Back to School Shirts

The regular school routine has set in, and things seem to be moving along just fine. It has taken this mommy a little more adjusting than these two kiddos. 

They were both pumped and ready to go. Me, not so much.

I miss them.

The first day back broke my heart and I might have sobbed like a baby...in front of my baby...who is now a kindergartner.

My kindergartner might have shed a few tears because her mother lost it in front of her, but waited for her to leave. Such a strong little girl.

My first grader was a brave and happy little soldier. He's an old pro at this sort of thing now; in his mind's eye.

It does my heart good to see how happy they are with their teachers and their classmates. My favorite part of the day is when they get in the car at the end of the school day, smiles beaming, ready to tell me every detail of their day...competing to see who can tell the most.

Yes, I know these days are very short lived, and there will come a time when they won't say two words to me. 

I'm living in the moment and soaking it all in.

I love it.

We had a "morning of" photo shoot. This year wasn't nearly as fancy as last year's;o)

I will say that this impromptu photo shoot was a lot more fun and waaaay less stressful!!

 I made the kids' shirts to wear on their first day of school. I forgot to get good close up shots, so bear with me.

I found the fabrics from Hobby Lobby.

The shirt S.R. is wearing was created by using a pattern I had on hand. Super simple to put together, and took no time at all. I actually made it the night before school started because I am a last minute kind of gal;o)

 Here is a full view of the shirt along with a pair of shorts I found at a yard sale for $1...I really scored some awesome boutique deals that day.

This has to be one of my favorite shirts to date. I love the bright colors. Super fun!

 I asked E's permission before making his shirt. It needed to be something that didn't seem baby-ish. There is a fine line to walk when you mix applique and almost-7-year-old boys.

He approved, thankfully:o)

I made a pair of shorts to match, but when I finished them, I realized he might have been made fun of if he wore them. And we can't have anybody making fun of my sweet boy!

I haven't taken the time to make anymore clothes for them right now because we're about to head into Fall.

Hopefully I can get a few things together soon.

LEGO Table

I have been in major build mode this week. I have stepped away from the sewing machine, and have been trying my hand at power tools. I have had so much fun, and I LOVE that my husband keeps a well stocked garage:o)

I have had this table in the attic for about two years. I purchased it from a local yard sale page for $5. It was an awkward sort of table and very dated, but when inexpensive furniture presents itself to me, I buy immediately and ask questions later...it's not always the best approach, but my approach, nonetheless;o)

A couple of nights ago, we were all in the playroom building LEGO scenes, and that's when the idea struck me that E needed a LEGO table. 

And, so it was.

This was the before..a very dated, very drab piece of furniture.

 I used a jig saw to cut out the top....very LOUD, I might add...and, no I was not wearing any ear protection.

It was a hot and humid day, so the red spray paint didn't want to dry. I had to spray a coat, and then bring it inside between coats. My house smelled delightful...NOT! If you follow along on Facebook, you got to see what red over spray will do to blonde hair. I'm happy to report that Dawn dish washing liquid stripped the paint right out of my hair, thankfully!!

I found the LEGO plate at Target for $14.99.  The plate was attached to the base of the table with liquid nails, and trimmed out with quarter round.

I'm so happy with the end result, and so is E.

 Now it's the perfect little end table.

And if you're wondering...those are marker lines on the side of the couch...it's a playroom..anything goes, or so it would seem:o)

Participating here:Lady Behind the Curtain

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New Chore Charts

Now that summer break is here, I decided it was time to reinstate the chore responsibilities for the kiddos. Last year, I made a chore list, and my intentions were to teach E and S.R. responsibility and the value of hard work, but my system was truly broken and our excitement for it lasted all of one week. 

Expecting my kids to do the same things over and over again day after day was just expecting too much. I certainly don't do the same things day after day. We all need a little variety, right?

So to fix my broken system, I searched on line for age appropriate chores. 

It's truly amazing what little ones can do...we really don't give them enough credit. If you check my Pinterest board, you can visit the sites where I found my ideas...

This particular idea came from the Martha Stewart website.

 Thankfully this little project was mostly free to me. I had one sheet of magnet paper left. I printed the kids' pictures and the chores with the money value on them(in 25 cent increments). I had blue card stock, and cut it down to size and put the kids' pictures on top and made little button magnets to hold the bottom in place. 

The paycheck pad is something made on publisher. I used Vistaprint to print the notepad. Once it arrived in the mail, I attached magnets to the back.

We are now on week three and still going strong. The kids get to pick some of the chores to do and I delegate some as well. Saturdays are for make up work because sometimes we are gone and they don't get the chance to really make any money those days.

It is amazing how much cleaner my house is now. If you haven't started making your kids do chores, you are truly missing out....and so are they!

Easter Outfits-Boy's Vest and Bow Tie

I shared with you guys the other day S.R.'s Easter dress, and today I wanted to give you a closer look at E's vest and bow tie.

This has to be the easiest thing to sew for little boys, and it looks so cute! 

I purchased the vest pattern last year when the kids' were in my uncle's wedding.

