DIY Cake Stands

This whole 1st birthday party is coming together in my head and I am loving it so far.  I had just been lamenting over the fact that I don't have a pretty cake stand for the fabulous cake I'm getting when I saw a post on DIY Cake Stands on You Are My Fave.  Perfect!  Simple and really cute.  And I'm assuming much cheaper than all the ones I've been looking at.  I'll have to see if Adam is in the mood for another project...

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Oh and speaking of the cake!  Back during Bloggers Give Back, I bid and won on a cake from Pink Peach Cakes.  I tried some of her cake at Bijou Market and it was delish!  Plus her cakes are so unique and beautiful.  I'm sure whatever Darcie comes up with for the party will be fantastic!  Here's a sample of her work:

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Happy Friday!  We are trying to get this kitchen finished up over this long weekend!

DIY Stocking Holders

This year Adam and I were on the hunt for stocking holders!  However, we were striking out left and right every where we looked.  Nothing screamed "us".  Plus, most were in sets and were rather pricey.  Our family is not near complete, so what happens if we buy a set, and next year we have another addition to our family?!  We would just have to cross our fingers the set was still around, or splurge on another set.  Anyway, all these factors led us to the decision to just make quick temporary ones.

We stopped by Hobby Lobby and grabbed 3 little wooden boxes and then browsed their knob section.  We decided on white monogrammed knobs.  Using silver spray paint we had left over from the summer, we sprayed each box.  Then we (and when I say "we" in all of this, I really mean Adam...just thought I should give him the credit he deserves) drilled a small hole in each box and screwed in the knobs.  Ta da!  Simple and extremely inexpensive stocking holders.

They hold the stockings up really well, but for a fun touch and some added weight, I threw in some Hershey Kisses!

And an inside view.

I think they are the perfect solution for this year!  I only wish I had finished up new stockings to hang on them.  Oh well, next year I guess!  

Hope you finish up all your last minute Christmas details so you can enjoy the next week!  Or maybe that's just my own wishful thinking...Happy weekend!

Yarn Wrapped Christmas Wreath

How was your Thanksgiving?  We ended up eating 2 Thanksgiving dinners...and we've been enjoying the leftovers ever since!  Saturday morning we chopped down our Christmas tree and finished up our decorating yesterday.  I also finished up some projects I've been working on, including this wreath.

A few weeks ago, Nicole and I started working on these yarn wrapped wreaths.  They are so simple to make, but they do take some time.  Plus, I had to go to 3 different stores until I found one with peacock feathers!  We have a gorgeous peacock tree skirt, so we're going with that color theme this year.  We started with that idea last year, but this year we're going all out.  Next year I think we'll go with a different color theme.

Anyway, here it is.  (I'm actually going to hang it in the living room.)

DIY Ironing Board Cover

Adam was just lamenting that we needed a new ironing board cover.  Ours is just the generic board cover and it hardly stays on.  I was actually going to purchase a whole new board when I happened to stumble upon this easy cover tutorial.

{via Say Yes to Hoboken via Momtastic}

I feel as though I've been posting a whole slew of projects and not actually completing them.  I should have a bunch of projects to share in the next few weeks.  Our lawn makeover, a quick living room revamp, a bedroom restyle, our kitchen overhaul and a handful of other sewing/crafty projects.  I finally am feeling settled and back into a routine.  Thanks for sticking around!

Coffee Filter Pendant Light

This light makes such an incredible statement in the room.  I can't believe it was made out of coffee filters.  What a beautiful, yet cost effective DIY project!

{found via Made By Girl, images by Nichole}

I am soooo ready to have a clean and organized house.  Between moving back from Chicago and going on vacation for a week and a half, my house has been a mess! And it makes me feel crazy.  But we are just about all put back together.  A couple more loads of laundry and then I need to clear my desk so I can start working on our Halloween costumes.  Oh and I need to hurry and get our Halloween decorations up before Halloween is over!!  The holidays have come up so quickly.  I've already starting thinking about Christmas presents.  Yikes!

Doorway Puppet Theater

We're still out and about visiting family and friends, but I have internet now!  Woo hoo!  Sorry for the no show yesterday.

Two summers ago I saw an idea for a puppet theater in a Country Living magazine.  I loved the idea and decided to make it for my niece and nephews.  I never took any pictures of it before I sent it off for their birthdays.  While we were visiting them last week in California, they put the theater up and got out their puppets.  Here is the one from the Country Living magazine.

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And here is the one I made in action.

It was a really simple project!  Plus, what's better than a gift that inspires imagination and creativity!  For instructions on how to make a doorway puppet theater, see here.

Fabric Pumpkins

Stacy linked to a great kitschy house tour a few days ago and upon browsing I found this tutorial for fabric pumpkins.  These are now number 1 on my project list!  We're actually on a little vacation in California, but I was thinking I might even make these in my downtime since you can make these by hand sewing. 

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Find the tutorial here. 

We're off to the beach today!  Hopefully it will be sunnier and a bit warmer than yesterday afternoon.  Rilo didn't seem to mind the weather though...it looks like we have a little beach baby on our hands!  Pictures to follow!

Personalized Words Book

This is such a thoughtful and sweet idea for your children.  I have loved this personalized words book since Liz first posted it!  She took photos of things that were special or familiar to her son and then put them into a book.

