Chevron Bag with Monogram

These bags just keep getting cuter! (If I do say so myself....)

Beauty

Few things are as lovely as a neatly folded, color-coded stack of pretty fabrics in bright colors. If only I had somewhere to display it :)

 

I used a photo box from Michaels, and folded the fabric around the divider cards found inside. (And then I cut out a bunch more from old cereal boxes).

Beautiful. And hopefully maintainable :)

Spider Web Placemat Tutorial

 

I’ve been wanting to decorate for Halloween for WEEKS….

But I made myself wait (mostly) until this little girl’s birthday was over.  Our sweet baby girl turned one this week. I can’t believe how fast it’s gone by.  She is tough, and sweet, and SO FUNNY.  We love her to bits. 

She wore a tutu and feather poof on her head all day long to celebrate.  I used this tutorial to make the tutu.  The elastic for her headband came from My Sunshine Supplies on Etsy. And I bought the tulle, feather clip and onesie from Hobby Lobby.

It was so fun to have a special little outfit for her special day. I could tell she knew something was up :).

 

And now that that day is over…. it’s time to decorate for Halloween!  I’ve got a few projects in the works, who knows how many I’ll actually post, but here’s one that’s quick, cheap, and easy (my favorite kind of craft).

 

Spider Web Placemats

 

How fun are these?

I found these plain black placemats at The Christmas Tree Shop for 25 cents each! (they were originally 2.00 at Bed Bath and Beyond).

So I bought 12 :)

I knew I wanted to put some spider webs on them, but it took a few tries to find the best method.

So here it is! I’ve done all the dirty work for you, you lucky duck!

I tried three different methods:

1- I used a white glittery paint pen I found at Michael's for about 3.50.  I really liked the results, but the pen dried up halfway through the 3rd placemat.  It worked great, but I wanted a cheaper alternative.

2- I used Martha Stewart paint with an Elmer's glue nozzle and just drew the webs on straight from the bottle.  …Except the nozzle didn’t fit the Martha Stewart paint bottles, so I had to pour it into an empty pain bottle first.  This method is definitely the cheapest, but I wasn’t a fan of the results.  It was hard to keep the paint even so that it didn't pool in spots, and the paint didn’t sink down into the fabric like I had hoped.  It just kind of sat on top.  Though I did try washing it, and the paint stayed on fine, I just didn’t like the way it looked.

3- Metallic silver sharpies.  About 2.50 for a pack of two at Wal-Mart. I got six placemats out of two pens. Add it all up and those six placemats come out to 66 cents a piece. I’ll take it.

I used the sharpie for this tutorial.  Definitely the way I’d go if you’re super cheap like me.

 

 

Ready? Easy Peasy.

But be warned- there is a small amount of geometrical terminology in this tutorial… Just to make me sound smart :)

1- Gather your supplies. You’ll need a black placemat (I think it would also be really cute on a pillowcase…) a silver sharpie, and a straight edge.

2- Pick a spot for the center of your web.  See that tiny dot? I promise it’s there…. I like the webs sort of in the corner, but don’t go too far, it doesn’t look as good. Just trust me on this one.

3- Using your straight edge, draw 2 perpendicular lines (or almost perpendicular- wonky is fun, but also a little harder when doing the rest of the web) through that point.

4- Draw 2 more lines, bisecting (cutting in half) the four angles you’ve already created.  You should have 8 fairly equal slices of pie when it’s all said and done.

5- Starting near the center, connect the lines with little curvy lines, working your way outward, going around and around and around…. I vaguely remember doing this on my notebooks in grade school at Halloween time…. Ha. I even liked to decorate for Halloween when I was eight years old. ANYWAY- what I meant to say is: just do it, it’s not too complicated.

6- Keep going, spacing your lines further apart as you move out, until you hit the edges. That’s it.

7- Do 3 more and set your table (at 3 in the afternoon in September) just so you can take a picture:

 

 

Fun huh?! Also- that sweet pumpkin… got it at TJ Maxx for ten bucks (thanks to Kate at Chic on a Shoestring for the heads up).  Score.

