party preparations

I have so many ideas for Olivia's party in May, many of them handmade, somewhat time-consuming. So yesterday, when winter seemingly returned to Ohio, I got a lot done! The top images are of a fabric banner I made which will be hung behind a dessert table. I read so many tutorials, saw this idea in a few books (Amanda Soule and Alicia Paulson) and viewed many beautiful images on etsy. In the end, I just went for it. I made a triangle template and cut each triangle out with that a week or more ago only to read something afterward that suggested cutting a square in half. There is always next time, right?! About the wonky stitching on the letters...I did read that sewing through the heavy heat and bond is not suggested, clearly I did not listen. So now, I am embracing a very shabby chic like look! The font is Century Gothic at about 240 for those who want to copy. I printed that in reverse and then traced those onto the heat n bond.
The bottom image is largely inspired by inchmark journal and her creative ideas. Even my color scheme is echoing her daughter's recent Bday party, which was completely unintended. I bought some Martha Stewart party decor and began to match it to those things only to realize they are all similar. For all I know, she had a hand in the MS design, she did used to work there. Cool, huh? Anyway, if anyone is interested I can kick out some detailed instructions for making this card including how to print and where to punch the circle. Inside is a swatch of the material used in the pennants.

Pin It

a sweet girl and her much loved bunny + sunday showcase

Bunny is a bona fide member of our family. She came as a gift when Olivia was a newborn and has been her constant companion for nearly 8 years now. I took this picture Friday morning, while she was still in bed, at her request. She wanted to have an image of her beautiful unicorn face painting, which frankly still looks pretty good after a night's sleep. We had to wash it off before school. When I opened this picture, I immediately loved the sweetness of her snuggled in next to Bunny.

Sunday Showcase:

Family Fun Magazine: I read that they are offering all of their issues online now, even past ones. I could not find it right off but it would be worth the search. They have the best ideas.

The BonBonerie: This place has crazy good cakes and treats. My past fav was their Opera Cream cake until Friday night when I sampled Carrot Cheesecake. Hands down the BEST dessert I have had in years. This is a local shout out, as it is located in Cincinnati.

Super cool, simplified quilt: I have plans for one of these in pink and brown. No recipient in mind, just a desire to make one!!

That's it. The whole fam got in on a little cleaning this morning so I don't want to entirely lose the momentum. I mean, I do, b/c I despise cleaning, but it feels good to see an improvement.

Pin It

baby quilt

I saw this wonderful fabric on a blog I have come to really enjoy: Cluck Cluck Sew. This woman creates quilts at an alarming rate! I headed to my local JoAnn's for this fabric yesterday, and I agree with her, it does have a Japanese feel and is far more accessible to me. I paired it with orange flannel, and used another layer of flannel for the batting. I am SO NEW to quilting, that I might be breaking some cardinal rule but it has come together pretty quickly. For the stitching, I used a stitch on my new machine that I think mimics rick rack. I did not come up with this on my own. I think I saw it on flickr, but to save my life cannot find the photo to give proper credit back. If the person who showed this reads my blog, speak up!!
I just appreciate all of the inspiration available. It never dawned on me to simplify things to this degree: pair two solid fabrics and skip the piecing altogether. But by adding the decorative stitching and a binding, you have something very special. I plan to give this as a new baby gift. It is more a "stroller size" blanket as it measures about 1 full yard.
I already created my binding and cannot wait to attach it so I am left with just the hand stitching that allows me to come out of my craft room and into the family room where I appear to be spending quality time with my family. Hey, at least I am present!

Pin It

panini maker

By this, I am defining myself as the panini maker. I do not have the appliance. I would have no where to store it but my basement, which would mean I would never use it. However, when I see pictures and recipes like this, I just crave one.(this photo is from Woman's Day, as is the recipe)

I made a variation of this using tomatoes instead of red peppers, only b/c I did not have any. And I made only the sandwich, not the salad. And how did I grill it, you might ask? In my WAFFLE IRON! It may not make for the most beautiful presentation, but it delivers on taste. In the past week, I have made 3 lunch sandwiches in my waffle iron. One turkey club on thickly sliced bread with mayo and the other, on crusty bread with left over grilled chicken from the night before, tomatoes, pesto and provolone. Seriously, good stuff.

By the way, the last time my waffle iron saw any action was probably around 2003. It is happy to be back on the counter and delivering. Pin It

me and the mona lisa

About 15 years ago (some days it feels like 50, and others it seems like only yesterday) 3 of my close friends, and me, went on a cruise. It was probably one of the most fun and adventurous trips of our lives. We were so young, and mostly stupid, taking crazy chances like hanging out with the cabin steward at a bar in Mexico and nearly missing the ship before it deported. Sigh. As a mother now, I cringe at memories like that.
Anyway, we survived and still laugh at the memories. This is the matted frame that people signed who came to my party on Saturday night. Not sure which friend I have to thank for digging this photo out of the archives, but it is me...and the Mona Lisa carved out of cheese. If you have ever been on a cruise, you understand. They do amazing things with ice and food!

Click the picture to view Mona and Me larger.
***eta: do this at your own risk! I guess when I cropped in on this, and took it in extremely low light, it = super poor picture quality. My apologies to the cheese sculptor.

Pin It