY

You must be a follower of RockNRegalia to enter.
Just leave me a comment about this post.
Let me know about your Boy Spaces.

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES:

Talk about this giveaway on your blog, twitter, or facebook account (1 entry each)

{Boy Spaces} Guest Post with Boy, Oh Boy

2011-10-06T08:26:00.000-07:00

Okay so today I am stepping away from the helm
in order to let a fabulous
blogger visit with you.
If you have never been over to Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy!
and you are a boy mom,
then you need to go there as soon as you are done with this post.

You will find an endless amount of fun inspiration
from this talented lady.
I will let her introduce herself right . . .

NOW!

Hi there, RockNRegalia readers! I'm Stacey and I blog at
Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy! When Jayna Rae told me she was putting together an all boy spaces event and asked me to be a part of it, I was thrilled. With three little boys (5, 2, and 15 months), I just happen to have a house full of boy spaces.

We're currently in the middle of a big move and waiting for our belongings to arrive. A new house means new spaces and since our house is full of boys it means lots of fun boy projects to come. I've got a Superhero bedroom all planned out for my middle guy and can't wait to get started on decorations for the playroom. Today, though, I'm sharing my favorite stuff from my oldest son's knight room.

Freezer Paper Stenciled Pillow

Red, White and Blue Quilt Along

Canvas Castle Art

Playing Cards Wall Art

Some of my favorite things from his room were found through Etsy sellers. There is a wealth of boy themed handmade or vintage finds hiding out on Etsy.

This wooden shield was a fabulous find for only 12 dollars.

One of my favorite bloggers, Pinkapotamus put together this fabulous knight mirror as a custom order. We got to choose the colors and insignia. The boys' favorite part is that the sword and shield are velcro which means they can be removed for hours of imaginative play.

Finally, we rounded out the boring wooden that took up an entire wall by adding these adorable wall decals. They were very easy to remove when it came time to pack everything up and seem like they'll be in good shape to use again once our things arrive.

Let me know if you stop by to check out the rest of our boy spaces.
Above are a few other boy related room pieces I've worked on in the last year. You can also check out some of the Pinterest inspiration for my son's up and coming Superhero room.

{Boy Spaces} Other Places Spaces

2011-10-05T04:27:00.000-07:00

Yes, I just had to rhyme that catchy title.

It put a spring in my step.

Okay, so now that I have showed off my boy spaces,

I thought that it would be appropriate
to let you see some of the other fabulous,

many much more fabulous than mine, boy spaces that are out there in blogland.

Let's start with Cheri from

I am Momma Hear Me Roar.

SHE IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!

And so is her son Rex's bedroom.

Just check out a few of these snap shots.

Okay, so Cheri did several posts regarding this room transformation.

Head on over to her blog for more exciting details.

And while we are speaking of Cheri's awesomeness.
I would also encourage you to look at her playroom.

It has some great ideas that can be used for both boys and girls.

Next on the list is this super awesome Pirate bedroom from

Dragonfly Designs.

I first saw this room featured at Cheri's blog
and I knew immediately

that it had to be included in my roundup.
The best way to take a look at this room
is to head on over to her blog and watch the video tours.
It is such a great pirate room.

Then, there is this super fun boys room from
Sugar and Dots.

It just has a fun sense of ease about it.
I love the primary colors.

She has several posts regarding the transformation,
and her final post uses a fun before, after, after sequencing.

Then, for a cleaner and more minimalist look,
I found this set up from Dandee Designs.

This room is great for those of us who have a modern sensibility.
I am especially in love with the four sets of book shelves.

Another fun items that I have found in blogland is
this awesome Robot Mobile from My Modish Mood.

Aren't these all such great ideas?
I am enamored with them.
What awesome boy spaces have you come across?

{Boy Spaces} In a Galaxy Far, Far Away

2011-10-04T06:49:00.000-07:00

Not so long ago,

in a desert

who knows how far away?

A loving mommy and daddy

created a space bedroom for

their brand new baby boy.

Okay, so enough Star Wars cheesyness.

This is the Roly Poly's room.

