One Spin on the Marble

DIY video for Valentine crafts...

2011-01-19T17:14:00.000-08:00

I love a video tutorial because I've come to learn I'm such a visual learner it helps me to see the steps of the project well. The DIY Dish has a cute way to stitch up some valentine placemats and then quickly transform them with iron on vinyl! Plus, they often have great patterns to download for free! Check it out!

Dream On Giveaway Link!

2011-01-15T05:54:00.000-08:00

Stop over at the Lucy & Norman blog to take a peek at the Dream On Fabric Giveaway going on. Enough fabric to make an entire quilt! Making a "real quilt" is a goal of mine for 2011 so it sure would help to have a whole kit of fabric ready to go! Megan at Lucy and Norman is an inspiration with pictures of her beautiful finished quilts!

"New" Doggo Blankie

2011-01-06T15:44:00.000-08:00

B-dawg is checking out what his mamma is workin' on!


This goodwill blanket ......


pretty easily turned into.....


A new doggo blankie... it's very cold here! :-)

Onesie and Burp Cloth Baby gifts

2011-01-06T15:13:00.000-08:00

The guitar with orange machine stitching for detail.

I think my favorite part was the WOOF on the little bum!

I didn't wash them after snipping so hopefully the ragging process worked! :-)

I was excited to finally make cute baby gifts with some of the many wonderful tutorials I've been finding! I used this great pattern and tutorial from homemade by jill to make the burp cloths and have seen many simple onsies on a variety of blogs to get the idea for the dog and guitar applique. Now I can't even remember for sure where I got the guitar image. I'm pretty sure I just did a google search and used a basic outline. I love how the backstitching at the top worked for the "tuning knobs!" The little hat was made from a t-shirt sleeve which was from another easy tutorial by homemade by jill found here. I'm sure I'll be making many more of these cute baby gift ensembles! I'm linking this post up at the Tea Rose Home linky party. Sachiko has a fabulous blog with great tutorials as well! Check out all of her ideas here!

Crazy Christmas CLothes...the tradition continues!

2011-01-01T11:24:00.000-08:00

At the school where I teach we have lots of SPIRIT and have shown it off quite well over the years! Last year we started wearing the craziest christmas clothes we could find on the last day before vacation. On this day we also gathered together in the gym this year for our 2nd annual Caroling sing-a-long and Ohhh what fun it is to ....see a gym full of red and greeeeen! The staff outdoes themselves every year and I always question, "How will people BEAT this next year? And yet, they always seem to come through.... Love this staff!

Burgundy Buttons: Put a Little Pop in Your Project!

2010-12-30T20:10:00.000-08:00

I just bought this quilt kit last night using the new sugar pop line from Moda! A big project to start off 2011! The fabrics are all my favorite colors put together-love that!

Burgundy Buttons: Put a Little Pop in Your Project!: "Liz’s debut line for Moda is popping with color and as sweet as sugar! Sugar Pop stems from Liz’s love for all things confection..."

Three quilts in almost as many days!

2010-12-29T08:55:00.000-08:00

As soon as I was done teaching and home on Friday for Christmas vacation I got right to work on these gifts for my nieces! I had already cut the squares of fabric and some batting so I really wanted to make sure I was able to complete these by Christmas! I was inspired to make a rag quilt when I first came across roryunraveled through the blogging world. She has a beautiful etsy shop here! I found some great directions at kevinandamanda.com. I also found a great site with video tips here!

The snowmen and trees fabrics are so adorable from the Riley Blake line and I purchased mine on etsy with great service here! I would definitely recommend a walking foot for your sewing machine as mentioned in the tutorials. I purchased mine from amazon and as always had really fast shipping which I LOVED because it didn't delay me getting right to work. I also invested in the small spring loaded scissors which was recommended and am thankful I did that. It saved on sore hands from all the snipping! I did have the help of my fiance with that work. How sweet that the girls' uncle even had a part in making these quilts. ♥

I hope these will be treasured for years to come by all my sweet nieces! I'm linking to a few link parties. Click on the buttons below to check them out!

With the leftover scraps I even made them each a pillowcase! I split apart a perfect pink Goodwill pillowcase I just happened to have and quilted the scraps together and pieced it together!

Here's a shot of the tags I added that I printed on my computer!

2010-11-17T17:39:00.000-08:00


An adorable FREE download! Check it out here!

Just found this cutie card for Christmas and it's FREE! Click here to head over and get your download. Love the generous spirit of these crafty bloggers!

