tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9352095775773773112024-02-20T23:22:32.244-05:00fabric glue and threada record of things i am able to create after the bedtime stories have been read and my three little ones run out of reasons to get out of their beds.Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14760867222119846689noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935209577577377311.post-80772069646422689762011-08-24T12:29:00.007-04:002012-01-07T17:13:45.614-05:00The thunderstorm quilts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We live in the Southeastern United States where strong thunderstorms are a common occurrence in the Summer. Unfortunately, my children have always been very afraid of the storms, and we have spent many nights huddled together in living room during the storms. When my children realize that there is a thunderstorm, there is a chaotic rush to gather up all of their pillows, blankets, and beloved stuffed animals and make their way downstairs. In an effort to lessen the chaos, I thought it would be a good idea to create a thunderstorm basket filled with quilts, stuffed animals, card games, flashlights, etc to be kept in the living room in the event of a storm.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVxsyAfXol3q5mB5Az3AkhBYLxVPbFI1WjQhcNUNY6cmDklK6oI2khQAkZRAoEafyUhOLdzQO9JUuL_a82IEgm_rp7jYUakFqaLpdtjM4xpTFOzIDMcWcDN_0hHMQphxJfpWM-cIfnWxD/s1600/hopscotch+block+picnik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdVxsyAfXol3q5mB5Az3AkhBYLxVPbFI1WjQhcNUNY6cmDklK6oI2khQAkZRAoEafyUhOLdzQO9JUuL_a82IEgm_rp7jYUakFqaLpdtjM4xpTFOzIDMcWcDN_0hHMQphxJfpWM-cIfnWxD/s400/hopscotch+block+picnik.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMZC-hi7pRWS_4dp-Suln0eNfLFaOCNmKuWHOq6w0n_RGhOuPknTi8kzdYb3dDIHs1RhBj4WiO2nzSGz68MlQHVpGhF8RNYvp4csio379dz8YiASnFvj0EDTLNVcoQ7KwS0vp76Wb-EG0/s1600/children+at+play+picnik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmMZC-hi7pRWS_4dp-Suln0eNfLFaOCNmKuWHOq6w0n_RGhOuPknTi8kzdYb3dDIHs1RhBj4WiO2nzSGz68MlQHVpGhF8RNYvp4csio379dz8YiASnFvj0EDTLNVcoQ7KwS0vp76Wb-EG0/s400/children+at+play+picnik.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwCGQiVTMvBmJ5SSEpFhzcEwMHURP9Yt3XGGKEN_dIOS72TMC_oqNbkKj4MZaTFHSuEk5__SPqF6Lr__6zkqYp58TavjpGIdsjnDQEhrJxbmv6RqTOC0i4qnFpQiNOIwFmQcTeSDE9aYn/s1600/pinwheels+block+picnik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwCGQiVTMvBmJ5SSEpFhzcEwMHURP9Yt3XGGKEN_dIOS72TMC_oqNbkKj4MZaTFHSuEk5__SPqF6Lr__6zkqYp58TavjpGIdsjnDQEhrJxbmv6RqTOC0i4qnFpQiNOIwFmQcTeSDE9aYn/s400/pinwheels+block+picnik.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdiaBCTpYenWMxAv-1-IW-dFG3N1fCWqhIiB6Ro9N7-7p1iorwkXydUEneMZHnGEAhl_YAKUdrUhcaGmf2NETlus-Hz5UKEJkhMfkO7dlZF6ihVmjAM9BeiwH7jhmTh5LpHH8tGzvBKk0U/s1600/balloons+block+picnik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdiaBCTpYenWMxAv-1-IW-dFG3N1fCWqhIiB6Ro9N7-7p1iorwkXydUEneMZHnGEAhl_YAKUdrUhcaGmf2NETlus-Hz5UKEJkhMfkO7dlZF6ihVmjAM9BeiwH7jhmTh5LpHH8tGzvBKk0U/s400/balloons+block+picnik.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gjw9QtJjFV8kJqzTQjcem3Hu-_2wEHSTZjf1kGAlBPYNTuzwY4bJpWi0q3Ym42TjvZ2Kv2EPT_qkDC0Ez3s3ygCAgJKFg8e_QbzCqvADebcPLo038qlhd79DUpHP4NB0cDtntKiGjIJI/s1600/toys+block+picnik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gjw9QtJjFV8kJqzTQjcem3Hu-_2wEHSTZjf1kGAlBPYNTuzwY4bJpWi0q3Ym42TjvZ2Kv2EPT_qkDC0Ez3s3ygCAgJKFg8e_QbzCqvADebcPLo038qlhd79DUpHP4NB0cDtntKiGjIJI/s400/toys+block+picnik.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>I set out to create quilts for them that would give them a sense of comfort and distract them from the storm. I also used fabrics for the quilt top that I hoped would inspire conversation during the storm. I thought that all of the cute images in Sarah Jane's Children at Play fabrics and Munki Munki fabrics would be a great inspiration for conversation. <br />
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Last night I paper pieced a girl that is to represent my middle daughter for the back of her thunderstorm quilt. Since I am making thunderstorm quilts for each of my children, I wanted to do something to personalize each of their quilts. I taught myself how to paper piece by following some tutorials on You Tube, so I may or may not be doing it the proper way. Nonetheless, I like the results I was able to achieve. I have been inspired by all of the amazing paper pieced items that I have been seeing on Flickr. I really like paper piecing because I feel like you can create something very unique. I have so many ideas floating around in my head for future paper pieced projects. <br />
I was going to make this girl a test run, but I am happy with the results so I think I will use this block. Plus it is very time intensive, so the idea of a test run is kind of a waste. I did not have any solid yellow for her blonde hair, so I used some Joel Dewberry Heirloom Blockprint Blossom fabric scraps from my Swoon quilt. I like the accidental highlights that the white in the printed fabric gave her hair. My middle daughter has a lot of natural highlights in her hair, so it is cool that I achieved that look unintentionally. <br />
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This afternoon I plan on making a paper pieced boy for my son. I hope all goes well, and that I do not need to use my seam ripper often.Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14760867222119846689noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935209577577377311.post-61299849412728725332010-12-16T10:31:00.000-05:002010-12-16T09:38:29.462-05:00To quote Amy Poehler in Baby Mama: " I'm so excited!"Please read my very first guest post at Amanda's amazing blog, <a href="http://www.ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/">Our Humble Abowed</a>. I am so honored that Amanda asked me to write a post on her awesome blog!Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14760867222119846689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935209577577377311.post-66858688201955385672010-12-12T13:06:00.001-05:002010-12-12T13:11:19.974-05:00A giveaway and a tutorial coming soon!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/iusb_760x100.7908827.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="84" src="http://ny-image3.etsy.com/iusb_760x100.7908827.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I recently became blog friends with Amanda from<a href="http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/"> http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com</a>. She is a super nice person, and her blog is amazing. Amanda is giving away a beautiful, custom print on her blog. Go over and check out her amazing blog, and enter for a chance to win one of her custom prints here <a href="http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/2010/12/10/gimme-a-giveaway-modern-portrait">http://ourhumbleabowed.wordpress.com/2010/12/10/gimme-a-giveaway-modern-portrait</a>.<br />
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Also, later in the week I will be posting some tutorials about some of my Holiday DIY projects! Stay tuned!<br />
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I would love to hear from you! Please leave me feedback, if you enjoy reading my posts! I am new to blogland, and I often wonder if people enjoy reading my blog:)<br />
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Have a great weekend!<br />
EricaEricahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14760867222119846689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935209577577377311.post-52823811215946135612010-12-06T16:02:00.000-05:002010-12-06T16:02:22.227-05:00Thanksgiving Memories and A David Stark Inspired Christmas I hope that you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving! It was nice to have the kids home from school for the Holidays. We had a nice, relaxing travel free Thanksgiving at home with our family of five. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQBmgpq1GaCpG49Ood3f_cg13sFr5cvn60N6dgZmqzMGLEWsAOk76bKvR2gPtZOJ0DrGk4RwXx8jO6Sxzt6M8J_-hpe06RwngpSfwEmQjtjGD4UTDUYi_YCtquzTDnkWpeWxLwi49ctXJ/s1600/IMG_1656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQBmgpq1GaCpG49Ood3f_cg13sFr5cvn60N6dgZmqzMGLEWsAOk76bKvR2gPtZOJ0DrGk4RwXx8jO6Sxzt6M8J_-hpe06RwngpSfwEmQjtjGD4UTDUYi_YCtquzTDnkWpeWxLwi49ctXJ/s640/IMG_1656.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanksgiving 2010 </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHO5Ejhjsg9th6HtYL0TkOvEW8fKlx0y7q6_eAbUAhAL0myOOug6cAQlFABEmYxQDaaqJdaDoYmwrdIjvlYAAMXRsSAFe5RdMx7XkpiU8KgiSMR5II6wALosLXMypWtdF0aLXuQk29J-7/s1600/IMG_1657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHO5Ejhjsg9th6HtYL0TkOvEW8fKlx0y7q6_eAbUAhAL0myOOug6cAQlFABEmYxQDaaqJdaDoYmwrdIjvlYAAMXRsSAFe5RdMx7XkpiU8KgiSMR5II6wALosLXMypWtdF0aLXuQk29J-7/s640/IMG_1657.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanksgiving 2010 </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQoKQHDix2g952RRvecc3m0-9AZzUDa5o4ehCEgfvT_ujhyphenhyphenNhCMdffbpHZW2iXbKnNKPNJSycngGaZ9OIOwVwIPvSDcoJRkwLT7w7RjRG0GZ96GAjd28jeI01Bwi2NeXU2XuzL9FOZFpSf/s1600/IMG_1658.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQoKQHDix2g952RRvecc3m0-9AZzUDa5o4ehCEgfvT_ujhyphenhyphenNhCMdffbpHZW2iXbKnNKPNJSycngGaZ9OIOwVwIPvSDcoJRkwLT7w7RjRG0GZ96GAjd28jeI01Bwi2NeXU2XuzL9FOZFpSf/s640/IMG_1658.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanksgiving 2010 </td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Ahhh Christmas...how did you arrive so quickly? I feel totally unprepared for the Holiday season this year. The weather here this Fall was so unseasonably warm that it felt like an extended Summer. After all, we were wearing shorts and flip flops during the week of Thanksgiving. As a result, I did a double take when I went into the Target and saw the Christmas decorations on display. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuV9ViRt2mKTeJ7ShZ-GHauqTiW7FUcTE1zh03i2uQLd3hTJUNEovF4tiXc75qgzL-LCmpjxvXAxGSOtoT4ixh_v1Px55idcm2kNDSt6AZ9cqswj-PgV8ML8tRpLoArTwCLn7pOUTJgg7n/s1600/Christmas+2010+mantle+picnik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuV9ViRt2mKTeJ7ShZ-GHauqTiW7FUcTE1zh03i2uQLd3hTJUNEovF4tiXc75qgzL-LCmpjxvXAxGSOtoT4ixh_v1Px55idcm2kNDSt6AZ9cqswj-PgV8ML8tRpLoArTwCLn7pOUTJgg7n/s640/Christmas+2010+mantle+picnik.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas 2010 </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSbWteAJkQm_uQXjaWZZtipgn-fELGfoEFyPlFgg4Owzic9D4X5Y1pZz4Zv5UCyNsJyXma0_YQxcs0_gBrM5NLwwfIvJFkc3mM_qYfUjLLYpLKlot57GCrC_8G79mvf40CObSTJNY2oNO/s1600/IMG_1698.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhSbWteAJkQm_uQXjaWZZtipgn-fELGfoEFyPlFgg4Owzic9D4X5Y1pZz4Zv5UCyNsJyXma0_YQxcs0_gBrM5NLwwfIvJFkc3mM_qYfUjLLYpLKlot57GCrC_8G79mvf40CObSTJNY2oNO/s640/IMG_1698.JPG" width="640" /></a></div> <br />