It is one of our more recent efforts,

and might I say my husband worked obsessively over

what you are about to see.

Here are the full view shots so that you can take it all in.

Okay, so the painting is RIDICULOUS!!!!!!

Oh that man of mine!
Should I also mention that some of those stars are glow in the dark constellations?

And the clouds were a crazy obsession of his.

He just kept redoing them.

And this here rocket, took like two weeks because he just kept going over it.

Do you spy my almost finished gallery wall in the hall?

Okay, on to the rest of the room.
This is what the crib looked like the evening
that we left for the hospital.
All nice and made.
Fresh and clean.

I took this picture at like 1:45 AM after my water broke and we were leaving for the hospital.
I thought, "Oh no! I haven't taken a photo of the nursery yet."

Awesome Dwell Studios Bedding: Target

Now it looks more like this most days,

especially because it is still warm.

Now, what are some of the other wonderful DIY things in this room?

How about this great book rack.

The wall tapestry, which has several functional purposes.

The chair doesn't really match because it originated in Monster's room.

I made a special post today so you can find out more about the adventure of this piece here.

This Land of Nod inspired project holder
that I introduced to you on Sunday.

Ummmm . . . this crazy awesome mobile.

Yes! I am bias because it took me forever when it shouldn't have.

Find more on this funny story here.

And here are just some general photos of other parts of the room.

Darth Vader Helmet: EBAY

Giant Letter E: Ross

Sock Monkey: Tia Maite for Christmas last year

Valance and Curtains:Still not up. Ooops!

Changing Table Cover:Target Clearance

Skip Hop Puppy Bookends: Nordstrom Clearance

Star bins: Babies R Us

Star Wars toys: They were there LONG before we had kids.
They are from the Cuban Cowboys collection.

Okay, so that is Roly Poly's celestial palace.
I love going in there. It is just a really fun place to be.

How Does One Hide a Six Foot Tall Spiderman?

2011-10-04T06:38:00.000-07:00

How Does One Hide a Six Foot Tall Spiderman?

Yes. I know that this is a question that you have been pondering for months.

It is the burning thought in the back of your mind that causes you to lose sleep at night.

Well, it truly was for me a little over a year ago.

I mean really,

how was I going to cover THIS up?

It does not belong in a space themed room.

You may think that full coordination is not necessary,

but I wanted a nursery that did not include spidey.

Of course the Cuban Cowboy was not
going to paint over his hard work.

He did concede to painting over the webbing.
He said that it would be easy to do again.

ACH! The dilemma still remained for the rest though.

I thought for months, about nine of them to be exact, on how to remedy this situation.

After several ideas we decided that we were going to make a felt/flannel board tapestry.

It was super duper easy.

In fact I sewed it up only a few days before Roly Poly made his grand arrival.

I didn't get around to cutting out the letters for his name or the shapes until later,

but that didn't take much time either.

It was also inexpensive.

I am sure I will continue to make new shapes here and there.

The "tapestry" is hanging on a wooden dowel
via a tunnel I made for it,

and then there are some command hooks attached
to the wall that the dowel rests on.

There is a second dowel in a little tunnel
at the bottom to keep it weighed down.

See. Simple.

And yes, that is how one hides a ridiculously large, but cool,

Spiderman.

{Boy Spaces} Where The Wild Things Are

2011-10-03T06:18:00.000-07:00

Welcome! Welcome!

Today we begin a wonderful little series all about boy spaces.

The calendar for the week looks like this:

Sunday: Project Teaser

Monday: Where The Wild Things Are

Tuesday: In a Galaxy Far, Far Away

Wednesday: Boy Spaces Other Places

Thursday: Guest Post

Friday: Just Keep Swimming

Saturday: Pinspiration

Sunday: Week in Review & Winner Announced

So, that means today is Where The Wild Things Are

This Boy Space belongs to my older son, Monster

We put a fair amount of work into this room,

really The Cuban Cowboy did.

Let me just show you some full view shots first
and then we can look at some of the details.

Large leag: Ikea

Decoupoaged name letters were done by me.

