Busy, Busy...

baby shoes

..and mommy's shoes

Well, this was our last week before teacher in-service days begin and school will start up on the 23rd so I guess I felt like I needed to see how much we could cram into a week cause we were busy, busy little bees.

• We started off with a fantastic lunch gathering at our friends home after church last Sunday with great food and fun with the kids, and meeting some new friends.
• Then it was off to a block party to help kick off IMPACT Week for our church.
• Jeremy had two-a-days with football all week, and he managed to work it out so he could get up early one morning and help Chris with some IMPACT building projects at a food pantry before going to practice. I don't know how he was able to stand up at the end of that day but he managed to even love on his girls and help tuck them in when he came home that night.
• Monday I made 9 pair of giraffe print baby shoes to ship off to a lady in Austin who is opening a childrens boutique.
• I also finished my first pair of adult ladies shoes, complete with rubber soles! Yipee! I really like how they turned out. I also made a different style pattern and started on a leather pair of shoes but after I broke my second needle I decided to quit for a while and come back to it later.
• I got a very special surprise sent in the mail to my best friend on Thursday so she should receive it this weekend, I'll post about it later. :)
• Carley and Zoe and I helped stuff backpacks and make cards at the church one morning.
• I created and ordered some really cool interactive business cards - I should receive them next week so I will post a pic then.
• We had family come in for the weekend.
• Went to a party at my sister's with two of my brothers and their families. Got to hang out with my nephew a while before he flys out to Alaska.
• Played lots of dress-up, play-doh, coloring, painting, dolls, hide-and-seek, ...and cuddled a lot with my girls.
• All-in-all a fantastic last week of summer.

Fun With Fabrics

Over the past couple of weeks my Art Studio has become my Sewing Room.

I've felt like a kid in a candy store getting to play with all my pretty fabrics, ribbons, and buttons.

I open my blinds during the day and let the sunlight shine in while I work. Just outside my window is a lovely view of my front flower bed where we recently set up a water fountain and I can see some of my flowers beginning to bloom. Maybe I'll take Zoe for a walk this morning ...

Across the room you can see my sewing machine with a work in progress under its needle anxiously waiting to be all stitched up.

Here is a project I'm especially proud of. Jeremy and I are re-using the carseat Carley had but we updated it with a slipcover from Target online. However, it did not come with a hood cover to match so my mom helped me and we figured out how to use a coordinating fabric to cover over the old hood ourselves. Thanks mom! Not bad for an afternoon's work.

What would spring be without gorgeous flowers!

I turned these lovely blooms into hairclips for my little divas, and it was a no-sew simple project!

These itty bitty shoes are the most unique things I've sewn and I love them. I'm kinda wondering if any of the upscale little botique shops around here might be interested in having a few of them to sell with their fancy little girl outfits and accessories..... hmmm, maybe a few in zebra, leopard, hot pink.....

This next one is the first dress I made for Zoe. Unfortunately I made my pattern a little too small.

She wore it one time and I don't think she will get to wear it again. I'll just have to make the pattern bigger and do another one. No biggie. Good thing I got extra of this fabric since I thought it was such a great print. :)

Big sister Carley also got a matching dress. These are called pillowcase dresses that tie with ribbon on the shoulders.

After Carley tried hers on I realized that it also needed some adjustments, so I got creative and took the ribbon out and made straps with big buttons on the front. I think it gives it a more clean and finished look and it fits her better.

Here's a close-up. Who knew using a button hole foot on a sewing machine could be so entertaining. ;)

And for the finale, this is a coordinating top and capri pants set that I made Carley.

And here's my precious little model trying on her new outfit. Yay! Summer clothes made by mom!

Wow, that really brings back memories.

Thank you again mom for all the times you did stuff like this for us. Because of you Jodi and I are now passing on homemade treasures to our girls just the way you did for us and your mom did for you.