I love to decorate...especially for special occasions like the Holidays. This year I fell in love with West Elm's Holiday decorations. I am especially fond of the collection that David Stark created for them this season. I decided to attempt to recreate his look. <br />
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On the mantle, I created a snowflake garland by adhering hand cut, paper snowflakes to a gray, satin ribbon. The garland was primarily inspired by this one from Martha. Having not cut snowflakes out of paper since I was a child, I decided to follow a tutorial on YouTube for a refresher course. I had a lot of fun creating them. I might have to try some more paper cutting projects in the future. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/pub/kids/2002Q4//mslkids1202_hol02_flakegarland_xl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/pub/kids/2002Q4//mslkids1202_hol02_flakegarland_xl.jpg" width="512" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martha Stewart's Glittered Snowflake Garland</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HcOPYsLoRNFKHEhLOy0YwFH0YtJZmS0m9na3lbIdPQGVG9KenS73ghAWUfz3rIcpvEk2eRPyZ-dthhZp92cM_aZvZdsMPfWQEDHujCPYS5a77BMNOW7WDIGBA1OqYlzjYt2fquYYpn4u/s1600/IMG_1693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8HcOPYsLoRNFKHEhLOy0YwFH0YtJZmS0m9na3lbIdPQGVG9KenS73ghAWUfz3rIcpvEk2eRPyZ-dthhZp92cM_aZvZdsMPfWQEDHujCPYS5a77BMNOW7WDIGBA1OqYlzjYt2fquYYpn4u/s640/IMG_1693.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I loved the oversized, white Nutcracker soldiers at West Elm, but at sixty dollars for one of them, I decided I could replicate them myself for much cheaper. I found a large, Nutcracker at my local craft store with a bonus little Nutcracker on sale for eight dollars. I quickly began stripping off his many layers of fur, rhinestones, and glitter. My husband helped me sand off the many layers of glitter and glue residue, and he spray painted him a nice, glossy white. I am so happy with the way that he turned out. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.westelm.com/weimgs/ab/images/wcm/products/201041/0001/img3l.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.westelm.com/weimgs/ab/images/wcm/products/201041/0001/img3l.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West Elm's Nutcrackers</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Nutcracker before</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jAXLc_C1GHKKxVRD-Ggg-ytQyr2ZOOSqOKG2V3fcw19Jybq16fShsgrDEf0_5mXpbfLeQN7naJz6ybN8d48u_UDjdq3fIXhMVi_GPMhMTJHwPHE5tEre6_E3Pnriako-oKLNaOrlhvTe/s1600/IMG_1700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6jAXLc_C1GHKKxVRD-Ggg-ytQyr2ZOOSqOKG2V3fcw19Jybq16fShsgrDEf0_5mXpbfLeQN7naJz6ybN8d48u_UDjdq3fIXhMVi_GPMhMTJHwPHE5tEre6_E3Pnriako-oKLNaOrlhvTe/s640/IMG_1700.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Nutcracker after</td></tr>
</tbody></table>We have an amazing locally owned landscape/garden center in our town that I love to browse for design inspiration. At Christmas time, they have a have a large indoor space that is transformed into a Christmas store. I could spend hours in the store looking at all of the beautiful decorations. This year I discovered an entire display of vintage, bottle brush trees in many colors and sizes. I was quickly drawn to these miniature trees filled with beautiful, Mercury glass ornaments. Despite my love for the garden center, the store tends to be overpriced. They were selling each of these tiny trees for about thirty dollars a piece. Unwilling to spend that much on a single, Holiday decoration, I decided to try to make my own bottle brush trees. I purchased a bag of dark green, plastic trees intended to be used with Christmas villages for eleven dollars at Lowes. My husband placed them in a bucket of bleach overnight, and in the morning, I was left with these adorable off white, faux bottle brush trees. I read online that if you want to you can dye them any color of your choice with Rit dye, however I liked the off white trees, so I left them as is. I embellished some of the trees with some small ornaments from the craft store. I think they are really cute.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiocd5YoqmQWvYR_vNUBzBkSGsgYRLG-Jx1Q2wudt-bU7dfBGyI4Wv1XCPQefSMMdBya88PVmIS0iXO2g9OvMMyv4NspT6vBZde325iKsTKXgMZHtDj8jVhQEPaZDmHw-KvLmXwSsiX9SfF/s1600/IMG_1640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiocd5YoqmQWvYR_vNUBzBkSGsgYRLG-Jx1Q2wudt-bU7dfBGyI4Wv1XCPQefSMMdBya88PVmIS0iXO2g9OvMMyv4NspT6vBZde325iKsTKXgMZHtDj8jVhQEPaZDmHw-KvLmXwSsiX9SfF/s640/IMG_1640.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faux Bottlebrush Trees before</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLWVRaHMqSDWaSIM-dLvIlgJXG6HCeCs1NZjA435UO5WnRwh6g6yhCF37Oa17ku-4M9M3pD26ZJ0hfCQyEmLVntjSFD6R05sp-DnRwPzywA1qC5tmvtBd30FNPHz__jquurFu7bON-MHe/s1600/IMG_1694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLWVRaHMqSDWaSIM-dLvIlgJXG6HCeCs1NZjA435UO5WnRwh6g6yhCF37Oa17ku-4M9M3pD26ZJ0hfCQyEmLVntjSFD6R05sp-DnRwPzywA1qC5tmvtBd30FNPHz__jquurFu7bON-MHe/s640/IMG_1694.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faux Bottlebrush Trees after</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQt7k8eLNGLqw5J8n84bokayDJiaNlpX7iEbbBFaYnuyzuVAfGLxb4C3DdQHs9rlFmyiFa7bgI4JS7hflAFFr4PMYplE85CpUDHB4yqGMH4ykHNeIfhkzr4gQuoeXLi4zOohWqZo-31MNZ/s1600/IMG_1696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQt7k8eLNGLqw5J8n84bokayDJiaNlpX7iEbbBFaYnuyzuVAfGLxb4C3DdQHs9rlFmyiFa7bgI4JS7hflAFFr4PMYplE85CpUDHB4yqGMH4ykHNeIfhkzr4gQuoeXLi4zOohWqZo-31MNZ/s640/IMG_1696.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faux Bottlebrush Trees after</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYDOc5WB65BX9ehcwHgz12wRVKw7t6ux0ePy3fODK8s1qS5LaILxrNrbDTPKJeosac0uFe9B1YMXNMqZeSWz7E3fHQR0lFa3wciM80T3eA4PFyOBuXEmxi9gfqEqfKwBe7kKUS40EUfII/s1600/IMG_1697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnYDOc5WB65BX9ehcwHgz12wRVKw7t6ux0ePy3fODK8s1qS5LaILxrNrbDTPKJeosac0uFe9B1YMXNMqZeSWz7E3fHQR0lFa3wciM80T3eA4PFyOBuXEmxi9gfqEqfKwBe7kKUS40EUfII/s640/IMG_1697.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Faux Bottlebrush Trees after</td></tr>
</tbody></table>This year I decided to decorate our tree in silver and white. I love how simple and sparkly the tree looks. I found the tree skirt several years ago, and it has remained one of my favorite parts of the tree. I searched all over for an off white tree skirt, and I love it. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDbIwqECufvZOkQozJipWGmGa_mYSzaCnNskFfbZiIVTL-GDcyzJlcZzofLrkf4wnqZcV_wIHtZsWfC8VHiUQ-MMLHfCb_aNXjaggEpdu1lPQBYUv5W74hV5tkGLz_5a0O049N0pKBpVL/s1600/IMG_1702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDbIwqECufvZOkQozJipWGmGa_mYSzaCnNskFfbZiIVTL-GDcyzJlcZzofLrkf4wnqZcV_wIHtZsWfC8VHiUQ-MMLHfCb_aNXjaggEpdu1lPQBYUv5W74hV5tkGLz_5a0O049N0pKBpVL/s640/IMG_1702.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Christmas Tree 2010</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rxCJctyMaN5G1pvKaAJCwohYAb8jqNp7SOXlnpGvCdWXSezgQnlsgPQ9fc2ll223O_5i0Tq3bLJEH64Bov1tWvmNBbANH5aW5kXgsh4kP0c7bOpZX0EYA7towt1xErcCTniGdDlZ366E/s1600/IMG_1703.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rxCJctyMaN5G1pvKaAJCwohYAb8jqNp7SOXlnpGvCdWXSezgQnlsgPQ9fc2ll223O_5i0Tq3bLJEH64Bov1tWvmNBbANH5aW5kXgsh4kP0c7bOpZX0EYA7towt1xErcCTniGdDlZ366E/s400/IMG_1703.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEive3K0nc5UQNu9Jj1jk5SPRQhoumyAZFvzVUojwNMZZ3S95zLyTPX_r_PG0krX3hZVPZmoK8zXc1yHDupliryHTzv9dj9CCpNc5St2WtVkU43bf4ciWWyfTHIlEwZVMXc84_8EVK_rT6IK/s1600/IMG_1705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEive3K0nc5UQNu9Jj1jk5SPRQhoumyAZFvzVUojwNMZZ3S95zLyTPX_r_PG0krX3hZVPZmoK8zXc1yHDupliryHTzv9dj9CCpNc5St2WtVkU43bf4ciWWyfTHIlEwZVMXc84_8EVK_rT6IK/s400/IMG_1705.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zwiwiU1pk-7V1ebjq0sLs23kFoKzH77Gt6_BCNms30fEczug2g_rBsWUaiPsnCByUqtz2Ny_oK_V5v3lDz2r2Ey5Go-U62ltq83tGcTGbnJNuZK4HJ8ArQT9tFmN0FjtMwyDfIG1w471/s1600/IMG_1706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5zwiwiU1pk-7V1ebjq0sLs23kFoKzH77Gt6_BCNms30fEczug2g_rBsWUaiPsnCByUqtz2Ny_oK_V5v3lDz2r2Ey5Go-U62ltq83tGcTGbnJNuZK4HJ8ArQT9tFmN0FjtMwyDfIG1w471/s400/IMG_1706.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiid-QUBLioYUAgWbyMANeRGh8LpQt9btrzTRCGmQE1IDYbnq6IF_wwfQPRJIxZ92k5K4zRd4W99cnUaLXzFO1KVxVZr8O7ZximKci-cZtMl4I3kqrFLt2IlLsn9Jfv6qCBgqxP8BiJGYSN/s1600/IMG_1707.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiid-QUBLioYUAgWbyMANeRGh8LpQt9btrzTRCGmQE1IDYbnq6IF_wwfQPRJIxZ92k5K4zRd4W99cnUaLXzFO1KVxVZr8O7ZximKci-cZtMl4I3kqrFLt2IlLsn9Jfv6qCBgqxP8BiJGYSN/s400/IMG_1707.