The Carbajals

Tutorial for Decorative Mirror

2012-01-20T10:04:00.000-08:00

Make your own Decorative Mirror from a Wooden Pallet
Enjoy crafting at home!

I found a pallet by the dumpster and knew I could make something out of it but didn't know what. I've been wanting a decorative mirror for our living room but didn't want to spend $40+ for one. I bought a simple body-length mirror for under $6 at Wal-Mart and built my wooden frame around it. It looks good standing up on the floor or hanging on the wall.

What you need: 1 long pallet (I used 6 boards that were approximately 3 3/4"-wide by 64"-long), many 1" wood screws, wood glue, picture hanging wire, 2 metal washers, 8 corner braces, white paint and paint brush (optional).

Tools: saw, drill (with drill bits and screwdriver bit).

I put a bead of glue along one long side of one board and overlapped it with another board by 1.5-inches and screwed along the back with wood screws every 10-inches or so. Repeat for the remaining 4 boards. You should have 3 sets of overlapped boards once you're done that are now 6-inches wide.

Cut 2 of your boards into 59-inch lengths (this length is the outside length) with 45-degree corners. Cut the last board into 2 pieces that are 23-inches long (this is the outside length) with 45-degree corners. **NOTICE: you'll want to make sure when you cut your boards that you won't be cutting into your screw - you can take out the ones you'll hit and screw them in off the cut**

Match up your boards on the floor and on the back side screw your corner braces onto the outer layer of boards and then on the inner layer of boards.

If you want to paint your boards white, mix your paint with water to a 1:1 ratio. The wood will absorb the mixture quickly. The quicker/messier you do it - the cooler it looks!

Once your frame is dry you can center your mirror on the back and screw along the edges. Be sure not to screw into your mirror or it will break!

I made 2 loops (with several loops and then twisting the end around the entire loop for strength) out of the picture hanging wire and screwed it onto the back of my frame for hanging. Make sure they're the same distance from the top and sides so your frame isn't lopsided when you hang it up.

Ta-da!

Make your own Wall Decoration!

2012-01-03T07:59:00.000-08:00

Make your own Wall Decoration
Enjoy crafting at home!

My mom has always decorated our house with blue and white plates while growing up. I loved the look and tried to find 3 plates to hang in our apartment but they're either too expensive, hard to find, or not cute enough. So I came up with this idea instead - covering wooden frames with blue and white/creme fabric. Lucky for me I had everything I needed except the wood which only cost me .85 cents!

Anyone who knows how to use a hammer and staple gun can do this. And if you have a table saw - that's a bonus.

What you need: 1 (1"x2"x8') furring strip (it's an inexpensive thin 8-foot board I got from Lowe's), 6 (8.5"x8.5") squares of thin cardboard (like a cereal box), 3 (14"x14") squares of fabric, 5 c-hooks, at leaset 24 small nails (about 1/2" long), staples for your staple gun and small drill bit.

Tools: saw (or have the hardware store cut it before you buy your wood), staple gun, drill and hammer.

Cut your strip of wood into 12 9" lengths with 45-degree corners. I cut the end of my strip first with a 45-degree corner, measured from the furthest point of the corner down 9" and cut my other 45-degree corner (you'll need to flip your board so the cut is going the opposite direction). Measure again, flip, cut, repeat. I barely got 12 cuts out of my 8-foot board - so don't mess up :)

Make your 3 squares by stapling your corners together. Flip your squares over and center a piece of cardboard on each side (the side without staples) and staple each corner down onto the wood. If you need to, hammer the staples down flush with the wood.

With the good side of your fabric down, place and center your wood squares (cardboard side down) over each. Fold up one side of fabric over wood and tack down with 3 staples. Do the same for the opposite side, making sure the fabric is stretched just enough so it's taute. The last two sides get a bit trickier to avoid too much bunching of the fabric in the corners, but play around with what works best - just make sure your fabric is taute on the underside and not bunchy. All you need is 3 -staples on the last two sides. Don't worry about what it looks like on the back because now you're going to cover it!

Center a square of cardboard on each back and hammer your small nails into each corner and then a nail in the center of each side.

You can see in the picture I put picture-hanging hardware on and that's an option if you don't like the c-hooks. I ended up liking the c-hooks because they add more detail to the decoration, they're easier to attach and easier to hang (you only need one nail vs. 3 nails for the picture hanging hardware).

For the c-hooks, you'll want to mark the center (this is the length of your side divided by 2 - so it should be 4.5" but double check) of your top and bottom on all pieces, except your bottom piece only needs the top marked.

Drill a small hole through your marks, going through the fabric and about 1/4" through your wood. Make sure your drill bit is slightly smaller than the screw-threads on your c-hooks.

Once your holes are drilled you can twist your c-hooks on, attach your squares together and VIOLA!

Figuring out where to hang it was the hardest part for me (because it would have looked cute anywhere!)

Make your own

2011-09-20T09:59:00.000-07:00

Tutorial for making your own clock
Enjoy crafting at home!

This is a large decorative wall clock. It takes about 2 hours to assemble and only cost me about $20 to make.

What you need: large square (or circle) board, clock movement and hands, 12 wooden furniture buttons, wood glue or hot glue, black cardstock paper, 2 d-rings with screws and metal wire (picture hanging kit), sand paper and spray paint (optional).

Tools: jigsaw, drill and drill bits, and screwdriver.

The most expensive (and probably the hardest to find) item for the clock will be the clock movement and hands. I got mine off Etsy for just under $15. It's a high-torque clock movement with 9 5/16-inch long hands. *You want to make sure that whatever size hands you get that they will fit on the size board you're going to use. Double the size of your hands and add about 4-inches to figure out what size board you will need.

My math: the hands I got were about 9 1/4-inches x 2 = 18 1/2-inches + 4-inches = 22 1/2-inches. I went to Ikea and looked in their AS-IS department and found a cupboard face that measured 24 x 24 inches. If you can't find anything a lumber store is always a good option. Lowe's and Home Depot will cut a board to the size you need.

Find the center of your board and mark it. From your center is how you'll mark each point for your wooden buttons "numbers". I put my buttons 9 1/4-inches away from my center - the same length as my hands. TIP: I folded a large piece of paper in-half and then folded it in thirds again and held it up against the center-line of my clock to help assist me in marking where to put my buttons.

With a drill bit the same diameter as the base of your buttons, drill into your marks about 1/8-inch (this will make it so you can push the bottom of your buttons into the wood later).

Drill a large hole into the center of your clock. Put the threaded shaft of the movement through the center hole and trace around the black box and add a little extra to give yourself a margin to make sure the box will fit once you've cut out the square hole. Drill a hole in each corner and then use your jig-saw to cut each side of the box.

On the back of your clock drill holes for your 2 d-rings. I put mine 4-inches down from the top and 4-inches away from the sides. Attach one end of the wire to one d-ring by twisting the end around itself, stretch the wire to the other side and cut the wire wire 3-inches past the second d-ring and twist the end around itself to hold.

Glue each of your buttons into your 12 shallow holes.

I spray painted my clock so the buttons would match and then sanded the edges of my board and the buttons to give it a worn look.

With your cardstock, cut a circle large enough to cover the hole in the center of your clock. I used a glass cup to trace my circle. Punch a hole in the center. You could also use something around your house that is the right size. I just happened to have a flat black circle lying around that I used.

Lastly, you'll put your clock movement and hands on. Put the black box in the opening. Make sure the top of your black box matches up with the top of your clock (the top should be where you have your d-rings).

Place your black circle on top, the black rubber circle that came with your clock parts, and then the washer and bolt.

Slide your hour hand on first and then put the minute hand on and secure it with the small end-bolt that came with your parts.

Find a stud in your wall to put a 2-inch screw in to hang your clock.

ENJOY!

Family Silhouettes

2011-09-09T06:18:00.000-07:00

I always remember seeing in my Grandma's house silhouette pictures of her kids hanging up in oval frames. It must have been popular back then. I saw on a lady's blog a picture of her family in modernized silhouettes - just couldn't resist!

BEFORE:

AFTER:

This is what I came up with for our wall. I ended up not putting mine and Kevin's pictures up... maybe in our room.

Maybe I'll start offering my silhouette making services on Etsy, haha!

Make your own!

2011-08-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

Tutorial for making your own chandelier (out of clothes hangers)
Enjoy crafting at home!

This chandelier is not only unexpected but it looks cool too!

What you need: bike rim and outer gear (adult sized), 36 wooden hangers, 6 ft of chain, cord for light, 73 zip ties, 2 large c-hooks, spray paint (optional), and thin wire (optional).

I got this idea online and about a week later I found an old rusty bike by the dumpster. I was so excited!

I wanted my bike rim/gear and hanger hooks to match so I spray painted them.

I hung the bike parts from a tree using fishing line.

The hangers were already covered in plastic when I bought them so I just taped the top to avoid painting the wood.

Tada!

If your rim has 36 spoke holes, but a zip-tie in every 12th hole (so you have 3 evenly spaced) from the inside-out.

Attach hangers to each zip-tie. If your hangers are shaped inward, MAKE SURE your hangers are laying the same way so they fit together smoothly. TIP: don't tighten them all they way until the end.

Next, zip-tie the top of the hangers to your gear so they're evenly spaced. Find items to put in the center to hold the gear up at the right height while you're working.

After I zip-tied all my hangers to my gear I decided the hangers weren't laying flat very well because of the 4 areas on the gear that stuck out into the center (it made the hangers pull in different directions). In the end I decided to string wire through each hanger and around the gear to attach them and clipped off the zip-ties when I was done. I also pushed the hangers to the opposite side beause they layed flat better that way.

Here is what it turned out to look like using the wire. Once I got the hangers to lay how I wanted them I tightened all the zip-ties and trimmed them.

For the chain I attached 3 links to each of the 4 points on the gear and then attached the main chain to all 4 pieces. I doubled up the main chain link (where all links attached together) to make sure everything was secure.

I attached the wire of my light to the chain using a zip-tie and hung the chandelier with a large c-hook and a smaller one in the corner of the room to hold the wire up along the ceiling. Because our ceilings are so low I couldn't have it hang any lower, but I think it would look really cool to have the chain longer from the ceiling if possible (that's what the 5' of chain is for).

ENJOY

It's not JUST old wood...

2011-08-13T17:55:00.000-07:00

I was browsing Etsy a few weeks ago and came across a lovely wooden planter someone had made out of old barn wood. Since then I had been itching to make my own. Much to my surprise, one day I found a wooden pallet in the dumpster. I asked Kevin to get it out for me which he so kindly did. The wood was really rough and I also wondered how I would make the 45-degree corners with just our jigsaw. Well... it was possible! I turned this beast:

Into this beauty:

While I'm talking about projects: we bought 2 little used (and nearly broken) oak kids chairs. I went to the hardware store and got me some screws, paint, stain and lacquer. I reinforced the chairs with screws (plus I liked the added detail), then I sanded the chairs, painted them, sanded them, did a second coat of paint, sanded the edges down to soak up the stain, then I hammered screws onto the surface of the wood to give it a unique-antique look, then I rubbed stain all over them (only to realize it wasn't the kind of stain I'm used to and that it gave it a much dirtier look.. but oh well), then I sanded AGAIN and I still need to put the lacquer on. Nonetheless... here's what they turned out to look like:

Yay for projects!

Freezer Meals

2011-07-09T14:55:00.000-07:00

Having 3 kids I don't always have the patience to drag them all to the store to get ingredients for dinner. Not only that but I don't always have the energy/desire to make dinner every night. I found this great visual:

I heard about freezer meals about 2 years ago and have wanted a freezer ever since. It makes sense right? Go shopping once and make the meal once, but have enough for 3 dinners! I went grocery shopping and bought enough ingredients to make 6 different freezer meals... tripled. For the last 4 dinners I've tripled it each time and froze the remaining 2. It's been so easy!

