Last weekend, I went to a garage sale where everything was FREE. Seriously. They wanted everything gone, so they made it all free. Two whole rooms full of miscellaneous items.
FREE.
So I grabbed anything that I thought would work for us including some very cute clothes that I thought might fit The Bee. I figured we could donate anything that didn’t.
There were these pants that didn’t fit either one of us, but they were big enough to cut up to make a pair for Falafel.
I just couldn’t see getting rid of them. They match her personality.
I just traced a pair of pants that fit her onto the legs and cut. I added a small pocket with piping to the back (I have always wanted to try to add piping).
Then I sewed them up and took about a million photos.
You are warned.
I found it difficult to choose which photos to use. They all are so much fun to look at. She gives me a lot to work with. Such a goof.
The shirt I made for a different project (more on that another time), but it looked adorable with these pants. Could not resist.
She looks much older in this one.
Sometimes, you may not get exactly what you are looking for. Sometimes it’s better.
If you are still here, Thank you for scrolling all the way down.
Garage Sale season is upon us, and I’d say off to a great start!
What have you made to work for you?
What was the best garage sale find you’ve ever had?
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I have been perusing the interwebs looking for skirt inspiration since I read about Skirt Week over at Crafterhours! I found two that I really liked (here and here) aspects of, so I combined them to make this skirt for The Bee.
Gah! She looks all grown up here.
I have never made a skirt like this before, so I was winging it, really.
The sides each have a channel with a cord running through. I cinched them up with a sweet bow on the ends.
Both fabrics are lightweight gauze material, and both cut square and then I turned them like diamonds (Um, rhombuses, Mom), and made simple half circle waistbands with elastic.
I love the way it came out.
It’s very light and old fashioned and very her.
Very twirly.
Now she has a beautiful summer skirt that was made for spinning, running, and keeping cool..and looking pretty sweet, too.
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::Wordless{ish} Wednesday is where I post a picture(s) without words. Feel free to link up your own post without words in the comments so I can check out your image too!::
Give a Kid a Camera…
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We decided since the weather was agreeable, for Mother’s Day we would go to the beach to have lunch and maybe play a bit.
We got there and… the wind. My goodness, the wind!!!
That didn’t stop us, much though.
Did you ever notice how some photos just look better in black and white?
Anyhow, we decided to uphold our Mother’s Day Fairy House building tradition, but this year do it at the beach!
You know. For all those beach fairies!
Driftwood totally lends itself to building well. For that matter, so does sand.
It was fun, but that wind was really getting to us. So we headed to our beloved garden center to walk around.
We made some colorful discoveries.
And saw some of our favorite plants. This one is definitely on my list. Monkey Puzzle. Fabulous.
And got goofy (in black and white again).
We even saw baby ladybugs…
And a strange Bush Baby too.
It was a day well spent. And to top it all off, they are getting me a 12″ single bevel compound miter saw! Woohoo! I have a few things on my mind to make with it already. I can’t wait until it arrives.
All this love and a saw to boot! What more can a Mama want?
Oh, and I totally didn’t have to do the dishes.
*sigh*
What did you do to celebrate all the Mothers in your life?
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I cannot remember a time when we didn’t have the vast world wide web. I know I was alive a good 20 something years before it became popular and user-friendly, but I still can’t remember. What did we do when we wanted to know how old Robert Redford is, RIGHT NOW? OR when we couldn’t remember how to convert centimeters to inches?
Since it has been in my life, the internet has helped me with parenting and crafting and even friendships. Anytime my kids ask a question that I just cannot answer (which is a lot*ahem*), I shout “To the internet!“, and away we go to get the information. Just a click away. Even placing books (if we need even more information) on hold at the library is easier online.
I am a self-taught sewist and sometimes run into projects that I just don’t know how to do. Enter Internet. *Poof!* Now I know.
There are people that I lost touch with over the years and am now able to connect with. All because of the web.
Recently, a lovely woman from all the way in Australia was commenting on my blog posts fairly regularly. She left the kindest comments. So kind that it motivated a few emails back and forth. Our friendship began.
