~Ruffles And Stuff~

Oh Dear!

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 04:41:00 +0000

I know I promised that the last post would be the end, but I can see that I've concerned a lot of you with my discretion, so I wanted to put your mind at ease, and assure you that we are all ok. I'm so sorry, I didn't even think about how that might have frightened you! Thank you so much for your concern. I can only say that life just isn't currently allowing for me to blog, and I'm sorry about the vagueness. (And suddenness! Life is like that sometimes.)

I'm also so touched by all your comments, emails and well-wishes, which I'm going to print out and make a little "happy book" out of now :o) Who knows. Maybe when or if life changes, I'll be back. Although I'm not entirely sure if it would be appropriate for me to do that. I wouldn't want to toy with your emotions! :o/

Thank you again, guys. :o)
-Dis

The End :o)

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 02:37:00 +0000

I just wanted to let you all know....that I won't be posting here anymore.
Ugh.
It makes me feel sick to even type those words. It has been such a joy to spend each day interacting with you all, reading your comments and emails, and thinking of you and your reactions ever time I plan a craft or take a photo. I know it sounds corny and like I have no life, but I really honestly do love you guys. You've been my friends when I haven't had real ones.

I'm trying to be a big girl about it...all good things must come to an end, right? But the truth is-I am completely heartbroken.

I'll go ahead and leave the blog up in cyberspace so that you can come back and look through the archives for older tutorials if you need them later.

Thank you for everything.

Take care :o)

-Disney

P.S. I guess I lied about never crying. :o)

The "Lauren" Headband Tutorial!

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:35:00 +0000

*squeal* I'm excited about this one!!

Meet the latest product of my imagination: the "Lauren" headband! Named after a certain favorite designer of mine that also likes to use classy leather pieces here and there.

I love a girly, cutesy headband to hold back my forehead fringe. But sometimes the occasion (or outfit) calls for a little more simplicity and grown-upness.

The only thing more exciting than how easy this is, is how cheap it is!!

The version Paige is wearing was made from this old $.50 cosmetic case from the thrift store. Nice! You probably have something lying around the house that you could use!

To make it:

(adult sized measurements)

1. Cut two 15"x 3/4" strips from an old purse, cosmetic case, or whatever. It doesn't have to be real leather, in fact, the taupe version that I'm wearing is naugahyde vinyl, I believe. (From my stash, believe it or not!)

2. Start folding into two loops, a larger in back, and smaller in front, and mirror for the other side.

3. Put a dot of glue between layers. You'll need a nice, strong E6000 type of glue, as leather probably won't hold hot glue very well.

4. Glue a 2"x1/2" strip around the middle and then glue it to the headband wherever you'd like, holding it all together with a clothespin (or by setting a book on it) until the glue dries.

5. Cut small slits about 1/4" from the bottom of each side of your headband, just large enough to slide your elastic (approx. 7") through.

6. Stitch your elastic together with a zigzag, trim the excess, and you're done!

(Toddler measurements are: two 13"x1/2" strips, with 1/34"x3/8" strip around middle of bow. 6" elastic)

If you're wondering where I found the beige elastic, I just threw the elastic pieces in a small pot of boiled water with 6 tea bags for about ten minutes! Easy!

Simple and elegant.

I love it!

P.S. Thanks so much for the encouraging response to the last post! My heart is gushing!! I re-read your comments all day long :o)

Small Update: I forgot to add the little tip that if you have trouble with headbands slipping off all the time, you can try gluing a little strip of velcro (the harder side), rubber band, or shelving liner to the underside. It sounds a little wonky, but it makes a world of difference!

"Gardens at Dusk" Tank Tutorial!

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 11:00:00 +0000

I love this tank refashion, because it's almost like having sleeves! I always feel a little exposed in sleeveless shirts.

Tutorial:

*This version was made using muslin, but it turned out a bit poofy in my opinion. I would love to see it with something a little more flow-ey. Chiffon? A gauzy cotton? A lightweight knit even! The ruffles would drape over the shoulder a little more easily and be very elegant!

Ok! :o)

1. Measure your neckline.
2. Cut double your measurement in 8" and 5" sections. For example, my neckline was 36", so I cut one 70"x8" strip, and one 70"x5" strip. (If you want to hem them, go for it! I left mine unhemmed so they will fray a little)
3. Lay the smaller strip on top of the wider strip and zigzag along the flush edges, through both layers of fabric. (This is optional-it just finishes off the underside) Then sew a gathering stitch slightly inwards from the zigzag.
4. Ruffle, and pin to the neckline. (Please note: the strips are upside-down in the photo, the smaller ruffle should be facing toward the table-oops!) Starting in the middle of the back, sew on with a zigzag stitch. When you get all the way around, sew the two ends together and snip off the excess.

To make the flowers:

5. Cut seven 2"x22 strips and ruffle them, then roll into flower shapes.
6. Figure out your flower placement (you may want to try the shirt on for this), and pin them on, gathering the ruffles up slightly underneath them.
7. Sew them (to the ruffles only, not the shirt) in a spiral pattern, which will flatten the roses out as you go. If you want to, you can sew the flower to the shirt in a couple of places to anchor the top down. Just not too much, or your shirt won't stretch out properly!