TIP: I discovered that Costco has cheap tin catering pans!

Since I'm new to this, if you have any tips or great freezer recipes for me that would be great!

Muffin Top? AGAIN!?!

2011-07-03T16:28:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading my blog for a while you might remember the post I did after I had Jordan about having a muffin top. Well, here I am after having Jonah thinking about that same post. I can't stand not fitting into my old jeans. What's worse is trying on an old pair of jeans just to see if you will fit into them and you can't even get them past your thighs. Not good. I have a lot more chub and loose skin this time around and it's not very exciting. I NEED to be the old me again. I decided to take up running with some of the girls here in Ann Arbor.

For my birthday I bought some cool LONG (I love long shirts) athletic shirts:

Some shoes. These aren't your everyday tennis shoes.. these are actually cool ones:

And the other day I was at the store and saw this beauty:

I just had to have it. On the front it says "your daily requirement of water". I've always wondered if I was drinking enough water and I'm pretty sure I don't because I always grab the milk when I open the fridge.

I might even get the new Jillian Michaels workout DVD everyone is talking about!

Whether it's drinking more water or working out - I figure if you're bettering SOMETHING in your life, it's a good thing.

Never a dull moment

2011-05-31T11:27:00.000-07:00

Just as a finished painting my nails this is what happened:

Jojo stuck his finger through the hole at the top of our measuring spoon. I quickly rubbed of my fingernail polish so I could try to get it off really quick before his finger got even bigger from having the circulation cut off. I poured oil over his finger and there was no way it was coming off!

We ended up finding some heavy-duty wire cutters (thankfully) and I was able to cut it off.

2 1/2 year-old boys are wild. I don't remember Caden getting into so much trouble. Never a dull moment.

Our Baby Boy has Arrived!

2011-05-28T10:36:00.000-07:00

Biscuits with Peach Sauce

2011-04-04T10:02:00.000-07:00

You probably know by now that we love breakfast! You can see our pancake raspberry recipe here. These biscuits are another one of our favorites! You can use the sauces on either pancakes or biscuits!

BISCUITS

3 c. flour

1 1/2 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp sugar

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 c. shortening

1 c. milk

Mix all ingredients together until moistened (you'll need to use your hands). If dough is sticky, add a little flour.

Sprinkle a little flour on baking sheet and roll dough out to a 1-inch thick square.

Cut into squares and arrange on baking sheet.

Bake at 450 for 15 minutes or until lightly golden.

Peach Sauce

2 cans (15 oz) peaches with juice

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. cold water + 4 Tbsp cornstarch

Pour peaches (with juice) into a medium saucepan and use a hand blender or potato masher to mash/blend. Add sugar and heat over medium heat until bubbly. Reduce heat to low. Combine cornstarch in 1/4 c. cold water; mix. Stir peaches while you pour cornstarch mixture in. Heat for 1-2 more minutes. Set aside and cool. Store in refrigerator.

Serve warm biscuits with sauce (jam and honey works too!).

Make your own fabric headband!

2011-03-08T17:11:00.000-08:00

Tutorial and pattern for making your own fabric headband.
Enjoy crafting at home!

These headbands are not only cute but they're easy to make and you'll be able to put some of those fabric scraps to use!

What you need: 1/4 yd main fabric, 1/8 yd fabric for flower, scraps for leaves, double-sided fusible interfacing (optional), thread, scissors, pins and a sewing machine.

Download and print pattern here. Match green dotted/dashed line for headband and tape together. Cut pattern pieces out for headband and leaf.

Iron on a strip of fusible interfacing to wrong side of fabric for leaves (optional) and trace leaf over interfacing 3 times. Cut out.

Place pattern piece for headband on fold of fabric. Cut out. If you didn't do previous step for leaves, cut 3 leaf pieces out now. Rip a strip of fabric for the flower measuring 2-inches by 22-inches.

Finish the long edges of your headband by first folding the raw edge over 1/4-inch and then another 1/4-inch. Stitch close to edge.

Finish short ends the same as the longer edges.

Fold headband in half lengthwise and match up with pattern piece for proper leaf placement.

If you're using fusible interfacing, iron leaves in place.

Stitch around each leaf close to edge.

For flower, fold end of fabric under about 2 inches.

Fold long end of fabric back over itself on an angle.

Continue to fold the long end over intself turning clockwise.

Once you've made almost a full circle, narrow your strip by bunching it together as you turn.

Continue wrapping your strip in a circle motion around your flower - each layer being added to the outside of the flower.. making it bigger with each turn.

Once you reach the end of your fabric, tuck it under your flower.

Very carefully transfer your flower over to your headband and pin in place.

Stitch over flower layers starting on the outer edge and making a few turns around the outer 'petals'. Make a few short stitches in the center to tack down fabric.

FINISHED!

Another place to put my fabric.. on a door!

2011-02-23T12:24:00.000-08:00

Why didn't I think of this before? I was stuffing stacks of these fabric cutouts for my Mei Tai's under my bed in a plastic bin that I had to dig through to find what I needed. Now they are organized, handy, and displayed nicely!

I love organizing!

Coconut Pancakes with Raspberry Sauce

2011-02-09T07:59:00.000-08:00

Not only have we been eating these pancakes everyday for the last week, but I've been thinking at night how excited I'll be in the morning when we can have them again! I've perfected the recipes and am willing to share - lucky you. The pancakes are thick and moist and the sauce is a mix between syrup and jam - just right!

PANCAKES

2 1/4 c. flour

1/4 c. sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 c. coconut flakes

1 tsp coconut extract

1 tsp salt

2 eggs

1 1/3 c. milk

1/4 c. vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients - batter will be thick (that's what makes it so good)! Cook on a griddle over medium heat until golden.

Raspberry Sauce

2 c. frozen raspberries (or any berries)

1/2 c. water

1/2 c. sugar

1/4 c. cold water + 2 Tbsp cornstarch

In a medium saucepan, combine frozen berries and 1/2 c. water. Heat over medium heat until soft. Use a hand blender or potato masher to break up berries. Add sugar and heat for 2 minutes. Combine cornstarch in 1/4 c. cold water; mix. Stir berries while you pour cornstarch mixture in. Heat for 1 more minute. Set aside and cool. Store in refrigerator.

Serve warm pancakes with sauce and whipped cream.

Girl's Sewing Night

2011-01-26T23:37:00.000-08:00

There's nothing I've loved more than hosting/teaching a girl's sewing night each month with my girlie friends here in California.

Feel free to tell me what project you liked most, a memory from class, or the most favorite thing you've learned!

Here are the projects we've done:

Toddler Hat

Girl Pleated Skirt

3-Button Purse

Jewelry Hanger

Dress

Camera Strap

Missy Apron

Hide-A-Quilt Pillowcases

Slip-on Shoe

Garment Bag

Toddler backpacks

Here are pictures of our last sewing night:

I wheeled my sewing equipment to/from sewing class in style.

I'm going to miss you all SO much! Keep sewing and creating!

How to make your own Wooden Plaques and Trophies for Cub Scouts

2011-01-23T23:40:00.000-08:00

Tutorial for making Cub Scout Arrow of Light Award Plaques

and Pinewood Derby Award Trophies!

I was asked to be a Cub Scout Bear Den Leader for the boys in my church. When I started I had no clue what I was doing. Even though I'm a girl and this might seem like a guys job, I took on the task of making the Arrow of Light awards and Pinewood Derby trophies myself! I first wanted to make this tutorial for the ladies in my Pack who might want to take over this job when I'm gone, but there are probably many people who may be interested in knowing how to make these themselves. Good luck and have fun working with your boys!

Here's what you'll need for the Arrow of Light Plaques (excludes arrow):

MATERIALS (makes 3 Plaques):

Pine Board (size 1"x 6"x8')
Wood Stain (Optional)
Polyurethane Finish
Foam Brushes
6 (7/8-inch) Brass Cup Hooks
6 Self Leveling Picture Hangers (Optional)
3 Arrows cut out of Vinyl (Order HERE) (Download digital pattern HERE)
Custom Metal Nameplate (Size 3"-wide x 1 1/4"- tall) (Order HERE)

EQUIPMENT:

Tape Measure + Pencil
Saw
Power Sander + Fine & Coarse Sandpaper
Drill + Drill Bits

Here's what you'll need for the Pinewood Derby Trophies:

MATERIALS (makes 10 Trophies):

Pine Board (size 1"x 6"x8')
Wood Stain (Optional)
Polyurethane Finish
Foam Brushes
20 wood screws
Custom Metal Nameplates (Size 3 3/4"-wide x 4 1/2"- tall) (Order HERE) (Get idea HERE)

EQUIPMENT:

Tape Measure + Pencil
Power Saw
Sander + Fine & Coarse Sandpaper
Drill + Drill Bits

Set up your workspace.
My only option is a wooden table outside of our apartment complex area - I'm sure my neighbors get annoyed whenever I pull out my power tools!

ARROW OF LIGHT: Mark your pine board so you get 3 pieces that are 29"-long. Cut pieces with saw.

TROPHIES: Mark your pine board so you get 10 pieces 4 1/2"-wide (main pieces) and 10 pieces 2"-wide (for base). Cut pieces with saw.

Next, use your power sander (with coarse paper) to soften all the edges. Notice the difference between the top and bottom pieces!

TROPHIES: Drill holes for your screws in the main (on the 4 1/2"side) and base pieces (on the large flat side). Screw your screws in the base pieces just until they poke out a little - this makes it easy to match up the holes to the main pieces. Now you can screw the screws through both pieces together.

Put away all your tools and get ready to stain and finish your wood! Stain is optional but makes the wood look really nice.

If you are staining your PLAQUES and TROPHIES it's really easy! Just dip a paper towel in the can of stain and generously coat all surfaces of your wood. This gets really messy so be sure to wear gloves. Wait about 5 minutes and wipe off any remaining stain.

They're looking really nice, but not quite finished.

ARROW OF LIGHT: Center the vinyl arrows over plaques and press firmly. Use a credit card or hard-flat surface to scrape over the vinyl to eliminate any bubbles or creases.
Pull the sticky paper off the vinyl and you're ready for a clear coat!

Follow the directions off the back of the polyurethane. I've found it best to use a foam brush rather then a regular brush because it doesn't leave as many streaks.

Make sure there are no drips or bubbles in the finish because when it dries it is really noticeable!
The directions for the polyurethane I used said to do 3 coats, and to sand (with fine paper) in-between the 1st and 2nd coats. It's time consuming but the finished product turns out beautiful!

ARROW OF LIGHT: Drill two holes through the center of the vinyl arrow and screw cup hooks in.

ARROW OF LIGHT: If you want your Cub Scout to be able to hang his award, you'll want to add some hangers on the back. I use pictures hangers and hammer one on each end towards the top.

ARROW OF LIGHT: Assemble your arrow kit (you can buy at the Scout Office) and place over cup hooks. Turn the cup hooks inward so they clamp down on the arrow to prevent it from shifting around.

I don't have a picture for the nameplates that I have put on the ARROW OF LIGHT awards, but they look just like these but smaller. I attach the name plates under the arrow. As for the TROPHIES, I ordered 10 nameplates (1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for the Wolf, Bear, and Webelo Dens, and a Best In Show).

The nameplates come with a sticky foam strip on the back that stick right to the wood.
Ta-Da!

Michigan it is!

2011-01-20T08:36:00.000-08:00

Kevin did interviews for a Post-doc and we decided on Michigan. We'll be moving to Anne Arbor, Michigan this summer (probably June or July). We'll have a newborn baby and moving across the country to a new place, FURTHER away from what I know but it will all work out - we feel good about going. I am really sad to be leaving my wonderful friends here in California but I know we're going to be one step closer to our goal (living in Utah with a job).

