Because I sew that's why...

And because I can...I am ALL ABOUT COORDINATING! I love Kelly's Kids and Rags Lands coordinating clothes for both genders. I could dress my kids like that everyday, but because money is limited I don't. Well, one perk of sewing...I can now have my Coordinated children...without the cost!!

Here are my children in their coordinating Christmas pajamas!!


Then we have my 5 yr Tree Skirt. I loved it so much!!



I had a few moments on my hand and made a matching hand towel

THEN just because I am no "Baking Diva" but I can pretend during the holidays I made a Christmas Apron!!!

But wait! My daughter loves to cook too!! Here is her matching apron!!

Finally, my favorite projects this season... The kids matching Christmas outfits. Made with 100% love!! I am all about appliqueing things this year!! It really gives it the boutique feel if you ask me!! I need to read some instructions- but I am the type who learns as I go!! I appliqued a hand drawn candy cane on my daughters dress.

Here is my son's jumper!! I made the pattern from tracing an old jumper and sizing it to Wesley.

Then appliqued coordinating Candy Canes to match his sister!!


I would of loved to get pictures of them both in their outfits before Christmas but it didn't work out that way!! Oh well, you get the idea!!

My point...when you create things yourself you can afford to have things match and coordinate! Hehe!!!

Christmas Home Tour

Welcome to my Christmas home tour!! Thanks for stopping by! I will make this short and sweet!! I LOVE decorating for Christmas! I love all the lights and the memories and the fact that the with all the decorations seems to cover up all of the unfinished projects that nag me all year!!

Here is my foyer...This year it is my favorite! Every area is covered with decoration

Here is the other side! Santa is watching you!

All lite up!

Here is our Christmas Tree this year. Lots of great memories here with my 5yr tree skirt

One of our favorite ornaments this year! To remember the one we lost!

My dining room...I love the simplicity of the colors

On each chair is the project we did last year. I love including my kids artwork in my deco

Our den is not overly decorated. We have the kids stocking in here with a Nativity set they can play with and help them remember the Reason for the Season.

Up close picture of the kids stockings.

This year is extra special for my daughter. She got her own tree in her room!!

It is all about the lights! My kids LOVE this little house.

That is my tour! Merry Christmas to everyone!! Hope your Christmas is filled with Joy and Laughter! Thanks for stopping by. I am participating in the following tours...LATE AS NORMAL

Sand Dollar Ornament Gifts

**WARNING- If you are a close family or friend and like suprises do NOT read on**

This summer my daughter got to spend some time at the beach. While she was there she had the experience of finding LOTS of sand dollars. So many it was slightly embarrassing. They were of all sizes and just beautiful!! This year our gift to our family and friends is a handcrafted sand dollar ornament.

I used a sand dollar, scrapbooking letters (yeah, I tried painting a letter on there I am not that talented) ribbon, glitter, glue, felt (for the back) and 1/8" ribbon for the hanger.

And because life happens when you have 2 small children about 10 of the sand dollars broke. So only select family and friends will receive a sand dollar ornament this year!! Sorry!!

Thanks Lawson for being the gatherer!!


I hope our family and friends will love them!!

Today I am participating in Kimba's DIY Day.

And Tattertots Homemade Gift Party Ideas!!

Christmas Pajamas- My Daughter was RIGHT!!

If you have been a follower of my blog you know I had tried to get a handle on my Christmas projects back in October/November. One project I had completed was Pj's for my daughter and son, however they were not Christmas pattern just and everyday pattern so we could wear them during the whole season. Makes sense to me!! Well, my daughter, 4yrs old, got a whiff of what I was doing and put her foot down that these PJ's were NOT Christmas-sy enough and she was not going to wear them.

ORIGINAL PLAN:

Do you see this face...she is saying this is NOT CHRISTMAS-SY!! More like Flower Power!!


My son who is happy in most anything could care less what he wears Christmas morning!


PLAN B:

My daughter was right!! I needed to make Christmas PJ's and I am SO GLAD I did!!

With a little staging...


Oh I am so looking forward to my kids coming down the stairs in their coordinating PJ'S Christmas morning!!

Can you tell they are excited?????


I am pretty sure my kids are going to get coordinating pajamas until they go off to college. Okay maybe that is a little extreme. A better idea, maybe next year I will make my husband and me matching pajamas too!! Oh he is one lucky man!! Haha!!

Curtains are Done!!

It has been a busy busy times here, getting the house ready for the holidays, all the festivities, Christmas Cards, etc... athen on top of that I am working on some custom curtains for a customer. The same customer I made these for. I have to say I was really nervous about the constructions of these curtains. This was a total of 11 yards of material (face material and lining) to make these 72" wide curtains!! Doesn't that seem excessive??? But I used every foot of that material only leaving scraps!

They are done and I hope she is as pleased as I am with them!!

Dining Room Curtains

As an added touch she had me make a matching table runner.

Now that I have completed these I feel like a huge burden has been lifted off my shoulders. I can really begin to enjoy working on all of my holiday crafts and projects!!

The Tunic Top that can't wait...

