Make It Wish List

In my current state of  nesting and organizing everything around me, I have decided to use my blog as a reminder of all of the wonderful things I want to make as seen on the internet.

So you will notice the new list on the right column of my blog titled, Make It Wish List. I know it is already quite a long list and I am expecting baby number two any day now but you can't blame me for wishing!

My goal is to make something, post it on my blog, delete it from my wish list and, of course, replace it with something new! Call me crazy but this is what I call fun (said the crazy housewife). I may just throw caution to the wind and make a recipe wish list too. Woot!

Sewing 101: A Tutu

When deciding how to decorate the nursery for our daughter, I knew the entire room would be focused around a hand embroidered picture that my mom made for my room many years ago. It is the quintessential picture for a little girls room and I was so glad that she saved it all these years for my baby. I will post it here once it is returned from the frame shop.

In order to stay within that theme, I turned to the internet for other ideas and stumbled on the website Posh Tots. When I saw this dress form and tutu I knew it would be the perfect addition and worked well with the picture.

The problem is it costs $450, which is truly ridiculous for a dress form adorned with a tutu. So the seamstress in me took on the challenge.

I found a dress form on good old Ebay for $50 and spent another $40 or so on the materials for the tutu and flower. Here is my version.

Pretty good for around $100, eh? I am an amateur seamstress. Okay truly I am still learning how to sew a straight line so this took everything out of me. Blood, sweat and tears folks but I love how it turned out and that makes it all worth it.

I used the Lulu Grace tutu pattern. Here are the materials you will need to make this tutu:

- Lulu Grace pattern

- 7 to 9 yards of tulle in your choice of color (I used 7 yards because my dress form is a size 3T/4T so 7 yards made a very full tutu).

- 24 yards of matching ribbon (more if you use more than 7 yards of tulle)

- 1 yard of 3/4" to 1" elastic

-Matching thread

- Fray Check

Instructions:

1. Cut the tulle in half width wise along the length of the fabric so you end up with two long strips of tulle.

2. Pin and sew ribbon along the edge of the tulle with the wrong side of the ribbon against the tulle. Repeat on the other side of your long strip.

3. Fold the tulle, ribbon edges together, length wise. Cut 12" wide sections. You should end up with a ton of tulle rectangles.

4. Apply fray check to all of the ribbon edges on all pieces. Do not skip this step!

5. Cut elastic 2-3 inches shorter than the waist measurement. For example, a 3T/4T waist is about 20 inches so I cut an 18 inch piece of elastic.

6. Seam elastic together. Place the circle of elastic through your leg up above your knee. About mid-thigh area.

7. Begin tutu assembly by taking one section of tulle between your leg and the elastic. Even the edges so the tulle is evenly divided and tie securely twice around elastic, but not so tight that the elastic folds. Continue with each section of tulle until the entire elastic band is covered. 

How to make the organza flower.

- Organza fabric in your color choice

- Matching satin ribbon

- 3 pearls for the center of the flower

- Coordinating thread

- Votive candle

Instructions:

1. Cut 5 rough flower shapes or circular shapes if you prefer a round flower to a rose. I may have cut 2 smaller pieces for the center of the flower.

2. Hold cut organza pieces one at a time over a candle flame until it melts to your desired curliness.

3. Assemble flower with your melted organza pieces and sew pearls through all of the layers with matching thread.

4. Sew bottom layer of organza to matching satin ribbon.

5. Pin to dress form.

Good luck!

Babylegs

Babylegs, aka baby leg warmers, are all the rage right now. Apparently they help keep baby warm and make diaper changes easier on mom since they eliminate the need for rompers and their tiny little snaps. 

I decided to make some for our little bambina. It was a super easy, super quick project and loads of fun. Because there are tons of tutorials on the web, I am going to save myself the effort and direct you to the two I used.

For a step by step video on YouTube- click HERE.

For a picture tutorial- click HERE. This tutorial skips a step and makes a larger cuff (see my solid pink babylegs above). Still cute but I think the smaller cuff will work better on infants.

Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice

Well it's time I came out of the closet on my blog. My friends and family all know so now it's time (and safe) to share the news with the blogosphere.

We are expecting our second child and she is a girl! She's beautiful, isn't she?

Of course we are over the moon with excitement and honestly slightly terrified of raising two children under age three but somehow I know we'll manage. I know she will bring us the same joy Ozzie has and fill that special place in our hearts made especially for little girls.