I hear good things about Anne Arbor. Kevin compared it to a city like Provo, Utah. We'll be able to rent a 3 bedroom house for what we're paying now for our little apartment with no washer/dryer, dishwasher, garage, etc.

A funny story (not so funny at the moment)... last night Kevin was telling me some options we had for moving, what companies we could use and how much it would be. He told me how some people say it's cheaper to MAIL your stuff in boxes rather then have it sent over in a truck! I couldn't believe it. One of the options he gave me was how we could SELL EVERYTHING we have and BUY it again when we get there! He had a HUGE excel spreadsheet with what we needed to sell, how much we could sell it for and then how much we'd be buying it for new... even little things like the blender! Even though we'd be loosing money by buying/selling it would actually SAVE us money in the end by not having to move it. I couldn't imagine getting rid of everything I've accumulated over the years that I love - particularly our house decorations. The plan would be to fit everything we were moving into a 4x4x8 U-haul box and tow it behind our SUV for 3 days while we drive to Michigan.

Then came my confession.

I told Kevin how the last few years I've been thinking about when we have to move and how embarrassed I'll be when I have to pull all my fabric and materials out from under the bed, the storage closet, the drawers, the cedar chest, and from all the little places I have it stashed because he'll see just how much I've been hoarding and taking up our precious SMALL space with fabrics all these years. He said with a serious face, "Well, you'll have to sell it! All of it!" I thought about it for less then 5 seconds and burst out in tears and I grabbed my heart and said really loud, "I CAN'T do it!" And even louder and with more tears streaming down my face I said, "I CAN'T sell my fabric! I just can't!" He must not know how important fabric is to be able to sew and that you can't just sell fabric and buy it again. It's taken me a LONG time to get it and WAY more money then anyone can imagine.

BUT that night we looked around more and found and amazing moving company - one that will drop off two little cubes, we load them and they'll drive it to Michigan for nearly half the cost we were thinking we'd be spending.

BUT if we advertise we're having a moving sell and need to get rid of everything, PLEASE come and buy as much as you can :)

Love you all!

Scherenschnitte

2011-01-17T10:00:00.000-08:00

Have you heard of it? I doubt it.

I love scherenschnitte but you don't see it much these days. It's the art of paper cutting. I'm no pro but I've done it a few times in my life. My favorite thing to do with scherenschinitte is to frame a special photograph.

Download pattern HERE

Download pattern HERE

I made patterns from these to share because they're almost impossible to find and it would be a fun thing to do for a girl's night - another one of my favorite thing to do!

What you'll need: a letter sized sheet of paper (cardstock or heavier type paper is best), an exacto knife, and a matte for cutting.

How you do it: download the pattern and print it on the WRONG side of the paper you want to use. Use your exacto knife to cut out all the grey areas so just the white areas are showing. It's that easy!

Enjoy!

I love these boys!

2011-01-09T20:54:00.000-08:00

Make your own!

2011-01-05T19:54:00.000-08:00

Tutorial for making a neck scarf in minutes

Enjoy sewing at home!

A simple scarf can go a long way. You can tie it around your neck making your outfit totally cute, tie it on your purse, or even tie it in your hair for a headband!

What you need: 2 1/2 yards (45" wide) chiffon fabric (makes 2 scarfs), thread, and scissors.

(I got my fabric for $1.50 a yard at Wal-Mart.. that's less then $2 a scarf!)

Cut your fabric down the center lengthwise so you have two pieces that measure about 22 1/2-inches wide by 2 1/2 yards long. TIP: It's easiest to fold your fabric in-half lengthwise and cut on the fold.

Hem the short ends of your fabric first with a 1/4-inch hem.

Next hem the long ends of your fabric - remember to back-stitch where you start and end.

Ta da! Now you have a simple scarf that can change the way you look! So cute, so girlie!

I raided my mom's closet while I was in Utah and found a lovely scarf to wear to a Christmas Party. When I asked her where she got it she said she made it.. of course! Thanks mom for doing this first and figuring out the right length.. love you!

http://www.defineyoursign.blogspot.com/
(my mom's blog - she has great ideas!)

Overworked. Overtired. Overstressed.

2010-12-30T01:16:00.000-08:00

I think most of us can relate. We all take on too much and we get caught up doing too many things. Our routine from day-to-day becomes busy, stressful, tedious and repetitive. If we could cut out all the unimportant things and just concentrate on what's really important (like strengthening our relationships) we'd be so much happier. Sometimes you just need to chill out, take a day off, go on an adventure, do something crazy, or just drop everything and take a few hours all to yourself.

Silly laughter is the best. It's hard to be silly and fun when you're overworked, overtired, and overstressed. Where's the joy in life? The happiness? Life shouldn't be filled with work, work, work. What's the point in that?

I truly believe that when life gets so busy and you're constantly stressed your relationships suffer. Your family is what is most important. If we could do a little less, it's okay because in the end YOU will be much happier because you are building bonds with the people that really matter. People matter and so do you.

That being said I need to de-clutter MY daily routine with MY unnecessary projects and crafts so that I can be less stressed and happier. My kids and husband deserve more of my attention and happiness. In the end they're all that matter.

Love Languages

2010-09-08T12:23:00.000-07:00

I've heard about this book a few times and even learned about the 5 Love Languages in my college psychology class. I decided to get it for myself after my mom got one for her and has been recommending it. I got it yesterday and read the first chapter and it's already worth the money paid!

This quote from the book is priceless as a parent:

"Child psychologists affirm that every child has certain basic emotional needs that must be met if he is to be emotionally stable. Among those emotional needs, none is more basic than the need for love and affection, the need to sense that he or she belongs and is wanted. With an adequate supply of affection, the child will likely develop into a responsible adult. Without that love, he or she will be emotionally and socially challenged....
Inside every child is an 'emotional tank' waiting to be filled with love. When a child really feels loved, he will develop normally, but when the love tank is empty, the child will misbehave. Much of the misbehavior of children is motivated by the cravings of an empty 'love tank.'"

Reading this book makes so much sense that we all have our own love language, and how important it is to know the language our spouse and children speak so we can best communicate our love to them!

THE FIVE LOVE LANGUAGES

Words of Affirmation

Quality Time

Receiving Gifts

Acts of Service

Physical Touch

I'm not a surfer

2010-09-07T22:42:00.000-07:00

For Kevin to get me into the ocean he had to get me a wetsuit. We went to the Frog House in Newport Beach and got me a new Roxy suit. A girl needs to be cute, warm, and float-able to get in the water, right?

Kevin's cousin from Uruguay and his wife flew to San Diego a few days ago and we were going to meet them there for a fun day in the water and on the beach (hence the wetsuit). We met in La Jolla and walked down to the cove for snorkelling. The small beach was packed full of people. Esteban and Susannah stayed on the beach while Kevin and I took our turn in the water.

I expected to hyperventilate just as bad as on our honeymoon in Catalina, but I soon got used to the cold water seeping into my suit and could put my face in the water. It always stuns me... the cold, the small tube I have to breath through, the depth, the fish! My breathing eventually calmed and I was ready to explore. I felt like I was in a huge aquarium like you see at the dentist. There were fish everywhere, kelp, rocks, and people. I squealed when I touched a slimy rock that was in my way and Kevin started giggling like a girl, which made me laugh really hard! There were seals close by on a rock cliff and we saw a few swimming around the people when we got out - pretty rad!

A short while later we drove over to La Jolla Shores a few miles away and set up our BBQ, chairs, umbrella and broke out the beach toys.

The boys had fun making castles with Esteban.

We grilled some bratwurst sausages, poured lemon juice over them and ate them on a peice of bread - so good.

Then it was time for surf lessons. I have never been a fan of waves pounding on me and lifting me off the ocean floor, but I had to be brave - I had a wetsuit!

Kevin led me through the waves. I got on the board belly down, facing the waves. Every time a wave came I would yelp or scream. It was especially funny when a wave would crash on my head - filling my mouth with salt water and cutting my screams off short. You could hardly say I attempted to stand up on the board - you'd think the board (basically a boat) we have would be more stable but it's not!... It was fun to ride the waves with the board on my belly to shore!

Well, I felt proud of myself! It was a fun day in the water and I got to meet part of Kevin's family!

Make your own camera strap cover!

2010-08-27T17:04:00.000-07:00

Tutorial for making your own camera strap cover.
Enjoy crafting at home!

These strap covers are not only cute (how can you resist the ruffle and flower), but they're cushy and have a place to put your lens cover and an extra battery.

What you need: 1/4 yd main fabric, 1/4 yd fabric for ruffle and flower, 1/4 yd lining fabric (optional), yard stick, thread, needle, string (optional), glue gun, and scissors.

For your ruffle and flower, rip a 2-inch and 1-inch strip down the width of your fabric. To do this, just cut a little into the edge of your fabric and pull the two pieces apart. Pull off any stray threads. Cut these two strips to 38-inches long. Iron flat.

Main fabric: cut two pieces 26-inches x 3-inches and two pieces 4-inches x 3-inches (for pockets).

Lining fabric: cut two pieces 26-inches x 3-inches. (Lining is optional, but recommended for adding stability to light-weight fabrics).

For the ruffle you'll take your 2-inch wide strip and fold it down the center (with right sides out) and sew 1/4-inch away from the center fold.

Next, you'll iron the center pleat down flat - this takes patience!

Next, you'll sew a long-basting stitch (for gathering) down the center of your pleat. IMPORTANT: be sure not to back stitch or you won't be able to pull on our threads to gather!!

Pull on one of the threads on one end and hold onto it firmly while you slide the material down. Do this for both sides. You'll want to fit your ruffle (with ends tucked under 1/4-inch) onto one of your main fabric pieces and have it 1 1/4-inches away from each end. Pin in place along the entire length.

Iron ruffle down flat. This is fastest and easiest with a steam iron! Then sew along the center (over your gathering stitch) of your ruffle to tack it in place.

Edge-finish your pockets by sewing across one short end and press down flat 1/2-inch.

Sew across the top to hem. Place pocket pieces over each other with the top pocket 1/2-inch below the bottom one. Pin in place.

Flip your pockets over and fold extra fabric on the bottom (from top pocket) over bottom pocket. Press flat.

Pin pockets on remaining main fabric strip with the bottom of the pockets 1 1/2-inches away from the end. Stitch across the bottom of the pockets close to the edge. Baste sides down close to the edge to hold in place.

Layer your strips of fabric: lining, main fabric with ruffle (good side UP), main fabric with pockets (good side DOWN), and then lining.

With all raw edges even, pin your fabrics together along one long edge. Sew/serge along this edge 1/4-inch.

Open and pin along shorter ends. Sew/serge along these edges 1/4-inch.

Fold fabrics back in half and match up remaining raw edge. Sew/serge along this edge 1/4-inch.

Turn right-side out. This takes a bit of time but it IS possible.

Press cover flat.

Fold serged ends inside 1/2-inch and pin in place.

Using a needle and string (or thread), hand-stitch ends down. I like the string because it's bulky and original looking.

Tie your ends together a few times and trim.

Now for the fun part!

Take your 1-inch strip of material and tie a knot on one end.

You'll create your flower rosette by twisting your strip of material while rolling it around your knot. Dab it with hot glue every so often to hold it all together.

It's coming together!

Glue the end of your fabric to the bottom.

Isn't it cute!?

Spread hot glue all along the bottom and stick it on over your ruffle!
DONE!

Rascals

2010-08-18T09:02:00.000-07:00

I tried hard to get a good picture of the boys smiling together.. little rascals!

These teeth are hilarious. We call them 'dirty teeth'.

Sugarless Brownies

2010-08-06T10:49:00.000-07:00

My mom gave me this recipe and I made 5 batches within a week - they're THAT good. They end up being more like fudge squares than brownies.

INGREDIENTS:

1 c. pitted dates

1 c. walnuts

1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder

Combine ingredients and mix together in a food processor (or powerful blender) until crumbly. Press flat (about 1/2-inch thick) on a sheet of wax paper. Cut into squares and put in a plastic bag. Store in freezer.