And just in case you’re curious, here’s a pictures of the placemat I did with the paint pen, and the one I did with the sharpie side by side:

Sharpie on the left, paint pen on the right.  The glitter is fun (wish you could see it) but I do like how the sharpie makes the web more subtle.  You’re choice. The glitter is fun if you’re willing to fork out the dough.

Enjoy! Let me know if you try it out!

Linking up here:

Chic on a Shoestring

Be Different Act Normal

Nifty Thrifty Things

Flaunt Your Fall Party

So I Married a Craft Blogger

Pinteresting: Magical Toilet Cleaning

If you found a magical method for cleaning the toilet... would you try it out? Absolutely.  I mean really, few things are as bad as cleaning the toilet. Except maybe the shower. I HATE cleaning the shower. And window tracks. They've gotta be the worst!

Anyway....

I found this handy little Pin the other day, and thought I'd give it a try. Because really. There have been rings in the toilet ever since we moved in, and I'm not about to stick my hand in there with a pumas stone like my mom suggested.

Bad news is: no magic. Floating the magic eraser in the toilet over night does not in fact magically erase those toilet rings.  When I went to check on it this morning it was lying at the bottom of the toilet.

I must confess: I flushed it. I don't imagine a magic eraser is the most flushable item around... and I was prepared to scoop it out with a plastic cup, had it still been floating on top.  Sticking my hand all the way down there? No thank you. So cross your fingers for me that we don't have any toilet issues. I'm sure worse things have been flushed down the toilet... (One time my little brother dumped a handful of pick-up-sticks in the toilet. It didn't end so well... Ha!).

I'm a big fan of magic erasers, but don't bother with the magic toilet ring cleaning- it's bogus. Too bad. I haven't tried any of the other magic uses from the link- let me know if you do!

Family Pictures

My sister-in-law took our pictures the day before we left to come back to PA.  It was super stressful for me to find clothes for all of us (ok just me really) but I’m so glad we found time to get some pictures.  Becca did an awesome job.  I love them!

   

 

  

You can check our Becca's Facebook Page HERE!

Pinteresting: Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

This was a great recipe. It's simple, fast (minus the slow cooker part. Ha!), doesn't heat up your house, and you probably have everything you need in your cabinets already.

Source: Chef Mommy

I accidentally added the sour cream at the beginning, instead of the end, but it didn't seem to have any adverse effects. I served it over rice and black beans and added cheese, tomatoes, and green onions on top- haystack style. Love me some haystacks.

This one is definitely worth pinning.

***I tried this as a freezer meal... and was less impressed.  The chicken had that dry/crumbly frozen chicken texture, and the sauce also had a yucky different texture.  While handy, freezing this one just isn't worth it.  It's so easy in the first place, there's really no point.***

Grey Chevron, I'm Dying!

Oh. My. Heck.
This backpack is SO cute!

Disclaimer: I've never been a huge fan of the term "oh my heck" but thanks to Juanito Bandito, I think I'm hooked. Go here to watch a bit of it, then maybe you'll understand :)

ANYWAY... this backpack is a custom order I just finished today. I think it just might be my very favorite backpack I've ever made. Ever.

I've got more of this fabric just sitting around waiting for a good home.  I'm saving it for custom orders because I would hate to waste it on a bag no one wants to buy :) So head on over to my shop and pick one up.  I'll add ruffles in whatever color your little heart desires!

Pinteresting: Broccoli Crunch Salad

Broccoli Crunch Salad

LOVE. IT.

And I don't even like broccoli. I suppose if you add enough bacon, crasins, and almonds, you can make just about anything taste good.

You can use light mayo and precooked bacon (crisped-up in the oven or microwave) to cut back on calories. However, I used real sugar instead of Splenda, because I just can't stand the stuff. So I suppose its a good trade-off with the light mayo :)

Give it a try. It's delicious. Go here to repin it. Or straight to allrecipes.com for the recipe.

New Duds for the 4th

So we’re heading home to visit our families TOMORROW NIGHT! We’re so excited we can hardly stand it.  Especially the three-year-old… holy smokes, it’s a lot of emotion for a little girl to deal with.
So instead of packing and cleaning, like I ought to be doing… I’ve been sewing!

Do you blame me?? I couldn’t resist!