Solid Oak Captains Bed: Custom made when I graduated high school

Kids need lots of bins for their toys.
I really want to recover the
Love Sac to match the rest of the room.
It makes a great reading area.

Green shelf: Ikea and then painted to match the room.

Rocking horse thrifted and refinished by Tia Maite and Tio Jess.

Wall pegs: Michael's and then painted to match the room.

Wild Things Murals/Paintings:

After painting the first two pieces on the wall

the Cuban Cowboy decided that the rest should be on canvas,

so that his hard work would not have to be destroyed someday.

Mini Gallery Wall:

The hubs is a comic book fan,

so when we decided on the theme he ran out and purchase

the Hulk comic book with the Wild Things themed cover.

We then went to Michael's and had it framed and matted.

I love the photo of Monster and Daddy painting

one of his Wild Things pieces together.

I hope that you enjoyed seeing the first official
Boy Space of the week.
Stay tuned for some more fun stuff.

Easiest Knockoff EVER!!!!!!!!!! A Boy Spaces Teaser

2011-10-02T19:04:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow officially kicks off our Boy Spaces event.

However, this evening I have a little teaser for you.

It is the most recent, and simplest,

project that I have added to Roly Poly's bedroom.

I am a Land of Nod gal through and through,

so when I saw these cute and simple

Work of Art Clips in their catalogue

not only did I fall in love with them,

but I also knew that I was going to make my own.

I had already purchased some knobs from ETSY

while I was prego with Roly Poly,

which means about 1 1/2 years ago.

I had never done anything with them because
I just didn't know what I wanted to do.

I loved that they matched his Dwell bedding,

but beyond that I had nothing.

So this was finally the project that could put them to use.

It took about 5 minutes from start to finish.

SUPPLIES:

nails
knobs
Super Glue
string
mini clothes pins
photos and other stuff of your choice

What to do:

First I nailed the four nails spaced apart at various heights

and distances so that the string could be run between them.

Next I took the super glue and I filled the hole of one knob.

I then placed the knob over one of the nails and held firmly for about 30-45 seconds.

***Make sure that your nails are pulled full enough out

that there is space between the back of the know and the wall.***

This step is repeated for each knob.

The next step is to tie the string onto the first knob

and then continue to wrap it around each knob

so that it goes back and forth in a zig zag pattern.

You are now ready to hang your photos and memorabilia.

I added some Creative Memories title stickers

and a rocket sticker backed on

white card stock and then cut out.

I love that I can change this as I get new photos

and other important memorabilia.

I hope that this first project revs you up

and gets you into a creative mood.

If you are a knob collector like Ashley from Little Miss Momma,

you could use this in any and every room.

You can read about her knob obsession here.

I am looking forward to this week.

Are you ready to ROCK some Boy Spaces?

Boy Spaces--An All Boy Event

2011-09-30T22:57:00.000-07:00

Here ye! Here ye!

Yeah, I am the ~~town~~ blog crier today,

and I am here to announce a little series
that will be coming up next week.

It is called

BOY SPACES.

This series will focus on all rooms boy.

As a mom of two boys this is something that is constantly on my decorating and crafting brain.

So, I thought that I would share with you
my boy areas all in one shot.

Throughout the week I will also feature some other great spaces that are out there in blogland.

If you would like to be a part of the feature post you can link up your boy space photos to the

Flickr page that I have created.

If you are a fan of Boy Spaces,

or you are looking for some inspiration,

grab a button and get ready to follow along.

{Frugal Friday} A Piratey Christmas

2011-09-30T01:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my friend sent me a link on Facebook for AThriftyMom.com

The link was regarding a 2 pack of pirate costumes for $1.98.

I was pretty excited. I headed over to the blog,

then I followed the link to Little Tikes.

Actually, I had some trouble with the link

so I just went to LittleTikes.com and searched Pirate Costume.

There they were.

A two pack like this is $1.98.

A single costume is .99.

I bought three two-packs.

I paid $14.96 out the door after shipping.

I bought so many because the shipping is flat rate.

I am pleased to say that there are some boys who will be receiving

Pirate costumes this year for Christmas.

Very sweet deal!

Go check it out.

Maybe there are still some left.

