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Fall Reading List

2010-09-04T23:33:00.001-07:00

I am anxious to check out all of these great new sewing and crafting books. The first two books came out recently and the rest are due out later this fall. I am adding these to my reading list.

Amy Butler's Style Stitches: 12 Easy Ways to 26 Wonderful Bags
August 25, 2010

Silhouette Art: Papers, Instructions, and Patterns for Making Modern Heirlooms
September 1, 2010

Every Day's a Holiday: Year-Round Crafting with Kids
September 8, 2010

Paper + Craft: 25 Charming Gifts, Accents, and Accessories to Make from Paper
September 29, 2010

The Black Apple's Paper Doll Primer: Activities and Amusements for the Curious Paper Artist
November 2, 2010

Sewing School: 24 Sewing Projects Kids Will Love to Make
November 13, 2010

Handmade Weddings: More Than 50 Crafts to Personalize Your Big Day
December 1, 2010

Children's Sewing Box Tutorial from Chez Beeper Bebe

2010-09-03T23:19:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love this colorful little girl's sewing box from Chez Beeper Bebe. There is a huge downloadable tutorial (free) for making the box, the pin cushion and needle book. I would love to make something like this for Jane at some point. I've been anxious to get her a children's sewing machine when she gets to be a bit older. Some of the children's sewing machine's available recommend ages 6 and up. Do you think a six year old could operate a little sewing machine? I'd love your thoughts and/or recommendations.

Back to School: Favorite Preschool Backpacks

2010-09-01T22:25:00.000-07:00

School is starting this month and Jane is heading to Kindergarten and Clark is starting preschool. I've been looking around for cute (non-commercial) backpacks for the kids that have some personality and style. I've put together a list of a few of my favorite preschool size packs perfect for back-to-school.

Animal backpacks from The Land of Nod, $20, (bumblebee, owl, penguin, mouse, dog, monkey)

Canvas backpacks from BlaBla, $38, (fairy, cat, lion, elephant, racoon)

Animal Applique backpacks from Old Navy (online only), $15, (monkey, owl, frog, tiger, panda)

I'm having a much harder time finding good backpacks in larger sizes and I'd love to get Jane one that will last a few years. Any suggestions?

Bla Bla Paper Goods

2010-09-01T22:09:00.000-07:00

We really love the Bla Bla company and both Jane and Clark adore their Bla Bla animals. Jane's cat, "Bubbles" and Clark's dog, "Lemonade" are both part of the family. Last Christmas we splurged on this Bla Bla doll for Jane which has become her favorite stuffed toy of all time! I am hoping Santa will bring a Bla Bla plush for Charlie this year. Anyway, I am really excited to see that Bla Bla is coming out with a new line of paper products including notebooks, sticker books, party invitations, birthday cards and more. The products feature illustrated versions of their classic Bla Bla plush animals and they look adorable.

2010 Pet Parade

2010-08-25T00:15:00.000-07:00

Last weekend the Olympian held the 81st annual Pet Parade in Olympia, Washington. We have made it a family tradition to dress up, decorate our wagon and join in the parade each summer.

On our way to Olympia last Saturday, Jane threw up all over herself and our car. The good news is that we had the car professionally cleaned and detailed after the incident and it looks brand new! The bad news is that we had to turn around and head home and we missed the pet parade entirely.

In honor of the event, here is a re-cap of our past parade participation...

2009
2008
2007
2006

Olympia Pet Parade, c.1983 (My sister is pulling me in our wagon)

Ten Years

2010-08-24T23:55:00.001-07:00

I recently celebrated my ten year wedding anniversary and my husband presented me with an amazing video he made me to re-cap the last ten years of our marriage. The entire video covers (1) our wedding day, (2) our honeymoon and early married life, (3) the arrival of our children and (4) a summary of our life together. It is absolutely amazing and I wanted to share a snippet of it with you.

I'm Still Here

2010-08-02T18:07:00.001-07:00

In case you are wondering, I am still here. I've taken some time off to enjoy our sweet baby, Charlie, and get adjusted to life with three children. We've been out and about every day this summer taking advantage of the sunshine and free local activities. I haven't gone near my sewing machine or worked on a single project but I am starting to feel the desire to get back to creating.

Here's a re-cap of what you've missed:

1) Charlie was born Friday, June 11th at 5:45pm.
2) We spent fourth of July weekend at Cannon Beach (relaxing and recovering).
3) Charlie was blessed at church on Sunday, July 25th and all of our family was in attendance.
4) I celebrated my 29th birthday yesterday with a BBQ and pool party at my in-laws. My sister-in-law made me the most amazing chocolate peanut-butter cupcakes.
5) We are heading to Utah for my brother-in-laws wedding next week and I am waiting anxiously for this Anthropologie dress to arrive in the mail (hopefully tomorrow) and crossing my fingers it will fit.
6) Next week marks my ten year anniversary.

So there you have it. We will be heading out of town this weekend, but I look forward to getting back to the blog when we return.