ENJOY!

Reminisce

2010-08-03T22:15:00.000-07:00

We drove to Utah on July 30th which was my birthday. Today we got to celebrate it while my Mom watched the boys. Kevin planned the whole night for us - it was so fun!

We started off driving past the apartments in Provo where we lived in five years ago (pre-kids). This first one is a lovely (kidding) basement apartment. Our very first place together was basically "a hole in the ground" as Kevin puts it. At least we have stories to tell!

Go around to the side of the house...

Go down the stairs...

Once you turn the corner you'll see our front door! It had a small bathroom with an old-fashioned bathtub, a toilet and a sink - that's it. It had a small office, a kitchen with a large sink and about 5" to either side of that for counter space. We had a make-shift counter on top of a dishwasher that didn't work. Once you go through the kitchen there was a living area. Past the living room was our bedroom that BARELY fit our queen-sized bed and nothing else. I remember during the winter time waking up and wrapping the blanket around me and going to the kitchen, turning on and opening the door to the stove to keep warm. We didn't have a thermostat so it was FREEZING! We ended up moving because the upstairs toilet was leaking into our kitchen! GROSS!

We moved just up the street a few blocks to a 3rd level apartment (in the corner).

It wasn't the best place to move while being pregnant and in the dead-heat of summer - I hated climbing those stairs! My fondest memory of this place was Kevin and I being so hot at night that we couldn't sleep so we ended up pulling our mattress out to the front room where the A/C unit was. It was here where I woke up in the middle of the night in labor with Caden.

After checking out our past apartments we went a block away to eat at one of our favorite places - Costa Vida! We went here a lot when we were dating/newly married. After eating our huge burritos we drove to the mouth of the Provo Canyon. I knew we were longboarding but I thought we were longboarding on the same board (which I wasn't excited about) until Kevin pulled out this beauty from the trunk:

Can't you tell I am excited!? Since loosing my board (due to someone stealing it) 2 months ago I talked a lot about how I missed it - now I can forget about it now that I have THIS one. It's a smooth ride and just my size, not too heavy, not too long - just perfect. It's made from Koa wood too! Did I mention it's cute? After getting my new board we had about 0.5 miles to walk before we would start looking to hitch a ride up the canyon. Once we were at the mouth someone stopped before we could stick out our thumbs! We got up to Vivian Park and started our 7-mile decent down to the car.

This is my favorite thing to do and is what I miss most about Utah (besides my family). It was so beautiful and relaxing! We coasted most of the time, however, it's not ideal to wear tight pants and flip-flops like I did!

A lot of the time we got down close to our boards with our arms in front of us to go really fast. Whoever was in the back had an advantage of less-drag and could shoot past the person in the front - so fun!

The coolest thing about the canyon is having the river next to you the whole time. We stopped halfway down to check out the water. BEAUTIFUL!

We eventually made it to the bottom and got some nice cold drinks! One thing is for sure: I'd trade the beach any day to live by the mountains!

We used to do that same run with just the moonlight lighting our way (in fact, we did it for our second date)!

Thanks babe for the wonderful night and the AWESOME longboard!!

Make your own!

2010-07-25T16:25:00.000-07:00

Antique a picture frame and add 'studs' with this Tutorial!

Enjoy crafting at home!

I have my mom to thank for showing me how to antique!

Materials: Picture frame, ruler, pencil, thumb tacks, hammer, paintbrush or roller, paint, wood stain, gloss paint (optional), and sand paper.

Prepare your frame by taking out the board from the back and glass, and un-screwing any hardware from the back. Unfortunately for me the glass in this frame was glued so I had to cover it when I painted.

Mark a straight line where you want the studs to go (I did 3/4-inch from the inner edge) and 1-inch dashes along that.

Press the thumb tacks in over your markings. I used my thumbs for this although it hurt - it ends up being easier than a hammer. TIP: Keep your hands under the frame so the pressure you put on it doesn't put any strain on the frame which might cause it to crack or break!

If your son wants to help out - handing the tacks to you one-by-one is fun and safe! He may want to try and push one in himself!

Once all the tacks are in, lightly tap them with a hammer to push them in flush with the frame.

If you decide you like the frame how it is that's fine, or you can continue...

Paint your frame with two coats of paint. You can use any kind or color you'd like!

Once your paint is dry you can rough it up with sand paper. It's hard to ruin a perfectly good paint job, but once you get started it looks REALLY cool! I like to sand over the studs and all the edges I can get to with the sand block.

Make sure the frame is free of dust. Apply a generous amount of stain with an old towel or paper towel.

After about 30-60 seconds you can rub it off. The stain will color the wood where you sanded as well as color the paint to add an old-antiqued look. Once the frame is dry you can spray on a clear coat or just leave it how it is!

Have fun!

OC Swap Meet!

2010-07-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

I'm a fan of good deals. We went to the Orange County Swap Meet (at Orange Coast College) today. There are MANY vendors but my favorites are the clothes, shoes, and tools (yup, tools). Just before we left I found the cutest shirts and cardigans. Everything was 3 for $10!! The shirts are light weight, not too tight, not too low, and they're long - my favorite!

Behavior Charts - Free for three days!

2010-07-18T10:05:00.000-07:00

Now offering

BEHAVIOR "STICKER" CHARTS

for

Boys & Girls on ETSY!

I wanted some fun-cute charts to use for my kids but I couldn't find any I liked so I made these!

You print at home, laminate (optional) and add sticky Velcro for over-and-over use! You can customize with your child's name and pick which titles (behaviors, chores, etc.) to put on your charts. You get 6 charts total - 2 poster-sized and 4 letter-sized.

I'll be offering these FREE for THREE days only (ends Wednesday 21st at noon). Just leave a comment with your e-mail address and tell me if you want a BOY or GIRL chart. After that you can purchase through Etsy.

Thanks and tell all your friends!

Cake - without the guilt!

2010-07-09T14:45:00.000-07:00

Now that we're all going sugar free (or not), here's a recipe for a remarkably delicious SUGAR FREE pineapple cake. It's thick, moist, made with whole wheat, it's sweet (naturally), and your husband and kids will love it!

Pineapple Cake (Sugar Free)

4 large egg whites
4 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tsp pineapple juice concentrate (frozen)
1/2 c. apple juice concentrate (frozen)
1/2 c. bananas, mashed
3/4 c. pineapple, crushed (drained)
2 c. whole wheat flour
1/4 c. oat bran
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon

Mix liquid ingredients together, add fruit and mix well. Add dry ingredients and miz well. Grease 9x9 baking pan. Bake at 350 for 25-20 minutes.

Pineapple Topping (Sugar Free)

3/4 c. pineapple, crushed with juice
2 Tbsp apple juice concentrate (frozen)
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp coconut extract

In small saucepan, mix pineapple and cornstarch. Add juice and extract. Cook over medium-low heat until thick and bubbly. Cool and spread over cake.

Refrigerate finished cake to keep fresh.

Enjoy!

Sugar - it isn't everything

2010-07-08T08:14:00.000-07:00

What is it about sugar that is so exciting and enticing? It's good for the few seconds you're eating it, but we all know it's not good for our bodies. If you eat it like I do - with no self control - then it gets out of hand and starts affecting you (and even the people around you).

I've always felt that I'm addicted to sugar. Whenever I think about banishing sugar from my diet it gets overwhelming to think about and I can't do it. Whenever I think about not eating another cookie, brownie, or even syrup on my waffles in the morning - I can't. The goodness of sugar is too good to give up. But is it?

What if eating so much sugar made you feel crappy, lazy, unmotivated, and put you on a roller coaster of highs and lows which include anxiousness, impatience, depression, irritability, etc. etc. Then it's not worth it, is it?

I Googled "sugar addiction" last night and read what sugar does to you, how it affects you, and how attached people get to it. I also read that once you stop eating sugar for a while then you won't crave it anymore. Once you're past the worst part (going cold turkey) then it should be downhill from there. Downhill to a better, more enjoyable life.

Last night I was really emotional about the whole idea of giving it all up, but I knew I needed to. Not just for me but for my kids! I told Kevin I was ready and he agreed the same for himself. We went through our cupboards, freezer, fridge and food storage and threw out cereal, syrup, suckers, fruit roll ups, Kool-Aid packets, BBQ sauce, frozen cookie dough, chocolate chips, cocoa, powdered and brown sugar, frosting, cake mixes, etc. It was a relief to just do it. Hard but good. No more temptations.

Now comes the hard part of finding replacements for those things. What will I put on my waffles or biscuits in the morning? FRUIT!? Oh boy. What will I give the kids in the store when they're awful? Now more suckers!? They certainly won't go for a carrot. No more PB&J for lunch!?!? AH! What will we EAT!? When someone moves in next door, what will I take them? What will they think if I give them a veggie platter? *sigh* This is going to be REALLY hard for me but I'm excited to make a change - a really good change that I've been wanting to do. It will make it a little easier because whoever is better, Kevin or myself, for the next month will get $100!! Okay, I can do this.

Is it bad to put a sign on my front door telling people not to give us treats? Remember, I have no control.

Hopefully my love handles will start to disappear. I've heard of people giving up their once-a-day candy bar and loosing 20 lbs over the next few months. I can hope, right?

Make your own!

2010-07-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

Tutorial for making a 'hide-a-quilt' pillowcase.
Enjoy crafting at home!

These make great decorative pillows, pillows your kids can jump and play on, or just make it easier to store quilts so they won't unfold.

What you need: 2 1/4 yard medium weight fabric, 24-inch zipper, fabric marker or chalk, yard stick, thread, and scissors

FOR DIAMOND PILLOW:

Cut your fabric to be 30"W x 60"L. With you fabric marker and ruler, make 6-inch marks along all edges of fabric. Connect top-right corner with 5th mark down from the top on left side (this makes a 45-degree angle). Connect top-left corner with 5th mark down from the top on right side. Connect other lines as necessary to make diamonds.

You're going to sew along your lines** by pinching your fabric so the line is on the edge.

Sew close to the edge, about 1/8-inch.

**Do all lines pointing in the same direction first, then the other lines.

After you sew all your lines, press your fabric.

TIP: it's easiest if you iron on the wrong side of your fabric.

Now fold your fabric in-half lengthwise and trim down to be 26" x 26".

IMPORTANT: don't trim along your fold!

Zig-zag along all your edges to keep from fraying.

Skip to steps for zipper.

FOR PLEATED PILLOW:

Cut your fabric to be 30"W x 76"L. With you fabric marker and ruler, make 2-inch marks along long edges of fabric and connect across.

You're going to sew along your lines by pinching your fabric so the line is on the edge.

Sew along the edges with a 1/4-inch seam.

Fold your fabric in-half lengthwise to find your middle pleat. Mark this. Iron all pleats TOWARDS the middle pleat.

With you fabric marker and ruler, make 6-inch marks along short edges of fabric and connect down (perpendicular to pleats).

Sew along perpendicular lines. These lines keep your pleats down.

Now, fold your fabric in-half lengthwise and trim down to be 26" x 26".

IMPORTANT: don't trim along your fold!

Zig-zag along all your edges to keep from fraying.

ZIPPER (for both pillows):

With right sides together, pin one edge of your zipper along top (short) end of your material.

With your zipper foot, sew along pinned edge. You want to be close to the teeth of the zipper but be sure not to sew on top of them.

With right sides together, pin other edge of your zipper along other top end of your material.

Sew along pinned edge just as before.

TIP: it's easiest to sew this edge with the zipper un-zipped.

With right sides facing up, stitch on material along one side of zipper.

On other side you'll sew on the WRONG side because it's easier to see. Have edge of material extend past zipper about 1/2-inch and sew along first stitched line - this makes a 'flap' and will hide the zipper once you're all finished.

