The Southern Institute

Creative Me Link Up.

2012-05-27T21:00:00.000-05:00

Hi everyone! I hope you have been enjoying your holiday weekend. I wanted to show you the dress that I made for Abby's violin recital a couple of weeks ago. I got it done with about 15 minutes to spare before we had to leave for her big night! Now that's cutting it close!

Isn't it cute? The pattern is from one of The Southern Institute sponsors, Marie-Madeline, and it's called the Torrance Dress. To see more about the pattern and enter to win a pattern of your choice and the fabric needed to make it, click here!

This week's featured blog is The Blissful Bee, where Amy showed us how to age wood. Such a cool way to make something look vintage. You'll have to click over to see what she aged, but here's a peek...

Thanks for linking up such a useful how-to, Amy! Have a fun week as the featured blog!

Okay, now it's your turn! Just a few guidelines for linking up. Please:

Follow The Southern Institute and display the Creative Me button somewhere in your post or on your blog. The button html is at the top of the post. Just copy and paste!
Don't have anything new? Show us something from your archives...old to you is new to us!
You can link up as many things as you'd like, the more the better your chances of being the featured link next week!
Visit at least two other blogs and leave some comment love. We are a community that supports one another, right? Right?
You can link up your shops as long as you sell handmade goods. (I also have advertising available here on the blog if you're interested, and I just cut my rates.)

Don't forget to grab and proudly display the "featured" button if you're project has been featured at The Southern Institute.

Sponsor Giveaway: Marie-Madeline

2012-05-27T12:00:00.000-05:00

I hope you've had a chance to visit Southern Institute sponsor Marie-Madeline. Marie-Madeline is a wonderful shop offering patterns, fabrics, ready made clothing for little girls and women, as well as aprons and bags. You'll love the selection of fabric from designers that you already love, and you'll fall in love with Marie-Madeline's own collection of sewing patterns.

A little while back the ladies at the shop sent me the Torrance pattern and the fabric that I needed to make this beautiful dress for Abby.

The Torrance has two style options: a twirly tiered dress like the one Abby is wearing, or one with a plain skirt bordered with a darling ruffle. The pattern was well done with clear directions. It does run a bit big though. Abby is a tall (early) 9 year old, but she is wearing the size 7/8 and it fits her generously. She loves it! It twirls fabulously... any dress that does that is a winner in her book! I love the details, like the tie back and the fabric covered buttons. The pattern calls for buttons bigger than these, but I hadn't planned well and only had this size to cover. I think they still look cute!

Marie-Madeline wants to make one Southern Institute reader very happy with a generous giveaway! They are giving away one pattern of the winner's choice AND the fabric needed to complete the project!!! Yes, you heard right... everything you need in one giveaway! Have fun browsing the shop and good luck!

FTC regulations require that I let you know that I received the Torrance pattern and fabric from Marie-Madeline, free of charge.

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Save the Best for Now.

2012-05-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hi, everyone! I'm Kara from Master of What. A big thank you to Jenny for letting me hang out at The Southern Institute. Today, I'm contemplating making every day one worthy of celebration.

Who's got a beautiful set of fine china? All delicate craftsmanship and steeped in nostalgia, yours is most likely doing what mine (and my mother's) is doing: collecting dust!

Yep, the good stuff rarely gets an invitation to a dinner party.

Why on earth are we still stowing away our prized pieces for a rainy day? We're no doubt waiting for some mythic "special occasion" worthy of such beauty. It seems holidays aren't even enough for me to take out my table's best. What on earth am I waiting for?

In the May issue of House Beautiful, designer Anne Brahler made me question just that. Raised as a first-generation Dutch-American, she says her parents "used their china, their silver, every day." Their most beautiful things--the good stuff--were also the everyday.

Brahler believes we Americans have been wasting, not saving, our 'best' things for later. We focus on protecting a bowl or a glass rather than allowing friends and family to enjoy them. So what if they get chipped! It only adds to the character of a piece. It helps remember an occasion.

Cracks and chips are the patina of a life well-lived. Whether on our crystal or our faces, they tell a story. And a story like that is truly an event worth celebrating.

Maybe it's time to celebrate today just for being... today.

Would you (gasp!) dare to break out the goods for even one meal each week?

Post and photos: Kara Gause

Tutorial: Drab to Fab - Gift Tags from Linda at Craftaholics Anonymous

2012-05-24T07:00:00.000-05:00

You are all in for such a treat today! I am honored to have Linda as a guest at The Southern Institute. I'm guessing that most, if not all of you, are familiar with Craftaholics Anonymous.

Linda has the craft blog that every craft blogger aspires to, chock full of creative projects that even the most craftiness-challenged people can follow. With over 18000 people who like CA on facebook, I know I'm not the only one who thinks so! Linda has generously and kindly agreed to share a project with us today and I'm just dying to let her have the floor... so here goes!