I’ve been saving this blue polka dot fabric I scored at Jo-Anns (for 2.50 a yard!) and planning out peasant tops in my head for weeks now, and finally got down to making one.  I made the pattern myself (sorry, no tutorial- short on time, ha!) after reading through this tutorial and looking at this pattern.

My sister-in-law sent me the red chevron fabric months ago, and I think I finally found the perfect reason to cut into it. I used this pattern from MADE for the diaper cover.  It looked HUGE, so I went a couple sizes smaller (mostly cuz I’m stingy with fabric…).  It fit ok… but was a little too short, so I had to add extra fabric for the elastic casing around the waist.

I’m so in love with this little girl and her patriotic little chevron bum!

And I couldn’t leave out her sister.  I also made up this pattern- but you can find a tutorial for something similar here. Oh how I love ruffles! And the instructions for her bow came from Pinterest.
Again, in LOVE.

Chevron, ruffles, and polka dots make me almost as happy as the two little girls wearing them!

Linking up here:
Chic on a Shoestring
Tatertots & Jello
House of Hepworths
Be Different, Act Normal
Itsy Bitsy Paper

Pinteresting: Banana Ice Cream

"Ice Cream" made only from bananas that tastes and feels just like the real thing? Sounds too good to be true. But I couldn't resist giving it a try.



Come Together Kids: Banana "Ice Cream"



This stuff was super easy. Just cut up some ripe bananas, freeze, then stick them in the food processor until smooth and creamy.


The girls loved this stuff. Mr. Domestic and I were less impressed. It was kinda slimy (like mushed up bananas...) but not a deal-breaker. It also had a bit of a bite to it at the end. If you've ever accidentally taken a bite out of a banana peel or eaten a not-yet-ripe-enough banana, you'll know what I'm talking about. I think if my bananas had been more ripe it might bite so much. I don't think there is anything you can do about the slimy.


The good news is my girls loved it. They didn't notice and slime or bite, so I'm definitely going to make it for them again.


I'd like to try it with really ripe bananas and maybe add some chocolate and or nuts and or brownies :) to see if I can make it a little tastier. It's definitely not ice cream, but if I could get it a little closer, the trade-offs would be totally worth it.

My shop will be CLOSED for the month of JULY.

  Hurry over and place your orders before NOON EST. on JUNE 30th to recieve your bag before I shut-er-down!

Pinteresting: Pan-Roasted Chicken

I tried out this recipe for Father's Day.



Pan-Roasted Chicken with Lemon-Garlic Green Beans

 

We didn't have any lemons so I just left those out, and I used boneless skinless chicken breasts instead of breasts with the skin and bones. And I added a little rosemary.

This dish was super easy. I love that I only dirtied one bowl and one pan. I baked it in my cast iron skillet (which I LOVE).

We loved the taste of this dish. The bad news is: the chicken was pretty dry, and I wasn't crazy about the texture of the green beans. The good news is: the potatoes were sooo good.

I think the chicken would have been more moist if I hadn't used the boneless skinless breasts, but we aren't crazy about the skin and bones around here. So next time I think I'll try covering the pan with foil to see if that helps. I imagine it might improve the beans too.

Overall I really liked this dish. I'm definitely going to try it again.

Pinteresting: Friendship Bracelet Earbuds

Several weeks ago I posted that I was in the process of surrounding my earbud cords in friendship-braceleted-embroidery floss- goodness. And I never followed up on how it went.

Here's a link to a tutorial for the friendship bracelet technique: How to make the Chinese Staircase Bracelet. You'll do it the same way with your cord.  Just make sure you include your cord with the other strands not being used to make knots.

I bought my embroidery floss at Jo-Ann's. I bought 5 different colors and spent around two bucks (it was a while ago so I don't remover exactly how much I spent, but the stuff is pretty cheap).

I used most of the floss, but I did have a little left over, so you could maybe get away with only four skeins (is that what you call a unit of embroidery floss? I have no idea, but it makes me sound like I know what I'm talking about :)

Each color of floss is made up of six strands.  I started out using all six strands of the floss. I tied a knot at the end and made my braid/knots over the tail. I alternated colors at random, pretty much whenever I felt like it.

I used rubber band to hold together the colors I wasn't working with at the time. I used a safety pin to hold it to the floor or my jeans or the couch. The safety pin is crucial; you can't tie the knots without one end tethered.

