A Good Day for the Goodwill

I was blessed by a visit from Grandma this afternoon. She came to watch to kiddos while I ran some errands. I couldn't resist a quick pop into the Goodwill. Not only did I score some great finds, I ran into a friend from Jack's baseball team last year. She and I adored each other but haven't seen one another in months. Here's what I came home with:

I always head straight for the linens. These 2 beauties screamed little skirts for the girls.

These bud vases are for a future project. I will share when they're done.

And SCORE in the broach department. $1.99 each and all are in great working condition. Better get crochetin'!

Oh and I also came home with plans for a girls' night with some great ladies...bonus!

I'm off on a date with my hubby. Hope you had a great day!

Busy Little Bee

I got the itch to make some stuff again. I guess house keeping has lost its appeal...not that it ever really had any. I have actually been a bit better at time management. Amazing how you can get a whole lot done when you budget time for it.

Here are 2 diaper pouches (one fabric and one crochet) and a little cosmetic pouch. I have to say that these diaper pouches are super handy! My girls are 2 now so I don't carry a diaper bag anymore. I just keep a pouch with diapers and wipes in my car and it is adorable, contained and really convenient!

I adore this little bag. Its bobble stitch again. I added one of the vintage broaches I bought at the flea market.

This is my first ever zipper. As usual, I screwed it up the first time but after a quick undoing, I think I got it. I am going to make another for myself. Such a great size to hold all of my lip glosses (I'm a gloss nut!).

Hopefully these little gifts will make for some happy recipients!

The diaper pouches are of my own creation but the cosmetic pouch pattern came from here.

Why Can't I Do it All?

As you can see, it has been slow going in the crafting department. It seems that if I am actively crafting then the laundry pile becomes taller than me and the toilets begin to grow a beard. If my house in immaculate...yeah, like that ever happens...you know that I am not making anything. I lost control of the house so I have been trying to play catch up, which is never fun.

This is what I wish I could accomplish daily:
A shower and perhaps a bit of makeup before the kids wake up
Tons of quality interaction with the kiddies
All the laundry
2 Hours of Intense Cleaning
At least one fabulous item perfectly crafted and complete
A brilliantly interesting blog post at Following Our Bliss
A hugely inspirational and creative blog post here
Read the blogs I love and leave comments
A healthy, home-cooked meal for dinner
Time and energy for my hubby in the evening (I won't elaborate)
All phone calls returned
All errands run

How many hours do you think this list would take. I am thinking at least 24. Hmmmm...that doesn't leave much time for sleep. Any suggestions??

Taking a Step Back

Something I will share about myself is that I have a very hard time being a "beginner" at anything. I think I should be able to pick something up and be a pro. This unbecoming character trait has lead me to give up more that one activity. I start, assuming that I will whizz right though it only to find that I am in no way equipped to tackle such a task. In the end, I make myself feel incompetent and like a failure...great huh?

I completed the cherry dress for the girls with a lot of help from my mom. She walked me through it and even fixed a couple of my mistakes herself. After her amazing tutelage, I felt more than confident starting the second dress. Boy was I wrong. I actually had a conversation with the dress the other day telling it that it will NOT beat me. Yes, I am bordering on insane at this point. After taking every, and I mean EVERY, part of the dress apart at least once, I was ready to give up sewing clothing all together. I was going to admit defeat and reserve my machine for house projects and accessory items only. And then I came to my senses.

I decided that even though the dress pattern says simple, you really do need at least some sewing experience. It has 2 pockets, a front and back yoke, straps and a bottom piece and it requires gathering. That is a lot to bite off for someone who has never sewn before. The dress is almost done but when the hand sewing of the front yoke went south, I decided that it needed to shelved...for a while...maybe for a long while.

Yesterday I made a fresh start. I chose a pattern with only 3 pieces to deal with, a front and 2 back pieces. It is a little tank for the girls and the plan is to make either a bloomer or a pair of crop pants to go with it. The construction is far from perfect but it gave me a manageable amount to work with and I got more practice with bias tape and hemming.


I am happy to report that I have not given up sewing all together. I have simply decided to take on skill level appropriate projects. This benefits me two-fold, I am making items that I will actually put my kids in because they don't look like a bloody mess and I feel good about myself when they're finished.

Latest Project

I have decided that my new favorite project is bags. No woman can have too many and one in every color of the rainbow is certainly in order, I think. Here is a little clutch with a removeable flower. I simply love the lining fabric. I think I may try and get some more and use it in my house somewhere. What do you think?






Of course I should give credit where credit is due. The pattern for this bag came from here.

Flea Market Show-and-Tell

It was a beautiful weekend as it promised to be and I had a great trip to the market. I drug Jack with me but he had an awesome time looking at all of the old stuff and he bought himself a tiny pocket knife. I think he may even go with me again someday:)

3 table cloths and a set of embroidered pillow cases. I plan to repurpose the table clothes and use the pillow cases in the girls room.

So this was probably my most exciting purchase. These are all dress patterns from the 50s and 60s. I was looking through the box and the "shop" owner came over and asked if wanted them all for $5. Of course I said yes! I adore the styles from this era so this was really cool.

These are the two patterns I was most excited about. The adult dress on top is made with one piece of fabric. Its not my size so it may be a bit of a challenge but I am dieing to give it a try!

I found a tea pot and a couple broaches. I am going to crochet a cozy for the teapot. Its a pattern that I saw in Vintage Crochet and just fell in love with.

The broaches.

And I picked this little circus cart up for Sammy's bookcase in his room.

I was really hoping for a corner cabinet. I saw a couple but they weren't exactly what I was looking for and they were WAY to pricey. I think I need to hit garage sales and estate sales to get a good deal on that. Other than that, it was a great trip!

Its Going to be a Great Weekend for...

The flea market!! I am so excited to wander and see what treasures await me. My sister was supposed to come and join me but has to work so I am going solo. I am bummed but its OK. How can I complain when it is going to be near 70 degrees this weekend? Here is the list of what I am hoping to find:

1. Book ends for the girls room.

2. Broaches and other accessories for the crochet bags I am making.

3. Corner cabinet for the dining room.

4. Vintage fabric/linens.

5. Vintage buttons.

6. Vintage tea set.

And any other treasures that speak to me. Wish me luck! I'll report back Monday.