Hi there! I'm so happy to be here today. My name is Linda and I'm the addict from Craftaholics Anonymous. Today I'll be showing you a super easy way to take your gift tags from drab to fab in seconds! {i'm all about easy crafts that give huge impact!}

Now I'm sure you have plenty of gift giving to do. I know I'm always whipping up a little something for a friend, neighbor, Sunday school teachers, etc. But I usually don't have time to make a card. So I like to dress up my gift tags to make it more special.

All you need is a few supplies to make a cute gift tag in a matter of minutes!

Grab some bakers twine, paper flowers, cute brads, and...

...a self healing mat, exacto knife, and washi tape.

I used a self healing mat and an exacto knife to trim off the excess washi tape, embellished with paper flowers held in place with a brad. Then signed the tag and tied bakers twine around to hold the tag in place.

Love me some washi tape! {check out more washi tape crafts here}

If you'd like to see a short video of these tags or to see my talking head in action, click here.

Thanks for having me over to play today! I love meeting new crafters like you! Stop by Craftaholics Anonymous and see what other fun craft ideas I have. You can also post your craft questions on my Facebook page.

happy crafting, linda

Thank you so much for sharing this space with us today, Linda! You have done it again. These tags are beautiful and easy to make, and I'm sure will adorn many a gift in the near future!

Tutorial: Long Sleeves to Tank Top

2012-05-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

This is the time of year when we are facing hot days, and there's no turning back. My kids grow like weeds, as most children do. Recently I went through their dresser drawers and did the whole transition from winter to spring wardrobe-thingy. The thing was, I hated to pack away a few of the long sleeved shirts that they have been wearing. I know that they will not be worn by my children in the next winter season, not at the rate that they are growing, but why not keep wearing them through the summer? Might as well make them useful, right? Well, you can, and it's as easy as cutting off the long sleeves.

All you need is a long-sleeved shirt, a pair of scissors, and a sewing machine.

Step One: Turn the shirt inside out and cut off the sleeve, cutting on the outside of the seam.

Step Two: Turn the outside edge in towards the inside of the shirt. Making the original seam the edge of the sleeve.

Step Three: Pin and sew around the sleeve using a stretch needle in your machine. (These can be found at your local sewing superstore and are used just like a standard needle.) Sew about 1/4 of an inch from the outside edge.

Step Four: Run another line of stitches between the first line the the edge of the sleeve to finish it off.

There you go! Two shirts for the price of one. Now go rummage through those winter clothes and see what you can use! Have fun!

Too Sweets Pattern Giveaway!

2012-05-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

I met Sophie a little while back on Instagram. It took me awhile to discover that she had a ETSY shop called Too Sweets, where she sells the most adorable clothing patterns for little girls. She opened the shop in the spring of 2010 and has since sold thousands of pdf patterns... and she keeps adding more! Take a quick look at some of her creations:

These clothes make me smile. They are very age appropriate while being fashion forward and totally girly. I was bummed for about 5 minutes because my daughter Abby is too old for me to make them for her. That soon turned to excitement when I realized that I could make them for my nieces! YAY! I can't wait to get started!

How would you like to have a few of these patterns for the little girls in your life? Do you have daughters? Granddaughters? Nieces? Well, lucky for you, Sophie is just as sweet as her shop!

Sophie is giving away 3 of her pdf patterns to one Southern Institute reader!

Winner chooses which three that she wants.

Sophie is also offering all of you a discount.
Use the promo code 15SOUTH to get 15% off your order,
valid through this Friday!

So, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and enter! And thanks so much for being a part of this creative community!

*For the 1st entry, you will have to leave your answer in the comments.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Creative Me Link Up.

2012-05-20T21:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Monday! First off today I want to lead you over to the Southern Fabrics giveaway. It's the last day to enter... don't miss it!

Also, if you follow The Southern Institute through Google Friend Connect, would you mind visiting the right side bar and following along in a reader or by email? I'll be making the switch to Wordpress soon and will not have access to GFC after the switch! I'd hate to lose anyone in the move, so please take a second to sign up over there and make the move with me!

Can I just brag on this community a little bit? I can? Great! I love you all. Out of 163 people who linked up, there was not one person who did not have at least one visitor come to their blog through their linked project, and that absolutely warms my heart! I love that you all are supporting each other. It's really a beautiful thing! Thank you for giving this blogger the warm fuzzies and encouraging your fellow bloggers.

Although we haven't had as many links over the last month (it's a busy time of the year isn't it?) the quality of projects is still amazing! This week's featured blog is Cookin' Up Good Times. The Brady girls shared the recipe for Delightfully Delicious Coconut Cake and it looks like it lives up to its name...

Incidentally, they also linked up a recipe for French Toast Breakfast Bake that I will be making for breakfast tomorrow. I'll let you know how that is. I'm guessing it will be to die for! These women have an eBook as well! As an eBook author I know how hard it is to market yourself, so go on over and check it out Cookin' Up Sweet Treats for only $3.99! (I'm sure none of you are interested in that book.)