All done!

Enjoy your pretty (and more modest!) tank!

Bombs Bursting in Air

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 22:36:00 +0000

I have a tutorial that should be up tomorrow morning, but to hold you off, I thought I'd share a few photos of our festivities last evening!

A few of us went over to a church member's house to have a back yard picnic and watch fireworks. She lived right across the lake from the city fireworks show, so we had an excellent view!

View from her back yard: Nice!

She had gorgeous landscaping, and tons of beautiful, fragrant roses. I told her we would be moving in soon...

Paige spent the evening running around with one of her best friends. I didn't have a single shot of her in focus, which, as far as I'm concerned, is exactly how it should be. :o)

And of course, the fireworks were beautiful!

The teenagers took out the canoe to get even closer. (Oh to be brave and reckless again!) One of them donned a George Washington hat, and I couldn't help snapping a few photos of them out there.

And what's a fireworks show without a field fire? (Or two in our case!) Luckily no one was hurt :o)

I hope my fellow US residents enjoyed their Fourth of July as well!
Until tomorrow!

-Disney

My Bedroom.

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Sun, 04 Jul 2010 04:51:00 +0000

First of all: thank you so much for all the birthday wishes from everyone! I read every single comment and email, and each one was so wonderful. It was great getting to know some of you a little better, too!

Do you ever have house-envy?

Sometimes it feels like everyone around me has all the money in the world to fix up their homes.

On the other hand, it thrills me to pieces when I am able to use creativity rather than the VISA to make something beautiful!

With that in mind, I thought I would share the one room that I have officially finished (ha!) decorating. And I have to say, I am pretty proud of myself! Everything I used was on-hand except a $6 mirror, and a $.10 tin sailboat that I got a couple of weeks ago.

A $6.10 room makeover? That I can afford! So here we go....

*Sorry that these photos are a little on the blurry side-one of these days I'll get a tripod!*

This room was plain white when we moved in, with a lovely '80's carpet. Some of the members of the church selflessly took up the carpeting to reveal this gorgeous wood flooring-my favorite part of the house! We haven't gotten the trim back on yet, but that's ok!

This wall has just a couple of old frames with no glass that I spray painted. The "P" usually hangs on Paige's stocking at Christmas time, and the background paper is torn from an old book.

An unused shelf from the craft room becomes a shoe organizer/bench! One of these days I'll make a real cushion, but until then? Throw pillows!

I love shoes....

This bedspread was a $20 Sears clearance purchase from last year. Probably one of my favorite purchases ever!

And yes, those are cinderblocks holding up my bed. (Should have pulled the covers down further!)

A very inexpensive alternative when you can't get a bedframe, and very sturdy!

Oh, and our headboard? An old desk top that a previous owner left in the basement.

"And...are those sheets you're using as curtains??"

Why, yes they are.....but....they have fancy ribbon ties! :o)

This dresser was abandoned, and my sister rescued it for me! Unfortunately it was covered in green oil paint. Have you ever tried to sand off oil pant? Evil. But it was worth it to cover it with this beautiful black! I covered a thrift store mirror to make it "match".

With all of my favorite things on top of it!

All thrifted or gifted (There's my sailboat!)-who gets rid of these things??

I used a frame as a tray to hold all the goodies.

This is a vintage dresser that I'm "borrowing" from my parents. They've had it stored in our huge basement, and I realized the other day that I had no business NOT using it in my room. It's gorgeous!

I nailed up some random vintage pictures that I've been holding onto for a while, and stacked up the very old books I rescued from a "throw away" box at church. (*gah!*)

These vintage hats were a gift from a reader! She saw them at a yard sale and thought of me. Isn't that incredible? You all never cease to amaze me with their sweetness.

Next to the dresser is a little writing desk with an old wooden chair.

I really love the look of different types of wood paired together. It feels really cozy, and makes everything look so interesting!

The desk holds another vintage, glassless frame with the original hanging wire on it. I used it to string up some of my necklaces!

I love seeing the pearls all together like that. Pearls make me really happy.

Here's my $6 Mirror!

I was drooling over similar versions in stores that were almost $100!

The closet had wooden sliding doors on it when we moved in, and I didn't care for them, so I put up some charcoal grey curtains. Now I can see all my clothes at once!

It feels so good to have one room finished!

And I know what you're thinking: "Aren't you married? How did you get your husband to allow such girly vintageness?". I'm not sure. He's just really nice like that! He even put all of his clothes in a room downstairs so that I could have the whole closet to myself. That. is love!

Isn't it fun to shop your own house for decorations? I love the challenge of seeing things in a new light! I guess I've never thought much about it, but creativity is a very economical quality!

Happy decorating!!

-Disney

Me.

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 07:00:00 +0000

In honor of my birthday, I thought I would take a little break so we can all set down our projects and get to know each other better. :o)

Over the last (almost) year, you've all gotten to know me a little through my blog, but I wanted to get a little more personal and introduce you to a little of the "real" Disney.....Whatever that means. :o)

So, here we go; some random facts of interest (hopefully!) about me!

