Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to my amazing mom! She is so beautiful, inside and out, and I will never be able to repay her for all that she has done for me. I am so thankful have such a strong, wonderful woman as my role model and best friend. I love her more than she will ever know!

Presleigh Belle

Generally, Presleigh finds my blog to be a complete waste of time. But when she heard about Debbidoo's Pet Linky Party, she insisted that I show case her pictures from the very beginning. The above pictures wes taken the day that I got her. She was 3 months old and so very shy. I was already in love with that sweet little fur ball.

I got her in the middle of football season so, of course, she had to have an Alabama cheerleading outfit. I'm sure that is how they won the National Championship.

This was Presleigh's first Christmas picture which was included in the Christmas cards.

This was an attempt to get a Christmas picture of both Presleigh and my Shih-tzu Zhoe. Presleigh was being camera shy. Maybe she was embarrassed of her Christmas pajamas.

This is one of my absolute favorite pictures of Presleigh. Look at that innocent little face. It is the wallpaper on my Macbook.

Thankfully she grew out of this phase. She used to insist on jumping on my stomach while I was doing crunches. I think that she thought she was helping.

She looks like such a girly girl with her pink butterfly bow and pink blanket. Looks can be deceiving because she is most definitely a tom boy. I used to fight her with the bows. I gave that up a long time ago.

Presleigh loves being on the bed with piles of blankets. Of course a bone just makes it that much better.

This is hilarious. We came in the room to find her dead asleep with all of her paws in the air and the boyfriend's visor around her waist. 

Family picture of me, the boyfriend (Presleigh's daddy), and Presleigh.

It doesn't get much cuter than this. I love them both so much.

Presleigh was tired after getting a haircut.

Her hair gets a little crazy when she's been playing hard.

Valentine's Day 2011

I was actually trying to take a picture of the rug to sell on Craigslist but Presleigh thought it was all about her.

Sun bathing...

She is convinced that she should be a model.

Sleepy, sleepy girl. 

Now we are heading over to the Pet Party to check all of the other fur kids.

Also linking up to Funky Junk Interiors Pet Party.

Blocks and Burp Cloths

In my last post, I wrote about organizing tons and tons of fabric. In the process, I found some very cute prints that I thought would be perfect for making a baby gift. It just so happens that one of my college roommates is pregnant and having a baby girl. I decided to use a variety of material to make soft fabric blocks and matching burp cloths. 

I started off by choosing a variety of fabric to create 5 blocks. I made a 5.5" square in Microsoft Word, printed it for my pattern. Next I cut 6 squares of fabric for each block, for a total of 30. Then I sewed (yes, I actually sewed these) all of the squares together, right sides facing, and stuffed them with Polyfil. 

For the burp cloths, I started with two plain white cloth diapers. Then I chose a few of the fabric patterns that coordinate with the blocks to create a layout for the front side of the cloth. I added a button and a little loop of ribbon so that they could be hung in the nursery or attached to a car seat or diaper bag. 

This is probably one of my favorite projects that I have made lately. I was also quite proud that I sewed almost everything by myself. I did scream at the sewing machine a few times before I remembered all the tricks of the trade. I really liked the burp cloths because the ones sold in stores, although just as useful, all look alike and are all boring. But, the blocks are what really excite me. They are so soft and fuzzy and perfect for a girly nursery. Plus, the are much safer for a baby than the original wooden variety. Maybe I will try a set of baby boy blocks next.

Lately...

Over the past 48 hours since the disastrous storm made its way through Alabama, crafting has been far from my main focus. Since volunteer efforts are still in the stage of organization, my family and I are currently trying to provide essential items to people in need. Although I know the food and water and toiletries are very useful, I want to do so much more. For now, here is a look at my past week of crafts and thrifty finds...