Okay, now it's your turn! Just a few guidelines for linking up. Please:

Follow The Southern Institute and display the Creative Me button somewhere in your post or on your blog. The button html is at the top of the post. Just copy and paste!
Don't have anything new? Show us something from your archives...old to you is new to us!
You can link up as many things as you'd like, the more the better your chances of being the featured link next week!
Visit at least two other blogs and leave some comment love. We are a community that supports one another, right? Right?
You can link up your shops as long as you sell handmade goods. (I also have advertising available here on the blog if you're interested, and I just cut my rates.)

Don't forget to grab and proudly display the "featured" button if you're project has been in the featured spot on Creative Me Monday.

Sponsor Welcome and Giveaway: Southern Fabric

2012-05-18T07:00:00.000-05:00

I want to welcome our newest sponsor, Aubrey Marshall with Southernfabric.com. Southern Fabric has been serving its customers for over 7 years and has sold over 75,000 items worldwide!!! Feel free to browse her shop, where you'll find a great selection of fabrics from Moda, Free Spirit, Westminster and Riley Blake. Here are just a few of the designers whose fabrics you'll find at Southern Fabrics:

Southern Fabrics also carries clothing patterns, quilt patterns and pre-cuts. Sign up for the mailing list, and find them on Twitter and Facebook.

Aubrey is offering one lucky Southern Institute winner 5 1/2 yard cuts of Salt Air by Cosmo Cricut, for a total of 2-1/2 yards of this lovely fabric!

Aubrey is also offering 10% off your entire order!

Just enter NEWSHOPPER10 at checkout.

Through 5/23/12

I'm going to try out the Rafflecopter widget for this giveaway. I've entered other giveaways with it and I've found it really easy on the entrant. Let me know what you think!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

5 Tips for Cooking with Kids

2012-05-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I am absolutely thrilled to be here at The Southern Institute!
Jenny is an inspiration and what she has done with this space, making it a community where we can all share our creativity, has been a gift to the online crafting world!

Thanks so much for having me, Jenny!

Today, what I would like to do is share with you some tips for cooking with small children. I have four little ones, ages 6, 5, 3 and 20 months old and (believe it or not) I absolutely love to cook with them.
But, with that being said we have come a long way from the beginning of our cooking experiences together. Even though we still have the occasional cooking disaster, we've learned from our mistakes.
I now have a few tricks up my sleeve that make cooking with the kids look a lot less like this:

Would you like to know what works for me?
Hooray, because it just so happens that I have a list for you!

5 Tips for Cooking with Kids:

Set-up is key.

I know it's not always possible to have all the ingredients pre-measured like they do on cooking shows but if you do take an extra minute to have things prepared it really does make the experience flow better. The thing is, with kids every activity just takes a little more prep-time and cooking is no exception.
Here's another trick for you: when baking, lay down a towel flat across the counter. You can lay your mixing bowls, etc on top of the towel instead of directly on the counter. Once you finish mixing roll up the towel and toss it in the laundry. You'll be amazed how this helps reduce the clean-up time.
2.

Be prepared for the unexpected.

No matter how prepared you might be, remember that you are cooking with children and not tiny adults. It will be messier than usual so brace yourself and remind yourself that you are allowing them to embrace their creativity. If you go into the situation expecting there will be some bumps along the way you are much more likely to go with the flow.

Worried about cooking with raw eggs? There are ways around it!

It's important to note that if you want to make your cooking experience "salmonella safe" you shouldn't allow the kids to "lick" the batter. Even though it's old-fashioned fun, one spoonful can harbor harmful bacteria. But baking without eggs is not for everyone so here's one thing that may help: I've found that if I let the kids mix together the dry ingredients, I can mix the wet ingredients in later on my own. For older children who understand and follow instructions, just teach them the importance of waiting until cookies are baked to taste a sample.

And of course, there are also many, many egg substitutions you can use. For example when baking, to substitute 1 whole egg use 2 tbsp water and 1 tbsp oil and 2 tsp baking powder. I've used this substitution in my favorite vegan Magic Chocolate Cake. And the best part about this recipe is that the kids can lick the batter!

4.
Use simple recipes.

Simple baking recipes (like oatmeal cookies and banana bread) are the best to use with small children. Look for recipes that don't require lots of separate bowls for mixing or don't have to be mixed in a precise order.

5.
Pretend you're a kid again and just have fun!

I know it sounds kind of cheesy, but if you just let go and have fun, it will be! Kids live very much in the moment and if we try to do the same with a specific task like cooking, the process will be much more fun!
Bottom line: let go and have fun! Any spill can easily be cleaned up in a few minutes.

Washi Tape at Pick Your Plum!

2012-05-16T08:45:00.002-05:00

This is the 1st time I've seen washi tape at Pick Your Plum. I have been wanting to buy washi tape for so long, but the price kept me from making the leap. At $3.50 for two rolls and just $2.95 shipping I could not pass up this deal Grab yours before they're gone!