As any good mom I did not pull out the notes, flier, and artwork that were sent home from my daughter's pre-school during Thanksgiving Break until the morning of her first day back to school. I see her beautiful Thanksgiving artwork, oops that would of been nice to display during Thanksgiving...oh well, next year. I see her her worksheets practicing her letters and I see the December Calendar of Events.

It catches my eye that on December 2nd is Christmas Spirit Day "Wear Christmas Colors"

To most that would not be a big deal, just pick something out of the closet that is red or green. HOWEVER, on my Christmas Project Plan #31 was "Make Lawson a Pillowcase Tunic Top." Which happens to be for this VERY PURPOSE! Guess what got moved up VERY QUICKLY!! That left me 2 days to complete.

Dang people for being so on the ball!! You make me look bad!!

Luckily, I had the material, a 1/2 yd remnant my grandmother gave me this summer, so all I had to do was buy the green ribbon for $2.

Here is the finished Tunic Top. It is a Pillowcase dress that could fit a 18mo old as well (don't tell her that or she will not wear it anymore.)

Here you can see the length really well.

#31 on my Christmas Project Plan is complete!!! Hopefully nothing else catches me off guard this Holiday Season, but if it does oh well!! I refuse to stress over the small stuff this year! Or that is what I am telling myself....

5 Year Christmas Tree Skirt

I am the self-proclaimed "Procrastinator" for a reason...It has taken my 5 years to make a new Tree Skirt. How do I know it has been 5 years? The proof is on the receipt that is still attached to the material...


I remember purchasing this at Walmart when my husband was buying a duck stamp!

If my memory serves me correctly in November 2004 I was 4 months pregnant...did not have a sewing machine and had a month to make a skirt. What in the world was I thinking? There is no way it was going to get done then.

Then last year I decided I was finally going to make a skirt...and I did get started...I made the pattern using a little 9th grade geometry...but I never finished it, and put it back in the attic.

FINALLY, early October 2009 I pulled out the skirt and MADE myself FINISH!! Because I don't want to make another tree skirt until I make my daughter one...I decided to put some extra love into this skirt to make it extra special and one that I won't want to replace.

I hand stitched gold thread around flowers


Added some red roping...


TA-DA it is FINISHED!!

After 5 years it is done!!

Now we are ready for the Christmas Tree!!!

Thanksgiving Decor Brings up Fond Memories

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Mine was wonderful. To be with my family, in my home is so unbelievably special to me!!

As for most women I LOVE having the opportunity to pull out the nice china, silver and crystal. Not only is it all beautiful, it brings back so many memories!! Ones that I love to reminisce about...

My china was started by my husband's Grandmother, Fitts, while we were dating. She had the foresight to start me on my pattern because she knew we would be married one day and she would most likely not be there. That was approximately 4 years before we finally got married (she was a wise woman.) Then many many people have contributed to our pattern for wedding gifts and/or Christmas gifts!

My silver was an anniversary gift from my Grandmommy. What a treasured, timeless gift! I am so lucky to have a full set of silver!! I love eating off it. As they say "Food always tastes better off of silver." I have to agree!

Lots of my accessories to the Lennox Holiday pattern my mom and dad have purchased for me over the years. These pieces are really the accent touches that pull it all together, some examples are the chargers and the napkin ring. There is LOTS more but I pull that out at Christmas.

I realized while eating dinner that I have lived in this house for almost 4 years, been married 8 years and it was the first time my parents had eaten with my fine china, my silver, and in my dining room. I am not sure why it took so long! I guess it has never worked out for them to be at my house for a holiday!!

My centerpiece was my fall centerpiece but I just added some Holly leaves and berries from the bushes outside.


Then my daughter had her hand (literally) in decorating our home. She made 20+ hand turkeys and stuck them all around the house.


More examples...

I am so thankful for my memories from the past & being able to create new ones!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Preparing for Baby- Door Hanger

It is no secret, my sister is having a baby and I am excited!! Every time I turn around I see something else I would love to make her!! I got the idea one night to make her a Door Hanger with her bedding fabric. To make it EXTRA special I wanted to monogram it. Well, Auntie Maridith doesn't have Embroidery Machine so I had to come up with another alternative.

Trust me if you LOVE monograms....you will want to read on....

I read how to do this originally on Neither Hip Nor Funky.

You use Plain old Freezer Paper that you buy at the grocery store. I printed the letter I wanted, cut it out, traced it on the dull side of the freezer paper and cut out the inside. Lots of cutting, but worth it.


I positioned it on the fabric, and pressed onto fabric. TIP #1 : Be sure your iron DOES NOT have water in it! TIP #2: If you do not like the placement after it is pressed you CAN remove the pattern and press again. You can do this up to 4 times!

Use regular acrylic paint mixed with Textile Medium and Paint! Do not use brush strokes...dab going up and down if you use brush strokes it can get under the paper! I waited until the paint was slightly dry to pull off. Here is the results. Perfect crisp lines!

I added trim and ribbon and it is FINISHED!!

Now let's hope when my sister and her husband meet their new baby her name will start with an "M" or they are out a really cool door hanger!!