I had spools of ribbon all over the place. Every time that I would need a certain color of ribbon for a project, it was easier to buy it rather than search for it around my house. I'm sure I still haven't found all of it, but at least I now have a system of organization. I actually found the frame on the side of the road. It is part of a wine crate and worked perfectly for making a ribbon holder. I got the wooden dowels and wooden knobs at Hobby Lobby. My dad cut the dowels down to the length that I needed and drilled holes in each side. How I love organization projects!

On the subject of organization, I tackled a massive amount of fabric. My mom has always sewn and over the years has accumulated 5 large tubs of material. I pulled out every last piece, tossed what I labeled as "hideous", and set to work. I cut a sample-size square out of each material before neatly folding back into a storage tub. Then I threaded the upper left corner of each square on to a safety pin. Each safety pin of fabric swatches corresponds to a particular tub. I was excited to find quite a bit of lovely fabric. I can't wait to put it to use.

I have been making these wreaths/door hangers for a while now. I've painted collegiate, Christmas, and family name themes. My cousin asked if I could make an "It's a boy" wreath for her sister-in-law and I thought that it turned out to be quite adorable. I decided to list a few on Etsy and hey have been a hit. Although my dad doesn't delight in the craft scene, I have to give him credit on this project as well as the ribbon holder. He cuts all the wreath shapes out of plywood and sands them to create smooth edges. Yea, he's awesome!

Last week's thrift store adventure was well worth the trip. I found a few other good deals but they were all shadowed by Mr. Beethoven. When I spotted the Beethoven bust, I went to grab him off the top shelf. I had no clue he would be that heavy. I also did not expect the cheap price of $6.88. I'm not a huge  Beethoven fan or anything but I find my statue to be rather handsome. I'm still searching for a female bust to drape my pearls over because they looked a bit silly on Mr. Beethoven.

Still praying for all of the victims of the tornados and all of their loved ones!

Devastation

I like to think that most of posts are light, fun, and positive. I am generally a happy person and I want my blog to be a happy place as well. But today my heart is heavy for all of the people affected by the devastating storms throughout the southeast. Thankfully, my family and friends are safe and my little suburb of Birmingham was not hit. It is horrible no matter where a tragedy like this takes place but the damage in Tuscaloosa, AL (my college town) just breaks my heart. I spent 4 1/2 years in Tuscaloosa and have so many memories there. Places that were part of those memories are not there anymore. The last count that I saw confirmed 128 deaths and the search has just begun. I almost feel guilty looking at the sun shining out my window, sitting in my fully intact house with electricity, and still having all of my treasured belongings. For now they are saying the best thing you can do is donate to the Red Cross disaster relief fund, since roads are blocked and rescue workers are searching for missing people. I have done what I can do in that aspect but it doesn't seem like nearly enough. I will continue to pray for all of the people who have lost their loved ones and their homes. I cannot even imagine the despair. 

Psalm 46:1-2
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.

He is Risen

I make and sell hand painted wreaths for all occasions, but for Easter, I wanted to do something a little different. I decided on a cross shape with a sky blue background, white polka dots, and black trim. I ended up giving this one to my boyfriend's parents for their front door. I hope everyone is having a fabulous Easter weekend!

Burlap Carrot Door Hanger

I usually don't care too much about decorating for Holidays, aside from Christmas. Not only do they sneak up on me too quickly, but most holiday decor is too busy for my taste. That being said, the only Easter decorations that I planned on were my two stone bunnies that I put out for Spring. Then I came across a tutorial for a burlap carrot door hanger at Frou Frou Britches, and I am a sucker for anything burlap. I loved the shabby, yet sophisticated look of the simple carrots. While I didn't actually plan to make these, I came across my burlap amidst another project and it just sort of happened. Tanya has written a great tutorial with pictures on her blog, Frou Frou britches. I mostly followed her steps, with a few minor changes. I decided to hot glue my carrots together, instead of sewing, to save time. She stuffed hers with poly-fil but I opted for crumbled newspaper (resource at hand) and then I tied mine together with jute string. I think these are adorable hanging on the door. Too bad there is not even a week left until Easter.