I'm a chameleon. Which basically means that when you're around me, I adapt to you. Sometimes this is a wonderful gift (for instance, people usually feel very comfortable around me, and I'm able to make friends easily!), but sometimes it's not so good....being a chameleon means that I really have no idea who I am.

However, one area in which I am most certainly unmoved, no matter who's company I am in is this: I love the Lord. I love Him, love Him, love Him. He is my "big picture", and nothing else really matters in the end.

If you're around me for more than a couple of hours, you will most likely be introduced to my goofy side. (Don't be afraid! I'm ok.) I like to blame it on the fact that I was home schooled. :o) We had lots of fun growing up. (Thanks mom!) One of my favorite past times is laughing until I cry with my mom, sister, and close friends. (And occasionally around people who hardly know me....)

I was extremely overweight in my preteen years. I wish I had a photo to share with you, because I know you would get a huge kick out of it! My older brother loved to torment me about it, and his favorite nickname for me was "Lard Butt". He also never failed to point out that, when I jumped on our back yard trampoline, I "almost made it touch the ground!" Yeah. I'm pretty sure those couple of years ruined my self esteem permanently. However, I got taller, and my brother is now one of my favorite persons on earth. (Love you, Mark!) And p.s. I'm glad I was overweight. It's made me a much more considerate person.

I LOVE the water. Especially beaches. Especially Washington beaches. I grew up in western WA, and our family used to go Ocean Shores often. I have to say, I've been to Hawaii-and it's beautiful, but I'd still rather be at home in WA with the brisk wind, seagulls, and sand dollars!

I never take pain medication. I'm really weird about that. I can't stand the idea of not knowing how my body's really feeling! I didn't have any when I had Paige (not even the ibuprofen, baby!), and you know what? It wasn't really too bad. Besides, now I have a "pain card" to play on her later in life :o)

I have no idea what my style is. Maybe it's that chameleon character in me again, but I just can't decide on one style! Am I J. Crew or Modcloth?? Maybe I'll call it "eclectic" and pretend I know what I'm doing. I can't help it-I just love everything! Putting together an outfit is like decorating a room, or painting a canvas. I get bored with one style and I just want to have fun with it! I do get the occasional stare in the grocery store, but hey, life's too short to worry about that kind of stuff, right??

But one thing's for sure......

I try to play it cool most of the time, but in reality, I'm totally insecure about my blog. I wasn't sure if I should really tell all my readers that, but oh well. I'm being candid. :o) I second guess every post, and to tell you the truth, it's just hard to keep my feelings of self worth sometimes, with such great company! But I coined a little phrase to help keep my thoughts cheerful: You should never try to be better than anyone but yourself. Good philosophy, right?

Some other random things?

I was named after the Disney Chanel, not the theme park. In fact I've never even been to Disney Land! Scandalous!

I really don't like seafood. I'd rather eat cat food.

I never cry.

I get really down in the summer time, like some people do in the winter. My fair-skinned genes just don't do well in blazing heat, so I really have to fight the misery to stay positive! :o) On the other hand, when it rains, I feel like I could take on the world!

And last but not least, I really thrive on contact with people, so I wanted to say how much it means to me that you're here, reading. Your comments are such highlights in my day. And even those who don't have the time to comment, it's ok! Just looking at my traffic reports and seeing that you're here makes me so happy. Thanks so much. :o)

So what about you? I'd love it if you shared a comment about yourself while you're here! There's no reason I should hog the show. What do you love about yourself? Why do you craft? Do you have a blog? I'd love it if you shared the link with us! You can even leave your comment anonymously, and brag about yourself. :o)

And since I don't think I could ever learn and remember all your birthdays, let me take this opportunity to say:

Happy Birthday to you, too!!

Whenever it may be :o)

Take care, now!

"Totally Rad" Top and Shirt Dress Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:50:00 +0000

Don't you just love the '80's? Me either.

But I'm too poor even to hit thrift stores right now, and the only tees I have left to refashion are my nephews old ones. :o(

So how can I make that cute for Paige? Here's what I came up with...

It became this cute little crop top!

(although...it wasn't supposed to be quite so cropped. Oops.)

After making the shirt a little too short, I tried again, and this time I left all the length, so it turned out to be a cute little run-around dress! (why didn't I iron this before photographing it??)

I can imagine how cute it would be with a girls' shirt!

It's very quick and easy to do. Only three steps!

You'll want to start with a shirt that is a few sizes too large.

1: Cut off the sleeves, leaving about 1/2" after the shoulder seams.

2. Fold the excess under and sew with a narrow zig-zag.

3. Then try it on your model (or use another tee as a pattern) pin, and sew the sides in.

And there you go!

"Necessity is the mother of invention"

I actually kind of like that it's made from a boy's shirt. Every long once in a while, Paige and I like to wear things that aren't pink. ;o)

Someday I'll find a large tee and make one for myself!
I love this version I found online. It would be so cute cinched with a little red belt!