When I got to the fork in the cord, I separated each color in half so there were three strands of each color for both cords.  I wound the floss around these handy little spools I printed from Wild Olive.

I continued to the ends, tied a knot at each end and sealed each knot with some clear fingernail polish.

The whole project took me a few days. I worked on it while watching tv in the evenings and on a longish car ride.

Overall I'm pleased with the results.

The Pros:

They're obviously much cuter now :) and it was very effective in keeping the cords tangle-free.


The Cons:

The cords are a bit bulky now. They take up a lot more space than before and they're a bit heavier. I haven't actually used them much, but I imagine the weight might be inconvenient while on a run or if you're moving around a lot.

I'd call it a success.  Hopefully this is helpful.  I'd love to hear how it goes if you try it out!

Isn’t That Pinteresting?

 
I love Pinterest. Especially now that I have an iPod. I can hang out on Pinterest (almost) guilt free because I don't have to spend lots of time glued to the computer paying zero attention to anything else. Now it counts as multitasking :).

The problem with Pinterest is that sometimes you see things that just seem too good to be true. And sometimes they really are too good to be true.

So I thought I'd do a bit of a blog series.... Whenever I try something I found on Pinterest, I'll blog about it and let you know how it goes: What went well and what didn't go so great, how long it took, how much money I spent, what I changed, that sort of thing.

If you'd like, you can follow me on Pinterest by clicking this handy little button: 


 
And you can follow all my Pinterest Adventures here:

Strawberry Jam

 
So this one time, when we were younger, my little brother made some brownies. From scratch. He was like ten-years-old. We were all pretty impressed that he was baking, and eagerly anticipating a sweet treat.

I cut myself a brownie and took a bite. It was sweet and chocolaty.

And then I noticed something strange....

They seemed a lot chewier than normal. But not the brownie kind of chewy. It was like there were tiny little sugary worms living inside those brownies. We quickly deduced that he had use powdered sugar instead of flour. Hence the sweetness. But who knew all that sugar would take on such a strange texture. They tasted fine, they were actually really sweet (duh!), but the texture was just too much to handle.
 

You may be wondering why in the world this has to do with strawberry jam.... Don't worry, I'll circle back:)  
 

I bought two pounds of strawberries for two bucks at Sam's club the other day. That’s a steal. So I figured it was time to make some strawberry jam.

I love strawberry jam. But only freezer jam. That cooked stuff is ga-ross. Growing up, there was ALWAYS strawberry jam in the freezer. I love to eat it with butter, not peanut butter, just butter and jam. I like it on toast, rolls, pancakes, french toast, bagels, you name it. It's delicious.

So yesterday, after waiting a few days to gather the courage, I decided to tackle the jam project.

I started cutting and mashing strawberries, feeling nostalgic, writing my lovely little blog post in my head. "How domestic am I?" I thought to myself. I took a minute to take a picture and brag on facebook:


I even started contemplating making a batch of bread and putting some jam in baby food jars to take to some friends. I don't bake bread. So that's a big deal.

The only tricky part of this whole endeavor is the timing. The mashed strawberries and sugar are supposed to sit for 10 minutes. When that 10 minutes is over, you're supposed to add the pectin and water that has been boiling "hard" for one minute.

I got a little anxious and started the pectin and water too early. I wasn't entirely sure how long it would take to come to a "hard boil" so I started it about 3 minutes in to the berry and sugar's 10 minutes. 

So... it boiled much, much faster than I anticipated. Worried that my berries and sugar weren't ready, I took the pectin off the stove just as it was starting to boil. I waited a few minutes and put it back on and finished making the jam. 



As I was filling jars, I snuck a little taste. It tasted delicious. 

And then I noticed something strange....

A gross, slimy, chewy little worm, so much like the ones in my brother's brownies.
 
Bah. 

I was so looking forward to some butter and jam on a piece of toast. But my jam is gross. It almost makes me gag. I've tasted it several times, just to make sure it really is gross. It really is gross. I'm so bummed. I still haven't thrown it out.


So all that time and and effort and daydreaming about delicious strawberry jam... and all I got was a big mess in my kitchen (I swear it looked much worse in person, I don't think the picture does it justice!). 