Test your zipper out to make sure you can zip and un-zip it. It should look like the picture above.

With your zipper open about 6-inches, put the right-sides of your material together and pin.

IMPORTANT, you'll want the material with the 'flap' on the top side and the entire zipper up on this side as well. When you flip your material over you shouldn't see your zipper.

Stitch along open-pinned edges with a 5/8-inch seam.

TIP: Be sure not to sew over the teeth of the zipper or you'll probably break a needle!

Turn pillowcase right-side out and enjoy your work!

Fold your quilts and stuff them into your pillowcase!

It hurts to say Goodbye!

2010-07-02T00:51:00.000-07:00

I cried. Michelle and her family moved back to Utah on Wednesday. They were all packed and ready to go when I said my final goodbye before they left. The tears were inevitable.

We met shortly after Kevin and I moved to California. She was one of my visiting teachers! We were both new moms with our youngest being a few months old. We quickly became friends.

It didn't take long to realize what a blessing she was in my life. She made me feel special and brought joy into my life every single day. Her phone calls always make me so happy! She was always there, especially when I needed her the most. For the last 2-4 weeks I was pregnant with Jordan she called me everyday to see how I was doing, she came and cleaned my house while I was on bedrest, she came to my house when I was having a bad day and did my dishes while we talked, one day she called and found out I was having a hard time and was at my door 15 minutes later. She's given me priceless advice, priceless memories, and a priceless 3.5 years.

Thank you Michelle for helping me be a better person, a better friend, a better mother, and a better wife.

I love you.

See you soon.

Some memories:

Caden and Leah - new friends.

Exploring together.

Starting to walk.

Hanging out.

So cute together.

Jordan's blessing.

Playing in the dirt with Keira.

Cute little bums.

Caden knows Leah best.

Michelle holding new baby Ella, and me holding Jenna.

So glad we got a picture of us as couples - it took 3.5 years!

My Review of Safety 1st Prograde Top of Door Lock

2010-06-30T07:13:00.001-07:00

Originally submitted at Toys R Us

The Safety 1st ProGrade NO Drill Top of Door Lock easily clamps around the door to safeguard against finger pinches. The lock folds away for period of non use and allows the door to be locked with access to open it from both sides of the door.

Greatest idea ever!

By danicarby from Irvine, CA on 6/30/2010

Pros: Strong Construction, Useful Application, Easy Use

Best Uses: Infants, Accident Prevention, Crawlers, Kitchen/Bathroom, Bedrooms, Toddlers

Describe Yourself: Parent of Two or More Children

I bought this because my kids destroy my bedroom and I wanted to keep them out. I hated having a gate in the doorway because I had to keep taking if off and putting it back on and I didn't like stepping over it. This simply and easily clips onto your door without any hardware or damage. It keeps the kids out and it's easy for me to get into my room - all I have to do is push the 'hook' off the ledge of the door frame. It's a one-second deal. And to keep the kids out again I just shut the door and it hooks on the ledge automatically. You can open the door from either side which is great. You can also disengage the latch by pushing it against the door so you can open/shut the door normally. I have nothing bad to say about this product. I recently bought a second for our storage closet!

(legalese)

It pays to be honest

2010-06-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

I remember my mom always saying to us kids when we were younger, "If you break it, you buy it." Of course I was too young to have money of my own, but SOMEONE would have to pay for it and it would be her.

I was that someone today.

We were in the hardware store for only a few minutes when Jordan ran to the front of the store and before I could do anything he picked up a scultpure of a frog and dropped it on the floor. There were atleast a dozen pieces on the floor. I was so annoyed. I didn't know how much it was going to cost and I really didn't want to be the owner of a broken frog sculpture. I hurried and picked up the pieces and took it over to the counter to pay for it. I told the lady that my boy broke it and that I wanted to pay for it. She thought for a few seconds and said, "You know what, if my boss found out that you paid for this she would be so happy." She said most people who break something (or their kids) just turn and walk away. She thanked me for being honest and said it made her week. It looked like she was going to cry. That wasn't the response I expected at all! She wouldn't let me pay for it. Not only was I so happy but she was too. It could have turned out a lot differently If I left the sculpture on the ground like nothing had happened. If I did that I would have felt guilty and they would have been super annoyed when they found it.

Last week I lost $5 at Target. I went back an hour later feeling a little helpless for my $5 but I asked the customer service anyway if someone had turned it in. To my complete and utter surprise someone did! I couldn't believe it. The lady just in front of me covered her heart and said, "I REALLY needed to here that! That just made my day."

Is the world really turning into a place where there are so few instances of honesty? These few moments will make it even easier to tell the truth even if it's not the easiest thing to do. I know there's always a reward even if it's just a good feeling of knowing you did something right.

Thanks Mom and Dad for teaching me good things!

He didn't know but I was watching his every move.

2010-06-23T09:04:00.000-07:00

I'm a stalker. I admit. He didn't know it, but I WAS watching his every move until my kids distracted me and I lost site of him. I couldn't see him anywhere! "WHERE DID HE GO!" " Did he leave the store without paying!" "He certainly didn't have enough time to pay." "He must have taken off with it - WITHOUT paying!" Then out of the corner of my eye I saw him. He was an old man with a long white beard and he had the sewing machine I wanted. I should have gotten it first if only I had gotten there 5 minutes before I did!

When I first got to the THRIFT STORE my kids were running everywhere and my stupid cart wouldn't fit down the isle and I was annoyed. I ditched the cart and browsed through the isles my kids were playing in. Then I remembered why I had been there. I wanted to see if there were any sewing machines. I got to the electronic section and my heart stopped the moment I saw the Bernina 730, but someone had found it first! He was testing it out and it worked! I walked about 10 feet past him pretending to look at something else, but I had my eye on him. He fiddled around with it for a few minutes and then he put it in his cart. AH! The sticker on it said $19.99! What an awesome deal! He browsed the store SLOOOWLY. I was waiting for him to decide he didn't want it afterall. Did he not know I had crazy kids that were driving me crazy and everyone else crazy! I couldn't do this ALL day. I didn't follow him BUT I knew where he was at all times.

Long story short, he took it. I guess next time I'll just have to get there 5 minutes earlier.

I just might be crazy.

DEFINE YOUR SIGN (with a GIVEAWAY!)

2010-06-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

I want to introduce you to my mother's new shop on Etsy "DEFINE YOUR SIGN". She does excellent - professional work (and she doesn't charge enough)!

I just ordered this sign (but with Carbajal) and it was less than $30! You can't get customized that cheap anywhere! The price includes your choice of paint and vinyl color.

Order anything from her Etsy shop and I'll give you a pattern from my Etsy shop for FREE! Just leave a comment with your e-mail address after you've placed your order and I'll send you your pattern within 24 hours.

GREAT DEAL!

UPDATE: Here's my custom order my mom just finished for me! I love it!

Childhood Memory

2010-06-16T12:14:00.000-07:00

My mom would make us SALT DOUGH growing up to play with. We kept the play-dough toys handy in the drawer under the table. It was fun to pick which color to dye it and to play with a big clump of warm-soft dough after it was mixed. I love seeing my boys having fun doing the same thing I did growing up!

SALT DOUGH RECIPE

2 c. water 3 c. flour

food coloring 1 Tbsp alum

1/2 c. salt

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

Boil water and add coloring. In large mixing bowl combine remaining ingreidents.

Add water. Mix and knead until cool. If dough is sticky, add extra flour.

Congrats to the winners!

2010-06-13T16:54:00.000-07:00

I picked two winners for the toddler tie - Chelsea Romney and Jackie Romney!

Congratulations!

There will be new contests in the future - stay tuned.

ENTER TO WIN

2010-06-07T09:37:00.000-07:00

Enter to win this totally adjustable,
just hook-it-on tie!

Kids are messy - but their ties don't have to be! It's dark denim - not only disguises the mess but can be thrown into the wash!

Just leave a comment! Winner will be chosen this Sunday the 13th!

GOOD LUCK!

Make your own!

2010-05-25T01:07:00.000-07:00

Tutorial for making an Adjustable Toddler Tie.
Enjoy crafting at home!

What you need: old Men's tie, sliders (or Velcro), my pattern, sewing machine and scissors

Un-stitch center seam on tie and press flat. Cut pieces out from pattern.

Place stabilizer under lining pieces and pin down. Fold tie in half length-wise with right sides together. Pin. Sew along raw edge.

Turn tie right side out. Press flat with a warm iron - be sure center seam is in the center because you don't want a crooked tie!

With right-sides together, sew neck strap along long edge. Trim excess seam.

Turn and press flat.

If you want to use Velcro, cut neck strap to fit around toddlers neck comfortably (be sure to add an extra inch or two so the strap will overlap). Sew Velcro on each end.

If you are using sliders, but both sliders on one end like this. If you're wondering where to purchase sliders, they're very difficult to find new! BUT, you probably wear them everyday - maybe you have an old bra laying around you could use.

Bring the end back through the first slider to create a full circle.

Turn both raw edges under and stitch down.

Lay tie down with center seam facing you. Place the neck strap over.

Fold the wider end of the tie over and through the strap.

Do the same thing with the smaller strap so it looks like this.

Straighten the neck strap while you pull on tie ends until you have them at the right length.

Sew through knot and both tie ends to anchor everything in place.

VIOLA! What little boy wouldn't look adorable in this! Create your own. You can do it.

Be sure to check out my Etsy shop for other great patterns!

Am I a WOMAN or a GIRL?

2010-05-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

I still think of myself as a girl - I mean, a young GIRL. When do you become a WOMAN? When I think of a woman I think of my mother. When I first had Caden I had an identity crisis. I didn't think I should dress like my pre-mommy self. I was a mommy now and I needed to dress like one... like I was older??? I didn't think I should wear that bright pink Volcolm shirt or those white sparkly ballerina shoes I loved so much. I needed 'tone-down' my clothes.

My clothes shopping usually is walking past the clothes section and noticing something cute and cheap and I throw it in my basket without trying it on. Once I get it home I usually don't like it and end up taking it back anyways.

Yesterday I was fortunate enough to go to Kohl's without the kids. When I first got there I went to the Junior department. Then I thought, "Wait, am I a JUNIOR?" "These clothes look like something I would wear in High School!" "I usually have to buy large T-shirts, but maybe I'd be a small if I shopped in the MISSES department". So I walked over to the Misses department to see what they had. I was shopping next to OLDER ladies and it felt weird. Were they looking at me? Did I belong there? I don't know.

I walked back and forth from both Junior and the Misses department trying to find my place. I tried on something off every rack and was in and out of the dressing room probably a dozen times. I wanted to find cute-girlie-frilly shirts that made me feel good. I liked a few, but not enough to pay more than $12. I walked away with 4 plain-T-shirts from the Juniors department that were $4.99 each.

I guess it doesn't really matter what department as long as I can find my cheap-long shirts.. my favorite!

Good Ol' Pfaffie!

2010-05-14T03:41:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting along time for it to come. I had been test-driving sewing machines the whole previous week because I decided it was time to give Madison a rest. She had been so good to me but just wasn't everything that I needed. I went to a huge warehouse full of hundreds of used sewing machines trying to find the one. I could have stayed there forever looking at all the different kinds of sewing machines - new or old - it wouldn't matter. I told the guy showing them to me, "I just love it here". After much searching and even crying -Yes, I'm THAT bad- I finally pushed the "buy it now" button. It was done.. I had made my choice. After many sleepless nights dreaming and torturous hours during the day I had to think about this sewing machine a UPS guy FINALLY came to my door with a package - a package so huge he had to use a dolly! Of course the boys were excited. Once the box was opened they screamed as they saw all the packing peanuts. There she was - a Pfaff 1222e sewing machine.

That's right, she's about 25-years-old and still a beast! They just don't make them like they used to. My favorite part - a walking foot.