I hope I didn't scare you with the term "crop top"! :o) I'm certainly no fan of a bare midriff. Although I've seen a few cute ones with tanks underneath, or tucked into a high waisted skirt! I'm really trying to warm up to the inescapable Kelly Kapowski fashion that's going on all around me. :o)

Have a fantastic Monday!!

Happy Almost Birthday to Me!

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 04:59:00 +0000

You guys, thank you so much for all the feedback on the giveaway subject! I cannot even tell you how encouraged I am by all your comments. Blogging can be a bit thankless sometimes (at least when you don't have sponsors, haha.), so those comments make all the difference to me. I'm so glad so many of you are enjoying the blog, it honestly just makes me want to cry. Thank you!

I think I'll probably keep my eye out for special giveaways that I love, and post 1 or two a month. And don't worry, no hoops to jump through! ( I SO get that. Who has the time??)

Anyway!

I've got a small tutorial coming up tomorrow, but while I'm waiting for the daylight to take the final photos, I did a little online window shopping tonight. My birthday is coming up, so I "bought" some imaginary gifts for myself. Even window shopping is a luxury for me, because, again: who has that kind of time??

Etsy beauties:

(photos are linked to listings)

I would wear this dress every day....and probably to bed, too.

Literally clutched at my heart when I saw these:

And I can see some peachy-pink toenails peeping out of these!

With all the quality time I spend with my camera, I would love to have a pretty strap like this! With ruffles, no less. :o)

I love lariats right now. This simple feather one is just perfect!

This bracelet is called "Lemon Tree"-isn't that cute?? It is so me, it's spooky.

We belong together.

J. Crew:

Coral leather. What else do you need?

When I'm not wearing the yellow dress, I'd be wearing this:

Forever 21:

Love this little headband, and it's less than $5!

I used to have a lace over shirt when I was about 16 that I loved. I lent it to a girl in the youth group, and never saw it again.

I'm still not over that.

So every time I see a lace shirt....I fall in love again!

And speaking of Forever 21, while I was looking I stumbled upon this blue top; It's the "beachcomber" dress! I promise I didn't steal the idea from them. :o)

Sorry if that bored you to tears. :o) I love it when people post about their style so I thought I would just throw those out in case someone else enjoyed that kind of thing :o)

I have a busy day tomorrow, but I will get the tutorial up asap!

Thanks for reading! :o) And have a superb start to your week. It's only going to get better!!

Do We Need These?

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 20:48:00 +0000

Hi guys!

It's been a few days since I posted, sorry 'bout that! Only post when you have something to say, right?

Anyway, there is something I'd love your opinion on.

Um, do you actually like giveaways?

I get offers for them constantly, but I've been politely declining them because, well....I guess I don't really care for them myself? I sort of feel like a craft blog should be mainly that. A blog about crafts! But, that being said, I do love to help out small businesses, and it's a great way for them to get their shop "out there".

source

So what do you think? Maybe I'm just being a little bit of a blog snob? Am I totally off-base about that?
Please leave a comment to let me know what your thoughts are. I'd be happy to throw in the occasional giveaway if you guys really want them! I do want to make the blog enjoyable for you, my friends!

And on that topic: I switched back to seeing several posts at once. The extra "read more" click was even starting to get to me! (pathetic, aren't we??) Sorry about that! I'm compulsive about things being pretty, even at the expense of convenience, it's silly really.

OK, that's it for now! Hope you're having an amazing weekend! It's a great one at our house so far! :o) Take care!

-Disney

Pretty|Simple Ideas!

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:28:00 +0000

Sometimes I just like posting ideas.

Things that are so simple, you can understand how to do it just from the photo! With our busy lives and busy culture, I think we all appreciate when we can create something pretty in a quick and easy way!

With that in mind, I've added a "Pretty|Simple" link on my sidebar where you can see all the "quickies" that I've done in the past, and I look forward to adding more!

The first to be added are these candlesticks that make their homes in my kitchen. I must have a secret obsession with candlesticks, because I keep accidentally adding more and more of them!

These three candlesticks were made into teacup votive holders with the help of some handy "Welder" brand strong-holding glue. It's sort of my take on the beautiful Anthro-inspired cake stands that we see everywhere!

I also have this decadent pair holding up my salt and pepper shakers. (Which everyone always thinks are candles...I can't imagine why.)

And this simple distressed ivory candlestick serves as my ring holder while I'm doing the dishes.

Confession: The ring holding one is totally useless, as I refuse to do dishes without gloves, and therefor never take my rings off. But hey, "beauty needs no purpose", right? :O)

P.S. "Pretty|Simple" sounds like a great book title! Actually, I could probably write a book just on candlestick ideas. You can do anything with them! I wish I had a rich relative who adored me and gave me indecent amounts of money to buy craft supplies and create endless projects with.....*dreams*.....OK, back to reality!

:o)

Take care, you!

Meet Pearl:

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 08:00:00 +0000

I just wanted to write a quick post to introduce you to my partner in crime, Pearl....

I've received so many emails from you asking for a sewing machine recommendation, and which machine I use, I thought I would address them all at once!

