All Things French

My husband surprised me with this necklace from Urban Outfitters last week.  Awfully sweet of him.  We met in French class and are both francophiles, so it's very fitting.  It's the little things that make me :) (smile)!

P.S. I totally bought this ^ long sleeve shirt (and four more) at Wal-Mart for $3 this weekend.  They're so soft and long enough that I can bend over without worrying about my backside peeking out!

Baby Shower Gifts

*Please excuse the poor quality photos.  My small camera is about to fritz out, so the images are less than par :(

Today my husband and I have baby showers to attend.  That's right-- my husband has a baby shower to go to.  Our friends are having twin girls, and there are two showers.  The guys have their own shower for diapers and wipes.  The girls have a shower at the same time, and I've got lots of goodies that I've made!

First up: I made a burp cloth designed after homemade by jill's burp cloth tutorial.  It was super easy!  I used stain resistant cloth that I got at Hancock's.

Next: Matching shoes that followed stardustshoes tutorial.  These things are too adorable!  I want some in my size!

This post has a (better) shot of the shoes I made for another baby girl on the way.

Last: Onesies inspired by Under the Sycamore.  Since I needed to make two of these, I wanted to do different designs.  Since the librarian glasses are very "smart", I thought the aviator glasses would be a good opposite and evoke "coolness" :).  These turned out really cute, I think.  I used faux leather for the glasses, and the onesies were $3 each from Wal-Mart.

Well, time to get ready for the shower.  I hope the mommy likes the outfits for her girls!

Etsy Spring Finds *Featuring CAST

I don't know about you, but I have been wishing for spring for months now!  I need the sunshine and warm breeze!  To transition us from winter to spring, here are a few items that will add a pop of color to our spring wardrobe.  All of these items are from CAST members' etsy shops.

*CAST- Christian Artists Street Team

1) Upcycled Denim and Tulle Flower from Teri Daughter of the King
2) Upcycled Easter Eggs from Chocolate Dog Studio
3) Love as He loves you necklace from Teapots and Robots
4) Sophisticated Blue Sterling Silver and Glass necklace from ck silver
5) Little Girl's Poncho in Mint Green from Joyful Handknits
6) Knit Baby Earflap hat from Baruch's Lullaby
7) Vintage Linen Apron from sammysgrammy
8) Sea Spray Silk Scarf from Julie's Silk N Style Shop
9) Celebrating You bookmark from Crochet by Anastasia

Go check out these shops for more spring ideas!


Marla, Plain & Small- etsy shop

Happy St. Patty's Day! (Janome style)

I'm covered in green day today-- no pinching allowed!

It's been fun to browse blogs today to see how everyone is celebrating St. Patrick's Day.  There are lots of fun craft ideas out there!  Last night I sat down and tackled a few sewing projects.  I even stayed up an hour past my usual bedtime!  I'll be posting about some of the projects in the next few days.

Today I just wanted to brag on my sewing machine and recommend it to anyone looking for an easy-to-use machine.  For Christmas my parents gave me the Janome 3128.  It's the perfect size for my work space, and runs beautifully (making buttonholes is super easy!).  My Janome and I have become great friends!

Even the Janome is dressed in green!

Does anyone else have the same machine?

Anniversary Present for Mom & Dad

Last week my parents celebrated their 33rd wedding anniversary.  As a present, I made the piece below.

I used a scrap piece of wood that was literally sitting around the house.  I had my husband cut it to size and sand it.  Then I gave it a gel stain.  I have never stained anything in my life.  I just followed the directions on the can-- it was easy peasy!  The chandelier, lamp shades, birds, and cloud are all cut from scrap material.  The birds tails are cloth beads cut from fabric trim.  I used Mod Podge to glue them on and then put Mod Podge on the top of the material to keep it from fraying.  I wrote on the back of the wood instead of on a greeting card that might get misplaced.

My inspiration came from Susan Mahan's piece Empty Nest.

*Update: My project was featured on Mod Podge Rock's Twitter and Facebook!  Thanks MPR!