Mindy Gledhill - Anchor

2010-11-17T14:54:00.000-08:00

wereef
This video is from a new favorite artist I've found thanks to world of blogging and social networks. This song can bring tears to my eyes when I think of how grateful I am for Aaron in my life! Another big favorite is listed on the sidebar in the lullabies called Hourglass and the other fave is All About Your Heart. I especially love the NieNie version and the connection it has to her story while played as the soundtrack to this video. Such an inspirational story there! Here's ANOTHER link to a cute little funky version of an acoustic session at home. Love the simplistic beauty of her voice in this one too.

First project on the new machine...

2010-11-14T18:59:00.000-08:00

After posting about my recent projects I realized I never showed the pictures of my first projects on my new machine in August. The zippered pouches were one of the things that hooked me after seeing a tutorial on youtube.

My machine can also do embroidery so I was excited to try that right away! I thought it was the perfect idea to make a set of dinner napkins for our neighborhood weekly dinner group...until I realized I would need SIXTEEN of them! I made them reversible and embroidered each one. I got smart and did them assembly line style after I got into a groove with the steps! It took a lot of work but I loved the way they turned out! I hope they last through weekly washings!

Birthday Bunting

2010-11-14T10:32:00.000-08:00

Forgive the silly way it's hanging from a random ceiling hook. It was the best spot that it fit for the photo at my house. Hopefully it fit in a better spot for Jen!

I've been seeing TONS of fabric buntings in the blog world and was excited to give one a try! I found some soft pretty fabrics at Joanns to make a happy birthday girl version. I knew my friend Jenny with three little girls with upcoming birthdays could get lots of use out of it! I think it turned out pretty good for the first attempt! Can't wait to make more!

**Update! Here's a pic of the banner actually in use to celebrate THREE little sweetheart's birthdays!

Getting Ready for Gift Giving!

2010-11-14T09:54:00.000-08:00

Inspired (admittedly by the fabric AND the project) by Joy's Hope Scarf Along Tutorial I made these scarves last weekend! I had seen the fabric earlier and was really close to buying it recently for Jenny's Birthday Bunting. I decided against it because I was having trouble finding enough coordinating prints that would show off the design well enough for the small triangles and letters. When I saw how Julie used the prints I rushed back to Field's Fabrics to scoop it up! With lots of girls in the family I easily justified the $ by thinking about how many gifts I could get from the cuts. With the leftover scraps I knew I could make the little zippered pouch to match! I think they're turning out so cute and I hope the recipients like them too. ☺

"new" cardigan

2010-11-14T09:30:00.000-08:00

Inspired by all the sewing blogs I've been addicted to lately and a sweater a friend wore to work from Ann Taylor, I transformed a plain sweater into this cardigan. Right after I bought it from Target I knew I probably wouldn't wear it much b/c of the way it fit as a crewneck pullover but I loved the color. I slit it up the front and added ribbon around the seams. I also made a ribbon flower that I attached with a pin but didn't realize that wasn't on yet in the picture. I liked the way it turned out!

Corner House Blog Skirt Giveaway Link!

2010-11-07T09:16:00.000-08:00

Just came across the blog Corner House with some adorable skirts that she makes to sell in her etsy shop. Right now she's doing a giveaway to win one! If you win you even get to pick the skirt you want! Check out her blog here!Corner House

First Grade Book Love

2010-11-06T07:51:00.000-07:00

I came across this book on another blog I just started following called creative literacy. I needed something to jazz up a rut in writing workshop so I used it the very next day with the youtube video! THIS is the video that really got me into this book though! Adorable! I was a little hesitant the next day when I thought what if THEY don't like it as much as I did OR think it's too easy for them? Well, just as I had hoped they loved it right away! I heard them giggling in the beginning and they started singing along immediately! JUST what I needed that day to pump up the inspiration again! They also immediately got the idea (that I was going to plant in their minds ;-) ) that we could make our own versions! We changed the animal and the clothing and I had a room full of singing busy writers! They created the most adorable books and noticed such great details from Pete. I'll definitely be adding this one to my classroom library...and probably giving it out for a few christmas gifts this year as well! Check it out!

Fat Quarter Apron

2010-10-20T19:34:00.000-07:00

I saw a tutorial here on Prudent Baby to make an apron using a FAT QUARTER. I have gotten several cute prints on sale for 99¢ at Joann's and was excited to try this cute pattern! Then they announced there was a contest to win a beautiful stack of fat quarters which was just the deadline I needed! So I took a chance and sent these photos. I thought it turned out pretty cute and hopefully someone in my family will also like it because it will most likely be a Christmas present. :-) I made the flowers as a pin so it could easily be removed and multiple washings wouldn't be an issue. Simple, fast, inexpensive, and adorable....my kind of sewing project!

ohhh the things we do for fun...