We decided it would be so much fun to send each other packages for our kids to enjoy. I mailed off hers with some handmade goodness in it, and she mailed ours.
It just arrived this week!
Oh my goodness! It is one of the most thoughtful packages we have ever received. Ever.
Oh the joy. And the educational aspect. We immediately went to our map and I had Falafel find Australia on it.
Fantastic!
If it weren’t for the internet, I wouldn’t blog. If I didn’t blog, I wouldn’t have connected with another Mom all the way on the other side of the world.
I love the internet. I do.
Like anything, it is best in moderation (whatever that may be). I still have to find the balance between real life relationships and online~ness. But it is a powerful tool that I am very thankful for.
What do you think about Moms and the Internet?
First, I want to wish all you Mamas out there a very
Happy Mother’s Day!
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This week we have yet another Elsa Beskow book!
*I can’t get enough of these*
This time the story isn’t about little forest people, but all about a little boy who has a lamb, and needs a new suit. It takes you through the process of making the yarn then the fabric then, finally, the new suit.
I love the simplicity and, of course, the illustrations.
Falafel liked that he was trading for services. He gets everyone to help him, but not without giving them something in return. Bartering at it’s best.
What is on YOUR shelves this week?
Do you remember the Produce Bag Tutorial? Well, I thought of another gift idea for those wonderful teachers in our lives.
I had a bunch of scrap wood lying around from the myriad of projects I have done, and they were just calling out to me to be made into a gift…or two.
I used a board and cut it into 7″x9″ pieces, but any size would work.
I first sanded the wood. Then pre-drilled the holes on top for the eyelet screws. Then gave it a few coats of chalkboard paint.
I screwed in the eyelets once it was dry. I also took this time to sand lightly to give it an aged look.
I screwed in tiny hooks on this one, and then drew with a paint pen all around.
I sewed a quick little felt chalk holder to hang from one of the hooks.
Then I made another board.
I drew on this one as well but gave it a built-in chalk holder.
These came out really well, and were fairly easy to do. I love that I had most of the supplies already.
A view from the back.
I can’t decide which I like better.
Good thing we have plenty of teachers to give them to.
What will you be giving to the Teachers in your life?
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There are things that I treasure about every season. Truly. It is easier to complain, though, about the cold and the rain than to appreciate anything about them, so I have to delve deep in Winter to find my gratitude.
That is not the case in Spring. There are so many things we love. Even though we still deal with bouts of rain and cold, there is a light that we can see burning brighter and warmer with the passing of every day.
It illuminates us and makes us shine.
The incredible blossoms that dapple the landscape with soft hues help to show us there is beauty abound.
There is a lot more outside than inside time happening around here.
Contrary to what I believe, the warmer temps of 50 and 60 degrees means it is shorts weather for The Bee. I think her skin just longs for the sun.
Her hair seems to glow much brighter this time of year.
The days are filled with new experiences and wonder.
There is the hope of growth and bounty for the Summer. We start right now tilling, planting, and dreaming.
You all know how much we love the Fairy Houses (and here) we create. It seems it wouldn’t be Spring without those.
We feel so alive amongst all this life!
Welcome back, Spring! We look forward to seeing you year after year.
What is your favorite thing about Spring?
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The other day, my husband handed Falafel, our 6 year old, his point-and-shoot camera and let her snap away at will.
200 photos later, we realized that seeing what she photographed was a great way to get inside her little head. To have the pleasure of viewing the world from her perspective is just… lovely. Surprisingly, no butts or boogers.
We also realized that she takes great photos! So I’ve decided to share some of them with you once a week (until you protest~or we run out) because I’d like you to enjoy them as well.
Have you ever given your child a camera to photograph whatever he/she desires?
What do they photograph?
::Wordless{ish} Wednesday is where I post a picture(s) without words. Feel free to link up your own post without words in the comments so I can check out your image too!::
Sometimes I take the camera, hold it down where I can’t see, and then click.
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