Floor Cushions Complete!

This photo says it all--I'm so glad to finally be done sewing these! The cushions themselves were from a pretty simple tutorial at Living with Punks, but when I couldn't find any home decor fabric prints that I liked I decided I'd embroider solid colors instead. The actual embroidering was pretty easy (although a little slow-going), the hardest part was figuring out what to designs to create--I wanted images that would grow with the kids for a while; here's what I came up with:

Dandelions for Eleanor,

Retro-looking cars and trucks for Liam (based on some images I found online),

And paper airplanes for Skyler (also based on online images).

And instead of stuffing them with polyfil, I decided to use up some of the giant bags of scraps I have from the local sewing shop. The good news was that I was able to use up nearly two entire bags full of scraps (it feels good to lighten up the stash a little only four or five bags left!), the bad news is that they're a little lumpier than I prefer. Eleanor's probably came out the best because it was made with canvas/duckcloth and doesn't show the lumpiness as much, but the other two are a multi-purpose home decor material that's a bit thinner and not as forgiving. 

Another side effect of using the fabric scraps was that the cushions turned out super heavy. I didn't realize they would be so heavy at first, but figure it'll keep the kids from swinging them all over the place and wacking each other with them! I may eventually go back and stuff them with polyfil, but I'm happy to keep the bumps and bruises at a minimum (ha!) for now. 

On to the next project!

Friday Favorites: How to Keep Your Summer Cool

1.  sweet raspberry lemonade  2.  lemon cups

3.  rosewater tutorial  4. play tent tutorial

This week's roundup is all about keeping cool during the rising summer heat. First off is a yummy raspberry lemonade recipe. Okay, I haven't made it myself yet so I can't testify to it's yummy-ness, but I do love making fresh lemonade and adding raspberries to it could only make it better. And a sweet cool drink in hand makes the sweat running down your back a little more bearable!

Next I found a cute lemon cup recipe which is basically lemon juice and sugar turned into slush--but it looks cute (and almost healthy) inside a lemon (I have a little bit of a sweet tooth now, don't I?). 

I also found a rosewater recipe (which is not for drinking) which would be perfect as a cooling spray. The tutorial calls for using home-grown or organic roses rather than store-bought ones. We have a row of rose bushes we planted earlier this spring. They're not blooming enough to make our own rosewater yet, but I think I might try once they do. 

And lastly, I couldn't resist sharing this awesome play tent tutorial. The designer used three twin sheets (which, I believe, are just $3 each from Walmart) and a hula hoop to make it, and it can be used indoors or out! I love how simple her tutorial is and can imagine one of these hanging up in our own backyard all summer. Now for next month's budget so I can go out and by some sheets!

How are you keeping cool this summer?

 

Afternoon Puppet Show

The kids and I kept busy this afternoon creating our own puppet theaters from a download I found through Bookhoucraftprojects. I'm a hoarder of recyclables and had the snack boxes on hand so this was the perfect activity for keeping out of the afternoon heat. The kids went to town coloring their theater curtains and puppets while I did the bulk of the cutting and pasting. And when Liam and Eleanor finally got theirs, they decided they were helmets.

We had a big mess on our hands afterwards, but we had fun, I even took the opportunity to color my own. The boys eagerly practiced and put on their own renditions of the puppets all eating each other before bedtime.

Skyler's already looking forward to making his own puppets--the possibilities are endless! It was fun taking a break to play with the kids today. This will definitely be a go-to project!

Friday Favorites

1.  stroller cupholder 2.  crocheted receiving blankets

3.  simple paper kite  4. fabric travel high chair

I'm finally starting to get into the nesting phase--with the baby just over a month away I'm sure I'll be in a frenzy getting things ready! I've found a few projects I'd love to try (at least at some point) and a craft to (maybe) keep the kiddos occupied while I attempt to!

Two for One?

We've been talking it up for weeks now and finally took the plunge! We took Liam to pick out some big boy underwear after church on Sunday and got an extra little potty chair for Eleanor in the hopes that she would be interested too. And boy has she! We still have her in a cloth diaper but she wants to try going just as often as her big brother. And I'm probably writing this a little prematurely, but no major accidents yet--wish us luck!

Update: Five minutes later Eleanor pooped on the floor. Luckily we have all wood floors!





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So summer begins...

...with the last day of school,

kicking back,

the first t-ball game,

new projects for the house,

not-so-summery scarves in progress, 

and emerging butterflies!