It's a good thing those strawberries were cheap!

Shop Anniversary

The Shop has been open for ONE YEAR today!

Use Coupon Code YEAR1 for 15% off your entire purchase!

Offer is good TODAY only!

Update

I thought I'd update the few of you who still visit this little blog from time to time....

This little girl:

Has been completely out of her harness for almost a month now. Her x-ray looked really good and we expect everything to be fine from here on out. She goes back for another x-ray in October just to make sure everything still looks good. She's started crawling the last couple of days and she's getting really fast. Look out world! Her big sister is already going crazy trying to keep her puzzles away from this slobber monster.

And this little girl:

Keeps falling asleep while she watches a movie during little sister's afternoon nap.  Poor girl must be worn out.  We went for a walk today and she kept telling me she was lonely.  When I asked her what she thought lonely meant, she said "I just need to go home and lay on the couch..."  hehe, apparently "lonely" is code for "tired," (not that that's something she would ever admit :)

She's also very excited for mom to teach her how to swim. Hopefully it will get a little warmer so we can get it done before we go visit grandmas.

Mr. Domestic has been done with school for about a month, and is officially enrolled in med school.  We're so proud of all his hard work!

Meanwhile I have all sorts of projects and blog posts on my to do list... in fact I'm constantly blogging in my head, it just never seems to make it to the computer, haha.  No guarantees on whether anything is going to come of those posts and projects swimming around up there....

Black and White and Yellow All Over

Custom order In progress. One of my favorites yet!

Big Green Monster

I'm currently knee-deep in a project involving this great big dresser and some very green paint. I'm excited (and nervous!) to see how it turns out!

Friendship Bracelet Earbuds

I got an iPod Touch for my birthday.  I'm loving that I can do Etsy and blog from it.

And Hello! instagram :) 

I'm currently friendship braclet-ing my earbuds. Found the idea on pinterest.

It's supposed to keep them from tangling (that is if I can untangle them so I can finish) but mostly it's just cute :)

Don't forget about the sale in my etsy shop.  Use coupon code BDAY15 for 15% off purchases over $25.  Sale ends tomorrow.

Birthday, Ruffles, and a SALE!

I had a birthday this weekend.

Kind of a big one.

I also spent the last month sewing like a madman for an event this weekend that didn't go as well as I'd hoped.

So now there is a whole lot of this going on around here:





























Sooo many ruffles. And a few boy bags too.


To celebrate my birthday (and hopefully clear out some inventory) I'm having a little sale in my shop this week.

Go to www.notverydomestic.etsy.com grab a few bags, and use the code BDAY15 to get 15% off any order over $25. The coupon is good until midnight on Saturday (the 21st) and I'll be adding more bags all week.

Go check it out, and tell your friends!

Murphy's Law

I swear, every time I start feeling like I've got my life in order... something goes wrong.

I was just getting the hang of things, I exercised (thats a BIG deal), cleaned the fridge, and was feeling like I was finally on top of things so I could sew or something...

and then I got sick.

And then it all happened again the next week.

I have come to the conclusion that exercising made me sick --both times. And i'm stickin to it. 

...too bad I know better than that, or I might just quit (feeling guilty about not) working out :)

So....

Hopefully I'm not jinxing it, but as soon as I get my house clean (ha!) and my camera charged, I plan on posting some things (and perhaps going for a run).

Cross your fingers!

Also....

The shop is stocked. Go check it out :)

Where in the World?

** Be warned, this one gets pretty personal **

It seems as though I've dropped off the face of the Earth... 

Having babies seems to always throw me for quite the loop, and this time around was no exception.  Nursing was miserable (that's probably a mild description) for the first ten weeks.  And Big Sister gave us a bit of grief after we shipped her across the county, moved her away from grandmas and cousin, stuck her in a big girl bed, took away her binky, and potty trained her.  Oh and brought home a baby sister who occupies much of the time and attention usually given to her. Wow. Poor girl. I'm only now fully realizing how rough all must be for a two-year-old.

So the first three months were a bit of a roller coaster.  After Christmas, I was finally feeling mostly like a normal person again.  I was bound and determined to get my crap together.  You know, keep my house clean, exercise, lay off the treats, and maybe blog every once in a while. 

