ABC Photo Book

I made a little ABC photo book featuring toys and other various objects from around our home. I was originally inspired by lilla a's I Spy book. I was working like a mad woman to find things to go with each letter but it eventually turned out. I had them printed and just slipped them into a little photo book. I don't have a picture of the book, but here are some of my favorite letter shots:





Some of the letters were a little hard to hunt down objects for, so her brother's Woody doll made it into this one (she loves Toy Story anyway). That's also her brother's toy wrench and her daddy's old watch, but I did get the whales from her raincoat in there!





And Yoda just makes this picture, how could I leave him out?






So, just a little project as I work on teaching Eleanor her letters! What are your favorite alphabet learning activities?

This Time Last Year

I was enjoying a little lunch outside with Liam and Eleanor while Amelia was napping. Notice the fly on my sandwich? Yum.

And in my defense, I had a one-month-old baby, so our lunch wasn't high up there on nutritional value.

But I give myself kuddos for taking lunch outside and having a little fun with the kids (I was standing on my chair to take all these photos).

I'm so grateful to be a stay-at-home mom and creating memories like these! What were you doing this time last year?

Dressmaking Debut

I finally made my first dress for me. I've ventured into garment sewing for the kids numerous times (like here, here, and here), but have always been a bit intimated about making clothes for myself. And of course I chose the most complicated process once I finally worked up the courage. 

I came across the book Design-It-Yourself Clothesa while ago, but was turned off that it didn't include any patterns (duh, Amy). Patterns are great, but sewing clothes made just to fit you are even better. 

So, in just a little over a million hours, I was able to whip up my first dress. I chose a dark gray pinstriped linen, created a yoke with a gathered neckline, three-quarter sleeves, and--my favorite--pockets. This mama loves a dress with pockets. I was worried about it looking a little potato-sacky, but I'm pleased with the overall look.

 

The book itself guides you through a series of garments, building on the previous skills of each project. It starts off with a basic tee and builds up to making pants and dresses, going in a sequence from simplest to most difficult. Drafting the pattern from scratch was definitely my biggest challenge, especially since I modeled it after the last garment in the book, the Kathy Dress. 

I started off by taking my measurements, then kind of working backwards through the book--I had to draft the basic tee, the fitted shirt, the body from two dresses, and the sleeves from another, before I could build up to drafting my final dress. I know. I'm insane. I'm sure there was a less involved way to draft this dress, but I've never sewn anything for myself, so it was a great education on how clothes are made. 

I drew my pattern out on freezer paper and then moved on to making my muslin (I wasn't about to cut into my pricey linen without knowing how it would turn out). And a good thing I did, because I had to make a ton of changes and rework parts that I wasn't doing correctly at first.

And now I have a new dress to wear! It's perfect for early fall here in San Antonio (which we're still seeing temperatures in the nineties), and it would work great with a belt and boots when it starts to eventually get chilly out. And I also have all those other patterns to go back and make myself some more clothes. Eventually. 

How about you? Have you ever sewn anything for yourself?

Rain

It's been an extremely dry (and hot) year for us down in south Texas, with a total of just over eight inches of rain for the year in San Antonio. I can see lightning rolling in with the thunderclouds as I type, and I'm reminded how truly blessed we are. The drought this year has devastated Texas, with over 190 wildfires destroying more than 1,550 homes.

We are blessed that the greatest inconvenience during the drought has been whether or not we could water our lawn and gardens. And now we are finally blessed with rain.

Count your blessings today, there are more than you think...

Chasing Chickens

I don't know exactly how it became a topic in our house, and I think my husband may have actually been the one to bring it up, but all of a sudden we're talking about the possibility of raising chickens. We've had friends with chickens, and we got to take the kids out to a friend's house the other week so that we could learn a little more from their experience. The kids had a blast trying to catch and hold them (and I did too), and we asked every question we could think of--how often do they lay, what kind of scraps can you feed them, how to clean up after them, etc., etc.

I've tried to keep Chris' interest peeked by checking out books on coop designs from the library (give him something to build and it's pretty much a done deal). We still have plans to make--how many hens we'll keep, fixing up our fences and backyard, and actually building a coop, but I think it's gonna happen. And the kids have been longing for some sort of pet (the backyard bugs and the fish that died haven't been cutting it). And we love the idea of being able to enjoy fresh eggs, so I think a "pet" that gives back would be pretty ideal for us.

Any tips from you experienced chicken raisers out there? Do the rest of you think we're totally nuts? Check out some of the coops I've been admiring over on Pinterest!

Strawberry Birthday Pie

I think we've started a new birthday tradition. After making Skyler a pie for his birthday, I couldn't go without making one for Eleanor as she turned three last weekend. We're waiting until the end of the month to have a party (when my in-laws will be able to celebrate with us), but we had to do something to recognize her big day. 

So we kept it simple with a little family pizza dinner and some yummy pie afterwards. She insisted on having only one candle to blow out. I guess it's easier to blow out that way, and why shouldn't we make wish-making a little easier for our little ones?

Recycled Wind Chime Tutorial

There's a wonderful cool front that's swept into San Antonio today, finally taking us out of the triple-digits. We're enjoying a beautiful breezy day, and I thought it would be perfect to share this little recycled wind chime I made with the kids last week. Here's what you'll need:

1. Wire hanger  

2. String or yarn  

3. A handful of tin juice can tops (if you collect them obsessively like I do, it shouldn't be a problem)
4. A drill (and some safety glasses)

First, you'll need to drill some holes into your can tops. I found it easiest to drill a hole into a block of scrap wood first and then put the the tin circle on top (do this outside or something so you don't risk drilling into your kitchen table or anything). 

The kids helped next by cutting out the length of their yarn and stringing them through the holes. I arranged the yarn and tops in order from shortest to longest and tied them onto the hanger. Here's what you'll get:

Now just hang it up somewhere outside and wait for a breeze! I love their little tinny clatter.

Crocheting for Baby

My dear friend Umber commissioned me to crochet some baby items for her photography business over the summer. It was so much fun going with her to pick out yarn (we chose some baby alpaca from here for the main color, #555). We found both the hat and diaper cover patterns on Etsy.  The patterns were both simple and pretty easy to whip up, and the yarn was a dream to work with (now I know why it's worth splurging on the good stuff!). 

I love the diaper cover the most because it's adjustable and super-cute--and makes a great gift (I just sent one to my sister-in-law).

I've since gone back and purchased some more of the alpaca from the local shop, Yarn Barn, and hope to whip up a couple extras to possibly add to my currently empty Etsy shop (here's my profile)--so keep an eye out for a shop update soon!

And check out some of the sweet photos Umber took of Amelia, too:

Recognize those jumpers?? Hope you're all having a great week! By the way, have you taken my survey yet? I'd love to here from you!