My mom bought me this machine from JoAnn's about 3 years ago, and as you can see, it's a fairly simple model. From what I see online, it hasn't gotten the best reviews, but mine happens to work quite nicely! I use it constantly, and it's held up remarkably well, despite the fact that I have not oiled in once. (Naughty!!)
The only complaint I have with it is that the automatic buttonhole maker doesn't seem to work on mine. I'm not sure if that's just my machine, or a model defect. (Or maybe a user defect??) :o)

So there it is-my machine! Unfortunately this is the only machine I've ever owned, so I can't be much help in recommending others, but I would like to put a little plug in for Husqvarna, if you can afford one. My mom has had hers since the '70's it's what I learned on. Their machine's are (were?) definitely built to last! Plus, it's just fun to say "Husqvarna", you know?

:o)

Have a great Wednesday!

"Ladylike" Skirt Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 09:00:00 +0000

One of my favorite blogs, Crafterhours, is hosting a "'skirt week" this week, which is right up my alley! I live in skirts, and so does Paige!

They asked me to share a skirt on my blog as part of the festivities (how flattering!) and I thought it would be a nice time to do a simple tutorial for the skirt in the "Bouquet Tee" post. The "skirt" in that post is actually a dress, but I threw together a skirt version to show you how to make your own!

I'm calling it the "ladylike" skirt:

1. To start, cut two lengths of fabric that are twice your hip measurement by your desired length. Remember to calculate the extra 1/2" - 1" of seam allowance on your length. I used an ivory lace with a finished scalloped edge and a simple white cotton for the under layer.

2. Hem your under layer.

3. Sew up the side of each piece to make two tubes. Set your under layer tube inside your lace tube.

4. Fold both layers over twice, coming over your elastic on the second fold.

5. Sew along the edge, moving the elastic along with you as a guide, folding as you go.

(You can also measure your fold out ahead of time and pin, but I'm too impatient for that. :o) )

6. Just before you've sewn all the way around, stitch your elastic together with a zigzag stitch, then sew the casing closed.

And you're done!

Of course this skirt doesn't work only with lace, you can use any two fabrics you'd like!

Try a cute pattern on the bottom with something sheer over it, or simply try two different colors for a nice color block look!

Definitely check out Crafterhours this week for the rest of the skirt-making fun!
Susan and Adrianna are such awesome ladies, they are always cracking me up. I just love bloggers with a sense of humor! :o)

And I hope everyone in the US had a great Father's Day! We had some close friends and their new baby over for the weekend, so we definitely enjoyed ours. I am so grateful that my husband is such a good father, and it was great to take a day to celebrate that!

Have a wonderful Monday!! :o)
-Disney

My Ruffle Necklace!

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 00:01:00 +0000

I was browsing a new blog I recently found, Poppy Chic, when I saw this pretty little thing;

it speaks perfectly to one half of my split personality. I love fun, springy colors and little floral patterns! There are days when I want every corner of my whole house to be covered in things like this.

I was really inspired by how easy it was, so I made this version of it this afternoon:

I used a beige chiffon for the ruffle and a pale peach silk for the flower. It speaks to the other half of me, which loves simplicity, soft, romantic fabrics, and light, monochromatic color schemes.

I constantly go back and forth with my decorating between those two styles. Do any of you do that? Or do you have your style nailed down? I always wonder if it's just me who doesn't know what she wants.

Anyway, I had to share the tutorial with you, because it is incredibly easy! You don't need any jewelry making skills at all. Or even a sewing machine for that matter!

Here's the tutorial. Have fun with it!

And have a wonderful weekend!

Petal Tees Tutorial!

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:06:00 +0000

I love the colorful, unique look of this shirt, and it can be made in only four steps!

Hooray quick and easy refashions!

First cut "petal" shapes out of knit scraps in two different sizes. Cut enough to go around your neckline overlapping half of each other. I used 22 each of the large and medium size for my large scoop neck.
Lay the larger ones across your neckline, overlapping by half. (don't skimp on the overlap, you don't want to see through when it stretches!
Then lay one smaller petal where the larger petals overlap each other. Pin well.
And sew on with a narrow zigzag stitch. You're done!

For a little more elegant look, I used the same technique to refashion a sunny yellow tank that Paige had in her closet, using three different shades of yellow nylon Chiffon.

It reminded me of something you might find at J. Crew!

So Paige and I had fun doing a little Crewcuts inspired photo session :o)

The petals almost make little cap sleeves when she wears it alone! But it was a little cool for that today :o)

My original thought was to make a stem coming down from the neckline so it looks like a big flower, but then I thought that might be a bit much. What do you think? To kiddish? Maybe I could try it on one of Paige's?

And thank you so much for all the feedback on the new look to our site! (Good and bad!) I think I'm already on my way to being used to it. It makes me really happy! :o)

Well, take care! I hope things are going well for you all!

"Artsy" Tee

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 10:00:00 +0000

Oh goodness. I love this shirt.

It looks ten times better in person.

I made it with this fantastic stuff that I discovered recently; it's like spray paint for clothes! Isn't that brilliant? It stays soft and you can even wash it! The possibilities are endless with this. I'm excited! It's called "Simply Spray".