Cannon Beach

2010-07-06T20:34:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing time in Cannon Beach, Oregon. We feasted on saltwater taffy, watched "Goonies" (filmed there/nearby), played the Game of Life, roasted marshmallows on the beach, explored sea life and lit sparklers in honor of Independence Day.

Off to the Beach!

2010-07-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

We are off to the beach for the weekend. We've rented a house and we are looking forward to some relaxing, bike riding, kite flying, and strolling around town. Have a wonderful fourth of July weekend! See you next week.

Seattle Summer Events

2010-07-01T09:36:00.000-07:00

Don't forget that Urban Craft Uprising is taking place July 10th and 11th at the Seattle Center Exhibition hall from 11:00am to 5:00pm.

And add to your calendar, a new outdoor market featuring crafts, vintage goods and yummy food starting every Saturday this summer in Pioneer Square from 11:00am to 5:00pm as well. Check out The Seattle Square site for more info and a list of vendors.

I am hoping to check out both of these events. Anyone want to go?

Baby Charlie

2010-06-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

Baby Charlie arrived on Friday, June 11th at 5:47pm. He was 9lb 5 oz, 20.5" long. The nurses were convinced his hair was red but we were skeptical. He's looking like he might be a blondie but we shall see. He is absolutely sweet and wonderful.

Maternity Leave

2010-06-05T06:59:00.000-07:00

I've got one more week until the baby is due and I've been so busy getting my house and my life in order I've done very little blogging these days. I've decided to take some official time off in the way of "maternity leave" and I plan to be back to blogging in a few weeks with some baby pictures and an update for you.

LDS Children's Art Contest

2010-05-28T08:49:00.000-07:00

Jane is excited to submit a piece of artwork to the LDS Children's Art Contest where children's artwork from around the world will be featured at the LDS Church History Museum and/or in an online art show during 2011. The theme for the contest is "How the Gospel Blesses My Life".

She is debating between which work of art to submit.

A Pioneer Wagon

A Child being Baptized

The President of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

An Elephant and Bunny

A Temple

LOST Inspired Artwork by Ty Mattson

2010-05-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

I love these LOST themed posters by Ty Mattson. The good Locke/bad Locke print was used at the Season 6 Premiere party and now the artwork is available for sale on theABC TV Store. We are huge LOST fans and I'm feeling a bit at a loss now that the show has ended. I'm contemplating watching the entire series again from start to finish (possibly to pass the time while nursing a new baby). Anyway, I planning to purchase one of these prints as a Father's Day gift for Chad to put in his new office.

Jane & Clark's Carnival Party Re-Cap

2010-05-22T20:29:00.000-07:00

We pulled off Jane and Clark's carnival birthday party today. Somehow we even managed to avoid some serious looming rainclouds. The party was a great success and the kids loved playing the games, winning rolls of tickets and redeeming them for candy and prizes. We ended up serving hotdogs, soft pretzels, churros, giant pickles, popcorn, peanuts and lemonade. I made a four-layer rainbow cake using white cake mix and colored food gel in red, yellow, green and blue to match our party theme. It was so fun to cut the cake and reveal the colorful layers inside. We topped the cake with a vintage inspired circus train candle holder I bought on Etsy.

To keep everyone entertained we set up a row of boardwalk style carnival games. The first game was a simple duck pond where children scoop up a floating rubber ducky with a net and if they choose one with a star they earn double the tickets. The second game was a tin can toss where kids were given a few opportunities to knock down three pyramids of cans using wiffle balls. Third, we made our own ping-pong toss game. We used small plastic glasses which were glued down inside a box with different colored rows of fabric beneath to indicate how many tickets were earned depending on where the ping-pong balls landed. Lastly, we bought some great vintage soda bottles at World Market and set up a traditional ring toss game.

We recruited a few teenage girls to man the game booths and hand out the prizes. The prize table was lined with glass jars filled with saltwater taffy, gumballs, licorice, giant smarties, twisty lollipops, plastic circus animals and colorful whistles. Each ticket earned at the game booths was redeemed for a prize of your choice.

Along with the games we recruited a friend who does airbrush face-painting, we set up a photo prop with a strong man and tight-rope walker cut-out and Chad made balloon animals for all the kids after looking up a how-to online.

Circus Performers: Another Party Sneak Peek

2010-05-20T10:48:00.001-07:00

One of my ideas for the party was to make a little photo prop for the kids to have their picture taken posing as different circus performers. I found these great vintage Old Maid cards on Etsy with circus themed characters which loosely inspired my strong man and tight-rope walker. I really liked the idea of doing a bearded lady but wasn't sure little girls would appreciate the humor or be all that anxious to pose in the prop.

Here is a sneak peek at the photo props I made using two pieces of a cardboard box, some yellow butcher paper, a few paint colors and some leopard print fabric (I also plan to add a tulle skirt to the girl).