2010-10-14T16:26:00.000-07:00

We are teaching this to ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE kids next week...from Kindergarten to Fifth Grade! We ask ourselves, what were we thinking? But then the moment comes and it's usually all worth it! These are the memories of Quincy. These are the moments that bond us together. These are the activities that make us laugh and get us through the stressful times. Sure they cause some stress of their own, but these are the moments that make us who we are! This is just our 'tutorial' video for kids to watch at home and practice before the big fundraiser game with the Harlem Wizards! Half-time entertainment at its best! :-)

2010-10-09T09:40:00.000-07:00

If you are into inexpensive and fun sewing ideas you should check out this book! There are some really cute projects that you can try without the fear that you are going to ruin expensive fabric. Start saving those T-shirts!

Quincy "Quaft" Night

2010-10-09T09:31:00.000-07:00

When you work in an elementary school the little things bring smiles. So sure we go a little overboard with the alliteration sometimes! This was just one title for this fun evening...the other one went something like Free Fall Friday Fun making Fabric Flowers with Fabulous Female Friends! I had so much fun shopping for supplies and planning the projects to inspire everyone to join in on my new addiction. We made flower pins and clips and a few even left with a cute little scarf using ruffles and flowers. I was so thrilled when the response was, "When are we gonna do this again?!" It was one of those great nights that we all feel like we don't have time for in the middle of the week, but they are so great for the soul. Thanks for coming girls!

Maize in Montana: Frayed Flower

2010-10-03T18:22:00.000-07:00

Maize in Montana: Frayed Flower: "You'll need a strip of fabric, needle and thread, scissors, button and a pin back (can also use a large safety pin).Pick out some fabric you..."

hey jen renee: fabric flower tutorial

2010-10-03T16:02:00.000-07:00

I've been addicted to reading blogs about sewing projects! There are so many great ideas out there with helpful instructions and (the best part) color photos! Check out this great post at hey jen renee: fabric flower tutorial: "So, you may have noticed the flowers this spring. They're popping up all over the place. Fabric flowers on headbands and hair clips and ribb..."

fun decoration idea!

2010-09-25T20:19:00.000-07:00

hmmm ..... thinking of fun ideas for this easy tutorial!

Coffee Filter Flowers Tutorial from Rhonna Farrer on Vimeo.

ruffled shirt!

2010-09-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

Used this adorable tutorial for a ruffled shirt idea! Got the t-shirts for $2 on clearance at Target! I'm addicted to sewing right now!
http://tearosehome.blogspot.com/2010/01/tutorialruffle-shirt.html

Post Update: Here's another pic of me wearing the shirt today! I got many comments and it was so comfortable and was fun to wear something a little different! I'm hooked!

Lullaby tunes...

2010-08-19T12:44:00.000-07:00

I love making lullaby CDs with contemporary songs that are just beautiful tunes for adults as well as lulling a baby to sleep! If you are a friend or family and a parent, you probably have one of these gifts made from my heart! While playing on blogs this summer I'm learning a lot about some fun ways to use technology! I just learned how to link some of my favorite tunes here into a playlist so others can save time (I spend HOURS searching for these songs!) and still have a great collection! You can click on the widget in the top right corner of my blog and purchase individual songs right from amazon! The great thing is even if you use i-tunes, amazon has a downloader that will automatically load your song purchases into itunes for you! How great is that?! I hope you enjoy the songs and find something new that you will soon love!

Finding great music...

2010-08-10T10:48:00.000-07:00

I have to admit itunes is my default music store, but what I LOVE about amazon mp3s is that you can install the amazon downloader and as soon as you purchase a song it goes straight to itunes! Amazon has often had random stuff that I was looking for when I couldn't find it on itunes. I was actually searching for another Norah song when I came across Moon Song. Just a beautiful chill song that I'll be adding to my favorite females playlist! Check out how easy it is to purchase individual songs from amazon!

2010-08-05T07:22:00.001-07:00

Another cute sewing book to check out!

2010-08-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

A really cute book I just got from the library about repurposing items to make new creative ones with style!

Lined Zippered Pouch - Sewing Tutorial

2010-08-05T06:44:00.000-07:00

Cute Project

2010-07-29T12:17:00.000-07:00

I will be trying this with some fun fabric and making them for gifts...I'll have to post a pic later of the finished product! (Maybe that will hold me accountable to actually get them done!)

See Zippered Pouch and 1000's of others - or share your own on Cut Out + Keep

So Many Books, so little time...