On this shirt (which, by the way, is pink, not red.) I used red, pink, bright pink, and white. You certainly don't have to use that many different shades, but I like how it looks like I've worn this shirt while doing dozens of art projects. :o)

Start with a few swirls of each color, then go over it again with each color making big circles randomly, for a layered look. Don't forget to add cardboard or thick paper between your shirt layers!

Let it dry, and ta-da! You have all the benefits of looking like an artist, without actually knowing how to paint!

Which is good. 'Cause I don't.

But who knows, maybe it will inspire me to a new art??

I can't wait to spray paint more things!

Flickr Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 07:00:00 +0000

I realized last night that I haven't gone through and posted any of our flickr group photos since I started it last month! I must admit that I am completely addicted to seeing your creations, and I am going to selfishly demand that you upload more. :o) Ok, I won't demand it. But what if I asked nicely? Please??

There's something that really makes me giddy inside to see other people's creations! I think most of us feel that way actually...in fact, that's probably why you're here!

Well, without further ado, here are a few of my favorites from the pool so far!

I have seen a lot of your versions of the J. Crew-inspired necklace tutorial, and they are all gorgeous! This gorgeous all-white version is from Hanamik.

I LOVE this artwork from Our Change of Art! Inspired by this ruffly shirt tutorial. I'm not sure if her model was supposed to look like me or not, but I think it does! (Right down to my tree-stump legs!)

Mighty Mouse made the lace applique earrings exactly how I originally pictured them (only I didn't have the right lace!), and they turned out beautifully!

I love how Libby thought to use this tutorial for her dolls. So clever!

I love everything about this photo of Amanda's 20-Minute Skirt. The pose, the fabric choice, and the adorable tee she's paired it with!

By night's version of the Bouquet Tee. I'm totally amazed at how similar this looks to mine! Amazing!

I love this version of the "Beachcomber" dress in black from silvertears1275! Look at those chubby little shoulders. Kiss!

This little mens shirt refashion from Lila Jo is SO cute. Love that she left the pocket on!

(from the shirred dress tutorial)

I am greedy for more, so pretty please keep the photos coming! :o)

Have a good weekend!!

"Americana" Necklace and Other Jewelry Tutorials!

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:37:00 +0000

The fourth of July is coming up!

A lot of the accessories that I see around this holiday are pretty cheesy looking, really. Especially when it comes to jewelry!

So I brainstormed with my wonderfully talented sister, and we came up with a few new necklace tutorials and kits!

Many of you might remember this J Crew necklace knockoff tutorial I did in February:

And my sister and I both agreed that the J. Crew necklace would look smashing in red, white and blue!

So, my fellow Americans (and whoever else might enjoy the color-combo).....

The "Americana" necklace!

I have to admit...I kind of reeaally love it.

You can find the original tutorial here, just switch out the ribbon!

Most of these photos are the version I made, which is not nearly as cute. The kit that my sister sells in her shop has a much cuter navy ribbon w/ white polka-dots. It's adorable! I'm totally going to make her send me one.

(You can see her version in a 36" length on my mom in the third photo from top)

My sister also designed this simple, dainty little fourth-inspired necklace with a star charm:

She shares the intructions, here:

"You need 18" chain, two tiny jumprings, medium jumprings and a large jumpring, one red bead one blue and one pearl, one star charm.

Take the two beads string them on a headpin, clip it 1/2" from the bead, turn it with your round nose pliers till it becomes a loop
Cut 8 links of chain off (alltogether, just count 8 links and then cut)
Take a jumpring, open it, hook your red bead loop on it, hook it onto the bottom link of your 8 link piece.

Take a second jumpring, open it, hook your star charm on it, hook it on the second link above your red bead jumpring, close it

Take a third jumpring, open it, hook on your pearl bead loop, hook it on the second link above your star charm jumpring, close it
Take a fourth jumpring (oops I told you only three) , open it, hook on your blue bead loop and hook it on to the second link above your pearl jumpring, close it.

This only leaves one link left at the top of your chain piece, take your large jumpring and hook it through the last chain link, close it.
Take your medium jumprings and attatch one to one end of your 18" chain, attatch the other onto both your clasp loop and the other end of your 18" chain.
Slide the large jumpring at the end of your pendant thingy onto your chain and YOUR DONE!!"

And for an extra-full cluster version:

"You'll need three 8mm pearl beads and 4 4mm pearl beads, 2 of the other see through beads in 8mm and 2 in 4mm, so you need 11 headpins, 5 medium jumprings and one large

Take all your beads and string each one onto a headpin, clip it 1/2" from top of bead, turn it with your round nose pliers till you've got a loop...do this with all of them

Take a med jumpring, open it, hook a 8mm pearl loop onto it, close it
Take a med jumpring, open it, hook a 4mm clear loop onto it-hook it through the first jumpring-hook on the other 4mm clear bead.