Announcing... the Contributors!

2012-05-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

I have been so excited to introduce you all to the ladies who will be contributing to The Southern Institute! Today is the day! I am not joking when I say that it was a very difficult thing to narrow down a pool of such talented women to just three. These three women round things out nicely, I believe, and will each contribute once a month. I will still keep one guest post open each month, so don't be surprised if you find an invitation from me in your inbox at some point. And now, please welcome Caroline, Rachel, and Kara! I am so blessed to have them sharing with our community on an ongoing basis, and I truly believe that this will be a better blog for it.

Caroline Urdaneta

Originally from South Carolina, Caroline moved to Maryland 10 years ago and lives in the Baltimore area with her husband and their 4 children. Caroline has a degree in Ornamental Horticulture, a professional background in the art world (which includes working as Assistant Curator of a renowned sculpture garden in the southeast called Brookgreen) and experience in floral design. Caroline loves to paint and spend time outdoors with her children. Caroline started her blog, Salsa Pie in 2009 which is somewhat of a hybrid of kid's crafts, recipes, DIY projects and reflections on parenting.

Rachel Teodoro

Hello Southern Institute readers! My name is Rachel. I am a stay at home mom of three living in the greater Seattle area. You can find me blogging at Holy Craft where you can find tips, tutorials and recipes as well as some of Rachel's random ramblings. Most of my friends describe me as a thrifty gal and I am always in search of the best bargain. I like to live a Nordstrom life on a garage sale budget! Crafting and decorating can get expensive, so most of my materials come from garage sales. It's my goal to help share with you how you can live well on less and inspire you to be creative in all aspects of life.

Kara Gause

Kara Gause is a junkie for all things art, pop culture, and health food--in that order. A Yankee girl happily transplanted in Nashville, she spends her days as a freelance writer juggling the needs of her twin toddlers, two Bassett hounds, and one fantastic husband--in that order. Read more of her attempts at learning how to do life a bit better on her blog, MasterofWhat.com.

Creative Me Link Up.

2012-05-13T21:00:00.000-05:00

For those of you linking up on the 13th, Happy Mother's Day! I hope that everyone has had a lovely weekend. We have a little boy with a fever, so our Mother's Day plans were not what we expected, but we had a nice relaxing rainy day at home. It started with breakfast in bed and three very happy and loving children, so no matter what happened after that it was a great day.

I dare say that KCWC got me inspired to sew more, and now I'm on a roll! Last week I made a dress for Abby (review and giveaway coming soon) and now I'm working on a tank top for myself. I'll show it off when I'm done. It's taking a lot more time than I thought it would, due to some necessary alterations along the way. Darts are not my friend right now.

What have you all been working on? Aimee at Twigg Studios made this gorgeous Eiffel Tower lamp, and you can too!

Click over to Twigg Studios to see how she made it... I was surprised! Thanks for linking up Aimee! You're the featured blog this week.

Okay, now it's your turn... I have a few guidelines for linking up, and I've decided to allow you all to link up a shop, if you have a shop from which you sell handmade products! There's no reason why I should penalize you all for trying to make a living, right? You won't have to leave an email address anymore either...

So here are the rules:

Follow The Southern Institute and display the Creative Me button somewhere in your post or on your blog. The button html is at the top of the post. Just copy and paste!
Don't have anything new? Show us something from your archives...old to you is new to us!
You can link up as many things as you'd like, the more the better your chances of being the featured link next week!
Visit at least two other blogs and leave some comment love. We are a community that supports one another, right? Right?

Don't forget to grab and proudly display the "featured" button if you're project has been in the featured spot on Creative Me Monday.

Have a great week, everyone! This week I plan on introducing you all to the new contributors. I'm so excited for them to meet you!!!

Winners!

2012-05-11T12:40:00.000-05:00

image source

I think it's time to announce a couple of winners here! Over the last couple of weeks I've had two giveaways. The first was the Picture Keeper 4 and the second was the Plum Organics gift box... two great prizes!

The winner of the Picture Keeper 4 is... Jackie!
The winner of the Plum Organics box is... Becky!

Congratulations to the winners! I have emailed them to let them know. Stay tuned for more giveaways coming up soon!

Paper Ninja Knock-Off.

2012-05-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

I fancy myself a bit of a knock-off artist. We've all done it. We see something in the store and say to ourselves, "I could totally make that!" The other day I was in Paper Source (be still my heart) with my boys and they spotted this paper ninja kit. Begging ensued. I looked at Luke and said, "Luke, I can make that. We don't have to buy a kit." His eyes lit up. That was all the motivation I needed. I took a photo of the package with my iPhone and we made our way home. As soon as we got home I pulled up the photo, studied it, and got to work creating the shapes I needed with my Cameo.

Not long after, Luke had his paper ninja and I was the coolest mom in the world.