Only Pfaff has these babies built in. The walking foot gives you beautiful-even stitches and keeps both the top and bottom fabrics even. My Pfaffie can go through layers and layers of denim and vinyl. Pretty sweet eh? I could live without these crazy button controls, but it beats having a computerized sewing machine.

The Family Bernina

2010-05-09T18:20:00.000-07:00

Meet my Grandma - G'ma Joan. I made purses with her while I was in Utah. I just had to take a picture with her working on this machine, a 1944 Bernina-530. It was her machine in 1969 when she bought it used when it was already 25-years-old! That makes it 66-years-old! My mother was in 4th grade at the time and learned to sew from my G'ma. My mom first made Barbie clothes and used it throughout her school years and asked if she could have the Bernina as a graduation present.

When my mom got married she made her wedding dress, the bridesmaid dresses, little girl dresses, and the serving aprons.

She still sews on it to this day and has never owned a different sewing machine. It's also the machine I learned to sew on. It's been in the family for years and is still more powerful than any machine I've ever had. I love that old thing!

Big Boy Bed

2010-05-09T16:55:00.000-07:00

Jordan has been getting out of his crib lately so we decided to make his crib into a toddler bed by taking the rail off and setting it on the floor so there's a place for him to get in and out of. It's been fun to have him get out all by himself. He even stays in his bed when you put him in!

Love at First Sight

2010-05-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

Caden: "Mom, are you married?"
Me: "Yes."
Caden: "Are you married to Daddy still?"
Me: "Yes, we're always going to be married."
Caden: "Why are you married?"
Me: "Because I love your Daddy."
Caden: "But I'm not married."
Me: "I know. You're going to have to get big like Daddy first then you can marry a really nice girl."
Caden: "I like Grandma!!"

Cover your own!

2010-04-15T22:50:00.000-07:00

Tutorial for covering a diaper/wipe case.
Enjoy crafting at home!

What you need: travel-sized wipes case (find them at Babies R' Us!), scrapes of material and batting, 1 3/4 yards trim (about 1/2-inch wide), 1/3 yard elastic, glue gun, and scissors

Cut two pieces of fabric that are 1-inch larger than each side of the case. Put a line of hot glue right along the edge of one of the short ends (be sure not to put glue on any of the sides where the case opens). Press your fabric onto the glue, right-side up.

Put a line of glue along the back edge of the case and pull your fabric a little as you press it onto the hot glue. Stuff some batting into the 'pocket' you just made.

Trim off any excess batting.

Glue the other short end right along the edge. Pull your fabric a little as you press it onto the glue. Glue the last edge and pull your fabric as you press it down.

Trim off your excess fabric. You want the fabric to hang off the edge a little but not into the area where the case opens and closes.

Glue your trim on the TOP of the case starting in the back. Take your time and don't put too much glue or it will come through your trim.

Keep going...

Once you get to where you started, cut your trim so your ends will meet perfectly with no overlapping.

Trim frays easily so you'll want to seal the ends by dabbing them with glue.

For the bottom, you'll want to glue two pieces of elastic about 1.5-inches from each end to hold diapers. Glue them on the short end where the case opens and not on the top part because you'll want to be able to give enough room for the diapers.

The hardest part is getting the elastic perfectly straight and parallel.

Continue gluing trim on the bottom half just like you did the top.

It's that easy and it's so convenient! No more diaper bags.. just throw this in your purse!

Thanks to my forever friend for showing me how to make these!

Now you can customize!

2010-04-15T13:39:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to be offering custom Mei Tai Carriers! It has been highly anticipated by many!

Check out my Etsy shop for more details.

I've had excellent feedback on all the carriers I've sold. Here are a few examples of actual customers:

"I absolutely love this Mei Tai and so does my daughter! I'm glad I finally found a carrier that she likes and feels comfortable in. I love, love, love the fabric!" -Amber from Tomball, TX

"This is a great carrier! I love it even more than my ergo. So pretty too! And I love the flower head band you sent, I wear them together and feel like a "pretty" mommy for a change." -Luana from San Diego, CA

"Got my mei tai today in the mail. I LOVE it!!! It's so pretty and the quality is excellent! Thank you!" -Liz from Ontario, Canada

"Such a BEAUTIFUL carrier! I am so so so excited to wear it to our play group today. I feel like I need to dress up just to match how pretty it is. I LOVE it...it really is gorgeous and so well made! It's so cute and I feel all fancy wearing it...I love my Ergo, but never realized how informal and shabby it looks now!" -Wendy from El Cajon, CA

ON SALE NOW!

2010-03-27T23:25:00.000-07:00

All shoes and boots in my Etsy shop are just $10! Get them while you can!

www.twirlybirdbaby.etsy.com

Thanks friends!

Do it YOURSELF, have FUN, and SAVE money!

2010-02-13T14:59:00.000-08:00

You might say I'm obsessed with sheets if you knew that my house is practically covered in them. They're cheap, light-weight, and come in really nice colors. I usually buy the twin flat sheets at Wal-Mart for $3.98.

Out of 1 sheet you can make 2 side table clothe covers.
2 covers for under $4!

You can make 1 king-sized rag quilt out of 4 sheets.
1 quilt for $16! + batting

Out of 2 sheets you can make 1 king-sized bedskirt.
1 bed skirt for $8! + elastic

Out of 1 sheet you can make 2 crib-sized sheets, out of 1 sheet you can make a crib bumper, and out of 1 sheet you can make 1 dust ruffle.

Outfit your babies crib for $12! + elastic and batting

Out of sheet scraps you can make these cute wall decorations.
3 for nearly free! + padding, board for back, button (cover with scraps), and nail gun to tack material down.

Out of 1 sheet you can make 2 large pillow case for storing a large quilt! Who knew you could make your quilts look so cute!
2 for under $4! + zippers

Out of 1 sheet you can make a shower curtain! No cutting involved! Just fold the top edge to whatever length you need and tack some plastic rings on the back for your curtain rings. I added a large ribbon on the front for decoration.
For under $4! + ribbon and rings

Out of 1 sheet you can make two 100"- wide windows look much better. I just made 4 large strips 20"- wide and knotted them around the curtain rod.
For under $4!

The following weren't made out of sheets.. but they're do-it-yourself projects!

I couldn't believe how much a custom-sized matte would be for my 24" x 36" picture frame. The guy at Michael's craft store said it would be $75!! I really needed one and asked if he could just sell me a matte sheet and I could cut it myself. He sold it to me for $3! Cut it to the size you need and then the whole in the center (at least 1" smaller than your picture around each edge) and then go back around your center edges and bevel with a razor blade to make it look really nice.
Save $72!

We had empty wall space I needed to fill up. I bought some canvas from the store for $15 dollars a set and had the boys do their own art. It's a fun-cheap way for memorable art!

I was shopping for towels and was horrified that I could buy a large bath towel for $3.50, but I had to pay $2.50 for each face wash towel. I simply bought a large towel and cut it up into 8 face towels and serged the edges just how the store had them.
That's less than 50 cents per towel!

If you can do it yourself for less, and have fun, then do it!

**I've got a few comments saying I'm a genius but I'd have to give my mother most of the credit. She taught me to be thrifty and how to get what you want cheaper. I just love her.

Good Morning!

2010-02-07T01:06:00.000-08:00

My little 3-year-old has always had a hard time waking up in the mornings. He cries in his bed until you wake up and carry him downstairs, and only stops crying once he gets his cup of milk. I've always been jealous of those kids who wake up without a peep and play quietly in their rooms for mommy or daddy to wake up. The crying wouldn't bug me so much if the little guy didn't refuse to walk himself. Trying to get him to walk himself downstairs to get his milk is disastrous!

Here is my attempt to get that little boy up and about on his own....

3 little chocolate chips waiting at the end of the stairs each morning. There are two conditions: "you need to wake up happy, and you need to walk downstairs all by yourself". So far he wakes up kind of happy and will come down by himself (when he remembers what's waiting for him). Wahoo! Progress is good.

It's so cute how he'll remind me when I put him to bed at night, "you put those chocolates there for when I wake up I can be happy".

Vinyl Lettering

2010-02-03T15:55:00.001-08:00

My mom is starting a new business/hobby with vinyl lettering. She'll make a custom painted wood plaque (choose your color of paint, if you want stain and the edges antiqued), or you can put it on a tile, or if you just want the vinyl to put it on something yourself - like your walls!

I'm so excited about her doing this because she does the best job I've ever seen. She pays attention to small details and uses quality products. She sands the edges and finished it with a top coat. She won't give it to you unless it looks good!

I called her the other day with quotes I wanted and the dimensions of the plaques with some color ideas. She sent me samples of the quotes with different fonts. I told her my favorite and she sent me a picture of the finished product. I was so happy and thrilled about them that I cried.

My mom is the best!

She doesn't have her website up but that won't stop her from taking orders. She is very reasonably priced considering most everything is customized to what you want.

Contact Tami at tlt2212@comcast.net. She ships!

Caden's Favorite Things

2009-09-28T09:42:00.000-07:00

I asked Caden what his favorite things are, and he replied very fast for each one. It's fun to know what he likes most!

Favorite Color: Orange
Favorite Food: Cereal Bar
Favorite Thing to Do: Swimming
Favorite Animal: Little Doggie
Favorite Place to Go: Go see Daddy
Favorite Movie: Kung Fu Panda
Favorite Book: Airplane Book

After I wrote everything down he wanted the pen and he proceeded to ask me what my favorite things are.

It's so fun to have a little buddy to talk to!

Girls Stay with their Moms Forever

2009-09-20T09:11:00.000-07:00

Last month if you asked me if I wanted another kid, I would probably pause for a few seconds and say, "maybe in a few years". And if you asked me if I'd like another boy or girl I'd probably say BOY. A house full of boys who are on the same soccer team would be GREAT.... but a few weeks ago I was talking to a friend and she (who also has two boys), said that she NEEDS a girl and that she will have as many babies she needs to have until she gets that one little girl. I thought that was a little extreme - but is it? I'm starting to think not. She explained how girls stay with their moms forever. That is so true! Boys usually get married, move away and are pretty independant after that. They don't call their moms just to say "I love you", ask for a recipe, advice on a decision, what cute outfit they found, etc. I babysat my friends little girl who just woke up and had messy hair. I loved brushing that long snarly hair! I too NEED a girl that I can dress up and paint her fingernails and put bows in her hair and make her cute dresses. Maybe we'll start trying for another baby in a few months... but I have to ask Kevin about that first, HA!

Congrats!

2009-09-14T11:51:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Kyra and Tracy who won the drawing. Thanks to EVERYONE who posted a comment. I wish I could give you all a pair... BUT there will be more chances to win in the future! You are all so awesome!

ENTER TO WIN!

2009-09-02T12:19:00.000-07:00

AHHH!! I finished my new design!

As always, I do a drawing when I come out with something new. If you want a chance to win one of these pairs, just post a comment and tell me whether you want the girl or boy pair and what size (3-6m, 6-9m, 9-12m, or 12-18m).

THANKS and feel free to let your friends know. I'm going to pick TWO names on Sept 13th!

www.twirlybirdbaby.etsy.com

Taken from my Etsy Shop:

"Welcome to my shop! At the beginning of this year (2009) I set out to design my own shoe pattern. I started from scratch and focused on comfort, originality, and style. I chose heavy weight fabrics for the toe and heelpieces, and I searched several months for the perfect suede that I could use for the sole (I cried when I found it!). I worked nearly every day on this new design: drafting, sewing, altering, fitting, etc. I made hundreds of samples and worked countless hours. I hope everyone finds something they like in every pair, because that’s what I worked so hard for – you and our little one!

I need to thank my two little boys who put up with me each day while I was sewing when I could have been playing with them instead, and also for letting me try samples on their little feet! Thanks to my husband who is so patient and never complains about material stuffed in every corner of our house, scraps of material on the floor, and my machines on the table. Also to my friends… I really have been a hermit for the past 8 months!"