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsPV9Kbz7zTbZUkfWOxgbW4xpn8jDOs3j8Vl6Tvfz9qCSUReov0fBuv71aRcSsu53sQv4kQ5KfLYUTRb2ybYL-aM4KLY4FTLbZuZulwgKzuhBxjL97WfBbT0l4BsoeSQElEUWIByw0kNez/s1600/IMG_1709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsPV9Kbz7zTbZUkfWOxgbW4xpn8jDOs3j8Vl6Tvfz9qCSUReov0fBuv71aRcSsu53sQv4kQ5KfLYUTRb2ybYL-aM4KLY4FTLbZuZulwgKzuhBxjL97WfBbT0l4BsoeSQElEUWIByw0kNez/s400/IMG_1709.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrsugyyvjOaR3vmZaGBP1NajZ_B3C023qst-v_sejnUCQPpRgI5j0tqH0_Paov7fnSeoblF-v_KeikD38zHTNNgOJXvUBUUrpLec33ygbJKKrH_JeYo1tQUEPEu58GTeW1KtwYa22CKvc/s1600/IMG_1710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBrsugyyvjOaR3vmZaGBP1NajZ_B3C023qst-v_sejnUCQPpRgI5j0tqH0_Paov7fnSeoblF-v_KeikD38zHTNNgOJXvUBUUrpLec33ygbJKKrH_JeYo1tQUEPEu58GTeW1KtwYa22CKvc/s400/IMG_1710.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbLVXzaqe1Q1P-Tl7pIdL97bwe1j_WXbYZenKJUN1MDedsT8LFfWzCdpy5ceE1JYuWx9lyWaPtcUDwmJw2N5LGZ2M3I6bAxgZvxjlIT8Td471zUKzGg9h8nD7C21m_LbFrIcXAzPQi3_9/s1600/IMG_1711.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbLVXzaqe1Q1P-Tl7pIdL97bwe1j_WXbYZenKJUN1MDedsT8LFfWzCdpy5ceE1JYuWx9lyWaPtcUDwmJw2N5LGZ2M3I6bAxgZvxjlIT8Td471zUKzGg9h8nD7C21m_LbFrIcXAzPQi3_9/s400/IMG_1711.JPG" width="300" /></a></div> Now that the tree is up and the house is decorated, I am very excited to celebrate this Holiday season. This is going to be our youngest, baby girl's first Christmas, which is very exciting. She is very close to crawling, and she enjoys playing with the tree skirt. My five year old and eight year old are very excited about the Holidays as well. I feel very blessed to have my wonderful husband and my three amazing children in my life. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHRBMB0GzQ2WE8pJILoqdzdlZIeL_DaGyhhm-NHNV1zNHOsVD5VRjKxVy7gM1QpL010ecw-aaUHlzeCTn1vMK0_EHNs7WbqzA_ukXfxCenufcOILxM2FfDNRAnI-ZjvdqFiR3Jv5nFU6K/s1600/IMG_1704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTHRBMB0GzQ2WE8pJILoqdzdlZIeL_DaGyhhm-NHNV1zNHOsVD5VRjKxVy7gM1QpL010ecw-aaUHlzeCTn1vMK0_EHNs7WbqzA_ukXfxCenufcOILxM2FfDNRAnI-ZjvdqFiR3Jv5nFU6K/s640/IMG_1704.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A new ornament for Baby C's first Christmas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14760867222119846689noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935209577577377311.post-12873475712704311342010-11-25T01:36:00.001-05:002010-11-25T01:38:43.989-05:00If only there were more hours in a day...and happy thanksgiving!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipUquT_sADxZhO3N5LVxquBQzviY3PjnSCJkGe4H7s9Zsyp0vrr9S7SIAjOC01QfHskYOC-O5l9vkup7rIwRXvlAEIQLN0V5UatCO0gC8PdJbfOu-yb2g7N3UMX779F0uTr7ZcnFTC51GF/s1600/pictures+for+blog+112010+007+picnik+rotated.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipUquT_sADxZhO3N5LVxquBQzviY3PjnSCJkGe4H7s9Zsyp0vrr9S7SIAjOC01QfHskYOC-O5l9vkup7rIwRXvlAEIQLN0V5UatCO0gC8PdJbfOu-yb2g7N3UMX779F0uTr7ZcnFTC51GF/s640/pictures+for+blog+112010+007+picnik+rotated.jpg" width="584" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I was able to finish my Autumn wreath just in time for Thanksgiving. Several months ago, I had mentioned that I had been inspired to make a wreath out of lima beans similar to the acorn wreath that I saw on Made's blog here <a href="http://www.dana-made-it.com/2008/07/tutorial-acorn-wreath.html">http://www.dana-made-it.com/2008/07/tutorial-acorn-wreath.html</a>. Gluing all of those beans proved to be a lot more time consuming than I had originally anticipated. This is not the type of project that you can hammer out in one evening...at least I couldn't. I enjoyed making the wreath though. It was nice to be involved in a craft project that was relatively easy. I decided to add a "floral detail" made out of smaller, navy beans just to mix it up. I really like the wreath. I was going to spray paint it like the inspiration wreath, however I decided that I liked the natural look of the lima beans. I love how simple and modern the wreath looks. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I am having fun transforming objects with coats of glossy, white spray paint. I originally purchased this candle holder about ten years ago from Pier 1, and it was collecting dust in my cabinet until it was given new life with a coat of paint. Now that I look at these pictures, it appears that the before photo looks better than the after, but in person the white looks so much better. The white made this metal candle holder look like a ceramic piece. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24kQzBC81IPMujh79MYLBkBuxGQan34KSYWemGzonkeiqy1y-ojRkn39LGcmsmLIz9Lz6BSHbt97T1P-3XKfVIB-mkqEynl5DElEv_w6wvTOEQ_MTfoEYDXD62hSPeWWgtXKjqhD0A45l/s1600/pictures+for+blog+112010+002+picnik+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg24kQzBC81IPMujh79MYLBkBuxGQan34KSYWemGzonkeiqy1y-ojRkn39LGcmsmLIz9Lz6BSHbt97T1P-3XKfVIB-mkqEynl5DElEv_w6wvTOEQ_MTfoEYDXD62hSPeWWgtXKjqhD0A45l/s640/pictures+for+blog+112010+002+picnik+2.jpg" width="602" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUiPI4smoBLulQCQ5DKCrptVWiXRamZTuZFMGx1HsNi6aialBh9MXEUDa-JZ-oSpCnGc_N4qTcWJvCfkfBy0vk-qF9I6hMmTeLNzh-I3FfzaaJJAf1EJcZKVdUBkNw3y8XjS93BSRQ2NR/s1600/pictures+for+blog+112010+013+picnik+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWUiPI4smoBLulQCQ5DKCrptVWiXRamZTuZFMGx1HsNi6aialBh9MXEUDa-JZ-oSpCnGc_N4qTcWJvCfkfBy0vk-qF9I6hMmTeLNzh-I3FfzaaJJAf1EJcZKVdUBkNw3y8XjS93BSRQ2NR/s640/pictures+for+blog+112010+013+picnik+2.jpg" width="628" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Some other items that were subjected to spray paint, were these new, Christmas ornaments from Target. I think the paint gave the ornaments a more modern look. I love them. I think they are reminiscent of these adorable, Jonathan Adler ornaments, but at three dollars a piece they are so much cheaper. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhe9FCns85hH_b1YEVYi3J8Yc-wQusGDIweFQLz3WLwN8jn_ne2BRudTBFRUe8jNeWG90J22UGMkw5OmXmgb7-Vm7IUF14IlEkQSx573r1azdpkGRco4Xn8efp0L6uziamnTPFcS9oArk/s1600/pictures+for+blog+112010+005+picnik+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimhe9FCns85hH_b1YEVYi3J8Yc-wQusGDIweFQLz3WLwN8jn_ne2BRudTBFRUe8jNeWG90J22UGMkw5OmXmgb7-Vm7IUF14IlEkQSx573r1azdpkGRco4Xn8efp0L6uziamnTPFcS9oArk/s640/pictures+for+blog+112010+005+picnik+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC47ZDiMW3oSRSMoN1NsosaP5ggXxY98BhZPyhxViTVY041O8qJA8syE1cOxmfC6ef3vyanMsLqXuXV_ZoO8QlUwt8v45dBn9tDsJbOzCVVYDNenB4H-kTWt8JKqERuRjpNKsNMdUaJhvS/s1600/pictures+for+blog+112010+017+picnik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC47ZDiMW3oSRSMoN1NsosaP5ggXxY98BhZPyhxViTVY041O8qJA8syE1cOxmfC6ef3vyanMsLqXuXV_ZoO8QlUwt8v45dBn9tDsJbOzCVVYDNenB4H-kTWt8JKqERuRjpNKsNMdUaJhvS/s640/pictures+for+blog+112010+017+picnik.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOAwT71I9pM9VSpWcUabba9gSQjipSyDPBl2BR2bGMTMYeVraGJeD2Y7-r9y-tyqUwjJCq5Hl56Rc76pS-DEahsKvYFaURmyMAKpmAvNptHoOzyFwd0mAKUxFsvlGfWLY93veyLjM9Ed-L/s400/1127033_fpx.tif.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.stilllifemercantile.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/img_0036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.stilllifemercantile.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/img_0036.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14760867222119846689noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935209577577377311.post-13832102016932156392010-10-17T20:30:00.000-04:002010-10-17T20:32:41.994-04:00It's Fall!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ZwfyH2qm11HRxlRg0Xdh4CjIAMaJTbcjy4H3m2RN5hJghzGsyCfcOlW7Tfmqz-lKrubFFlw-P2yrk75N4q218HDaCs4b4tzj_8PjbnEGuYLNu_AVMae1kbw6bduwVALCvmgUc2X1oZjN/s640/IMG_1422.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my children's pumpkins</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ZwfyH2qm11HRxlRg0Xdh4CjIAMaJTbcjy4H3m2RN5hJghzGsyCfcOlW7Tfmqz-lKrubFFlw-P2yrk75N4q218HDaCs4b4tzj_8PjbnEGuYLNu_AVMae1kbw6bduwVALCvmgUc2X1oZjN/s1600/IMG_1422.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>My two school aged children are beginning their third week of vacation today. Our public schools follow a year round calendar, so they get a vacation every nine weeks. It is nice to have them home during the day. Our house is definitely full of energy and there is never a dull moment. I think the baby is going to miss them dearly when they go back to their normal routine next week. I will too.<br />
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Needless to say, I have not had much time to dedicate to my own interests. I was able to spend some time making a Fall wreath for the front door last night. I was inspired by all of the cool Fall projects that I have been seeing in blogland. Fall has actually taken me by surprise this year. The weather has been unseasonably warm here, and it still feels like Summer. In fact, I was going to purchase some mums for the pots on the front steps, but my geraniums are still blooming, so I think I am going to skip the mums this year.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTH5oJF0PX54v6nrPtDgcJUkyTNHne_YIfvWYWFucRMabNEXRfrDq1n-LScRUOr0sJz_pBsMwzyhb5YjJvaUHfA9R061FRdruGluJm2aFUQscgNqlwICPzdEftvJQ3Wue3_vyBECjo1Bjy/s1600/IMG_1430.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTH5oJF0PX54v6nrPtDgcJUkyTNHne_YIfvWYWFucRMabNEXRfrDq1n-LScRUOr0sJz_pBsMwzyhb5YjJvaUHfA9R061FRdruGluJm2aFUQscgNqlwICPzdEftvJQ3Wue3_vyBECjo1Bjy/s640/IMG_1430.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