Don't you love it when that happens?

Pinterest Success: Blueberry Coconut Pecan Breakfast Cookies

2012-05-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

kumquatblog.com

My friend Kara pinned this recipe the other week and I knew as soon as I saw it that I had to try it. Well, I did, and I must say that this recipe does not disappoint! It is super easy, and it is delicious. Absolutely delicious! I have to exercise considerable restraint. And just to prove that they turned out well, here is a photo of my Blueberry Coconut Pecan Breakfast Cookies...

Yeah, they're good. Did I mention they are easy? I did? Thank you, Kumquat! The Blueberry Teff Bagels are next...

Creative Me Link Up!

2012-05-06T21:00:00.000-05:00

Are you all ready for the week? May is such a busy time of the year if you have children in school. All of the end of the year activities can make for a hectic schedule. Recitals, concerts, luncheons, field day, end of the year picnics... whew! What do you all have coming up this month?

I am so excited about introducing you to my contributors soon! I read through each and every email that was sent to my inboxes and looked at each blog. It was a really tough decision, I assure you! I wish I could take on more contributors right now (I hope to in the future). If you did not hear from me, don't lose hope! You might hear from me in the future. (wink wink).

Onto the link up! This week's featured blog is It's Overflowing where Aimee showed us her Board and Batten wall that they created in their home. This is such a beautiful look, I love it! I'd love to do this in our dining room someday.

Thanks for linking up again, Aimee!

Okay, now it's your turn! Just a few guidelines for linking up. Please:

Follow The Southern Institute and display the Creative Me button somewhere in your post or on your blog. The button html is at the top of the post. Just copy and paste!
Don't have anything new? Show us something from your archives...old to you is new to us!
You can link up as many things as you'd like, the more the better your chances of being the featured link next week!
Visit at least two other blogs and leave some comment love. We are a community that supports one another, right? Right!
No shop links please. You can link up a giveaway as long as it's attached to a project that you're linking up.

Don't forget to grab and proudly display the "featured" button if you're project has been in the featured spot on Creative Me Monday.

My KCWC Wrap Up.

2012-05-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

Well, I knew from the start that I probably was not going to have much to show for my KCWC (Kids Clothes Week Challenge at elsie marley), and I was right. I wish it hadn't been such a busy week in our family, so I could have had more time to sew. I was able to squeeze in a few easy projects though, and here they are, one for each child.

Abby

I used Dana's Layered Skirt tutorial for Abby's party skirt. I really love the way it turned out, and she loves it too. I opted to serge the raw edges of the ruffles rather than do a traditional hem. As a time saver it worked wonderfully! The fabric is a double gauze fabric from the Far and Away line, so even though there is a lot of material here it doesn't feel the least bit heavy and it flounces in a very girly way.

LUKE

Luke got a pair of shorts to knock around it, but I wanted them to be nice enough to pair with a polo shirt for church, so I chose this fabric that I inherited. I have a lot of it! It's light and soft and perfect for the summer. He LOVES them! I used another one of Dana's tutorials, the Basic Pant tutorial, except I used a pair of existing shorts to make the pattern from.

Levi

Levi got a pair of basic shorts too. Lucky for me, the boys are the same size, so I used the same pattern! YAY! These were made from an upcycled slip cover... yes, a slipcover! I can't tell you how many things I have made with this old couch slipcover. It's huge! Levi loves his shorts as well, and honestly, this pattern is so easy that I could make many more and probably will. I just need some more material!

Did you participate in KCWC? What did you end up finishing?

Gluten Free Pizza recipe and Plum Organics Giveaway!

2012-05-03T12:00:00.000-05:00

This giveaway is closed.

Last month Plum Organics contacted me about being a part of a new project they are doing called The Little Foodies Cookbox where they feature healthy, kid-friendly recipes that feature their products. It sounded like so much fun that I couldn't refuse it! The challenge put before me was to create a recipe using Plum Organics Apple and Carrot baby food. This is what I came up with... (don't forget to read to the end for the giveaway!)

Kids can be picky eaters, but I don't think I've ever met a child that didn't like pizza. This pizza recipe (which uses a gluten free crust) combines Plum Organics Apple/Carrot organic baby food with a traditional tomato pizza sauce.

It's sure to please the pickiest eaters. You'll be helping them reach their daily requirement of fruits and vegetables... and they won't even know it! All three of my kids raved about how delicious it was!

For step by step instructions, click here.

I'm so flattered to be a part of the Little Foodies Cookbox with Plum Organics! You can visit the official Little Foodies Cookbox Facebook page to see more great recipes!