Happy Friday!!!!

I am so excited for it to be the weekend.

Stolen Book Shower

2011-09-26T09:37:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend I hosted a cute little shower at my house.

It was nice and intimate.

My friend is planning on cloth diapering,

so instead of doing a diaper raffle

we decided to do a book raffle;

you know bring a book for the baby

and get a ticket for the raffle.

The idea for this shower originated from

this shower over at Aesthetic Nest.

I did use her invitations.

They were easily customized.

I also adopted some of the decor ideas as best I could,

like using Golden Books for table decor

and candies in jars.

Some of the other fun ideas that we used
for the shower were also stolen

from some of my favorite places in Blogland,

as well as some cool stuff from Pinterest.

For the favors, which also served as our only other prize game,

we created these cute gumball necklaces using

the tutorial from Jamie Lynn

over at I Heart Naptime and Chocolate.

We kept them in this little jar on the table

until each lady was able to grab one.

One of the necklaces had a pink gumball.

The person who grabbed that one got a prize.

I also created this Golden Book garland from something
that I pinned on Pinterest.

Click here to link to original Martha Stewart post

It was easy to make,

and it would look super cute over a reading area

in a play room or kids bedroom.

For some extra touches I carried through

the theme of yellow and blue

by wrapping my thrifted serving tower in bright blue argyle paper,

laying down some yellow houndstooth fabric as a runner,

and using lots of fun yellow candies and serve ware.

The cupcakes above were made combining this banana malted crunch recipe and this peanut butter butter cream recipe.
Both are from InsideBruCrewLife.

I also made this center piece

which was inspired by a different pin.

Overall the shower was fun and simple.
I like having a less people because
it allows for a less stressful party for everyone.

My helper, the mom to be, and Me sporting my very own gumball necklace.

For more cute ideas that I had lined up for this shower but didn't get to, you can visit my Shower board.

Scrapbooking

2011-09-23T08:47:00.000-07:00

Did you know that I LOVELOVELOVE

to scrapbook?

I mean I am probably obsessed.

Okay, in addition to this I am pretty Creative Memories loyal.

People have their opinions for and against this,

but I will stay loyal.

For me there is just something about a life time warranty that kills the competition.

Furthermore,

I ADORE my consultant.

Seriously, she is more than my consultant, she is my friend.

After 8 years and about 20 albums

(Told you that I am obsessed)

I am still in love with this hobby.

For me it is the ultimate catharsis.

Do you scrapbook?

Do you have a favorite brand/product?

Are you traditional or digital?

What inspired all of the gushing of scrapbook love?

I AM GOING SCRAPBOOKING TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No kiddos.

No chores.

No worries.

I hope that your weekend is off to an equally great start.

{What I Wore Wednesday} Polka dots, checks, and stripes

2011-09-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

I am keeping today short and sweet,

as I have to run off to work.

However, I feel the need to get some input on today's outfit,

well the top half at least.

So I am mixing polka dots and leopard.

Whatcha think?

Is it a go?

I sure hope so because I am off in just a bit.

I hope your weeks are all going well.

Little Owl Shower

2011-09-13T07:07:00.000-07:00

A few weekends back my cousin had her baby shower.

I was lucky enough to have the opportunity

to help out in the planning.

My role was mostly to make the center pieces.

The shower was owl themed,

and I sure do love anything owls.

Roly Poly even had an owl birthday at the end of July

which I have yet to share.
I promise it will come eventually.

Anyway, here's a glimpse at the little projects that

I put together for the shower.

For the centerpieces I wanted something a bit whimsical
like candy bouquets.

I purchased rock candy in pink and yellow,
strawberry milk shake whoppers, lemon heads,
Giant pixie sticks to turn into pin wheels,
and mini whirly pop lollipops.

Here is the result.

Each pinwheel was made from custom paper

that my friend from Bella Artista

designed specially for me.

I then hand sewed the pinwheels closed using

vintage buttons for the centers.

I love how they look spread across the tables in the restaurant.

My aunt scattered pink and green swirly candy sticks

and kisses on the tables,

as well as confetti with the babies name.

