Here’s hoping that you’re spending it with the people that you love!
(And that your mom didn’t make you wear red white and blue…)
Fun giveaway coming in the morning. See you then?
Reversible Sling Bag Tutorial
July 1, 2011 By 195 Comments
My neighbor Megan had snapped a picture of a bag she liked and asked me to help her recreate it. We decided to make it reversible, just to spice things up a bit.
Supplies:
1 yard of exterior fabric
1 yard of interior fabric
Printed pattern pieces + one piece of 8.5 X 11 paper
Scissors, pins, sewing machine, thread
Print the 2 pattern pieces. Lay them and the extra piece of paper out like this:
Tape the pieces together without overlapping.
If you fold your yard of fabric in half again lengthwise, matching the fold from the bolt to the selvages, you can cut out both pieces at once. BE SURE TO PLACE THE LONG EDGE OF THE PATTERN PIECE ON THE FOLD!!!
You’ll cut 2 pieces from your exterior fabric and 2 pieces from your interior fabric, so you’ll end up with 4 pieces that look like this:
The assembly instructions are the same for the exterior and the interior pieces. All seams are 1/2”, unless otherwise specified.
Place pieces right sides together and sew side seams (indicated by the red lines).
Press seams open.
Line seams up (pin, if you want) and press flat. Sew bottom seam, as indicated by the red line.
Next we’re going to box the corners. Fold/press/whatever your corners like this:
The measurement along the green line is about 1.5”. The measurement along the yellow line is about 3”. I drew a line with a disappearing ink pen to follow when I sewed.
Sew along the line and then clip off the excess fabric.
Turn the exterior bag right side out and slip it inside the interior bag. Match up seams and ends and pin.
Decide which one of the ends of the strap is going to be the “big” one. You’re going to turn the entire bag right side out through this end. There will be a moment when you’re not sure how it’s going to work out, but trust me, it will…just like child birth. 
Mark it somehow. I used 3 pins.
The other end of the strap will be the “small” one. When you sew this end, you’re going to want to taper it *just* slightly. The blue lines indicate the normal stitch line. The purple lines are how you’re going to sew this end.
I exaggerated the lines in this picture for illustration purposes. I’d start the taper about 1” from the end and taper in maybe 1/8” on each side.
Sew from the end of the strap, around the curve and up the other strap. For some reason the picture or this step is missing, so I made you a super helpful illustration:
You’ll be sewing along the big U shape and leaving the green lines on the ends open. Be sure to taper the “small” end. Repeat on the other edge.
You can clip the curves a bit now if you want to. I did on one bag and I did not on the other. I found it didn’t make a whole lot of difference, so do whatever makes you happy.
Now you’re going to turn the whole thing right side out through the “big” end.
Go slowly and be sure things don’t get too bunched up. You might need a buddy, but I promise this WILL work.
Press along the seams.
Take the “big” end and fold down approximately 1/2” to the inside.
Press.
Slip the “small” end inside the “big” end.
And stitch a cute little rectangle to hold everything in place.
And you’re done!
When Mountain Dew Flies…
June 29, 2011 By 35 Comments
We had a *little* incident of sibling rage last week.
Keller threw a (plastic) bottle of Mountain Dew at his sister (because she’d dropped it in the toilet). He’s not a very good aim, and this happened:
(Let’s not even get into the part where a piece of glass got stuck in the top of my foot and it bled for close to an hour, mmmkay?)
That’s my sewing room light. It’s what the contractors included in their bid when they finished our basement. And, it’s BORING.
I decided to take this opportunity and girly up the lighting in there a bit.
And a non-illuminated shot:
Cute, right? I guess sometimes kid fights aren’t the worst thing ever….
In case you don’t follow on Facebook
June 28, 2011 By 12 Comments
This is the extent of my holiday décor. Thanks Lara and Neil for saving my butt.
Fancy Leather Cuffs
June 27, 2011 By 36 Comments
(That is quite possibly the lamest title ever)
So, last month when I was in Kentucky for the GE Momsperience, I visited the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft. In the gift shop, there were some gorgeous leather cuffs with flowers made out of gemstones or crystals or something equally fabulous. The problem? They were $130. (I’m sure they were worth every penny, I’m just cheap. And I lose stuff.)
My versions aren’t *quite* as fabulous as the original, but they’re CHEAP (you could make your own for $5) and easy and I won’t feel bad when I lose misplace one of them.
You’ll need:
A leather cuff (mine came from the leather store, but you can get them at Hobby Lobby as well)
Leather dye (again, mine came from the leather store, but Hobby Lobby carries it)
Some sort of embellishment. I like these stretchy rings because they’re easy to attach. Mine came from Claire’s clearance and Rue 21.
Leather “string” to attach the embellishment (mine came from Hobby Lobby)
For the black cuffs, I used leather dye. You swab it on and then buff it shiny once it dries.