I am making a wreath inspired by this acorn wreath from Made's blog <a href="http://www.dana-made-it.com/2008/07/tutorial-acorn-wreath.html">http://www.dana-made-it.com/2008/07/tutorial-acorn-wreath.html</a>. I adore the wreath that she made. Although, I was unable to find any available acorns, so my wreath is made out of many large, dried lima beans. Gluing all of those beans to the wreath is very time consuming, and I found myself wondering if I was crazy to spend so much time making a wreath. It looks pretty cool though. I also love that it can be repainted to accommodate the changing seasons...like a chameleon. I have not yet decided on the color of the wreath. I wanted to see if I had the fortitude to glue all of the beans before I decided on the color. I have actually enjoyed making the wreath. There is something very relaxing about methodically gluing all of those beans to the wreath in organized rows.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.namtab.com/images/gallery/posters/thisamericanlife.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://www.namtab.com/images/gallery/posters/thisamericanlife.gif" width="400" /></a></div><br />
What made my wreath making even more enjoyable, was that my husband and I were able to listen to some of the <u>This American Life</u> podcasts from the past couple of weeks while I was crafting. We adore listening to <u>This American Life</u> together. It is the perfect stay at home date night for my husband and I. We also love to watch Modern Family together. We rarely ever watch television, but we really enjoy that show. Funny stuff:)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/10millionwords/files/2010/03/eatinganimals.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/10millionwords/files/2010/03/eatinganimals.jpg" width="247" /></a></div>I also just started reading <u>Eating Animals</u> by Jonathan Safran Foer. Even though I am only a couple of chapters into the book, I can already tell that it is going to become one of my favorite books. Foer is an amazing writer. I have been a vegetarian since I was in high school, so I already agree with the premise of the book. However, my husband is only a part-time vegetarian. He said he wants to read the book when I am finished with it. It will be interesting to see if he turns the corner and becomes a full-time vegetarian after he reads the book.<br />
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Have a great week! <br />
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Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14760867222119846689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935209577577377311.post-10129283426420601742010-10-04T11:57:00.000-04:002010-10-04T12:28:07.475-04:00Crafty diversions, Citronille and a school holiday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.oscraps.com/shop/images/D/paislee-wishingjar-prv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.oscraps.com/shop/images/D/paislee-wishingjar-prv.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I haven't made any more progress on any of my current quilting projects because I discovered the wonderful world of digital scrapbooking. I thought that my scrapbooking days were over until I discovered digital scrapbooking. I have found it to be very addictive. One of the nicest things about it is that it is a mess free project. Long gone are the days of cleaning up little scraps of paper and sticky glue. When my son was born eight and a half years ago, I made several traditional scrapbooks for him. It was very labor intensive, and when I look at the layouts now they are definitely dated. My love affair with traditional scrapbooking was very short lived, and all of my supplies made their way into the attic a long time ago.<br />
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A couple of weeks ago I stumbled upon someone's post about digital scrapbooking, and I quickly discovered all of the beautiful digital kits that are now available. I especially adore the kits by Paislee Press. Check out her beautiful kits at <a href="http://www.oscraps.com/shop/home.php?cat=329&treem=1">http://www.oscraps.com/shop/home.php?cat=329&treem=1</a>. They are gorgeous. Paislee Press is actually giving away a beautiful DIY digital calendar kit on her blog. Checkout her amazing blog for a chance to win at <a href="http://paisleepress.blogspot.com/2010/10/2011-diy-calendar-kit-giveaway.html">http://paisleepress.blogspot.com/2010/10/2011-diy-calendar-kit-giveaway.html</a>. In the past couple of weeks, I have already created quite a few pages for my youngest daughter. The layouts seem to come together very quickly. It is definitely not as time consuming as traditional scrapbooking. It is also nice that you can save what you are working on and finish it later, if you are in the middle of a layout and your five month old starts screaming to be nursed. After I finish the baby's scrapbook, I plan on making a scrapbook for my middle daughter. She has a baby book, but I have always felt guilty that she did not have a scrapbook like her older brother. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.citronille.fr/cache_img/w200_h500_11010711" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.citronille.fr/cache_img/w200_h500_11010711" width="172" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.citronille.fr/cache_img/w200_h500_11010514" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.citronille.fr/cache_img/w200_h500_11010514" width="197" /></a></div>I also recently discovered Citronille sewing patterns! These patterns are beautiful! I adore Oliver and S patterns, and it is nice to find some more patterns in the same genre. I love the simple classic style of these patterns. I am a bit apprehensive knowing that the patterns are written entirely in French, however my best friend is fluent in French and she said she would help me translate if I needed her too. I am going to order a pattern or two in the next couple of days, and I will share my sewing experiences on the blog. <br />
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More than likely, I will not be able to dedicate very much time to my creative pursuits because my two school aged kids are on a school holiday for the next three weeks. My kids attend a year round school, and it is time for their Fall trackout. They get a three to four week holiday every nine weeks. I feel like I just got used to the idea of my middle daughter attending "big kid school", and now it is already time for a holiday. It is nice to have them home, but I fear that the baby might not enjoy her naps for the next couple of weeks. Have a nice day. We plan on enjoying the beautiful Fall weather that arrived here this past weekend! <br />
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Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14760867222119846689noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935209577577377311.post-25123596786417889292010-09-19T20:30:00.000-04:002010-09-19T20:59:46.249-04:00I finished my first quilt!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VNVqhIcJHmNavwoKqngAT3VlCjDAm1zMhvSTugiuzb5CbS-wExoHIiLFwHcX6DBOosoDnAzMv5QQKDxyHCKAy3zHPxLbx5JAsnpAR_vdRouwWUDFotzh5o9p-IvMi5L9DQhv8JcIFrm6/s1600/blog+post+91910+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-VNVqhIcJHmNavwoKqngAT3VlCjDAm1zMhvSTugiuzb5CbS-wExoHIiLFwHcX6DBOosoDnAzMv5QQKDxyHCKAy3zHPxLbx5JAsnpAR_vdRouwWUDFotzh5o9p-IvMi5L9DQhv8JcIFrm6/s1600/blog+post+91910+005.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVGmkKHy8b7BkWC5MwrIyj8FXA3oyTolDvqb63ZtktXulbK_KHfHEzIYHeJHYQMpNItty2G07lc6SN-WvBlqfgEMaaaovp3H22sBY7ocuqCkE-Z-R6MXC5V_Q4jZsdWPoKkzA5-t7Sn3t/s1600/blog+post+91910+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsVGmkKHy8b7BkWC5MwrIyj8FXA3oyTolDvqb63ZtktXulbK_KHfHEzIYHeJHYQMpNItty2G07lc6SN-WvBlqfgEMaaaovp3H22sBY7ocuqCkE-Z-R6MXC5V_Q4jZsdWPoKkzA5-t7Sn3t/s1600/blog+post+91910+008.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnDHRVgs6VM8U3GuuHoprR93aheSbf0a5OPvjAbtWKLa7QZvW2y0niGPgeWrbqFbQeWnDbfLhPisg2VA1wCJ4nbk1uuUt0Ubx2aUjmR7nbqVk5LZ1zUjSz6gIjDhQOnb-BVALzQiPhVgc/s1600/blog+post+91910+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnDHRVgs6VM8U3GuuHoprR93aheSbf0a5OPvjAbtWKLa7QZvW2y0niGPgeWrbqFbQeWnDbfLhPisg2VA1wCJ4nbk1uuUt0Ubx2aUjmR7nbqVk5LZ1zUjSz6gIjDhQOnb-BVALzQiPhVgc/s640/blog+post+91910+009.jpg" width="640" /></a>I finally finished my very first quilt! Making a quilt is something that I have wanted to accomplish ever since I taught myself to sew several years ago. I have often admired the quilts that others have created, however I was a bit intimidated by the process. After reading <u>Denyse Schmidt Quilts</u> and Joelle Hoverson's <u><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="btAsinTitle">Last-Minute Patchwork + Quilted Gifts</span></span></u><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="btAsinTitle">, I felt I had the confidence to attempt my first quilt. I found both of the books to be very valuable resources as I was making this quilt, and I referred to them often throughout the process. I also found Comfortstitching's binding tutorial on her blog to be very helpful as well. <a href="http://comfortstitching.typepad.co.uk/comfortstitching/making-and-sewing-binding.html">http://comfortstitching.typepad.co.uk/comfortstitching/making-and-sewing-binding.html</a> </span></span></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="btAsinTitle"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTK5k6uGsXGbGzdSW24gBBop_btZLiAaCmV_7nN_LPYcgWKtLOR4RClr9vhFoVHWXOSr8cCmsHY9PiTUBDXALrg5jn9AKX4xs08cgyososS8PxSNbTljuUHw6nOsUm3eNcMteANBtD-kD7/s1600/blog+post+91910+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTK5k6uGsXGbGzdSW24gBBop_btZLiAaCmV_7nN_LPYcgWKtLOR4RClr9vhFoVHWXOSr8cCmsHY9PiTUBDXALrg5jn9AKX4xs08cgyososS8PxSNbTljuUHw6nOsUm3eNcMteANBtD-kD7/s640/blog+post+91910+006.jpg" width="359" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"><span id="btAsinTitle">Since this is my first quilt, I decided to make a smaller, crib size quilt for my youngest daughter, Baby C. the quilt measures 30" by 43". The front of the quilt is made up of precut 5 by 5 squares from a Heather Bailey Nicey Jane charm pack. The white is a very soft Pima Cotton from my local quilting shop. For the binding, I used a light pink Pima Cotton check. The back of the quilt is my favorite fabric from the Nicey Jane collection. For the batting, I used </span></span><span style="font-size: small;">Quilters Dream Request cotton batting. I really like this batting. It was really easy to work with, and I really like how nice the quilt feels with this batting. It created a very soft quilt. I straight line quilted the quilt in a diamond pattern. I used painter's tape as a guide, and I found the tape to be very helpful for achieving straight lines. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">My favorite part of the quilt is the hand embroidery that I did in the center of the quilt. I embroidered her initial and name. I think the hand embroidery makes the quilt more special. I think I am going to try to add a hand embroidered element to most of the quilts that I make for my children. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDmDEozYDgsOAj5eqtG8evREy0PEFa7LCUWULUkyA9sUJQ-DXvLr9ZaHVsUrYeNjHZYyPA3cisV67RSl0oJhWGVkIbw8DmZ3ToTfle9t39vqLtvJnrx9klU89FQWC9JBZftgAG5pPhvOs/s1600/blog+post+91910+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="359" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuDmDEozYDgsOAj5eqtG8evREy0PEFa7LCUWULUkyA9sUJQ-DXvLr9ZaHVsUrYeNjHZYyPA3cisV67RSl0oJhWGVkIbw8DmZ3ToTfle9t39vqLtvJnrx9klU89FQWC9JBZftgAG5pPhvOs/s640/blog+post+91910+019.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-size: small;"> Now that I have finished my first quilt, my mind is swarming with ideas for future quilts. This is a really addictive hobby. I have already begun my son's quilt and now I have started cutting into my Munki Munki/ Heather Ross stash to create a quilt for my middle daughter. I had a lot of fun creating these Munki Munki blocks. I adore these fabrics and seeing them come together is a lot of fun. I love the Munki Munki quilt that Comfortstitching created, and I am following her tutorial to create my blocks. <a href="http://comfortstitching.typepad.co.uk/comfortstitching/2009/11/blocky-tutorial.html">http://comfortstitching.typepad.co.uk/comfortstitching/2009/11/blocky-tutorial.html</a> I finished these six blocks pictured above, and I realized that I need to order some more Munki Munki fabric in order to be able to complete the quilt. The quilt will be comprised of 15 blocks just like the one of Comfortstitching's blog. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span id="btAsinTitle"> </span></span>Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14760867222119846689noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935209577577377311.post-2304043356008885132010-08-31T18:19:00.000-04:002010-08-31T18:55:28.706-04:00Making Progress and Some Fun Mail<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmJtazu4VNLcI0L65SS9f16YSKEWem04TOGFYRKaJdiy3bpF9N0oR3haBiYIoSAe5pibbd26NBqMhJvYPUg566TB8_qcbpO43A5ArTSXIUew7KP7FyJYGdHIMGKywx41Pfvlxc69WQNnb/s1600/pictures+for+blog+019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVmJtazu4VNLcI0L65SS9f16YSKEWem04TOGFYRKaJdiy3bpF9N0oR3haBiYIoSAe5pibbd26NBqMhJvYPUg566TB8_qcbpO43A5ArTSXIUew7KP7FyJYGdHIMGKywx41Pfvlxc69WQNnb/s640/pictures+for+blog+019.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I am really enjoying sewing the quilt that I am making for my son. My excitement grows with each block that I complete. He seems very excited about it as well. Over the weekend, he checked in on me every so often and asked to see the completed blocks. I think he is very happy that I am sewing for him this time. I do a lot more sewing for my girls because it is not as easy to find things to make for boys...especially once they are school aged. I have made him quite a few Oliver and S, PJ pants, and I made him a really cool, Euro sham that I am really proud of...I will save that for another post. Other than those projects, I really haven't made many things for him, so I think he is very excited about this quilt.<br />
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The quilt pattern that I am following is comprised of 42 blocks, however I need to increase the size in order to make it a twin size quilt. I may add a border or I may add more blocks in order to achieve a larger size. I haven't decided yet. I have already completed 20 blocks, so I am almost halfway there. I really like the pattern that I am following. I am already thinking about other fabric combinations that I could use to make this quilt again. The added bonus is that the pattern is free.<br />
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My trips to the mailbox have become increasingly more exciting ever since I discovered Etsy a couple of years back. This past week I received some more Munki Munki fabrics to add to my ever growing Heather Ross fabric stash. I am planning on making a "thunderstorm quilt" for both of my kids using primarily Heather Ross/Munki Munki fabrics. Both of my school aged kids are terrified of thunderstorms, which are very frequent where we live. During the summer, the kids and my husband and I spend many nights huddled together sleeping on our living room floor. I thought it might be nice for them to have their own "thunderstorm quilts" that we could keep downstairs, so that we do not have to bring all of their blankets from their beds downstairs. When I told my kids that I was going to make these quilts for them, my son thought that it would be a good idea for us to have a "thunderstorm kit" complete with stuffed animals, flashlights, and the quilts. When the quilts are complete, we will put them in the kit and maybe the quilt will help alleviate some of my children's fears about thunderstorms. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp7w-1heCkGlthMCaFdK-YiPdjbcuRLRjSbqSBB9XMs-EAzEPUQ86l4BLl8gRpbKwXziAoZtf30Txjs3IOALxB6PR4LSx2-9YxRP6m9ZyNYzKUxR-8rVm1R97zoa-0lej1ze2Bcz_dc7RT/s1600/pictures+for+blog+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp7w-1heCkGlthMCaFdK-YiPdjbcuRLRjSbqSBB9XMs-EAzEPUQ86l4BLl8gRpbKwXziAoZtf30Txjs3IOALxB6PR4LSx2-9YxRP6m9ZyNYzKUxR-8rVm1R97zoa-0lej1ze2Bcz_dc7RT/s640/pictures+for+blog+006.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>Today was another good mailbox day. I received my free swatch from Spoonflower. Wow, that was quick! I chose a cute little rain themed fabric for the kids "thunderstorm quilt". These 8x8 swatches are a very cost effective way to build your Spoonflower stash...I will definitely be ordering some more in the near future.Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14760867222119846689noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935209577577377311.post-16478395498839177832010-08-25T14:44:00.000-04:002010-08-25T14:54:56.687-04:00A Special Quilt for My Son<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBNQ2VMWfkyncRBxPLKbN-n_Cm8NdXVC4UGUegaupqnXjlGf7gzJCCEF2awfuhZMoj6Jd-RAQ3Au3yVIMCgnzc6OxkJybllzxLAFayq_gf00VOdGNuSHrPAaxK18cySDbhMjuVd8wIloj/s1600/pictures+for+blog+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCBNQ2VMWfkyncRBxPLKbN-n_Cm8NdXVC4UGUegaupqnXjlGf7gzJCCEF2awfuhZMoj6Jd-RAQ3Au3yVIMCgnzc6OxkJybllzxLAFayq_gf00VOdGNuSHrPAaxK18cySDbhMjuVd8wIloj/s640/pictures+for+blog+001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
The Pottery Barn Kid's quilt that I purchased for my son's "big boy" room needs to be replaced. Mr. B's nursery was a nautical theme. When he moved out of the crib into his "big boy bed", I continued the same nautical theme by purchasing him a sailboat quilt and matching bedding from Pottery Barn Kids. Not only is the quilt showing signs of wear, but I think at the mature age of eight, Mr. B has outgrown his sailboat quilt.<br />
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Ever since I began quilting just a couple of months ago, I have found myself searching other quilting blogs and Flickr quilt pools for ideas. I have been overwhelmed by all of the cool inspiration for quilts that the Internet provides. I am amazed by all of the wonderful quilts that others have created. When I decided to make this quilt, choosing one quilting pattern out of the multitude of amazing quilt patterns that I have come across was a difficult decision. The final decision came down to a simple block pattern versus a more modern, square in square pattern. I have decided to make the square in square pattern quilt because I think it will add a more modern feel to the very traditional, shirting fabrics that I am using. I loved the beautiful, square in square quilt that I saw on Fresh Lemon's blog, and I am following the wonderful, free tutorial on her blog to make my quilt. <a href="http://www.freshlemonsquilts.com/?p=561">http://www.freshlemonsquilts.com/?p=561</a><br />