I lost the instructions somewhere in my craft closet, but thankfully found the right pattern pieces to make the vest..and to answer your question, yes, my craft closet is a disaster, and no, I never put anything away where it belongs. I work in total chaos;o)

 The fabric was purchased from Hobby Lobby. I bought 1 yard, and after using my coupon, it came in at just under $5. Not bad, eh?

The bow tie has velcro on the ends to keep it closed around the neck. 

I really need to do a tutorial on how to make a bow tie. You wouldn't believe how easy it is to make these things!!

 Little man loved this outfit, and it always makes me proud when they get excited about what I make for them:o)

Have a great day, and make sure to smile big;o)

Our First Christmas Craft of the Season

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! We surely did!!

We got back home on Friday, so there was plenty of time to get settled and relax a bit before starting the work/school week.

The holiday baking has begun, so I have to make sure I keep my running shoes broken in, or I'll be asking Santa for the next dress size up;o)

 Our first Christmas craft was peppermint Christmas trees.

 Thing 1 & 2 worked very hard at unwrapping many many peppermint discs...most made it on the trees...a few ended up in their bellies:o)

We started with tacky glue, but that was a bust..wet glue and sugary candy aren't a good mix..so we had to pull out the hot glue gun.

 I did all of the gluing, but this was a craft that required all hands on deck, so they didn't get bored with me doing the work. We had a lot of fun crafting, snacking, and listening to Christmas music.

Oh yeah, there was a wedding over Thanksgiving holiday:o)

Here are a few shots of the kids in their outfits I made.

 I am so blessed.

We went a head and started Elf on the Shelf...it's been hysterical!

We might have waited a little too late to start it..6 year olds are a little harder to convince of such things, but it's been absolutely too much fun trying:o)

I plan on taking pictures of our trees today. Hopefully I will get them posted tomorrow!!!

Boy's Vest and Bow Tie

A day late, I know, but here is E's vest and bow tie. 

I used a pattern for the vest, which was very confusing by the way. That's one of the reasons I like making my own patterns. I can piece the puzzle together quicker than I can read instructions and try to make sense of what they're trying to tell me:o)

Anyway, I am glad to have it done!

 The bow tie took about 35 minutes to make from start to finish. I think I will be making more of these. It's so stinkin' cute! The hubs even said he wanted some bow ties:o)

 Tomorrow is the big day. The kids are pumped, and the hubs and I are reeeally nervous:o) Not about the kids being the flower girl and ring bearer...they'll be fine...the hubs is playing the music and I am taking the wedding pics...no pressure..no pressure at all..ahhh!

I hope you all have wonderful Thanksgiving. Make sure to treasure every moment with your family, (no matter how annoying you might think they are, for those of you dreading it). You never know how long you'll have them!!!

Hugs to all!

Some New Sewing Projects for Boys

Sewing for a little girl is so easy. There are so many cute inspirations out there for girls, but there really isn't a whole lot to choose from for little boys. Sometimes I feel guilty when I make something for S.R. because for every 3-4 things I make for her, I make 1 for E. Sad, I know.

It's a fine line when sewing for boys because some things out there are border-line ridiculous. You have to take great care in not making your boy look like a girl. 

So anywhoodles, I went to Heart and Home Fabrics on Etsy, and  let E pick out some really cute fabric from the "Children at Play" line by Sara Jane. 

I made this cute little bean bag ottoman from it. If I ever get around to it, I will do a tutorial because S.R. wants one as well:)

 I also made him a cute little vest out of the same fabric. Yes, it coordinates with his ottoman, but how often is he going to be wearing that vest while sitting on the ottoman? ;o)

I'll have a tutorial on how to make a vest very soon because I have to make another one for him. Wanna know why?

Because my uncle is getting married, and E and S.R. will be the ring bearer and flower girl. They are super excited, and so am I. I just have to get busy on making their clothes for the wedding. I have found some pretty awesome inspiration on Etsy, so I can't wait to show you what I'll be working on.

Until next time....

Red Ribbon Week Poster-Master Yoda

Since I have been out of school for longer than I am willing to admit, there are a few things that I had forgotten about...one of them being Red Ribbon Week.

I am constantly being reminded of how the world isn't all roses and cupcakes. The thought of teaching my children to stay away from drugs had never crossed my mind until we got a letter from the guidance counselor about Red Ribbon Week. Yikes! How do you explain drugs to a 6 year old who has been completely sheltered? We struggled through it, but I think he got the gist of it. He knows their bad, and God doesn't want us to harm our bodies.

So, since we are all about Star Wars, he wanted to include Master Yoda on his poster.

The hubs knows all when it comes to S.W., so he came up with the slogan.

Pretty catchy, huh?

We flipped through some coloring books, and E picked this image for his poster. I used my little projector, and traced it in pencil.

He traced over the pencil marks in black marker, and then colored it in with crayons.

We used the S.W. fonts to make the letters...just printed the slogan out, cut, and pasted.

Easy Peasy.

He was the only one in his class to do a poster. He got to go to a popcorn party, and there were big kids there...a.k.a. 5th graders, so he felt pretty special:o)

It was so nice to be able to do an art project with him, especially since he's really starting to enjoy drawing...the coloring he could do without:o)

Great mommy/son bonding!