In addition to all of this,

we placed paper straws in pink and yellow at each place setting.

You can see them in the photos above.

Each has its own mini pinwheel.

Here is a closer look.

I loved using these special straws in my drink.
I used tiny brads to hold the pinwheels together.
Then I took the clear mini hair rubber bands
and wrapped one twice around each straw.
I slipped each prong through one loop of the rubber band.

Buzz Lightyear liked them too.

The final project that I made was also part of my gift.
When Bella Artista created the invitations and the paper,
I also requested that she make a sign with the babies name.
It is RIDICULOUSLY cute!!!

I had it matted and framed.
We set it out at the shower and
decorated it with a mini-pinwheel garland from the matching paper.
I also laid a chain garland in front of it.

Okay, so that is all the fun stuff
I got to gift to my cousin and her shower.
It was such a blessing to work on this event.

Now, I want to show you some of the
other lovelies that were there,
like the cupcakes and cake.

My cousins MIL made these.
I loe when everything matches so perfectly.

So does Roly Poly who enjoyed the shower
and the candy that I let him eat while there.

He can't wait for his new baby cousin to arrive.

Aren't baby showers so much fun,
especially when there are no games.

If you would like to check out this paper design
or any other please visit my friend Melissa
from Bella Artista on Facebook and ETSY.

{What I Wore Wednesday} Vintage Serendipity

2011-09-07T03:11:00.000-07:00

Vintage: representing a high quality of a past time.

Serendipity: an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Okay, so about two weeks ago I was off to get my first
mani/pedi in over a year.

I know.
How does one survive in Cali without these things?

Well, I am great at improvising, doing it myself,

and ultimately not caring when I have to go without.

It was an exciting day though.

I was going to see my cousin,
who I haven't seen since Christmas,

and she was going to do my nails.

BONUS: No kiddos.

I woke up and picked out an outfit.

As I prepped I didn't see the wonderful ensemble
I was putting together.

However, when I was fully dressed
the outcome was pleasantly pleasing.

The peach hues and vintage chic polyester
were a serendipitous match.

Check it out man.

Blouse: Vintage from my mommy, Shorts: Mossimo/Target, White Cami: Nordstrom BP, Belt: Forever21,
Headband: VintageWannabe, Wedges, Styles4Less about 10 years ago

Oh yeah, and the tucked in is rockin' this outfit.

Awkward pose to get a better shot of the headband.

Words like serendipity make me feel free and childlike.
They make me want to do things like swing.

Oh yes! I must share the charcoal gray toes too.

They were a perfect match for my first day of work last week

Solar System Mobile

2011-09-05T23:00:00.000-07:00

This mobile is one part purchase,
one part fail, and three parts success!!!!

Sorry, the planets are in motion.

First, the purchase.

Roly Poly's BIG Christmas present was this solar system

purchased from

Land of Nod

I just knew it would make the perfect mobile for his bedroom,
so it was his BIG Christmas present.
Okay, so now you see how we procrastinate
on putting things together.

Next, came the fail.

I purchased and painted some embroidery hoops.

(First mentioned here)

They were meant to be the frame of the mobile.

I just KNEW that the circular shape
was going to be perfect for a mobile.

WOW!!!!!!!!

Was I ever wrong.

I didn't take any photos because it was sooo awful

It was off balance.

Clunking together.

Crowded.

Tedious construction.

Ultimately a

FAIL!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, now I needed to get smart so that I could get my SUCCESS.

Since, I was aiming for success after a fail
my joy at completion is three fold.

Hence, the three parts success mentioned earlier.

Next I needed to employ the hubs and his smart brain.

He told me to just use wire hangers.
I did and they were perfect.

Really, I should have just asked him in the first place.

I purchased some silver Krylon and sprayed the hangers after straightening them out and adding them together.
It took three hangers.

I also added some 16 gauge wire around some of the hangers
for texture and dimension.

Finally, I added the solar system kit using fishing line.

Then it hung from my light fixture for about two months.

Tacky.
I know!!!

Finally, the Cuban Cowboy hung it above Roly Poly's crib
about a week prior to his birthday party in July.