Childhood Memory

2009-08-15T18:50:00.000-07:00

Today as I watched Caden slip down a steep hill on his bike, completely frozen with his legs straightened to each side, and screaming bloody murder it reminded me of myself when I was about 14 years-old.

My friends and I strapped on our roller-blades and ventured off to discover new land. I actually don't remember much about what we did.. UNTIL... we came to a STEEP-LOOOONG hill that we had to cross. We did so just fine, but once we got to the gravel edge my friends stayed there but for some reason I decided to put my feet on the road pointing DOWNWARDS on the hill. Well, you probably guessed what would happen. I had absolutely no time to react before I went flying down the hill on my FAST feet that had 4 wheels strapped to each! I didn't know how to break very well and wasn't even going to try. Any movement, any turn would be disasterous. I picked up speed the whole way down, FROZEN. After the obvious thoughts of "OHHH, this is going to HURT!" my very next thoughts were, "Heavenly Father let me LIVE, let me LIVE! Help me Heavenly Father!" I had two choices. Keep going straight even though the road turned and smack right into some sage brush and the side of a hill, OR, try to make the turn and keep going down another hill.. faster. I felt calm and new my choice was obvious. Go straight. I did so and didn't feel much of anything... THANKFULLY! After I hit I knew my friends who were still on top of the hill were probably really worried, so I gave a big holler, "That HURT!" I'm sure we all think about that day still and can smile about it. I'm grateful in those moments of complete fear and helplessness that we can turn somewhere and feel calm.

.... a little further along our adventure on this 'mountain trail' we noticed a canal far down beneath us in the 'canyon'. Us being the crazy girls that we are decided to see if we could throw rocks far enough to reach it. One of my friends was sweet enough to let go of her rock too late and it went right into my stomach. OUCH! I couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time. Friends are great!

2009-06-10T22:11:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was feeling like we needed to get out of the house and do something. So...

We went to Albertson's and got some donuts and rootbeer while the boys took turns pushing each other in the "baby cart".

We drove to one of our favorite places - "the lookout" is what we call it. It's a beautiful grassy area on top of large cliffs that overlook Laguna Beach. This was the first time we've been where there was bunnies everywhere! The boys had fun chasing them. Well, mostly Caden.
The fam!
Caden drinking his IBC Rootbeer.
The grass was pelted with bunny poo. I knew it would be dangerous to let Jojo crawl around, but I did anyways to try and get a good photo of him on his hands and knees. About every second I had to swipe his hand as he went to reach for a little pellet. I'm sure they looked just like candy. Here he got really mad that I wouldn't let him eat any, but just after this photo he actually got one in his mouth. Sick!
A plane!
I love how Kevin looks drunk in this picture, how Caden is so excited, and how Jojo is chillin' in the bottom of the picture exploring the bottle cap.
We had fun throwing our children around.
They fly!

Millimeters Matter

2009-06-07T22:16:00.000-07:00

If any of you have called me in the last 3 months and asked "what are you doing?", chances are I would say sewing. What was I sewing you might ask? Shoe samples! I have lots of them - about 100 that are all different! Why do I have so many? Because millimeters matter! I didn't realize just how important a few millimeters make until I came up with a great idea one day to make my very own shoe pattern. I wanted something that was unique and original - something that was easy to sew, stylish, and a different look for a girl and boy. It had to be perfect! I got so close so many times to having something I liked.. but I didn't LOVE it! Now, I do.

It all started with some rough ideas and sketches on a piece of paper. I had to turn those ideas and images into something real - shapes and sizes. I laid a piece of tracing paper over the top of Caden's shoe, traced over it how I wanted my little shoes to look, cut out the pieces and transfered them to material and made my very first shoe sample. Countless hours later of sewing, dreaming, pondering, cutting, tracing, printing, getting my machine out and setting it up, making a mess of the whole house, dealing with kids, putting everything away and cleaning up all the scraps and threads... I finally have something I love.

UPDATE: So far they come in 0-6 month, and 6-12 month sizes... but after dreaming all night last night about making bigger sizes I just might go up to 18 months or even more.

ENTER TO WIN

2009-05-25T23:31:00.001-07:00

To kick off my new design for these totally awesome hightop boots I thought it would be fun to do a drawing for a free pair! Check out my shop for other styles.

Black embroidered, size 0-6 months.

To enter, just leave a comment and I'll pick a name on June 4th.

www.twirlybirdbaby.etsy.com

*Photographs by Beatta
http://www.bmbphotographyonline.com/

Fussying, Whinning, Crying, Pouting

2009-05-20T11:57:00.000-07:00

Who do you see in these pictures?

Yes, Caden - in ALL of them! I never thought much of the terrible two's when I heard about it. When Caden turned two there was no sign of them. Could this possibly be it? Constant whinning, fussing, pouting, crying ALLLLLL DAAAAAYYYY LOOOOOOOONG! Is life really that horrible? I need your advice. What can I do to help ease his pain and suffering day to day? Better yet, what can I do to east MY pain? I am going crazy.

Rascally Boys

2009-04-22T16:54:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I wanted to cool the kids off so I put them in the tub. Afterwards I sent Caden to his room wrapped in his towel as I followed behind with Jordan in his towel. I got Jordan dressed and decided to let Caden dance around naked while I played with Jordan on the floor. After a few minutes Caden came over to me and turned his little bum toward me and said, "bite my bum Mom!" I laughed and said, "I don't want to bite your bum, Silly!" He left, came back, and requested me to bite his bum again. I told him no again but he still stood there. Pretty soon a little stinky puff of air excaped from his bum and I felt it on my face. That little stinker! I couldn't believe my little boy just farted in my face! I fell on the floor and covered my face because I didn't want him to see how hard I was laughing.

Jojo tells you when he's full by spitting out his food or milk. The other day I gave him his bottle of milk while I went to do something upstairs. I came down to see a cute little boy all splattered with milk!

Easter Egg Hunt

2009-04-11T19:54:00.000-07:00

Caden had so much fun today running around getting a bunch of eggs filled with candy! Even though the Easter Egg Hunt was for the little kids I enjoyed myself quite a bit. It wasn't just because I was surrounded by a bunch of candy, but because Caden had the biggest smile on his face. It was nice to be surrounded by a bunch of friends. We hope you all have a wonderful Easter!

McQueen McQueen! We have found McQueen!

2009-03-13T20:02:00.000-07:00

Mcqueen is involved in our lives-- everyday. We cannot go anywhere without him and we definitely don't want to loose him. We have on occasion lost Mr. McQueen the car and it was not good. We'd hear the question: "McQueen? McQueen? McQueen?" over, and over, and over. I have often thought about purchasing more "Cars" cars so we'd have some backups and also so that Caden might be entertained more throughout the day with his "stash". EVERY time I go to Wal-Mart I go down the cars isle to see if they have anything worth buying. Of course they have some selection but it's definitely been picked through. Everyone wants Sally, Doc, and The King. All the bad stuff is left. Of course I'm not going to pay money for something that's not very cool. What I'm trying to say is.... K-MART BABY! I went there the other day and they have Cars galore! McQueen was everywhere! Bikes, toys, clothes, shoes, etc. AND... they have some pretty good prices! No one thinks to go to K-Mart, that's why they have a selection!

2009-03-13T11:27:00.001-07:00

Just letting all of you girlies know that a winner was chosen and has claimed her prize. I'm thinking about doing a drawing every month so check back!

Thanks!

ENTER TO WIN

2009-03-01T12:57:00.001-08:00

To kick off my new shop on Etsy I'm going to do a drawing for a free pair of white chenille booties - most popular!

Size 0-6 months.

To enter, just leave a comment and I'll pick a name on March 10th.

www.twirlybirdbaby.etsy.com

Twirlybird Baby Boutique

2009-02-22T22:48:00.000-08:00

Okay everyone. I did just what you've been telling me to and created an Etsy account to sell my stuff. Seriously though.. I've been wanting to do it for a long time. The hardest part is taking picture of all the stuff that I have! I'm not a pro at that kind of stuff. Anyways.. I have ONE item up on Etsy and there will be more to come in the near future. Thanks everyone for liking my stuff. Oh.. and my new "business" name is Twirly Bird since another lady has decided to name her baby shoe business after mine. Yeah, I know. Rude! Check it out: twirlybirdbaby.etsy.com.

PS: Scott Nielson gets all the credit for coming up with my new name. It's so cute,

Caden and Jordan

2009-01-19T20:27:00.000-08:00

My boys are growing and getting cuter each day! Let's start with our little Jojo...

Jordan is full of love. He always seems to be smiling and kicking as his way of telling you you're his favorite person. He's one of the reasons I get out of bed.. not just to feed him, but to see his smiling face.

He started rolling last week and I can't get him to stop. Of course once he's on his stomach he doesn't like it so I have to keep rolling him back.

He loves bouncing around in the bouncy chair - probably because I can't stop laughing at him because he is so adorable bouncing up and down.

He enjoys going on bike rides.

He's getting his first tooth - I can see it! He's eating solids now and eats a lot! We've been training him so sleep through the night and is doing really well. It's been only 3 nights and he's basically sleeping all the way through. YAY! He moved from the bassinet in our room to his crib in Caden's room (Caden likes it because he gets to climb up on the crib during their naps and talk to Jordan).

Caden is our little buddy. He literally gets us out of bed in the mornings by climbing in bed with us. His first request of the day and his last request of the day is to get his milk. He likes to pray and will remind you that you need to pray with him before he goes to bed. He also moved into a bigger bed like Jojo.

Something cute I just noticed last week is that he'll lay his favorite "blankie" under his his head on his pillow and pull up the covershigh around his face.

He wants to be involved with whatever you're doing and gets a lot of pleasure from helping Mom and Dad. His favorite foods are eggs. grapes, crackers, cookies, pancakes, and frozen yogurts. His favorite friend is still Leah (or as Caden would say.. "EEAH!") and will probably always be.

Caden learned some new tricks. Picking his nose! It might be gross since it's not your kid but I think it is adorable! In fact, I can't tell him not to do it because I think it is so hilarious.

Just like Jojo, Caden loves going on bike rides. We've been on a lot of new trails in the last two weeks because we know it makes Caden happy to get out of the house.

Geocaching!?

2009-01-04T13:02:00.000-08:00

DEFINITION: Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online. Geocaching is enjoyed by people from all age groups, with a strong sense of community and support for the environment.

Why haven't I heard of this before!? We got ourselves a GPS for Christmas to put in the car and I discovered through the Garmin website that you could download the locations of these "hidden treasures". I looked up some and there are SO MANY just in our neighborhood. Yesterday we decided it would be fun to look for one. We looked up one at an area we know close to the beach. The GPS takes you RIGHT to it. We weren't really sure where to look, but less than five minutes of looking around we found a small hidden tin wedged in a guardrail along side the trail. It didn't have anything important in it- coins, chapstick, and a jolly rancher. There was a peice of paper inside for you to sign. We saw many entries from just a few weeks ago!

Anyways, this is such a fun thing to do for a date-- especially with your kids. It sure gives me a reason to go hiking up in the moumntains- TREASURE!

Enjoy!

PS- If any of you have done this before it will be interesting to hear about it..

Visit www.geocaching.com for more information

Pictures from Christmas

2009-01-04T12:45:00.000-08:00

One Word

2008-11-22T21:06:00.000-08:00

RULE: Type only ONE word.