For this one, I brushed the leather with olive oil:
And for this one, I used wood stain:
Once you’ve got your leather the color you want it, decide where you’re going to place your embellishment. The stretching rings have 4 holes, so I just transferred those over to the cuff. I (it was totally Macy) made the holes using a hammer and a nail.
There’s probably an actual leather tool for this, but I used what I had on hand.
Tie on your embellishment with the leather string, and you’re good to go!
The Return of My Mojo
June 23, 2011 By 30 Comments
I did it. I busted out my sewing machine. I took the fabric I’ve been hanging onto for months, and turned it into pillows for my living room. See?
I’ve got one more somethin’ somethin’ in mind for the long couch. In my mind, it’s fabulous. We’ll see how that translates to reality. 
And then yesterday one of my favorite teenage neighbors came over for the day and we came up with this super simple (reversible) sling bag based on a cell phone pic she’d snapped.
I have to make a couple of modifications to the pattern piece and get it scanned and converted to PDF, but look for it soon!
You know what else I did yesterday? I made a delightful leather cuff bracelet thingy. It was inspired by one I saw in Kentucky, but that one was $130. Total cost for mine? About $5.
Look for that soon, too.
XOXOXO
Stuff I’m Loving
June 22, 2011 By 30 Comments
We haven’t done this in a while (a super, super long while), and I have a few things I’m REALLY digging right now, so I though I’d share. And they’re all (except one) available at your friendly neighborhood Target. And probably WalMart, but I don’t shop there…it makes me swear.
#1: Lemi Shine
Are your dishes all filmy after the ban on phosphates in dish detergent? No more! I believe the directions say to use it in place of detergent, but I just sprinkle about a teaspoon in the dispenser and then add detergent as normal.
#2: Nicole by OPI glittery nail polish
Want the glitter toes look without the mess? This stuff is for you. It looks EXACTLY like when we’ve done glitter does with Martha’s glitter, but it’s a whole lot easier. Don’t be alarmed after the first coat. Add a second coat and you’ll be in good shape. I just wish it came in more colors…
#3: CoverGirl’s NatureLuxe Lip Balm
I’ve been on a quest for the perfected tinted lip balm for years. They’ve all been too shimmery, too runny, too glossy, too bright… You get the picture. I think this one by Cover Girl is perfection.
#4: Continuous spray sunscreen
If you’ve got a bunch of pasty blondes around your house like we’ve got around mine, you NEED this stuff. I love that I don’t have to pin down 4 children and slather them from head to toe. I can line then all up and spray and be done in a minute or less. I also love that it requires pretty much no touching. If you have a kid with SPD/Asperger’s, you’ll know why that alone makes this stuff worth it’s weight in gold.
#5: My Eclectic Whatnot camera strap cover
If you follow along on Facebook, you’ve already heard about this one. Sorry, but someone dorky enough to buy a strap cover that matches their blog is also dorky enough to talk about it more than once. Or twice. I hear Ruthanne is closing up shop for the summer on July 1st, so if you’re needing one for yourself, you’d better get it soon.
So, what are you loving right now?
***In the interest of full disclosure, I bought all this crap with my own money. 
***
Checking In + June Silhouette Promo
June 21, 2011 By 8 Comments
Well hello there.
Can I start with a little PSA?
Please, please, please ask your parents/grandparents/in laws if they’ve signed up for Medicare if they’re eligible. The mess we’ve been dealing with the last week is unbelievable. Fingers crossed that the Medicare interview this afternoon ends with some good news about it being retroactive.
Seriously…go call them right now. Make sure they’re insured. Please?
And now, the information you’re all really after:
JUNE SILHOUETTE PROMOTION:
Silhouette SD
2 packages tattoo paper
for $199
and/or
25% off of EVERYTHING in the Silhouette shop (excludes downloads and gift cards)!
As always, use code CRAP to take advantage of the savings. Promotion runs June 21st – 29th.
The nice folks at Silhouette sent me some tattoo paper to play with. In the interest of current life chaos, I made some tattoos. The kids had a fabulous time with them, and I didn’t take any pictures. I did have a little trouble with the machine not cutting all the way through the paper on the settings that pop up in Silhouette Studio, even with double cutting. I’d suggest increasing your depth just a little.
We also made BC some tattooed golf balls for Father’s Day, as seen on the Silhouette blog.
(If I did it again, I wouldn’t cut out the centers of the letters…that’s what caused the little black floaty things.)
I’ve got a couple of other ideas brewing with the tattoo paper, and (hopefully) I’ll be back sharing them later this week. And if you’ve emailed me, I’m sorry. I probably haven’t even looked at it yet. Maybe today?
XOXOXO
When it rains…
June 13, 2011 By 48 Comments
Eleven
June 11, 2011 By 15 Comments
Happy birthday to my sweet, sassy, brilliant, beautiful, hilarious Macy.
What would I do without you?
Probably lose my mind, that’s what.
(Bennett ran to find her at a school assembly)
(She’s the unofficial family/blog photographer. I think she “gets” shooting in manual more than I do.)
God knew I needed you, even if I didn’t think I was ready to be a mom yet.