And so,

the solar system was born . . .

again.

Look forward to more glimpses of Roly Poly's room in a few weeks.
Hopefully, with some better photos.
These ones are sorta . . . eh.

{Found Friday} Vintage Vestiges

2011-09-02T07:34:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the first Found Friday.

This will be a recurring event that will

alternate with Frugal Friday,

mostly because sometimes I have a great find

that is not necessarily frugal.

Thus, I thought it would be a great idea to share those things with you as well.

I mean who doesn't love a great find,

no matter the price.

So, for this first Found Friday I am going to share with you a menagerie

of super awesome vintage items I have picked up

at the local thrift and antique stores

since this past January.

They are also a few pieces that were hiding in my garage.

I will share more back story when we get to them.

Let's go by room.

Den

Vintage Fan

This fan is AWESOME.

Not only is the color superb, but it works.

I mean slice 'em dice 'em, cut your fingers off works!!!

That is why it is at the top of a 6 foot bookcase.

I picked this up at the local antique shop for $25.

I thought it was a reasonable price,

especially since it worked.

I had eyed it for a few weeks,

and when I finally decided to go for it I was so glad that it was still there.

Sometimes things aren't always there when you wait.

Also in this room is my antique bottle collection.

This is a collection that has been sitting on a shelf

in my garage for about 4 or 5 years.

My husband dug all of these up on a job site;

so they were FREE.

The green vase was my great grandmother's

I love the colors.

I love the patinas on the lids.

One is even stuffed full of dirt.

There are pharmacy bottles,

a clorox bottle

(that's the big brown one),

and other miscellaneous bottles.

SAHWEET!

When I first put them on this shelf they didn't stand out,

so I cut some bright yellow scrapbook paper and slid it behind the shelf.

It totally did the trick.

I recently added a new bottle to this collection.

I sorta think that this photo would make a good print.
Whatcha think?

I picked up this gorgeous Vaseline bottle at the thrift for $3.

I love how old glass has a rainbow hue to it.

The rusty lid is also a favorite of mine.

There were two of these, but I just grabbed one.

If the other is still there when I go back

I will grab it and list it in my ETSY shop.

Now moving on to the next room.

Formal Living Room

I grabbed this great Singer Sewing machine at my thrift store for $25.

I had been eyeing one at the antique store for a LONG time,

but when I went to get it

it was no longer there.

I knew that our thrift store had acquired an entire collection,

but they were WAY over priced for a very ling time.

I mean like $90.

They are not worth that.

I thought $25 was fair.

It came with the cord.

When the guy plugged it in at the register he caused the light bulb to burst.

NICE!!!!

Do the electrical works, but it is missing some things

like the bobbin casing.

It is actually part of a table with a knee peddle,

so I can't really use.

However, I did find out that my grandma's sewing table
at my mom's house

used to house the same machine and had the knee peddle.

Unfortunately my grandmother must've
taken it off some time in the past.

Oh well, I had a minute glimmer of hope for a second.

I will eventually get the table anyway,

but for now it is displayed in my formal living room next to

my wedding bouquet and some wooden toys that were my brother's.

Above is hung a wedding photo of my father's parents.

I think it makes a great little vintage vignette overall.

What vintage items have you picked up recently?
How do they add to the appeal
and personalization of your home?

Removing Left Over Candle Wax

2011-09-01T06:58:00.000-07:00

Argghh . . . don't you just hate when your burn a votive

and there is that pesky candle wax left over

at the bottom of the candle holder.

Ignore yucky grout. In need of a good bleaching.

This is actually simple to remedy.

First,

take said container, wax and all,

and place it into your freezer.

Yes, mine looks a little yucky. Sorry.

Then wait. Wait.

Go and do something.

Come back several hours later.

Remove the the holder from the freezer.

Turn it upside down and the wax should fall out.

Sometimes it may need a bit of warm tap water to fall out

or a butter knife to be run along the edges.

Now you wash, rinse, and dry your container

and start the fun candle loving process over.

Don't you just love when things are nice and simple like that.

Hope life is going well.
It is nice to be back with my gals.