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Finding good fabric choices for an eight year old boy has proven to be a challenge. When I came across some quilts made from Men's upcycled, dress shirts, I decided that shirting fabrics would be the perfect choice for a quilt for my son. I wanted to choose fabrics that would not seem too juvenile as he gets older. Several of the fabrics that I am using are upcycled, oxford shirts from my husband and son's closets. However, the majority of the fabrics are Pima cotton fabrics that I purchased specifically for this project. Mr. B helped me choose the fabrics from the store yesterday, and I have to say that I think we made some really good choices. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>I wanted the quilt to be primarily composed of blue fabrics with a few smatterings of reds in some of the smaller squares in the quilt. I recently purchased a new lamp and curtains from Pottery Barn for him that I like, so it was important to match those existing items. I am really excited about this quilt. Thankfully, my wonderful husband is helping me by cutting the pieces as I write this post.Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14760867222119846689noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935209577577377311.post-4014729457242696272010-08-21T18:23:00.000-04:002010-08-21T18:39:14.768-04:00Cloth Diapers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijEgPc7ZFT8FUfsdBNvaQnBPolmf4Zay8OyZ8qF3VWBwTcMMThVwmhloVnNJNieixg5-tk6FPNQq9WMhIS4Z8OkUIem7zolpya-bPQFcLNsMpb6WzCBdlGRnUef48ZE6gS0W82figNjr-/s1600/IMG_1117.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijEgPc7ZFT8FUfsdBNvaQnBPolmf4Zay8OyZ8qF3VWBwTcMMThVwmhloVnNJNieixg5-tk6FPNQq9WMhIS4Z8OkUIem7zolpya-bPQFcLNsMpb6WzCBdlGRnUef48ZE6gS0W82figNjr-/s640/IMG_1117.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
In an effort to reduce our carbon footprint, we are now cloth diapering Baby C. Cloth diapers are something that I had never considered with my other children. They both used disposables for their entire diapering days. I never had any problem with disposables, and we used disposables with Baby C up until about a month ago. Mr. W has become very environmentally conscious, and mentioned that we might give cloth diapering a try. I admit that I needed a little convincing. I will be the first to admit that I had my reservations. I do not like things that are messy. Thankfully, I have been pleasantly surprised by how easy to use cloth diapers have been. I thought that they would require a lot more effort than diapering with disposables, and surprisingly they do not. I think the biggest obstacle to using cloth diapers is figuring out which diapers work best for your child and what method you would like to use to store and wash your dirty diapers. <br />
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Initially, we started using G Diapers. They caught our eye on the diaper aisle on one of our many trips to Babies R Us. After researching them on the Internet, they seemed like a pretty cool product. The Internet is filled with positive reviews of G Diapers. G Diapers are referred to as a hybrid diaper. The outer layer is made of cloth and a disposable pad fits into a waterproof sleeve in the diaper. Ideally, your child's mess will be contained within the disposable pad, and you can simply reinsert a new, disposable pad and reuse the outer cloth layer. This was rarely the case in our experiences with G Diapers. We got really excited the few times that we were able to reuse the cloth shell. Baby C almost always leaked her G Diaper, which meant that we had to change her outfits with almost every diaper change. One of the things that also bothered me with G Diapers is how awkward they are to put on your child. The velcro fastens in the back, which is something that I just couldn't get used to. After suffering for a couple of weeks with our G Diapers, we quickly reverted back to using disposables. <br />
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Despite our negative experiences with G Diapers, we continued to remember all of the negative effects that disposables can have on the environment and we decided to give cloth diapering another try. On a trip to one of our favorite locally owned, baby stores, we decided to look at their selection of cloth diapers. We did not realize how many choices there are as far as cloth diapers are concerned. We were overwhelmed by all of the decisions that we needed to make in order to determine what cloth diapers would work best for Baby C. Also, the initial investment in cloth diapers is expensive, so we wanted to make the best choice possible for Baby C. After researching cloth diapers on the Internet and looking at all of the options available at several local stores that specialize in cloth diapering, we decided to purchase 6 Tiny Tush Elite Pocket Diapers with snaps, 3 Imse Vimse AIO (all in one) diapers with velcro, and 2 Thirsties Duo Pocket Diapers. In addition, I just purchased, but have yet to use: 4 Rumparooz G2 Pocket Diapers with snaps and 3 Bumgenius Organic One -Size AIO Diapers with snaps.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORx2e1gnPWYQgFi2q5BUKgecDIOtpd8fh22JjumZus8cOIa8kYsGpDOzWzS-_Wn0HKWAcYSv_lPDGxM_76s1xDjwin2iBc4dkllL5fu95ui4R_Uz2WBYHWTusTCKJbK-j4O2NTsP3aUmT/s1600/IMG_1119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORx2e1gnPWYQgFi2q5BUKgecDIOtpd8fh22JjumZus8cOIa8kYsGpDOzWzS-_Wn0HKWAcYSv_lPDGxM_76s1xDjwin2iBc4dkllL5fu95ui4R_Uz2WBYHWTusTCKJbK-j4O2NTsP3aUmT/s640/IMG_1119.jpg" width="640" /></a> <br />
I have read that small babies tend to leak a lot in cloth diapers when they are under 12 pounds. Baby C is still only 11 pounds at four months, so she still does have leaks sometimes, but for the most part her messes have been contained. I read that most people prefer snaps because they are more durable, and I would agree.<br />
Based on the diapers that we have tried, I really like the AIO or all-in-one diapers. They are more expensive than other cloth diaper options, but I think they are well worth the added cost. They are incredibly easy to use because there are no pockets to stuff and empty when they get dirty. Aside from the velcro, I would say that the Imse Vimse are my favorite. I really like the Imse Vimse because they never leak. They have "true" leg gussets that contain the messes really well. I just read that Imse Vimse are now available with snaps, so I might have to try those out. What are your favorite cloth diaper brands? <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>My least favorite, besides the G Diapers, are the Thirsties Duo Pocket Diapers that we have. They seem to leak a lot and they do not seem to made of as high quality materials as the other diapers that we have. Also, the pocket is open at both ends which I think makes the inner pad shift more than the other pocket diapers. <br />
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One of the stores that we purchased diapers from suggested that we wash them in Charlie's Soap, but I do not feel that the Charlie's Soap is cleaning them well enough. I just purchased some Rockin' Green Classic Rock Detergent after reading a lot of good reviews about it online. What is your favorite method of cleaning your diapers? What do you use to clean them? <br />
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At home, we store our dirty diapers in a PUL bag, and we purchased a small, wet bag to store dirty diapers in when we are on the go. We also use Imse Vimse flushable bioliners in the diapers to help contain the poop. We like the bioliners, and I would recommend them to others as a less messy alternative to the diaper sprayer. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1MOOgzm4xfvk_FeFPvWB8nVaHLnKemqIBAEGkIPfT9-qYUsJwgM3dcy8cxP6iYLHmDYqt-PhmJwK-qDwDR9WhpD3XJ8aC013vAL5SVfRILR5pnfibU2O4HqIMYITvwEdk7mzBopyqM9N/s1600/IMG_1126.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit1MOOgzm4xfvk_FeFPvWB8nVaHLnKemqIBAEGkIPfT9-qYUsJwgM3dcy8cxP6iYLHmDYqt-PhmJwK-qDwDR9WhpD3XJ8aC013vAL5SVfRILR5pnfibU2O4HqIMYITvwEdk7mzBopyqM9N/s640/IMG_1126.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcec4qC39leZlHkveLBMLSGDi_ZsXDFPpb74hwQcALu3CYzopMZR4IiqtUEiQDWI6f846UYFrJ7pr5AuKkYIR2IAlxbMwPotG1MZUxzEOpVkMVygSLU5suHFLGkL7IwIb3bm5zAuAk28_8/s1600/IMG_1128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcec4qC39leZlHkveLBMLSGDi_ZsXDFPpb74hwQcALu3CYzopMZR4IiqtUEiQDWI6f846UYFrJ7pr5AuKkYIR2IAlxbMwPotG1MZUxzEOpVkMVygSLU5suHFLGkL7IwIb3bm5zAuAk28_8/s640/IMG_1128.jpg" width="480" /></a></div> I have been surprised at others reactions to our decision to use cloth diapers. Many of our friends think we are crazy to bother with them. We try to tell them that they are very user friendly and that they are a lot different than the cloth diapers that our parents used. I wish others would give them a try because I think that they would be pleasantly surprised just like we were. Do any of you use cloth diapers? I would love for you share your positive and negative experiences with me because it seems that there is still much to learn about cloth diapers.Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14760867222119846689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935209577577377311.post-91539818812198049892010-08-19T18:46:00.000-04:002010-08-19T18:46:39.398-04:00The Kids TableA couple of years ago, we purchased a Farmhouse Table and kids chairs from Pottery Barn Kids for our "eat-in" kitchen. The kids needed a place for snacks and for doing art projects, and a kids table was the perfect solution. Plus, the table is a miniature version of our Farmhouse table in the dining room, and I have always been drawn to kids products that are miniature versions of "the real thing". <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVl16JC8GB_K9QFnr7PuvMuozv5LafL0UJftRxf9YvevodX1OMO-XgGNqHY9kRvvZruD1AhyxHA0h1oHAU8IMZI0k3D4JmOdqzfTFZ-YkzHdlEUmVTUl_rKnuEMU3CCtiYzLab62VfBOQq/s1600/summer+2010+084.