Take another med jumpring, open it, hook a 8mm pearl loop onto it-hook it through the second jumpring (between the two 4mm beads...make sure one will hang on either side)-hook on a 8mm clear bead loop.
Take another jumpring, open it, hook a 4mm pearl onto it-hook it through the last jumpring you added between the two beads you added- hook on a second 4mm pearl bead loop, close it
Take another med jumpring, open it, hook a 8mm pearl bead loop onto it (make sure it is hanging oposite to the last 8mm/pearl/clear set)-hook it through the last jumpring you added between the two beads- hook on a 8mm clear bead loop, close it.
Take another med jumpring, open it, hook on a 4mm pearl bead loop-hook it through the last jumpring you added between the two beads-hook a 4mm pearl bead loop onto it, close it.
Take your large jumpring, open it, hook it through the last jumpring you added, close it.

You're done!"

If you'd really like to make one, but you don't have the supplies, you can buy a little kit for each one in my sister's shop!

The "Americana" kit includes the pre-tied ribbon bows with treated, no-fray edges.

"Americana" Necklace-24"

"Americana" Necklace-36"

"Americana" kit

"Fourth of July" Necklace

"Fourth of July" Necklace kit

"Extra Dangly Necklace" kit

So hop over to her shop if you'd like some! She's very flexible, so if you'd like a different chain/ribbon/bead, etc., don't hesitate to ask. And if they run out of stock, just check back in a few minutes.

I'm thinking I might definitely try to pull this "Americana" necklace off all season. It could also just be a nautical-looking necklace, right?? (right?? Just lie to me....) :o)

Have a great end-of-the-week!

M&J Trimming Challenge Entry!

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 15:30:00 +0000

Well, here it is!

This is the project that I did for the M&J Trimming challenge. I turned the trimmings into art to fill a huge empty space on my living room wall! It is-by far-the least beautiful of the entries, I think. (And please don't mistake this perfect honesty for a plea for validation.) but at least it was practical, right? :O)

And if felt kinda neat to make my own "art"!

You HAVE to go over and see what the other challengers came up with! Beautiful things!! I especially love the necklace from Alisa B.....and everything else!!

And tomorrow I have a necklace and tutorial that I've been working on with my sister that I'm pretty excited about, so yay!

Happy Wednesday, friends! :o)

Road Trip to Salem!

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 22:50:00 +0000

Here are some photos of the trip Paige and I took to see my Grandma in Oregon last weekend! It was so much fun. We spent most of our time in Salem, and then popped down to see my other grandparents, in Sweet Home.

I have to warn you that these are not my best photos; taking a trip like this with a three year-old and trying to document it is not the easiest task! I didn't get nearly as many as I would have liked, but that's ok. We had fun!

And thanks everyone for the warning about the rain! It did rain the first day, but we made sure to bring our pink rain coats and a "lella", as Paige likes to call it.

My dad drove us, and he must have stopped at every park in the Washington/Oregon territory during our trip. Paige loved it!

We also hit this adorable Diner in a tiny town along the way. It was so picturesque! Right down to the gingham curtains and cowboy hat-wearing locals.

And, of course, there were many of these stops:

:o)

Here is a park that we visited in Salem. It was tucked away in a forest area, and completely empty and quiet. It felt like we had gone back in time!

The second day was beautifully sunny.

We spent lots of time on the deck visiting and enjoying this view:

And also enjoying the. worlds. best. pizza. from Walery's.

We've eaten it during every visit since I was a little girl. It still tastes the same. It is seriously life-changingly delicious. Try it!

We also took your advice and visited this place:

I have to thank you for the recommendation! It was amazing!

It's a child's total wonderland.

This was my favorite room.

I love the ocean and sailboats, I could redo my whole house in this style!

Paige's favorite room was the bubble room. Here she is in the giant bubble-maker!

And I had to get a photo of her in the asian room. Hehe :o)

But the highlight for Paige was definitely the outdoor play area:

Talk about stinking amazing! It was like the New York City of playgrounds.

It was very fun, but definitely educational, too. And A.C. Gilbert accomplished so much. He was an amazing man!

But my favorite part was the architecture of the houses and grounds! They were breathtaking!

There was so much beautiful scenery, I couldn't possibly have documented it all. Unfortunately I didn't get many photos of western OR, but here are some views of eastern OR (through the car window....sorry). Not nearly as green, but still lovely!

But my favorite part of the trip?

(other than visiting family)

Visiting a Nordstrom and finally finding the perfect coral lipstick.

Ahhh. :o)

(the shade is Vegas Volt by mac)

(P.S. I got bangs!)

So there is our trip. I wish I had taken more pictures of me and Paige together, but at least I got photos of the cuter one. :o)

Have a great day!!

-Dis

Just Teasing...

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 16:08:00 +0000

Hello, everyone! Paige and I are back from Oregon, and we had a wonderful time! :o) I'm sorry I didn't post more while I was gone. I had a laptop...but not the internet. A small detail that I should have thought of. I suppose I could have used coffee shop wifi, but visiting with grandparents seemed more important at the time! :o)

I'll have trip photos later today, but I wanted to announce a little "challenge" that M&J Trimming is putting on. They sent the same set of (gorgeous) trimmings to six different bloggers to see what they come up with, and I was one of them!