2010-07-15T15:05:00.000-07:00

Playing around with links to sites today and wanted to try sharing one of my wishlists from Amazon. I love finding a great new book to use with my students but usually have to get it from the library and wait to buy it. Here's a few that I've enjoyed with my students!
click on the link below to see my list
Name Your Link

Project Life

2010-07-15T12:05:00.000-07:00

When I first saw this I didn't know if I was quite sold until I looked into the digital version! I love making books but have only used Shutterfly, Snapfish, and Iphoto. I love Becky Higgins fonts and styles so I'm giving this a try! I wasn't sure how I would use it until I realized, why not journal my 40th year? Perfect, there are many changes ahead in this year that some dread and I think it will be awesome to have them all saved in a fun way to look back on in years to come!

Another Amazing June!

2010-07-15T07:42:00.000-07:00

We've decided that we have to make these epic June vacations an annual tradition! Last year it was Austria and this June we took off in our new little RV and hit the west coast, USA! 26 days, 3 "adults", 2 big dogs, and 1 engagement ring created many wonderful memories! We saw so many amazing monuments and natural beauties! It is definitely an adventure we'll never forget!

Bonnaroo

2010-02-13T06:33:00.000-08:00

Bonnaroo
I'm trying to link a Bonnaroo widget here but it seems like the link works but the graphic didn't show up. Click the link to see an awesome artist line up!

Yum Yum Dinner Night

2010-02-02T20:02:00.000-08:00

I wish I could remember the date for sure, but based on what Aaron put on the calendar it looks like since October 12th, we've been getting together on Monday nights with the neighbors for fabulous dinners. I have to admit at first it stressed me out a little rushing home on a Monday to hurry & make food after working all day. But, the tradition is worth a little work & it's great to tag team the duties ;-)

Recently we've celebrated Aaron, Sandy, Whitney, and Brian's birthdays with some YUMMY dinners and laughs. Here are a few pics to highlight...

Free Giveaway for Digital Scrapbookers (& other creative people too!) ;-)

2009-11-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

You have to check out this adorable site! Right now they're doing a great giveaway with some supercute papers for the digital world of creativity! Click on my sidebar widget for Kevin&Amanda!

Cottage Weekend Tradition...

2009-08-23T18:08:00.000-07:00

Yet another year of rainy weather for our weekend at the cottage. Does it really matter when all we do is enjoy the day chatting and eating? Who wants to really put on a bathing suit anyway? ;-) This year the weather sunk to a new low though when we actually turned on the heat on August 22nd!

Here is one of our self timer traditional portraits to remember another great time together.

2009-08-16T15:56:00.000-07:00

Another fun year of summer sleepovers comes to an end! :-) Lily and I went to the beach, made a patio stone, went to Suessical, jumped on the tramp, played in the park, saw the street performers, and did some scrapbook pages! I returned a very tired little girl to her mom and dad! ;-) I'm so happy I caught some great shots of our time together.

Beach Day with Em

2009-08-07T14:48:00.001-07:00

On Emily's sleepover we went to the dog beach for the day! She was in heaven as she got to see (and tell us the breed) for so many dogs! There was even a TINY 6 week old puppy that she got to hold. When we finally left that day we had tired doggos, tired Ems, and I'll admit...I fell asleep on the ride home too. It was a great day in the sun!

"So, what's the title all about?"

2009-08-01T05:17:00.000-07:00

"You only get one spin on the marble, Lese!" has been the theme of the last several months as I've been hesitating to make decisions.....Can I really go to Austria? ...for two weeks? Should I get a new computer right now?...etc. Braymer and Aaron have a way of keeping me from stressing out too much about the details and inspiring me to enjoy life! "....only one spin, baby!"

So, the answer has become YES more often and I haven't regretted it once.

Special Time with Mary

2009-07-31T20:37:00.001-07:00

I just spent a packed 2 days with Mary! We went shopping at the scrapbook store, made a movie on the computer, created a garden patio stone, jumped on the trampoline, went to Street Performers, watched BOLT, saw the play Click, Clack, Moo, ate lunch and jumped in waves at the beach, and scrapbooked 4 pages of events! The only reason I didn't fall asleep on the way with Aaron to take Mary back home was b/c I had to keep talking to her to keep her awake!

Earlier this week we also had Skylar and Camden for two sleepover nights while Niki & Jimmy eased in to bringing baby Molly home! We too had busy days of lunch at the beach, craft projects, a trip to the library, and a visit to the farmer's market!

It's definitely time for a good night's sleep before Emily comes for her sleepover in a few days!

Something to add to my "to-dos?"

2009-07-31T20:34:00.000-07:00

Should I really add another thing to my list? Especially something on the computer? I'm hoping that this will be a way to quickly journal about the little daily things on my mind or events to be remembered. If I can get the hang of it I'm also hoping to streamline communication for school and maybe try this there. We'll see!