Crocheted Hats for the Kids

I've been meaning to make hats for the kids to match the scarves I made a while back. I actually finished them up a couple of weeks ago, but it took me a little while to get a picture of them all with their hats on together. 

This was my first attempt at crocheting hats, and after making a total of 6 or 7 hats in the process, I think they turned out okay. I followed this free pattern I found through Ravelry, and was having some difficulty getting the top to lie flat (that's where the extra hats come in). I decided to just go with it but figured out what to do by the time I made it to Skyler's hat--the pointy end looks cute on the little ones (Liam hasn't quite grown out of his cute baby face), but Skyler's definitely too much of a boy now.

I'm sure one day we'll all look back and laugh at the goofy hats I made them, but for now they love them--and I'm not an uncool mama yet!

Little Pilgrims

all of these photos

look (almost)

exactly the same,

but i couldn't keep from sharing!

Friday Favorites: Celebrating Advent

1. spool advent calendar  2. recycle bin advent calendar   

3. child's advent wreath  4. fabric chain advent calendar

Although today is Black Friday, and I do love a great bargain, I also recognize how easy it is to overlook the more important things we should be planning for in the days leading up to Christmas. Especially when both adults and children are bombarded with things we're supposed to want, and we all end up with the gimme-gimmes.

So this weekend we're going to shelter ourselves a little bit more from the chaos out there and reflect a little more on our faith and family--which I'm sure will mean a little more chaos around here!

How about you? What are some of your favorite ways to simplify and add meaning to the holidays in your home?

While you're at it, hop on over to Small Notebook, and check their post on making your home a haven during the Christmas season--it was a bit of an eye-opener for me!

Hey, Boo Boo

I've seen versions of this little guy on the web for a little while now, and decided to finally make one of my own for our godson's second birthday. What exactly is it? A boo-boo buddy. A stuffed toy filled with rice instead of fluff. If he got wet he'd turn out a bit fluffy, but the goal is to keep him dry. The rice helps keep him nice and cool or hot, depending on how your little one is aching. You can keep him in the freezer to have him ready as needed, or pop him in the microwave for thirty seconds at a time to soothe aching muscles.

I know my kids come to me with bumps and bruises at least once a day each and we're always losing our ice-gel packs--I'll definitely be making some of these for Christmas so they can each have a little friend to help soothe their boo-boos. And who knows? I may even whip up a little tutorial to go along with it (insert foot in mouth)!

One Quilt Down, A Million More Projects To Go

I am so glad this baby is finally finished! I was worried this one might have ended up in the indefinitely unfinished pile (along with a couple of rag rugs I started last fall). 

But here it is! My wonderful little lap quilt made out of Chris' old work shirts. After becoming a firefighter (he was a teacher before) he didn't have a need for so many dress shirts--and of course I couldn't pass up a perfectly good fabric source! Plus, it's kinda like being able to snuggle up with him while he's on shift at the firehouse, kind of. Maybe I should call it my stay-at-home-hubby quilt.

Now, onto all of those Christmas gifts I'm hoping to make! What are you working on?

Friday Favorites: Thanksgiving at the Kid's Table

1. pilgrim hat and bonnet  2. activity placemat  3. leaf rubbing placemat  4. paper boat placecard

A Walk In the Park: Family Photos

The planets aligned for a perfect Saturday over the weekend and we finally had the chance to take some new family photos! We were scheduled to go take some at a portrait studio over the summer, but Mr. Liam decided to run into a door frame and ended up needing stitches on his forehead! This time, we decided to try and find an independent photographer.

To make a long story short, we have some new friends, John and Whitney, who own a photography company, Leaves of My Tree. We checked out their work and decided to give them a try. We met at the local Chris Park and had a blast! We had a great time playing with the kids and I love how the photos turned out--John and Whitney have a refreshing style and we were happy to support their local small business. Here are some of my favorite photos from the shoot:

As you can imagine, taking photos with four kids can be pretty crazy, but I love that they capture the life of our family. We've had our share of portrait studio pictures taken and it can be pretty stressful--getting everyone to sit and smile and get the perfect photo in 10-15 minutes and then picking out the photos you want to order right after, while the kids are moaning and groaning at your knees--it's no walk in the park!

But this was.

Check out John and Whitney's website for more info about their photography and their awesome blog!

My New (Free) Sewing Table

Chris and I dragged the kids along for another treasure hunt, aka bulk-pickup hunt, a few weeks ago and we found some cool things. I got a new wooden yardstick, a bunch of old canning jars, a large old frame, and this cool old table. We weren't sure about picking it up at first (we didn't have much room left in the van), but I've been wanting a table to use just for my crafting endeavors and thought this would be perfect. So after driving off without it, I convinced Chris to go back later and grab it before it was gone (you'd be surprised how fast curbside finds disappear). 

The table top was a bit moldy, so Chris replaced it with some new plywood, but it's perfect for the space in our family room. It's about counter top height, so I can stand or sit while working at it, and it even has a little shelf that I can use for storage. 

Some days are more successful than others as far as trash hunting goes, but I'm definitely thankful for our free finds. And thank you to my wonderful husband for getting out of the car to check out the things I spy (and fixing them up for me later!) I don't think I'll ever give up bulk pickup hunting! Maybe I should start inviting friends to go along--any takers?

Friday Favorites: Paper Play

1. paper city   2. woodpecker   3. vw bus   4.  shoebox house

Men's Shirt Quilt, Quilted

Do you remember the quilt I started back in September? After being sidetracked by the Kid's Clothes Week Challenge and some not so great health issues last month, I've finally made some progress!

Working square by square through nap and bedtime, this baby's almost complete. I have the binding prepped and ready to go, and am crossing my fingers in the hopes of finishing it up this week (I have some Christmas gifts waiting)!

Friday Favorites: Home Edition

1. Book Page Wreath Tutorial  2. Recycled Sweater Throw

3. Making Autumn Leaves  4. DIY Cinder Block Planter

Handmade Holidays at Sew, Mama, Sew!

November marks the 4th Annual Handmade Holidays over at Sew, Mama, Sew! For all of you looking for crafty gift-giving ideas, this is the place! Each day they'll be highlight new gifts according to the recipient--so everyone from co-workers, to tweens is covered! And what makes it even better is that they have a ton of giveaways! So stop by every day this month to see what kind of goodies you can make or win! (Last year I won this Christmas crafting book). Oh, and check out their prize lists here and here.