Aloha

I just finished booking our Hawaiian vacation for later this year. Sigh.

I will be sipping cocktails while enjoying this sunset view in just a few months....

Are You Kidding Me?

If I ever have another baby, will you please throw me this baby shower? A perfect medley of nature, birds, nests, branches and JUST.PURE.LOVLINESS. Everything my heart desires!

After I am done drooling I am going to figure out a way to turn this into a child's birthday party or an Easter party just to give myself the opportunity to recreate it!

Sigh.

*pictures courtesy Hostess blog

Branch Art

Years ago I visited my friend Becky in Oregon to celebrate her bun in the oven. While there, I oohed and awed over a frame in her house made from tree branches. I thought it was such a beautiful way to bring nature inside and immediately asked her where she bought it so that I could run out and get one for my own house.

I've always been inspired by nature, especially birds (and their nests), branches and leaves. They are my favorite items to decorate with; it kind of always looks like Autumn in my house. Sadly Becky had no idea where her branch art came from because it was a gift. But she, being the awesome person that she is, reminded me that I could probably make it.

Fast forward to summer 2009, Oscar and I hired a landscaper to remove some old cherry trees from our backyard. Before he hauled the trees away, I remembered Becky's branch art and kept a few pieces to try and make my own.

Well it has definitely been the longest running project I've worked on. Most of the time the branches have been in the garage waiting for me to get to them but we finally did and I just love it! I really really love it!

Before starting construction I asked Becky for a quick picture to refresh my memory. Here is the original sent from her phone so the picture is fuzzy but it did help me to remember.

Here is the frame Oscar constructed for me over the summer. After picking the pieces I wanted, Oscar cut them into a square, pre-drilled holes into each piece and then secured them with small screws. Another fuzzy picture taken from my phone this time but you get the idea.

And after months in the garage, I finally got around to adding the smaller branches using wire and a glue gun. Oscar is going to secure the branches better with brads later but it is done in my book!

My version, on the wall and decorated for Valentines Day! I just love antique Valentines Day cards and think this is a great way to display them. Plus I get to add birds- have I told you how much I love birds? I do think I will add more moss, Becky's version has more moss and I'm leaning towards more moss. : )

Here are some detail shots. I'm in love with my new frame and can't wait to decorate it with each new season!

Funny thing is after months of not checking in, I recently visited my wedding florist's blog and saw her own branch art. Guess great minds think alike!

Lalalaurie

It has been awhile since I visited Laurie Cinotto's blog. Laurie was our wedding florist, I still day dream about my wedding flowers above. She is sooo talented. My wedding theme was organic lovely (I wanted everything to look gorgeous but not planned; as if it just grew from nature right at that spot) and Laurie totally delivered. Sigh.

During my interview with Laurie I discovered that all of my inspiration photos I saved from magazines and the web were actually Laurie's work! I knew immediately that I had to hire her. Of course, she did an amazing job with our wedding flowers. I always smile when I think of the boutonnieres below that fit so perfectly with our wedding location, The Willows Lodge. In fact, I loved Laurie so much I seriously considered starting an "I Love Laurie" fan club on The Knot but then I reeled myself in.

So it was not surprising to see that Martha Stewart called on Laurie for her summer issue of Martha Stewart Weddings. I am so proud of her. Check out her post about it here. And of course, Ms. Martha liked what she saw and invited Laurie back for more!

If you are in the market for a florist, please meet with Laurie. You will not be disappointed. And if you are looking for everyday floral and handmade inspiration, make sure to check out her blog.

Family

I just got my February issue of Martha Stewart Living and love the article about Darcy Miller's art show featuring her family.

My favorite is her family tree. What a cute addition to a child's room or a great gift for a genealogy fan.

Click here for more clip-art from Darcy's gallery show to make your own family art.



Photo courtesy of MS Living.

Succulent Wreath

I absolutely love this succulent wreath by Design*Sponge. Clever, clever, clever!!! I wish I had nothing else to do but sit around and create lovelies like this.

Check out their site for the full how to.

photo courtesy of Design*Sponge

Steel Magnolias 20th Anniversary

November 15th marked the 20th anniversary of Steel Magnolias. Okay so most people were not aware of this and none of the major networks or even the trashy entertainment shows paid notice but I sure did!