The posts with all the projects will be on their blog tomorrow, but here's a little "teaser" photo of some of the things we used:

They were so pretty!

It was so flattering to be asked, but I'm glad that it's just a challenge, and not a contest, because I know that mine would fail miserably. :o) It was a lot of fun to do, though!

I hope you are having a good week! :O)

Take care, and see you later today!

Potholder Nostalgia

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 10:00:00 +0000

When I was a little girl, I remember sitting in church and watching all the older ladies pull out their reading glasses when the sermon started. I giggled at the fact that they all had the same case for their glasses, and to me it looked like they took a potholder and folded it over.

Well the other day I was helping my husband clean out a classroom at church, and I found an old dusty box of random potholders with our Church's name printed on the back. (What type of "potholder ministry" this was a part of, I can only imagine...) I immediately fell in love with the kitschy little print, so obviously I ~~stole~~ rescued them and began thinking of what fabulous things I could craft with them.

Naturally, the "glasses case" was my first thought. Fold under the tag, and stitch the side of that puppy closed! So easy! No wonder all the older woman had them....

But, um, what should I do with the other 68?

Any ideas??

Peony Hair Clip Tutorial!

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 11:00:00 +0000

Here it is, as promised!

A simple little tutorial, for a simple little flower :o)

Inspired by one of my favorite flowers. Peonies are so vibrant and happy looking. If flowers had personalities, I just know peonies would be outgoing and optimistic! :O)

To make some of your own:

Cut six circles of nylon chiffon (my sister bought mine for me from this shop) for a medium flower cut 4", 3", and 2" circles.
Carefully hold a circle over a flame just long enough to crinkle a little bit
Repeat for each circle.
Stack them on top of each other, with smallest on top.
Choose a center bead, and stitch it through all the layers! All done!

Thank you all for the advice about where to buy the clips! Since I don't have a beauty supply store in town, I improvised for now by gluing one side of a snap onto my single unadorned clip. Then I added the other side of the snap to each of my flowers.

(if you try this, use super-duper glue-hot glue won't cut it!)

Now I can just change it out! Yay!

I kind of went to town. I totally don't need this many clips, but...it was too fun to stop after one or two!

I also stitched a snap to a couple of hair elastics, so I can wear them in a pony, too. Oh, and a safety pin for brooches. Tons of fun possibilities! And I love being able to switch them out, because I have a total fear of craft-commitment. What if I want something different later??

I hope you have fun with them!

I'm off to prepare for a little trip to Salem, OR with Paige to visit my grandma. Have you ever been there? It's one of my favorite cities in the world. I'm excited!! But don't worry-I'll still have a computer with me. It wouldn't be a vacation without blogging, would it? :0)

Take care!!

Happy (late) Memorial Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 11:34:00 +0000

Hello!!

I hope everyone had a great weekend, and if you're in the U.S., I hope you had a great Memorial Day! I do hope we all took time to remember what the holiday is intended for. Whether or not you agree with the idea of going to war, I'm sure that we can all agree that those who lost their lives fighting for their beliefs deserve honor!

We were invited to dinner four times this weekend! I gained five pounds (seriously!), but it was worth it for the company. :O) It was also a pretty sad weekend in our household, but sad things aren't fun to talk about, so we'll move on to crafts!

You'd think that after (unintentionally) taking almost a week off from blogging, I'd have millions of projects to boast of, but in reality the only thing I made were these "peony" hair clips:

And I'm not sure if they even count, because I don't have the actual clips to put them on. Haha. :o) Anyone know where to get those?

I didn't quite have the chance to photograph the steps last night, but I'd be happy to throw together a quick tutorial if anyone needs it. Just let me know!

So, anyway, hello again! I missed you all. And I hope I didn't scare anyone by being away so long! I didn't plan to be. :o)

Paige's Party Tutorials!

noreply@blogger.com (Disney) — Thu, 27 May 2010 15:47:00 +0000

When I posted the photos of Paige's party last week, several of you were curious about how to make some of the decorations. So I whipped up a few tutorials for you! They're all really simple...

The first one:

You can get headbands at Walmart (6/$3), and the Dollar Tree (6/$1!)!

I actually freehanded the flowers for mine, but in case you're not up for that, I created a little template in Photoshop that's similar!

So, first click this template to enlarge, and print it out:

1. Cut the templates out, and trace onto felt. Or....

2. Cut directly around the templates.

3. Lay the smaller flower on top of the larger one and sew (or hot glue) a coordinating button in the middle.

4. Hot glue to your headband, and glue a rectangle to the back for extra security.

Scandalously easy!

(Well, until you make 25 of them.....)

These are just the few that I had left over after the guests all took one home. Surprisingly, I got to keep my favorite one! (The red w/ blue flower!)

I love throwing on a headband as I head out of the house!

I also worked up a little tutorial for these:

And these:

They're being featured over here, at The City Cradle!

This must be a record; three guest posts and 5 tutorials this week!

As much as I love it when other bloggers invite me over, I think I'll be spending more time at my "house" for a while. I'm starting to miss it! :o)

Hope you're having a terrific week!!