Carnival Party Prep

2010-05-13T08:19:00.000-07:00

The children's carnival themed birthday party is next weekend and we've got a lot of planning and preparing left to do. This week I made it to IKEA to purchase some of this wide striped fabric to use for tablecloths, etc. I am sewing fitted red and white striped tablecloths with scalloped edges for the food table, prize table and game tables. I've also sewn simple yellow and white stripe tablecloths for the dining tables. We were able to borrow a blue canopy to use for shade. I'll be adding some colorful bunting around the sides to give it a carnival feel. We are organizing several carnival games to set up where tickets will be awarded and redeemed for prizes at our prize table where large jars are filled with colorful candy and novelty items (swirly lollipops, licorice, gumballs, saltwater taffy, etc.) I've recruited some teenage girls to help man the booths, help with the games and distribute the prizes and I've got a friend scheduled to do face painting as well.

For now, I am waiting for my order from Hey Yo-Yo to arrive

and here's what I've got left to do:

purchase party food (hotdogs, soft pretzels, pickles, popcorn, peanuts, etc.)
bake a large rainbow layered cake

finish sewing tablecloths
sew bunting
prepare the games
prepare and print signs for the games, face painting, etc.
prepare cut-out photo board (strong man?)

Wedding Wishes

2010-05-06T09:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I told Jane that her uncle became engaged and I showed her pictures of her soon-to-be newest aunt. She decided to make them a little "wedding" card with this bride and groom picture on the front and a good luck message written inside.

I have to say that I just love my Jane dear. She is always creating in one way or another and at this age her artwork is so endearing.

Summer Reading: Three New Craft Books to Add to Your Wish List

2010-05-03T08:59:00.000-07:00

There are several new craft books coming out soon that I am excited to add to my growing collection.

Handmade Beginnings: 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby by Anna Maria Horner, May 3, 2010
Wee Wonderfuls: 24 Dolls to Sew and Love by Hillary Lang, August 1, 2010
Embroidery Companion: Classic Designs for Modern Living by Alicia Paulson, August 10, 2010

My New Book

2010-04-29T13:23:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to check out Martha Stewart's new book, Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts, and I found a copy at COSTCO today and decided to pick it up. (You can't beat COSTCO's prices for books). The book is filled with information on basic sewing, applique, embroidery, quilting, and dyeing and printing fabric techniques and lots of great project ideas. Right now Jane is at preschool and Clark is napping so I am off to find a quiet spot to flip through the pages of my new book.

Oliver + S Spring/Summer Update

2010-04-28T17:25:00.000-07:00

I really like the new Spring/Summer patterns from Oliver + S. The ice cream dress and the jump rope dress are my favorite. I'm thinking of attempting the ice cream dress since it is a less difficult pattern and making a few for Jane for summer.

I am also excited about the new fabric line, City Weekend, coming out from Oliver + S as well. It isn't due out in stores for a few months, but looks really pretty and fresh.

Baby Swing Re-Vamp

2010-04-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

I've been looking everywhere to find a replacement baby swing that is simple, small and stylish. Apparently, this does not exist. I've found plenty of modern and sleek baby bouncers and rockers; however, the swing is what I found most useful with my first two children and I love having a portable one to take upstairs and downstairs or on the road. After searching high and low for the least bright and crazy looking swing, I opted for this inexpensive fold up swing with white legs and light blue buttons in hopes of making a simple cover to make it more attractive.

I used a soft flannel Dwell Studios receiving blanket from Target and cut it into an oval shape following the outline of the existing seat (plus extra to make a casing for the elastic). Then I made notches around the outer edge and sewed a casing around to fit the elastic in. I used about two yards of elastic, fit the cover over the existing seat and tied the elastic ends together.

Next, I removed the existing fabric on the toy bar and used some leftover white fabric to sew a new cover. I included three small loops out of binding to attach toys to and hand sewed the whole thing around the bar. I replaced the plastic hanging toys with a mini sock monkey plush and the swing is complete. I think it is definitely an improvement.

Before...
After...

Spring Fair

2010-04-24T01:39:00.000-07:00

We went to the Spring Fair recently with my dad and my sister. Clark loved going on the rides with his grandpa. Jane was more interested in wining prizes at the game booths. Other highlights included petting a baby bunny at the petting area (Jane is crazy about bunnies) and eating corn-dogs, curly fries and an elephant ear. Just wanted to share some photos. Enjoy.

Circus Party Prep

2010-04-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

We have finally agreed on a theme for this year's birthday party for the kids. Everyone is excited to do a Circus/Carnival party. We are taking inspiration from the Pottery Barn Kids Carnival Party how-to. We have a million logistics to work out; but I am excited about all of the great ideas and inspiration I've found so far. Here are some of my favorite retro circus party goods I am hoping to incorporate into our event (all items below are from Bake It Pretty or Hey Yo-Yo).

Fabric Crush at the Wallingford Center

2010-04-11T18:31:00.000-07:00

I recently heard about a great Seattle fabric shop, Fabric Crush, moving from Magnolia to the Wallingford Center in Wallingford. This happens to also be the location of Trophy Cupcakes. I am really excited to go check out their fabric selection and to pick up some yummy cupcakes while I'm there. What a perfect outing! Thanks to Sew Katie Did for the Flickr photo.