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVl16JC8GB_K9QFnr7PuvMuozv5LafL0UJftRxf9YvevodX1OMO-XgGNqHY9kRvvZruD1AhyxHA0h1oHAU8IMZI0k3D4JmOdqzfTFZ-YkzHdlEUmVTUl_rKnuEMU3CCtiYzLab62VfBOQq/s640/summer+2010+084.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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The kids love the table. The table has become the perfect place for art projects, playing games, eating snacks, having breakfast, and doing their homework. After several years of constant kid use, the table was in sad shape. We actually thought that we were going to have to replace it. Several months ago my husband, Mr. W sanded the top down to bare wood and painstakingly undertook the task of restaining the tabletop to match the existing stain color on the rest of the table. Needless to say, matching the stain proved to be a difficult task. After about four trips to Lowes, many coats of stain and several layers of polyurethane, the table looks better than it did when we purchased it from the store. The added layers of polyurethane should allow it to withstand several more years of kid use. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2HMRk5AoPxfOW-TMvqtKtYOl8s1wWKf5mNlJuEOgLWj4RLIQpbQ0UO58WYCsQIHdwSkoTzwosq6FpCQw2hQ1tj9iUIoW23LzhjKfzGGpIC723M4EE4F4qpFp0wBThQ4pLVtEXM9AtGuV/s1600/summer+2010+077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW2HMRk5AoPxfOW-TMvqtKtYOl8s1wWKf5mNlJuEOgLWj4RLIQpbQ0UO58WYCsQIHdwSkoTzwosq6FpCQw2hQ1tj9iUIoW23LzhjKfzGGpIC723M4EE4F4qpFp0wBThQ4pLVtEXM9AtGuV/s640/summer+2010+077.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmRM5hxJ9s2UYrE-rlB6k6ZfXwplfcirvV0ELmDMU1qmbtnpc1Wk8K4cVt76Q2xDbR6QlD3J4vw8Jg5VdwYA8R41D7spnC7z0C614ZsE2ER59R2fj8CUnx9VR4eE30FHsVPcsNnvaKTh6/s1600/summer+2010+078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmRM5hxJ9s2UYrE-rlB6k6ZfXwplfcirvV0ELmDMU1qmbtnpc1Wk8K4cVt76Q2xDbR6QlD3J4vw8Jg5VdwYA8R41D7spnC7z0C614ZsE2ER59R2fj8CUnx9VR4eE30FHsVPcsNnvaKTh6/s640/summer+2010+078.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
The table looked so nice, I thought that it would be cute to make some "kid sized" placemats and napkins to decorate the table. I used some leftover Heather Ross fabric to make the placemat front and some coordinating Amy Butler orange polka dot fabric for the back of the placemat. I used a turquoise polka dot fabric to create the napkins and dressed them up with a little grosgrain ribbon. I followed this tutorial on Skip To My Lou to create the napkins, which I found very helpful. <a href="http://www.skiptomylou.org/2009/04/20/make-your-own-cloth-napkins/">http://www.skiptomylou.org/2009/04/20/make-your-own-cloth-napkins/</a> Making those mitered corners proved to be more difficult than I had originally thought. I think they look really cute on the table. Hopefully, I can make some more sets to decorate for Halloween and Christmas. We shall see:)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94PtQaexqKqiaviJH7_bMdYi4C1aL6y34OutKAUM2KJUG7AX6kOUfT5xuUa_nmwazSf3AOHwEBKN031oGPZaGLhcUwAiWEJDo9lBcY-bcMz4Q76v4HqlVePwYIsPf30kl8ZU2SMRlckhD/s1600/summer+2010+081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi94PtQaexqKqiaviJH7_bMdYi4C1aL6y34OutKAUM2KJUG7AX6kOUfT5xuUa_nmwazSf3AOHwEBKN031oGPZaGLhcUwAiWEJDo9lBcY-bcMz4Q76v4HqlVePwYIsPf30kl8ZU2SMRlckhD/s640/summer+2010+081.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnX3cDR8q_ANjp8RoM0KE7Dx6F7oKEisqkRsOQqESBzTgEC-IiioWBgNkAWlLIlMVQubOUvyZcdBsml0R8-BmYKfUtu_jaxPoTBImUanjfKJgr-azM2wcIQzR2qn4iWwMePYLVnuWegY8/s1600/summer+2010+080.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnX3cDR8q_ANjp8RoM0KE7Dx6F7oKEisqkRsOQqESBzTgEC-IiioWBgNkAWlLIlMVQubOUvyZcdBsml0R8-BmYKfUtu_jaxPoTBImUanjfKJgr-azM2wcIQzR2qn4iWwMePYLVnuWegY8/s640/summer+2010+080.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14760867222119846689noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935209577577377311.post-2408634168154566292010-08-18T13:39:00.000-04:002010-08-18T14:14:44.764-04:00I love my Beaba Babycook!My husband and I have found ourselves trying a lot of different things with Baby C that we did not even consider with our older children. I am not sure if it is because we are older and more confident in our parenting abilities or if it is because we know that Baby C is more than likely our last child. Our first foray into the unknown began with my decision to breastfeed Baby C. I decided when I was pregnant with Baby C that I wanted to make every attempt to breastfeed her. I read several books on breastfeeding, purchased a high quality breast pump, and asked for advice from several of my friends who I know had been able to breastfeed successfully. I am happy to report that Baby C took to breastfeeding very easily, and it has been a wonderful experience for both Baby C and I. I only wish that I had tried more fervently to breastfeed my other children. It is a very special experience, and I am glad that I made the choice to breastfeed her this time around.<br />
A couple of months ago as I was perusing the aisles of Babies R Us, I stumbled upon the myriad of baby food choices now available to parents. I found myself overwhelmed by all of the new choices of prepared baby food. Eight years ago when my son was born, there were very few choices available to parents as far a prepared baby food was concerned. The only choice that existed at the time was Beech Nut or Gerber foods. Mr. B loved prepared baby food and happily gulped many jars of Gerber baby food. In fact, my son liked prepared baby food so much that when it was time for him to start eating table food, he refused. Mr. B did not like anything with texture and he would self-sift the pureed food and spit out any larger bites. My husband and I used to joke that he might be going to Kindergarten with jars of baby food in his lunch box. When my second child was born three years later, the world of prepared baby food had remained relatively the same. Gerber had added a line of organic options and some foods with added DHA, but for the most part the choices were the same. Miss L has always been very adventurous and seemed eager to eat what we were eating very early on, so once she had tried each of the first foods for a week, we began pureeing what we were eating for her.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDR8Ms90KczPDyODMwww6teq7kKh6Q6u9HHSDA_GwaBdKxch7sAyQMf4qaQ74KmSukdQ3PDMddRiwjMVsGooJerCSUENcgREq8iDKr1h9vOEkxMaMMnvzsjHf-HEzGdjPFWC8DJ3gF2tG1/s1600/summer+2010+044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDR8Ms90KczPDyODMwww6teq7kKh6Q6u9HHSDA_GwaBdKxch7sAyQMf4qaQ74KmSukdQ3PDMddRiwjMVsGooJerCSUENcgREq8iDKr1h9vOEkxMaMMnvzsjHf-HEzGdjPFWC8DJ3gF2tG1/s640/summer+2010+044.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqY558uOcyArVRvoeB1HIK6CrsPMK8R4CBZrFeySctwwwzJslKfAxcnqPSSssufV3HCDJ6ItNecguGTF9RI4-f15OLSEIAFA1q9g_u0I0a2xMQnOnznxtupHkFZsaFiz2Ry6E0H2uOnplY/s1600/summer+2010+046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqY558uOcyArVRvoeB1HIK6CrsPMK8R4CBZrFeySctwwwzJslKfAxcnqPSSssufV3HCDJ6ItNecguGTF9RI4-f15OLSEIAFA1q9g_u0I0a2xMQnOnznxtupHkFZsaFiz2Ry6E0H2uOnplY/s640/summer+2010+046.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>When I got home from my trip to the Babies R Us several months ago, I began researching all of the new, organic brands of baby food now available. I was not happy with the information that I discovered when researching these new choices. I discovered that many of these new organic brands have been subjected to recalls in the past three years for possible contamination. Some of the brands have been recalled within the last six months. I found many recent baby food recalls such as these all over the internet:<a href="http://www.kvue.com/community/blogs/smart-money/Organic-baby-food-recall-95854639.html">http://www.kvue.com/community/blogs/smart-money/Organic-baby-food-recall-95854639.html</a>, <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33397420/">http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33397420/</a>, <a href="http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/2007/ucm108847.htm">http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/2007/ucm108847.htm</a>, <a href="http://organic.lovetoknow.com/Plum_Organics_Recall">http://organic.lovetoknow.com/Plum_Organics_Recall</a>, <a href="http://www.mindfulmum.co.uk/2010/04/baby-food-recall-ellas-kitchen-stage-3-cool-caribbean-chicken/%20">http://www.mindfulmum.co.uk/2010/04/baby-food-recall-ellas-kitchen-stage-3-cool-caribbean-chicken/ </a>, <a href="http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm197570.htm">http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm197570.htm</a>. In addition, I found that some of the brands that I had trusted in the past had also been recalled as well.<a href="http://www.modernmom.com/hottopic/2010/jun/17/lead-found-in-popular-baby-food-and-juice-products/">http://www.modernmom.com/hottopic/2010/jun/17/lead-found-in-popular-baby-food-and-juice-products/</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwnzzVPODSOy630FIYPE2Ip12n841XobZIER1TVA2S9lArwyX404Z3hiGtpFXpbvEb18Ss4CL-lWBGotifAS-9MS80RxgFTqsdwWZJQqgCphoYM743VW3UUdEQG1FMH82MKqU0pjOEMrv/s1600/summer+2010+047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwnzzVPODSOy630FIYPE2Ip12n841XobZIER1TVA2S9lArwyX404Z3hiGtpFXpbvEb18Ss4CL-lWBGotifAS-9MS80RxgFTqsdwWZJQqgCphoYM743VW3UUdEQG1FMH82MKqU0pjOEMrv/s640/summer+2010+047.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>As a result of the information that I had acquired, I decided that I wanted to make homemade baby food for Baby C. That is when I discovered the Beaba Babycook. My experiences with my Beaba, thus far have been wonderful. The Beaba makes making homemade baby food very simple. It steams, purees and reheats baby food all in one machine. All you have to do is wash, peel and dice the food you want to make and place it in the machine. The machine turns off when the food is finished steaming, and then all you have to do is puree it to your desired consistency. The smell of the food while it is cooking is amazing as well. I have made carrots, bananas, and apples so far. Baby C seems to enjoy the foods that I have made for her. I cannot believe that it hadn't occurred to me to make my older children's babyfood. Bananas are the easiest. They can be consumed raw, so all you have to do is puree them. Easy peasy. The only draw back to the Beaba is the price, but I am glad that I chose to splurge on it. I know I could have made homemade baby food without my Beaba, but the Beaba makes it so much easier. <br />