Batman Cape

Last Saturday was my first time out this year for yard sales. I was pumped and ready to go...but apparently those needing to rid themselves of unwanted junk were not of the same mindset. I only came across 3 yard sales near us:o( I found a few things, but nothing that you would call a "treasure." Anyway, the last yard sale I went to had a lot of dress up clothes, mainly for girls, but they did have a Batman mask. I snatched that up b/c I new that E would have a fit over it.

I was right:o)

So I thought  I would make him a Batman cape to match. I got busy making it yesterday, and I was so excited to show it to him.

He was really excited to see it...and then he put it on...

He said, "Where are the holes so that I can fly?" with utter disappointment. 

I apparently told him that I was going to make little pockets for him to put his hands in so that he could spread the cape out, but the way I made the cape, it wasn't possible.

He then told me that he didn't want it....my feelings were hurt:o( That is the very first time that I have made anything for my children that "FAILED".

 So who's wearing the cape, you ask? Why, S.R. of course:o) She even came in this morning with it on. She loves it, and doesn't care that she can't "fly" in it! It is the perfect size for a 3 year old:o) 

I guess I will be making a larger one with pockets/holes for flying. I will include a tutorial with that one as well. 

I hope that you all have a wonderful Wednesday!

Lucky Shirt

I know that in the last post I shared t-shirts with you, but some things have come up this week that haven't allowed me to get done what I had set out to do for this week.

I did get this shirt made for E yesterday so that he would have something green to wear for St. Patty's Day....by the way...

Happy St. Patty's Day to you all:o)

He was really excited about this shirt.

I am sure that a lot of you have seen all of the tutorials out there for freezer paper stenciling. That's how I made this shirt. Really easy.

I will definitely be making some more shirts using this technique.

***

Just a little note to all you lovelies out there. I am going to take a break from blogging for probably about a week or so. I have some dresses that I have to alter for some girls in the coming days, and my mother is having surgery next week and will be needing my assistance. So with all of that on my plate, I won't have time to do any other crafts.

Just keep checking back periodically, or sign up for emails that way you won't miss out.

Hope you guys have a great couple of weeks:o) 

Appliqued Boy's T-Shirts

Here are some cute little T's that I made for E. He is so excited about these:o)

The shirts were purchased from Walmart. The only thing I don't like about their boy t-shirts is they have a pocket. I have to remove the pockets and that is definitely a pain, but I do love paying only $3.50 for each shirt.

I can't decide which I like best. 

They are so fun:o)

They took very little time to make and E is so happy about them. He can't wait to wear them to preschool.

I have some fabric that I purchased from Joann's the other day that will match BOTH of these shirts perfectly. I see some new shorts in E's very near future;o)

***

I am in the process of reconstructing my site. Hopefully it will be easier to access things, and look a little cleaner:o) 

"Explorer" Messenger Bag

I know that during the week last week, I just kind of sprung on you guys that I would be hosting "a boy" week. 

I realized that there just aren't enough projects out in bloggy world concerning our little boys. It's hard to create for them. You don't normally hear cute, crafty and boy in the same sentence:o)

So hopefully this week, we can help change that a little;o) 

 E has patiently watched me make things for S.R. for the past few weeks and I told him his time was coming.

And now it's here:o)

To start the week off, I am sharing with you this messenger bag.

We are labeling it as an "Explorer" bag, so that it sounds a lot cooler than it actually is:o)

I had some leftover canvas from my kitchen curtains, and a little bit of "boy" scrap fabric in my closet, so this project was 100% free to me.

Here are the measurements for the bag:

6-12"x9" panels(main panel and flap)

4-9"x3" panels(the sides)

2-12"x3" panels(the bottom)

1-7"x7" square

1-4"x30" panel(strap)

These are the steps that I took.

Start off by pressing in the raw edges of the square a 1/2".

Next take you strap fabric and fold it in half. Press.

Fold in the raw edges a 1/2" and press.

When you have completed those steps, your strap should look like this.

Take 2 panels and sew a seam down the long sides using a 1/2" seam allowance.

Place your square where you would like it, pin if necessary, and stitch.

Take 2 side panels and stitch along the short sides. Stop stitching about a 1/2" at both ends to make attaching other panels easier.

Press all seams open

Next attach bottom panel and front panel making sure to leave the 1/2" at the ends.

Bring front panel forward and stitch the remaining pieces together.

You will repeat these steps with the remainder of your cut fabric to make the lining.

For some reason, I skipped the picture for this next step. You will want to press all the un-sewn raw edges in a 1/2" towards the other raw edges. For the outside of the bag, you will press inward. For the lining, you will press outward.

  Hopefully this makes sense!!

Slide the lining into the outer shell with wrong sides facing. Match all side seams. Insert strap on each end of the bag. Pin and stitch.

Once you have sewn all the way around the bag, you should come up with something that looks like this:

Perfect for your little man to fill with his "gear" and go exploring.

I'm looking forward to sharing with you guys some more boy projects this week.

Email if you have any questions!