Then I was thrown for another loop.

At Baby Sister's one month check-up, her pediatrician had noticed a click in her left hip. She said it was probably nothing, but she was going to send us to the Shriner's Hospital "just to be sure."

Our first visit at Shriner's was encouraging. The doctor said he couldn't feel anything wrong. There was no clicking, no dislocating. But he also told us to come back so he could do a sonogram "just to be sure."

I took her in for the sonogram about a month later. On the screen, her hip socket looked very shallow.
The doctor seemed a little baffled. He recommended that we come back in another month for an x-ray. By then, she would be old enough for the socket to develop more, and the x-ray would be more accurate.

Five weeks ago, Baby Sister went in for her x-ray. It showed that her hip sockets were in fact quite shallow and that the joint was not dislocated.

The condition is called hip dysplasia. It occurs most often in firstborn girls, and babies who are breech or have a high birth weight. In young babies it can be remedied with a simple harness. If it is detected later, surgery and a cast are often required.

After seeing the x-ray, the doctor outfitted her with this baby:

It's called a Pavlik Harness and it is designed to push the head of her femur deep and squarely into the socket. This puts enough stress and pressure on her pelvis to cause the socket to grow and harden around the femur.

She wears the harness all day, except for feeding and changing. She will be in it for at least three months, maybe more.

The day she got her x-ray and harness, and those following, were pretty tough for me. I think I ate a whole bag of M&Ms that first day. It was so hard to learn that my perfect little baby was broken. It felt so overwhelming to think of all the extra effort and care she was going to require. I was really in mourning for a few days.

With the harness, she doesn't fit in a swing, or a bumbo, and she can't even use the new jumper she got for Christmas. I mourned over the toys she couldn't play with.

She can't wear pants or even pajamas while wearing the harness, so she sleeps in a long sleeved onesie, and she's wearing 6-12 mo. dresses most days (because she's a little chubby, and the harness adds some extra girth :). She completely skipped most of her 3-6 mo. clothes. I was afraid her fat little legs were going to freeze and I mourned over the cute clothes she wasn't going to get to wear.

She had a really hard time sleeping the first few nights. She had been such a good sleeper, but with the harness on she woke up literally every hour and I was afraid my little sleeper was ruined. I especially mourned over the sleep I wasn't going to get.

I was so scared to have to go through all of this here, away from our family, where I'm alone with the girls most of the time. I didn't think I could handle it on my own. It is completely up to us to make sure she wears the harness. If I give in and don't make her wear it, then it will be my fault if she has lasting complications. Her treatment and healing is almost completely my responsibility. That was a lot of weight on my shoulders. It broke my heart every time I strapped her in, but I knew I was doing what's best for her.

Fortunately, after the first week things got a lot better. The harness has become part of our lives. It's just part of the normal routine now. She still fits in the bouncer, and the frontpack. I bought her a brand new baby-gym-thing-with-the-hangy-down-toys and she loves it. Since she's wearing bigger dresses and her legs are pulled up toward her body, they usually stay covered pretty well without too much effort on my behalf. After about four bad nights, she started sleeping a lot better and she's back to her old self.

She's such a happy baby, the harness barely phases her.  I seem to be bouncing back more slowly than she did, but things are looking up.  Hey, I even found some time to blog :)

We're so blessed that the pediatrician noticed a problem that was so subtle even the specialist didn't think anything was wrong. If the condition hadn't been found until later, the treatment would have been much more complicated.



This little girl is so strong and healthy. I believe that's the reason the doctor couldn't dislocate her hips. If the joint had been dislocated, she would have had to wear the harness 24/7, we wouldn't have even been able to take it off to give her a bath for an entire month.

While I'd rather not have to deal with all of it, I'm so grateful that we are being watched over. I know that Heavenly Father loves each of us. He is aware of us, and doesn't put us through more than we can handle. It's hard and lonely being so far away from our home and our families, but if we were sent to to this place simply to fix her little hips, then it's all worth it.

We sure love this little girl. We can't wait to get her out of this thing so she can roll and play and wear real jammies :) But most off all we're just excited to get to snuggle her properly again!