Steel Magnolias is a movie about the bond among a group of Southern women in Louisiana. The film is based off the play by Robert Harling and his experience with his sister's death from diabetes.

Steel Magnolias is one of my top five absolute favorite movies. Coincidentally all of them start with the letter S. This is of no significance to anyone but I find it interesting.

Anyway, I was 14 years old when it hit theaters and I loved it immediately. My parents bought me the video when it was released {I am really dating myself here} and I remember watching it over and over and over again with my dear friend Carmen. We would sit for hours in our family room, veg out {another dated term} and watch this movie. I can still recite all of the famous one liners.

There was something about those Southern woman that stole my heart. I've mentioned before that I love people from the South. Their quirkiness, the southern drawl, strongly rooted traditions, southern decorating, the over the top brides and super controling mothers- this is right up my alley.

In all seriousness, it is a movie about love, loss, friendship and strong women. What's not to love? Not to mention the cast. How many movies include six amazingly talented actresses? Four of them oscar winners. These women feel like friends, mothers, family to me.

In fact I love this movie so much I begged my wedding cake baker to make me Jackson's bleeding armadillo grooms cake for my bridal shower a few years ago. She was spot on! I also dream of buying a toy dog and naming her Ouisa Boudreaux.

So no one else noticed the 20th anniversary of Steel Magnolias but me and because this is my blog I find it fully acceptable to celebrate with a post. Maybe I'll make a southern meal for Oscar and throw out a one liner or two? "He'll be so confused he won't know whether to scratch his watch or wind his butt!"

I will leave you with one of my favorite scenes. M'Lynn breaks down after Shelby's funeral and Clairee suggest she takes out her frustration by hitting Ouisa. "Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion."



Happy Anniversary to a great movie about the strength of women!

Where am I?

Oh friends, I know I've been ignoring my blog lately but I've been so busy raising a toddler first and foremost. Man those little ones can wear you out! By the time he goes down for the night, the husband and I are ready to hit the sack ourselves! Jumping on to the lap top and staring at a bright screen just doesn't seem like my way of relaxing these days.

Secondly, I blame the cold weather. I just want to curl up and read a book when I get a few minutes to myself before hitting the sack. Especially since I am currently reading the Sookie Stackhouse series. So fitting to be reading and loving a vampire series during the month of October huh? That Charlaine Harris sure does know her southern vampires.

If you knew me well friends you'd know I love books and movies about southerners. Something about their quirky ways appeals to me. Steel Magnolias is on my top 5 favorite movie list (the one liners alone are worth watching it) and To Kill a Mockingbird is my all time favorite book. I read it in the 7th grade and have loved it ever since. I guess that was my first introduction to those crazy southerners. I heart Atticus Finch!

So please excuse me for not blogging a lot this month, I must get through my latest obsession, Ms. Sookie Stackhouse, and then I'll find time for my other obsessions while not chasing around a very active 15 month old boy. There just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day.

p.s. Don't forget to check out these books for a fun read on a cold fall/winter night!

Goop

I'm usually a day late and a dollar short on these things so if you have already heard of Goop by Gweneth Paltrow move along nothing left to read here. But if you haven't heard of it {don't feel bad I just found it literally 5 minutes ago} Goop is a website with articles and newsletters written by Gweneth. Her subjects span from travel to motherhood, fashion to cooking and everything else in between that most moms find interesting.

Normally I wouldn't be interested in a celebrity website. I gave up following celebrity gossip years ago and life has been much more peaceful since. In fact, I still remember the night at our local dive bar where my friends told me that Brad and Jen were breaking up. Admittedly I did buy the magazine where Jen spilled her beans but that's the last time I got sucked back in. Sadly I don't have to watch those crazy Hollywood shows to know what's happening, these days celebs make the national news shows.

But I digress. Like I said normally I wouldn't be interested but after looking through her site I am intrigued. Naturally her posts on food, books and child friendly restaurants had me hooked since I, as most moms do, love these topics. But I also really liked the simplicity of the her website. In the days of pop ups, unnecessary background music and blinking/scrolling text, it's nice to visit a clean and simple site.

Goop also offers newsletters via email if you don't have an extra 10 minutes in your day to check out the website. Let's face it, some days I don't have an extra 10 minutes to brush my teeth so I appreciate the email option. I may already be hooked.

Feathered Friends

Today I participated in The Shabby Chic Cottage's Feathered Friends Party by adding this link to my blog.