Plum Organics has given me a box of organic goodies to give away to one reader! Here's what the box includes:

1 pouch of plum berry and barley baby food
1 pouch of sweet potato, mango and millet baby food
1 pouch of zucchini, banana, and amaranth baby food
1 pouch of apple, raisin and quinoa baby food
1 pouch purple roots and fruits yogurt mish mash
1 pouch apple/spinach yogurt mish mash
1 pouch berry, banana, beet yogurt mish mash
3 pouches of organic teensy fruits fruit snacks (berry, apple, and peach)
an envelope full of coupons for Plum Organics foods (expire 1/13)

To enter the giveaway:

Leave me a comment telling me how old your little foodie is.
Like Little Foodies Cookbox on facebook and leave a comment here.
Subscribe to The Southern Institute in a reader (on the right side bar) and leave a comment here. If you already follow SI in a reader let me know. :)

Make sure to leave your email address in your comments! I'll take entries through Friday night. Good luck!

What To Expect When You're Expecting.

2012-05-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

You all know that I am a part time childbirth educator and author of an eBook called Unbound Birth (the button is on the left sidebar). As a mother and childbirth educator there are a ton of books that I have read, and I know you have too. One of the most popular pregnancy books of all time is What To Expect When You're Expecting. Did you know that there is a movie soon to be released by the same name?

I don't know about you, but when I was pregnant with our first child, I was not yet sewing, so everything was store bought. The one brand that seemed to take over baby Abby's wardrobe was Carter's. I'm not sure if anyone gets through having a child without he or she wearing at least a few items from Carters.

Carter's, the most trusted brand in young children's clothing, is featured in the movie What to Expect When You're Expecting, due in theaters May 18! You can get two free tickets to the movie when you spend $60 or more in a Carter's retail location between May 3 - 6, 2012. Find a Carter’s store near you – Carter’s Store Locator. Hurry - tickets are available while supplies last.

Who were the people you went to for advice and insight throughout your pregnancy's thrills and surprises?

You and they both will find plenty to relate to in this spring's film What to Expect When You're Expecting, due in theaters May 18! Keep an eye out for adorable baby clothing essentials from Carter's, the premiere children's clothing featured in the movie!

Carter’s partnered with bloggers such as me to promote their upcoming feature in the movie “What to Expect When You’re Expecting.” As part of the program, I received product or gift cards. Carter’s believes that consumers and bloggers are free to form their own opinions and share them in their own words, and therefore did not tell me what to purchase or what to say about the products I used. Carter’s policies align with WOMMA Ethics Code, FTC guidelines and social media engagement recommendations.

Pursuit of Proverbs 31: A timeless, biblical study for the modern Christian Woman, by Amy Bayliss

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

About a month and a half ago I had a skype consult with Amy Bayliss about how I could improve my blogs. Amy is amazing! She is the woman behind the blog Cajun joie de vivre, and yes, she is from New Orleans! The tag line to her blog is "Stepping Stones to a Fulfilled Life" and let me assure you, her blog delivers on that claim.

One of the many things that Amy offers on her blog is a mentoring service. I was able to get a little taste of what she can do to help her clients when we spoke. Amy and I talked for almost two hours about The Southern Institute and a range of topics such as:

How to improve search engine rankings
How often to post
The best way to approach advertisers
Building community

I cannot tell you how helpful this time with Amy was. She is a wealth of information and shared it all with me, including a follow up email with links to videos, articles, and a complete summary of what we had discussed (thought I took pretty good notes as we spoke). If you are a blogger and looking to improve your online presence, whether you are ministry oriented, a craft blogger like me, or a mommy blogger, Amy can be a huge help to you as a mentor. She offers online workshops for $7 each or a full year of online mentoring for $24.95. A full year!

Amy is not only concerned with helping women build their online presence, but also their spiritual lives. This year, Amy released a new eBook called Pursuit of Proverbs 31.

Amy has written a Bible Study that will take you through Proverbs 31 with a fresh perspective. Have you ever asked yourself any of these questions?

Why can't I get it right?
How can I find more time to get it all done?
Why isn't God helping me?

I have. More than once, admittedly. And I think I need this study. I have just finished studying through the book of Ephesians and I'm eager to dive into Pursuit of Proverbs 31 this week. You can too, if you are in need of some encouragment! Joyful Mothering is hosting a weekly Bible study to go along with the book and you can read the archives no matter when you start the study.

I know that this is very much for those of you who are of the Christian faith, and I'm not in any way trying to leave any Southern Institute reader out, but I really wanted to share this with you all in hopes that it might be an encouragement to some of you in your spiritual walk. Amy is offering $1 off of the purchase price of this study with the code thnxJen, making it only $3.99!!!

Let me know if you get this book. We can be a sounding board for each other!

Thank you to Amy for giving me a copy of Pursuit of Proverbs 31 to review.

Picture Keeper Review and Giveaway!

2012-04-30T12:00:00.000-05:00

This giveaway is closed.

I like to take pictures... a lot of pictures! Currently (and I had no clue) I have over 20,000 photos on my laptop. This may explain why my computer has been getting slower and slower, don't you think?!? Today I have a great product giveaway for you, Picture Keeper.

