BUSY!

While preparing for my daughter's 3rd birthday, I was also sewing for a craft fair that I signed up for at a school.  I pretty much knew that parents attending a school carnival with a craft fair in the MPR would not be buying hundred dollar quilts!  So I had to think of other small things that I could sell, that people might have cash for.

I had felt clippies...

burp rags in 2 and  packs...

 
coffee cozis

ruffle scarfs...

 and some bags with hand stitched felt flowers (oh and some bigger bags, fabric bookmarks and key chains that i forgot to get pics of)

It was a super slow night...but it wasn't just slow for me, all the booths were having trouble selling stuff - so that made me feel a little bit better.  I didn't lose any money at least, and it was a fun experience.  I just probably wouldn't do it again on such a busy weekend...we had SO MUCH going on, and trying to get all this sewing done just about put me over the edge!

Monday's Menu

Wow - I'm late getting to the computer today!  It's the first day of Spring Break and we were way too busy having fun  :o)  We spent the morning at the Springs Preserve...so much fun stuff!

Sunday - Brian had poker night, so we kinda faked our way through dinner.  I had cereal, and the girls had leftovers I think
Monday - Breakfast for dinner: Homemade waffles, eggs and turkey bacon
Tuesday - TACOS!!!  (a family favorite) and Mexican rice.
Wednesday - minestrone soup, bread   (i gotta use up my frozen soup - Brian hates soup in the summer and it's pretty much getting to be summer temps around here)
Thursday - Beef stir fry bowls
Friday - tortellini salad and something BBQed - we never had this last week...I'm fixing the salad for an Easter party, so I'm hoping there are leftovers :o)
Saturday - 3 cheese pepper penne  (a new recipe and our meatless meal - if it's good, Ill come back and link it)

It's Monday

So that means, time to post this weeks menu!

Can I just gush for 1 second please?  Tonight will be 8 days in a row that we have had homemade dinner as a family (all 5 of us at once)!  Thats no eating out - no take out - no fast food - no cheater meals.  In fact we havent had ANY fast food in over a week - NOT EVEN IN & OUT...which is kind of amazing.

So, What are we eating this week?
Sunday - Swedish meatballs.  although I don't make meatballs, I just cook the seasoned ground beef like tacos, make the sauce, and pour it all over rice, corn
Monday - Stromboli, salad, fresh fruit
Tuesday  (soccer)- crock pot chicken and rice soup, homemade bread, carrots and ranch
Wednesday - Chicken fettuccine, salad, crusty bread
Thursday - homemade pizza - probably individual pizzas, so the kids can play along, smoothies
Friday - breakfast for dinner.  Probably waffles, eggs and turkey bacon...with OJ of course
Saturday - tortellini Cesar salad, grilled chedderwurst, fresh fruit.  - we are going to some hot springs in Death Valley for the day, so I needed something easy

I GOT MY LABELS!!

...and I love them! 

well besides for the fact that they are upside down  :oP   I checked the proof too, and I ok'd them just as they made them - my bad.  It won't matter too much for the stuff I make.  I will mostly just use them for side labels...and even if I use them in clothes I can still just do a side label instead of a tag on the back - but now I know for next time.

Aren't they pretty?!

FOOD

We are actually home every day this week for dinner!  That's exciting to me.  Not excited that I have to cook all 7 nights, but excited to have a family meal every night.  We try super hard to sit down, all 5 of us for at least 1 meal of the day!

Sunday - spaghetti and meatballs, salad
Monday - cheese steak sandwiches, tots, fruit
Tuesday - tacos, Mexican rice
Wednesday - cheesy shell stuffed shells, salad, bread  (our meatless meal this week)
Thursday - orange chicken, rice, green beans
Friday - roast, potatoes, carrots  (soccer @5, so this will be in the crock pot and ready when we get home)
Saturday - BBQ something, not sure what yet though

hummm - looking over this, I just realized I have no recipes to link...they are all just either thrown together or in my head.

Carrier Tent

Last weekend, Alison and I went to a baby shower for my friend Kristee.  She is having  baby girl Harper in a few months!!

I asked if there was anything she wanted made, and she requested a carrier tent.  Her car seat is black/white and red, so this is what I came up with for her:

The trim and backside are black minky and the bows on top are just pinned on.  They can be removed for washing, or for her next kid - you know the boy that will come next...unless she is like us, and only makes girls  ;o)

I wish I would have had my camera at the shower, but we rushed over after Alison's soccer game.  They had a candy bar set up (Al was in heaven) and a table with all kinds of ribbons and flowers for everyone to make hair bows for the new baby girl - such a cute idea.  Alison LOVED it...Aimee taught her how to use a glue gun, and Al went crazy layering flowers and ribbon!

I dedicate this shirt to my Mom

When I was little, my Mom made a bunch of my clothes.  I never appreciated it until I started sewing.  This shirt looks just like something my Mom would have made for me.  Even the colors are something she would pick out - although I don't know if she could handle stripes with plaid  haha - just kidding Mom.

After making these dresses...I started thinking about what else I could re-purpose.  I can't keep going to Target ( because you know I can't just stick to the clearance clothing racks!)  And if I take any more of Brian's clothes he won't have anything left to wear.  SO...I went to the thrift store and had a look around.  I came home with these: (among other things)

a flat and fitted sheet for $2

and this Mens shirt for $1.50  (it was originally labeled $3.00 but it was on a white tag - and those were all half off that day)

I can't say that I enjoy making clothes.  In my head I like to be able to follow a pattern, sew it, and have it fit (like quilts!)  but clothes are so different.  My kids rarely fit the pattern exactly, I have to try the different parts on them before sewing it, and usually have to improvise a little with each piece.  BUT...they do look cute in it!

This is my favorite part - the ruffled sleeves.  They are just too perfect for my girly girl!

Here is my improv for this piece.  The pattern did not call for a button closure, but it was way too tight of a squeeze to get it on.  It would have been SO much easier if I had planned it from the beginning and left fabric to do it.  It looks ok on the outside, but inside it's a hot mess!

This is Brooke's favorite part - the pockets!  I wasn't going to put them on, but the front looked too plain without them.  I like how the pleats in the pockets match the pleats on the front of the shirt  :o)

The verdict:  She LOVE LOVE LOVES it  (as in she wants to wear it every day)- so that makes me love it. And it reminds me of my Mom, and that makes me happy too. I will make more clothes, but definitely just for my kids.  The inside seams are way too much of a mess to give something as a gift!