How about you? What are you up to so far this summer?

Our Newest Addition

We have an unexpected guest in our house, who has brought along a few friends, and they may all end up just becoming family. 

I found some strange looking caterpillars munching on the parsley in our herb garden earlier last month and tossed them away. I was fascinated with their bright colors but wasn't sure if they were good to have around. Afterwards, I did some research online and found out they were butterfly caterpillars! I found an awesome site on raising them and desperately searched the yard to see if I could salvage them but they were gone. I felt terrible knowing that they must have been eaten up by a bird,  and I was also bummed at missing the opportunity to let the kids watch it grow into a butterfly. 

Well just this week we found another one in the parsley! And boy was he munching away--the parsley was half gone! I was thrilled to share him with the kids--we got an old peanut butter jar, drilled some holes into the top, added some sticks and parsley and welcomed the big guy to his new home. 

Soon after transferring the big guy, we noticed another little caterpillar inching (or millimetering) up the side of the jar. This was how small the big guy used to be! They go through a series of moltings and take 2-3 weeks to reach the larger size (also called the roaming stage). 

I think it was the second night that we noticed the big guy had attached himself to one of the sticks (they use some of their silk to do this). And then the next night he had wriggled out of his skin and reached the chrysalis stage! For some reason I had always thought they spun a huge cocoon around themselves, but it's cool how there's a new version of themselves waiting beneath each layer of skin. You can just make out the two silk strings he's hanging by in the pictures above and the little ball of skin at the bottom of the jar. From what I've read online it takes about 10 days for the butterfly to emerge and we can't wait to meet him! 

The kids are totally fascinated with them (we all are really) and it's been a fun and easy pet to have around. Just this evening Chris and Skyler were picking some fresh parsley to feed the little guy and found three more mini-cats munching on the leaves! So no we have four little babies and a butterfly in the making--I think we're gonna have to find them a bigger home!

For anyone interested in learning more about raising their own caterpillars, check out this cool website  that covers all the bases. I see some caterpillar-themed activities coming up soon!

Friday Favorites

1.  facebook 2.  reversible bonnet

3.  swaddle blanket  4. science journal

This week I've found a few things I'd like to do this summer. I don't know that I'll actually get around to all of these (there are plenty of other things on my to-do wishlist), but it's nice to have some ideas on hand. 

First is the sweet little facebook Lier put together for her daughters over on ikat bag. She snapped photos of her girls expressing different emotions and then put them together in these handy little flip books. I think this would be a perfect project for a certain little toddler in our house :)

I'm also itching to get at least a few things made for our little sweet pea before she arrives. This little reversible bonnet on Prudent Baby seems like a cuter alternative to the simple beanie (although the beanies are quick and easy!). 

I may also be tempted to make one of these swaddle blankets (also from Prudent Baby). I think we have a couple that we saved but it would be nice to have one in a fabric pattern of my choice! And if you've never used one of these I love them for newborns--it keeps them all snuggled up at night and (sometimes) helps them sleep better!

And lastly, in trying to think of some things to keep Skyler occupied this summer, I think the idea of keeping a science observation journal is brilliant! Marie from Make and Takes tells the story of how she started one with her son--this would be a perfect summer learning experience. 

How about you? What are your favorite summer activities/crafts? Have any favorite (and easy) handmade baby goodies?

Last-Minute Teacher's Gift

Here's what we're making as a last-minute gift for Skyler's teacher--and there's no last-minute shopping needed! Check out the Art Display and Storage tutorial at bookhoucrafts. You'll find some more teacher gift ideas here.

Bed Sheet Dress

Last Friday I shared the Ice Cream Social Dress tutorial with you from Crafting is Not Optional and I  got to try it out that night after all! I had a flowered bed sheet that I found for less than $2 at a thrift store last week and thought it would work perfectly. 

Well, I did like how the print worked, but I wasn't as pleased as I'd hoped with the dress over all. It was my first attempt ever at making a dress and I made the mistake of winging the measurements rather than waiting to measure Eleanor (when I have my mind set to make something I just want to get it done!) So on the first fitting I found out the straps were way to long and it was simple enough to adjust them, but it also kind of gapes in the back a little (and I was too tired to alter it again).

Despite my own critique, Eleanor loves the dress and it will be perfect for summer--here's to the rising Texas heat!