When the kind people over at Picture Keeper contacted me about reviewing their product I was so excited because I reeeeeeeeeally needed to back up the photos on my computer. This is a great product, and I don't know why I haven't picked one of these up before!

The actual Picture Keeper looks a little bit different than the one on the box, with squared edges. It measures 2-1/2" x 3/4", so it's teeny tiny and easy to store. I received the PK 4 to try (retails for $29.99), which has the smallest storage capacity, holding up to 4000 photos (at 1 MB per picture). I take high res photos, some of them over 2 MB, and I was still able to store over 2000 photos on it.

The Picture Keeper is so easy to use! You just plug it into your usb port and a screen pops up and guides you through the simple process.

Looking at your photos later on is as simple as plugging the PK into your usb port and clicking on the view pictures icon. They are separated and labeled just as they were on your computer!

A few tips when using the Picture Keeper. Make sure you have organized your photos and deleted those that you don't want before you start backing them up. I spent quite a bit of time labeling all of my photos in iPhoto, but didn't think about all of the photos that were hidden on my computer in other photo files or in the trash. This is how I ended up with over 20,000 photos. The Picture Keeper grabs as many as it can until it fills up and I wasted a lot of space backing up photos that I didn't even remember or need. So now I'm going through the files on my PK and deleting those that I didn't want backed up. Another great feature of the Picture Keeper is that once one is filled up, you can continue with a new Picture Keeper and it will start right where you left off! No duplicates! So cool.

Have I sold you yet?

How about entering to win a free Picture Keeper 4?

To enter: Tell me if you've ever backed up the photos on your computer before.

For an extra entry: Like Picture Keeper on facebook and leave me another comment.

Picture Keeper is also offering a special offer to all of The Southern Institute readers!

Purchase a Picture Keeper at participating Walgreens stores, and receive a coupon for 50 FREE Prints at a Walgreens Photo Center. Just save your receipt, and email a copy to sales@picturekeeper.com and we will send out a $5.00 Walgreens gift card!

**Be sure to leave your email in your comments! I'll take comments through Wednesday night!

Creative Me Link Up!

2012-04-29T21:06:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! Welcome back to Creative Me! If you are new to this little linky party, let me welcome you too. We have a lot of fun here, with many creatives just like yourself linking up each week. Every week I feature a different blogger who has linked up and I host their link on my left side bar for the entire week! If you're not ready to link up, then I encourage you to click through some of the links and see what The Southern Institute readers have been working on. There is such talent out there!

This week's featured blog is The Money Pit, where Kim has just updated her kitchen cabinetry with hardware. Really, she has been updating the entire kitchen. You should go take a look, it looks wonderful!

Thanks for linking up, Kim! I hope you're enjoying that beautiful kitchen!

Okay, now it's your turn! Just a few guidelines for linking up. Please:

Follow The Southern Institute and display the Creative Me button somewhere in your post or on your blog. The button html is at the top of the post. Just copy and paste!
Don't have anything new? Show us something from your archives...old to you is new to us!
You can link up as many things as you'd like, the more the better your chances of being the featured link next week!
Visit at least two other blogs and leave some comment love. We are a community that supports one another, right? Right!
No shop links please. You can link up a giveaway as long as it's attached to a project that you're linking up.

Don't forget to grab and proudly display the "featured" button if you're project has been in the featured spot on Creative Me Monday.

Where You'll Find Me: Allume

2012-04-27T09:54:00.001-05:00

One of the things that God has given me a love for is photography. I love capturing beauty with my lens, whether I'm using a DSLR or my iPhone camera. Today I'm sharing a few photography tips over at Allume, and I'd love to have you stop by and say hello!

Tutorial: DIY Striped Skirt from Lindsay at Southern Lovely

2012-04-26T07:00:00.026-05:00

Hooray, it's Thurday! Today Lindsay from Southern Lovely is our guest! Southern Lovely is a, well, lovely blog! Lindsay possesses a wealth of talent and hosts a really great linky party on Monday's called Show and Share. Many of you probably already link up, but if you don't, please add it to your linky party list! She has a loyal following, and well-deserved, might I add. Please welcome Lindsay today!

Hello friends of Jenny's lovely blog! I am very happy to be sharing here today!

My name is Lindsay, and I am the blog author over at Southern Lovely. It's my outlet & my creative space. Over at my place you will find a variety of projects--sewing, painting, stenciling, I like it all. :) I'm also the mother of three children who make my life so sweet, and oh-so busy. :)

Today I am going to share my version of a striped skirt.

A few months ago I purchased a knit skirt from H & M. It was very inexpensive, I absolutely love the way it fits and the bold stripes. I would have bought it in every color--but it only came in two.

You can see where I am going with this...I decided to make my own. :)

The original skirt has navy and tan stripes.

For this one, I decided to go with deep purple and white.

**In order to get the correct measurements for yourself,
you will need to use your own personal skirt as your guide.

You will only need 1/2 yard of a stretchy knit material in each color to make this skirt.