SCC is a fun new blog that I just started following. She, as do I, has a love for birds and decided to throw a virtual party today asking her followers to share their bird love.

Although I have a few bird cages, some little birdie tchotchkes, a bird print and one birds nest I didn't have time to take pictures of everything and link it up to her blog. Ozzie's afternoon nap was cut short by some very loud neighbors {grrrr} so all I had time to do was link my post about the lovely birds nests that are available at LittleRetreats, my favorite Etsy shop. I'm hoping I sent some new customers Brooke's way.

Attending a party through linking a blog post, that's social networking at it's best!

Updated Tiki Torch

photo courtesy of Design*Sponge

I just saw this recycled wine bottle torch on Design*Sponge and had to post about it. What a clever way to reuse a particularly pretty wine bottle while keeping mosquitoes away when entertaining in your backyard. I also love that it is an updated version of the bamboo tiki torch that screams backyard luau.

This is going on Oscar's to do list for next summer if we can't get it accomplished by this summer which I fear is quickly coming to an end.

Click here for the complete instructions on Design*Sponge.

Family Tree

photo courtesy of Hope Studios

Ever since Ozzie was born I've wanted to make or buy a family tree of some sorts to hang in his room. I think family trees are a lovely keepsake and can make a beautiful addition to any nursery or child's bedroom. Something about showing your child who his family is and who will always love him appeals to me.

Originally I saw this family tree from Good Stock via Over Cocktails and thought about getting it framed. But today I ran into Hope Studios on Etsy and am leaning towards this beautifully crafted family tree out of pine. I absolutely love the hand painted leaves for each family member's name.

I think both of these would make a lovely gift for an expecting friend or family member. Which do you prefer?

Candy Buffet

photo courtesy Amy Atlas Events

Speaking of party obsessed, I've been swooning over candy buffets lately. This picture above via Amy Atlas Events has my mouth watering. Also have you seen the Sesame Street candy buffet over at Hostess with the Mostess? Both are way out of my league but fun inspiration.

I think I want to add a mini-candy buffet to Ozzie's 1st birthday celebration. I'm going mini because I am already making 48 cup cakes in 3 different flavors {chocolate, vanilla and coconut}. So in order to not overload the kiddos {and their parents} on too many sweet treats, I think I'll keep the candy buffet mini, maybe 3 or 4 containers of sweets in the birthday theme colors.

If you are interested in adding a candy buffet to your next event, Project Wedding has a great article, Candy Buffet 101. Such a fun way to personalize your next party!

Popcorn Cones

I've decided I MUST make Ozzie these adorable popcorn cones for his 1st birthday party via Martha Stewart. Not that he can eat popcorn at the ripe old age of 1.

I just can't help myself I'm party obsessed and the blogosphere isn't making it any better. Michelle over at Everyday Celebrating even has a tutorial on how to make these cones. Fun!

Thank You!

I want to send a BIG SHOUT OUT to Michelle at Everyday Celebrating for featuring Ozzie's Baptism on her blog. THANK YOU!

As a stay-at-home-Mom crafting & blogging provide me a much needed creative outlet. Honestly I can only play with the donut stacker and block sorter for so long before I start to lose it. So to be featured on another blog is pretty awesome in my book. Kinda feeling like a rock star today! Especially since I love her blog and have been following it since I started my blog wayyy back in January.

Thanks again it was fun fun fun to see your post! For those of you haven't checked out Everyday Celebrating, give it a looksie. It's filled with fun stuff to well.. celebrate everyday!

My Favorite Etsy Shop

If you follow my blog, you know how much I love birds nest, bird cages, bird eggs, bird, bird, bird, bird is the word. Interestingly enough I don't love birds as family pets, I prefer my pets soft with fur and paws not claws. But pretty little bird and nature inspired decorations are my all time favorites.

But I digress, back to my gal Brooke and her cute cute cute Etsy shop, Little Retreats. So I've blogged about her fabulous paper bird cages before and when I saw these lovely bird nests I had to send her another shout out!

This comes at an especially great time because as I mentioned earlier my little Ozzie is on the mend from a horrible virus and scary high fever so these pretty treats made me smile.

Cradled in a handmade nest of aspen wood and adorned with vintage inspired tags, these delicate little eggs are so sweet.

Make sure to check out Brooke's shop filled with paper goodies and other fun chotchkies, you won't be disappointed!

*photos courtesy Little Retreats