1. Where is your cell phone? COUNTER
2. Your significant other? COUCH
3. Your hair? IGNORED
4. Your Mother? SWEET
5. Your father? TOUGH
6. Your favorite thing? FAMILY
7. Your dream last night? FORGET
8. Your favorite drink? MILK
9. Your dream/goal? HAPPINESS
10. The room you're in? SEMI-CLEAN
11. Your fear? GUILT
12. Where do you want to BE in 6 years? HOME
13. Where were you last night? KITCHEN
14. What you're not? DARE-DEVIL
15. Muffins? DELICIOUS
16. One of your wish list items? HOUSE
17. Where you grew up. BLUFFDALE
18. The last thing you did? CLEAN
19. What are you wearing? G'S
20. Your TV? MONSTER
21. Your pet? NON-EXISTANT
22. Your computer? DELL
23. Your life? BLESSED
25. Missing someone? YES
26. Your car? GALANT
27. Something you're not wearing? SOCKS
28. Favorite Store? WALMART
29. Your summer? MELLOW
30. Your favorite color? BROWN
31. When is the last time you laughed? EARLIER
32. Last time you cried? YESTERDAY
34. Who e-mailed me last? CHOIR
35. My favorite food. ACAPULCO!
36. Place I would most like to be. URUGUAY

Hard Not to Laugh

2008-11-20T11:49:00.000-08:00

You know when your kids do something that is so hilarious but you try not to laugh because it's probably not a good habit? This is one of those moments! I LOVE when Caden does this and I can't seem to stop laughing when he does it.

2008-11-20T11:40:00.000-08:00

I was talking to a friend about Jordan's tux he wore for his blessing. She asked if I posted pictures of the blessing on my blog and I said "no". She said, "you blog about your meatballs but not about Jordan's blessing!". OOPS! It was a great day and so nice to have my family in town.

A Mouth Full of Food

2008-11-09T23:35:00.000-08:00

I have been getting very frustrated lately. Basically after everything Caden eats (even yummy things like cookies!) he will hold in his mouth like a chipmunk. Sometimes up to an hour! He'll either end up swallowing it after so long, spit it out somewhere, or laugh/cough and get it everywhere. It's especially hard to feed him at meals because he doesn't chew and swallow after every bite... it's like we have to bribe him to swallow and then bribe him again to eat the next bite. Even before the first bite he's saying "no" and covering his face. It doesn't seem like he eats enough in the first place so we're hesitant to let him down from the table when he doesn't want to eat (seems like every time). I've tried feeding him in different places (on the couch, on the stairs, etc.) to see if he'd eat better there- not really. What should we do!? Is this common (probably not the chipmunk part... but what about not wanting to eat all the time)? Is there a good book that could help us out? HELP!

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

2008-11-02T17:21:00.001-08:00

Tonight we are having these wonder, delicious, and easy-to-make meatballs! This is something I've eaten while growing up and will never get tired of it. Just serve it over rice with a side of vegetables and viola! You've got dinner!

RECIPE:

1 1/2 lb ground beef
3/4 c. oats
2 eggs
1/2 c. onion, chopped
1/2 c. milk
1 tsp salt
dash pepper
1 tsp worchestershire

Sauce:
3/4 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. vinegar
2 tsp mustard
1/2 c. barbeque sauce
2 tsp worchestershire

Combine all ingredients for meatballs, shape into 2-inch balls. Arrange in 9x9 pan. Cover with sauce and bake at 350 for 1 hour.

Just because your pants button up doesn't mean they fit

2008-10-31T12:26:00.001-07:00

Everyone knows it's hard having a baby because you don't fit into your old clothes. I didn't really have this problem for too long with Caden because I didn't get a chance to get too big. But now with Jordan, it's a different story. I used to LOVE wearing jeans. I bet I've been digging through my closet every week since I've had him to find a "new" pair of pants that would fit (and probably will for a while). I have to admit: for the past three months I have been wearing pants that didn't really fit and I didn't really know it! Even when they were terribly uncomfortable and they kept sliding off my butt and I had to keep pulling them up. It seemed logical that if I could button them up that they must fit. Wrong. I finally dug deep enough into my closet and found a few pairs that REALLY fit! It makes a HUGE difference! Wearing jeans is actually comfortable again. No one likes "muffin top" anyway. I'll wait to wear those old jeans until I can comfortably button them up again.

A trail of Destruction!!!

2008-10-31T12:19:00.000-07:00

This is what happens to our living room everyday. It doesn't take the WHOLE day for it to look like this. Less than an hour actually. Once Caden goes down for his nap around noon I clean everything up and put everything away. Then the little man wakes up and everything gets destroyed again. It's not just the living room either. It's the whole house. I wonder if I will ever have a tiddy house that lasts all day long.

Someone described this talk as calming- I couldn't agree more!

2008-10-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone has a chance to watch this video. I've never heard of Elder Busche before, but he says so many things that have taken me my whole lifetime to learn.

Meet my new friend - SALLY!

2008-09-18T12:24:00.000-07:00

Our old Eureka sucked (not in a good way). I searched countless hours for the perfect vacuum at the perfect price. After many sleepless nights that were filled with stupid dreams of vacuums, I found her. She was up in LA and being sold at a great deal. I just had to take it! My parents have a Kirby and I've always loved it. I finally have my own!

I never knew until doing research that these babies (with the correct attachments) can do back and scalp massages (interesting..), sand, polish and wax wooden floors, shampoo and fluff your carpet, blow up inner tubes, and it even has an air-powered rotary tool set. Holy cow.

FYI: However great these vacuums are, don't let a salesman in your house. They won't leave!

I guess I like to peek during prayers..

2008-08-10T16:01:00.000-07:00

Today during the opening prayer in Sacrament meeting I opened my eyes to see what Caden was doing. There he was perched up on the chair beside me with his eyes closed tight and his arms folded. I couldn't help but nudge Kevin so he could see how adorable Caden looked. I'm glad cell phones have cameras on them too!

Caden turns two!

2008-08-09T10:19:00.000-07:00

Caden had his birthday party on Thursday. We invited a bunch of kids from his nursery and we all had a fun time at the park together. The weather and food was great. Caden enjoyed the day and all the special attention he received.

Baby Jordan

2008-07-20T09:08:00.000-07:00

You all probably know that we had our baby, but I wanted to post his picture with his 25 week ultrasound. It's crazy eh? Look at those lips!

Caden pondering how his life is going to change...

Another project-COMPLETE!

2008-06-29T20:06:00.001-07:00

Anyone who really knows me knows that when I start sewing a project I can't stop. The other night I couldn't fall asleep and I started thinking about all the things I had that I wanted to sew. Well... when that happens I have to get my sewing "fix" until I can do anything else, including sleeping or eating. So of course I got up and started my biggest project- Crib bedding. And of course I couldn't stop until it was ALL finished, which included: organizer, diaper stacker, dust ruffle, sheets, and bumper. I finally headed up to bed at 5:30am when it was all finished. What a night. I'm so thrilled with it all that I find myself peaking in Caden's room just to look at how well it all turned out!

Yay for babies!

2008-06-29T15:45:00.000-07:00

My latest project- making a baby sling! All I need is a baby to put in it!

My friend Michelle came over on Saturday and we made these slings while our hubbies went fishing. It was a great day!

It must have been a great day for the boys as well because they actually caught some sweet fish! Good job baby!

TV.... what a bore.

2008-06-14T20:12:00.000-07:00

I've never been much of a TV person. In fact, I probably wouldn't have a TV if it weren't for needing one to watch the news and movies. What is the point? Sitting in front of the TV for hours just to pass time. To make the day go by faster. Where's the fun in that? I would much rather clean out my closet or organize a bookshelf. Better yet, to just have my family by myself without any background noise or distraction is a gift I could give to me and my family! It's so much better and more fulfilling to do something-ANYTHING other than watching TV. Make a necklace, write your significant-other a love letter, prune a tree, till your garden, sweep the kitchen... anything! Anyways.. I guess this whole bed rest thing is really getting annoying because I just sit in front of the TV... and usually end up turning it on to pass time.

Belly Picture

2008-05-31T09:41:00.000-07:00

I remember after having Caden so early that I wanted to still be able to have a big pregnant belly. I've alway thought that pregnant ladies are so cute! This picture was taken almost two weeks ago when I was 30 weeks. I have to say now, having a big belly (even though I'm not that big) isn't all that great and I definitely don't feel all that cute. At least the little guy is still hanging in there and growing big!

Sorry mom and dad-we're still working on a name for the little one!

Update

2008-05-13T12:41:00.001-07:00

I've had a couple people ask how I've been. I'm actually doing good! For those who aren't aware, I've been put on bed rest. I'm 29 weeks pregnant (Caden was born at 29 weeks) and will probably be on bed rest until I'm 34 weeks if everything looks good then. Everything looks perfect now and I'm not expecting to deliver early. I'm monitored and tested every two weeks and I take a medication to stop/prevent contractions. Just wanted to let you know that everything is well and we're excited to have a second little boy!

Another Sewing Project... Complete!

2008-03-27T19:05:00.000-07:00

Here is this weeks project I just finished! I made matching car seat covers for the baby and Caden's car seats. They were fun to make but I'm so glad they're finally finished!

Our "Hot Ride".... with A/C!

2008-03-27T18:50:00.000-07:00

So we've finally found "the one"! She's a silver 02' Galant and she drives beautifully.

A Blessing

2008-03-10T10:22:00.000-07:00

It's always been in the hardest times in my life that I've grown closer to Heavenly Father. It's funny that shopping for a car would do that too. The last few weeks we've been looking for a car. With that comes LOTS of stress, and with stress comes frustration and even a little anger. I feel like stress has been consuming every bit of my energy and I'm just not as joyful as I'd like to be. I've been praying so hard for this to be over... to just find a car that we will be happy with and that will be reliable. We have seen so many cars and none of them turn out to be "the one". We've had many people lie to us just to try and sell their car. It makes me crazy! People are so dishonest. However small finding and buying a car may be compared to other things people may go through in their life, I'm grateful that it has reminded me of just how much Heavenly Father loves me and that He really cares that this has been hard for me. I guess it's just nice to know that He's there and will listen to you whine... or at least I feel like I've been doing that lately. I know He loves me and that makes it easier. I don't blog a lot, and when I do I don't usually have anything cool to say... I just hope all of you out there feel that you're loved and cared about.

Boys, Boys, Boys

2008-02-16T18:32:00.000-08:00

Kevin loves fishing and has recently been interested in fly fishing. The other day one of his friends gave him a bunch of stuff... basically a whole set-up since he didn't have anything. All that day he was admiring his new pole and reel and talking about how great they were. I had to tell him to put his new toys away for dinner. Can you guess what he did that night? He played with his pole in bed while I was trying to sleep!! Today he got some waders that he's been wanting so badly and he ate dinner in them... with his boots and everything! What is it with fishing that gets these guys so excited?

IT'S A BOY!

2008-02-11T17:16:00.000-08:00

Today we found out we're having another boy! We're so excited! The first picture is a head shot and the second is... A BOY!

Favorite Recipe

2008-01-22T09:32:00.000-08:00

I was watching the TV at one of Caden's appointment and a cooking show came on and this is the recipe that they made. It is DIVINE! It might be a little spicy for those of you who don't like spicy things.. just hold off a little on the chili powder, paprika, and red pepper flakes. The measurements I used for those three ingredients I'll put in parentheses (I thought it was perfect!) You all NEED to try it!

CUMIN SPICED CHILI
found on http://www.accenthealth.com/recipes/200801/

1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 large white onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs ground beef
(1/6) 1/4 c. chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
(1) 2 tbsp paprika
(1/2) 1 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 can tomato sauce
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 c. beef broth
4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 can kidney beans, rinsed
1 can black beans, rinsed
1 tbsp ground pepper
1 tbsp salt

Saute onions in oil until fragrance is released. Add carrots, celery, and garlic and cook for 4 more minutes (do not brown). Add beef and brown. Add in spices, tomatoes, broth, and vinegar. Cook for half an hour. Add in beans that have been rinsed and drained. Simmer for 40 minutes longer. Season with pepper and salt. Garnish with fresh-diced tomatoes, cilantro, and cheese.

Note: tastes better the next day!

Now, I want YOUR favorite recipe! :)