I also used a 3-inch elastic band.

I measured the width of the stripe on my H&M skirt, to give me an idea of how much fabric to cut. Those stripes were two inches wide. In order to get that size once sewn, I knew I had to cut 3 inch wide strips--1/2 inch seam allowance on top & bottom.

I also measured my waist, then added an extra inch and cut the elastic band.

You will need to fold you fabric in half, so it is doubled up.
Then cut 3 inch strips. Don't worry about the length of them yet.

Now that all of my strips were cut, it was time to figure out how long I needed them to be. I used the original skirt as my guide.

I gave an inch seam allowance on each strip, to account for stitching them together.

It's very convenient to have the skirt below your fabric as a guide while cutting.

Now it's time to create the stripes.

You know the drill--right sides together and stitch a straight line.

Line your pressure foot up with the edge of your fabric to get the correct spacing
(as shown above).

It should look similar to the picture below when turned inside out.

Get your iron warmed up and press your seams open

With your elastic band--place right sides together and use a zigzag stitch.

Once that is sewn together, turn right side out & pin to the top of your skirt.

I stitched two lines, to make it more secure--and I liked the way it looked.

To hem the bottom, I turned it under 1/2 inch and stitched.

Iron out all your seams for a crisp look.

And now you have a pretty little striped skirt!

Total cost: $5. Can't beat that price. :)

Anyone planning on making something fun and bold for Spring??

I must admit, I have fallen victim to the colored jean fad. :)

Thanks for having me here today!

I enjoy meeting new friends, so feel free to stop by anytime!

Thank you so much, Lindsay! You never fail to impress me with your creativity. We've enjoyed having you today!

Please go by Lindsay's blog, say hello, and check out the adorable petal shirt she posted on Monday! So sweet!

Tutorial: Making a Custom Header with My Memories Software.

2012-04-25T12:30:00.003-05:00

My Memories scrapbook software is such a great investment if you like to scrapbook or make photo books. I happen to be an affiliate and receive some great tutorials from the My Memories folks. This one came last week, and I thought some of you might be interested in it. You can purchase the My Memories software through my affiliate link with the code on the left side bar and get $10 off the price! That makes it $29.97, which is less than you would pay someone to make a custom header for you! Go on over... you can make yourself a beautiful header and have the software for every other photo project you can think of!

How to Use MyMemories Suite to Create a Custom Header in Blogger

Did you know that you can use MyMemories Suite Software to create a custom header?

Have you ever wanted to create a header for your blog that was just perfect, but couldn’t find that perfect template?

Now you can have the perfect blog header that looks just the way you want using MyMemories Suite Software.

Steps to Create your own Blog Header:

To choose your own custom size, just create a new album and choose design your own.
Then choose the ›Custom Size tab in the middle of the screen.
You can set the size by inches or pixels.
- Usually a blogger header is around 1000x300 pixels and a WordPress header is 904x160 pixels
Add whatever content you want, including papers, pictures, text and embellishments.
Finally, click on Share Album in far right column and select Export
- In the Export Wizard, make sure that the image type is jpeg and the image size is the size you chose for your header and click finish
Then all you have to do is load it into your blogger, see bottom of pdf tutorial below for more information on this step!

Have fun and enjoy creating your own custom headers!
And don’t forget to share with your readers when you are done!

The Southern Institute

Creative Me Link Up.

Sponsor Giveaway: Marie-Madeline

Save the Best for Now.

Tutorial: Drab to Fab - Gift Tags from Linda at Craftaholics Anonymous

Tutorial: Long Sleeves to Tank Top

Too Sweets Pattern Giveaway!

Creative Me Link Up.

Sponsor Welcome and Giveaway: Southern Fabric

5 Tips for Cooking with Kids

Washi Tape at Pick Your Plum!

Announcing... the Contributors!

Creative Me Link Up.

Winners!

Paper Ninja Knock-Off.

Pinterest Success: Blueberry Coconut Pecan Breakfast Cookies

Creative Me Link Up!

My KCWC Wrap Up.

Gluten Free Pizza recipe and Plum Organics Giveaway!

What To Expect When You're Expecting.

Pursuit of Proverbs 31: A timeless, biblical study for the modern Christian Woman, by Amy Bayliss

Picture Keeper Review and Giveaway!

Creative Me Link Up!

Where You'll Find Me: Allume

Tutorial: DIY Striped Skirt from Lindsay at Southern Lovely

Tutorial: Making a Custom Header with My Memories Software.

How to Use MyMemories Suite to Create a Custom Header in Blogger

Did you know that you can use MyMemories Suite Software to create a custom header? Have you ever wanted to create a header for your blog that was just perfect, but couldn’t find that perfect template?

Did you know that you can use MyMemories Suite Software to create a custom header?

Have you ever wanted to create a header for your blog that was just perfect, but couldn’t find that perfect template?