Our most recent journey into the unknown has been our choice to start cloth diapering Baby C. However, I will have to share our experiences with cloth diapers in another post because I hear Baby C crying:)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Sd2D2MEyKeOO9Ofgn__FPpQEdPDHx8EzKAGDbUJDc3vzuTi8ytErKxgWmCMKRavR_JwOx-fYeQHwrNzgzQEinGmbZnKeNrhMIWw3hI5a9R4wwtPcNbWrhSxxdf5RC7aMJ00HfBnTo4PY/s1600/summer+2010+091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Sd2D2MEyKeOO9Ofgn__FPpQEdPDHx8EzKAGDbUJDc3vzuTi8ytErKxgWmCMKRavR_JwOx-fYeQHwrNzgzQEinGmbZnKeNrhMIWw3hI5a9R4wwtPcNbWrhSxxdf5RC7aMJ00HfBnTo4PY/s640/summer+2010+091.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14760867222119846689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935209577577377311.post-62102400393850024152010-07-24T17:41:00.000-04:002010-07-24T17:41:53.583-04:00Ellsworth the Elephant, a nap mat for Kindergarten and a simple blankeeUsually, I become so excited about completing a project that I will work on it relentlessly until it is finished. However, recently my mind has been swarming with so many ideas for crafty projects that I will begin one project and quickly become distracted by another project. I guess you could call it Crafty ADD. I found myself with so many unfinished projects that I vowed that I would not start another one until the rest of the things I had started were completed. <br />
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Ellsworth the Elephant was born out of my desire to create a taggie style, stuffed animal for Baby C. Initially, he was going to be much smaller. However, I had Mr. W have my original pattern enlarged at our local copy store. He is approximately 17" by 13". I used quilting cottons on the front and minky on the back. I love the knot that I added at the end of his tail. I also used fleece interfacing in his ear, which I think will withstand many hours of play. I love the finished product, and Baby C seems quite fond of him as well.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAw6s-bBVd5bJuGzRIAG48Hy29ILONJzTp_xSXi6vqtXuWSvQq50lJC-GyQH4DkympU4N9clAdm3WtYXNLKtNRh67Qz1eUDzoHQbnK3_2HaqO2ETZPm765-mLM5Q4aLUcr3tnL8qzRFCSo/s1600/IMG_0941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAw6s-bBVd5bJuGzRIAG48Hy29ILONJzTp_xSXi6vqtXuWSvQq50lJC-GyQH4DkympU4N9clAdm3WtYXNLKtNRh67Qz1eUDzoHQbnK3_2HaqO2ETZPm765-mLM5Q4aLUcr3tnL8qzRFCSo/s640/IMG_0941.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Miss L is very excited to be starting Kindergarten in several weeks. The school asked that each child bring in a towel for nap time. They specified that they did not want any pillows or blankets, which is understandable. I could not imagine sleeping on a towel, so I decided to try to create something more comfortable. I decided to create a nap mat made out of towels, so as to comply with their request. I sewed a polka dot beach towel from the Target together with a large bath towel that I also purchased from Target. I attached a pillow that I created with a coordinating hand towel to the inside of the nap mat. The pillow is attached with snaps, so that it can be removed when the nap mat and pillow need to be washed. I hand embroidered her name on an applique that I created for the outside and appliqued her initial to the pillow. I think it will serve its purpose, even though I know Miss L will never fall asleep for them :) <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_apmTbVclTCjphfQpsqupMOqXulAiKoKBt5bHRUFpz9dH0SgQ_L4aMnTARV2h22B995iVrsVOSJowFzhBLN45rh2JxXoRhYNiahI-uAd2TbPuB38JZG4BzgOdOHeNTbQmsv9VD_XGctcV/s1600/IMG_0944.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_apmTbVclTCjphfQpsqupMOqXulAiKoKBt5bHRUFpz9dH0SgQ_L4aMnTARV2h22B995iVrsVOSJowFzhBLN45rh2JxXoRhYNiahI-uAd2TbPuB38JZG4BzgOdOHeNTbQmsv9VD_XGctcV/s640/IMG_0944.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qPj2gLL7TBF7YjGwyjZu9TYFU0hyguw1_HJm6bL1YQcGGSjpSZ1Fmp2YFwsersm0aK7rkQuFEa_D0Zm0u_r7sm9fEJcyFjJAvUAvGdSTzJx4Z9LMxXnDSnM4R52jrX5Wbis3Ps322Nc1/s1600/IMG_0945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qPj2gLL7TBF7YjGwyjZu9TYFU0hyguw1_HJm6bL1YQcGGSjpSZ1Fmp2YFwsersm0aK7rkQuFEa_D0Zm0u_r7sm9fEJcyFjJAvUAvGdSTzJx4Z9LMxXnDSnM4R52jrX5Wbis3Ps322Nc1/s640/IMG_0945.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZMpme-mrnrQHrVflmo-w_Xz9MHeGSO4y_IfqpQLaCQ_HSe4F-pt9YKMBzcvGlmto1LKuefA3iERrebL8AJqbnqW4TLCC0AJmx0UjYtQ9kY2m9-3FzxQ0VbcAG9kinPRDQB_FQri0s0A_/s1600/IMG_0949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4ZMpme-mrnrQHrVflmo-w_Xz9MHeGSO4y_IfqpQLaCQ_HSe4F-pt9YKMBzcvGlmto1LKuefA3iERrebL8AJqbnqW4TLCC0AJmx0UjYtQ9kY2m9-3FzxQ0VbcAG9kinPRDQB_FQri0s0A_/s640/IMG_0949.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_LsUnKzCHt-eHIZ0jZLKAV9zT7ktE7WEFlKKrgMlF3uyWyfc_OKjBKj2Ye9gnf-Sth6xmw1tbL0jBC0nn36uz3zV9VauwzpPgSJHEEGsRzvYb8JmpxFuE1rZl0lBAWAJAiuV45TMh2GK/s1600/IMG_0947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU_LsUnKzCHt-eHIZ0jZLKAV9zT7ktE7WEFlKKrgMlF3uyWyfc_OKjBKj2Ye9gnf-Sth6xmw1tbL0jBC0nn36uz3zV9VauwzpPgSJHEEGsRzvYb8JmpxFuE1rZl0lBAWAJAiuV45TMh2GK/s640/IMG_0947.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>I also recently finished a simple blanket for Baby C. I used some leftover Nicey Jane fabric from the quilt that I made for Baby C and some minky on the back. This was my first experience sewing binding by hand, and I found it very relaxing. I have created and sewn bias binding in garments before, but this was my first experience sewing it by hand. I was a bit intimidated by creating the mitered corners at first, but I was able to follow some great tutorials that I found online. I found this tutorial at Comfort Stitching to be quite helpful. <a href="http://comfortstitching.typepad.co.uk/comfortstitching/making-and-sewing-binding.html">http://comfortstitching.typepad.co.uk/comfortstitching/making-and-sewing-binding.html</a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqJo2kiNXEC2yNmitzVjea5_4Vem_ySxzhepDXtSl2GZ5jCeZqsRAnt8UnJEartSQF23cDrwMfSDcHlEOzHBO85xOdXT_bUWlOSJvSKB6Fq1zHuEvUBjKj17BGiJnxemnjFjsxWWZm05s/s1600/IMG_0967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTqJo2kiNXEC2yNmitzVjea5_4Vem_ySxzhepDXtSl2GZ5jCeZqsRAnt8UnJEartSQF23cDrwMfSDcHlEOzHBO85xOdXT_bUWlOSJvSKB6Fq1zHuEvUBjKj17BGiJnxemnjFjsxWWZm05s/s640/IMG_0967.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITQvIT5C6kYSWowVr2t6iwWp7jkRJTlXxBX0CRbrGDmVKPbPFyVJg0VW8RG5rxr-LJvV0r3iz7842UXVOD0IZIpwE4pmEkS2E1fW0KeznSw5S2VvGpXUIWiwpDrOGp5fffcVOmXR2tdfQ/s1600/IMG_0972.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITQvIT5C6kYSWowVr2t6iwWp7jkRJTlXxBX0CRbrGDmVKPbPFyVJg0VW8RG5rxr-LJvV0r3iz7842UXVOD0IZIpwE4pmEkS2E1fW0KeznSw5S2VvGpXUIWiwpDrOGp5fffcVOmXR2tdfQ/s640/IMG_0972.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Epxmtc_I5Q9b2RGAOQHkvhAgza2u0X6tVRnkbNle2gBJla_32-dxfcIvy6YhJkVyv12-dxpL8ffkCIarCSLXjZEFkHbcexEKDAnLpKd_qkzuLswc6QIeM-oN1nT9aaCR6zSDznzNc-JJ/s1600/IMG_0963.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Epxmtc_I5Q9b2RGAOQHkvhAgza2u0X6tVRnkbNle2gBJla_32-dxfcIvy6YhJkVyv12-dxpL8ffkCIarCSLXjZEFkHbcexEKDAnLpKd_qkzuLswc6QIeM-oN1nT9aaCR6zSDznzNc-JJ/s640/IMG_0963.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>Have a great weekend! It is going to be 100 degrees here for the rest of the weekend, so I should be able to complete some more projects as I stay inside to escape this heat. <br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; font-size: large;">Erica </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14760867222119846689noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-935209577577377311.post-7195066884942042262010-07-15T19:30:00.000-04:002010-07-15T19:30:25.954-04:00i am a blogger...i blogLet me introduce myself :) My name is Erica. First and foremost, I am a wife to my wonderful husband Mr. W, and a stay-at home mother to my three, amazing, young children, B (a son) age 8, L (a daughter) age 5, and C (a daughter) age three months. Before I stayed home with my children...eight years ago... wow.., I was a fourth and fifth grade teacher. Around 7:30pm at night when my two school aged children have been tucked, snugly into bed and Baby C is content, I am allowed to pursue my creative interests as I transform into a crafter :) For as long as I can remember, I have always enjoyed creating things. The Internet, specifically the "blogworld" has been a great source of inspiration for my creative pursuits. I have been able to create so many wonderful things by following many of the great tutorials that I have found on other people's blogs. Most recently I was able to complete my first quilt of my own design from start to finish by following advice and tutorials in "blogland". My hope in creating this blog is to share the success and failures of my creative pursuits and inspire others to have the confidence to pursue their own creative interests. Ericahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14760867222119846689noreply@blogger.com1