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I think it would be fun to make it an alphabet book, but then what do you do with letters like 'x', besides "xylophone"?!  As soon as I have a better grasp on Rilo's likes/dislikes, I am most definitely making one of these!

Skinny Ties

Adam is going to be so happy to hear that I can now alter "fat" ties and turn them into skinny ties.  If you know my husband then you know that he wears a tie nearly everyday, dressed down or dressed up.  Once upon a time, Adam sold suits at Macy's.  He is adamant that a man's tie should mimic the shape of the man's body.  So since Adam is more slim, a skinnier tie is more proportionate.  He's been telling me that it probably wouldn't be hard to alter ties, but I just didn't really know where to begin.  Design Mom just posted a great tutorial on how to alter ties.  Now I must head to the thrift store...

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Check it out here.

Cooler Cover Tutorial

Remember the awesome cooler covers Martha came up with for her party?  Remember how we almost spent at least $40 buying buckets for the drinks?  Instead we paid about $5 for thrift store bedsheets to make these great covers?  What a money saver...and they're pretty good looking too! Martha was awesome, and sent over some before pictures and some detail shots.  She created these the night before, on the fly, so we don't have step-by-step shots.  I think you'll get the idea though!

I said before they were pretty dingy and I wasn't lying!

NOT a pretty sight.  So here are the steps.  Note that the bed sheets we picked up were 2 single sized sheets.  They made 3 covers and could probably make 2 more!

Materials: Bed sheets (or fabric), 1/4" elastic, sewing machine, accessories (optional)

1.  Measure across the base of your cooler at it's widest point.  Add enough for your seam allowance + 3. inches.  For the height, measure from the base to the top, add seam allowance + 2 inches.  Cut out your rectangle from your bed sheet (or whatever fabric you decide to use).

2.  Fold your rectangle in half (hamburger style, if you will...) and pin right sides together.  Sew your side seam.

3.  Hem the top and bottom.

4.  Attach the elastic.  Martha used 1/4" elastic.  She pinned the elastic to the inside, near the hem and stretched it as tight as she could while she sewed on top of the elastic.  This will create the gathered effect.

5. Slide over the bottom and ta-da!  You're halfway there! So simple!

Now your lid shape can vary.  All three of these had different lids.  One came off completely, one was hinged and the other was hinged but had two doors.  Here are a few pictures to show what she did for each of them.  You're going to basically do the same thing that you did for the base on the removable lid and the hinged lid, except you'll sew on elastic to hold it in place on the underside of the lid (see below).

This last lid was the hinged double door kind.  Martha created a pillowcase type sleeve for this one, with elastic on the end to hold it in place.

You can also sew the base cover and the lid cover together on the sides so it doesn't slide around.

Martha also added handles and attached snaps on some flowers and the lids.  She can remove the flowers and wash the covers!

Finished, they look like this:

These would be great for an end of the summer/Labor Day party!

Paper Bag Skirt

Just another project to add to my list.  This skirt, in an adult version! 

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Rilo and I are on our way to Arizona today!  Can't wait to see family (most of whom haven't even met Rilo Jane yet) and throw a fabulous party, for the fabulous Martha! 

I have two goals for when we get back:

1.  Finally take photos of my $200 Rental Redesign.  The summer is almost over!
2. Sew, sew and sew.  I'm feeling a little guilty about my fabric stash.  It's just sitting and collecting cobwebs (quite literally, Chicago is pretty buggy!). 

Kid's Chair

I love when people come up with new ways to use old stuff.  How creative is this kid's chair made from old frames?  Seeing these kinds of projects always makes me take a second look at thrift items.  Full tutorial over on OhDeeDoh.

Weekend and a Garland

The weekend just flew by, but it was a fun one!  Our apartment complex threw us a party on Saturday night and Sunday night we played games with some of the couples until 2 am!  Needless to say, the intended post I had for today is not happening.  For now, enjoy this great garland tutorial from Me Oh My!

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Click here to see how she made this!

Leather Headbands

Here is an adorable (and seemingly easy) DIY headband that does not involve any flowers!  Disney at Ruffles and Such posted this tutorial, just before she announced she was going to stop blogging.  I love looking at all of her tutorials and I'm sad that they'll be coming to an end!  She also takes the most lovely pictures of her end results.  You have to browse her tutorials section...you will be so inspired!

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Such a sweet photo of her and her daughter!

Fourth of July Dress

I was able to whip up a dress for Rilo just in time for the holiday.  I used the pillowcase tutorial again (except this time I didn't have a pillowcase, just some fabric).  I also added pockets from the scraps of the armholes.

I love the Joel Dewberry fabric...perfect for the 4th, but not too themey that she can't wear the dress again.  I also really like the pillowcase dresses because they allow room to grow.  I think she may be able to wear this dress for several months to come!

For more pics, see Rilo Jane's blog.

T-Shirt Dress Tutorial

When we were in California a few weeks back, we stopped in an Urban Outfitters. I was tempted to buy a few simple t-shirt dresses. Essentially, it was just part of a t-shirt on top and a cotton skirt bottom. We all know my affinity for dresses, so it was hard to walk away but I realized I could easily make the dress. So, I spent a few minutes turning the dress inside out and checking out how it was constructed...it sure seemed simple enough. And guess what? It was! Especially if you've made the famous elastic band skirt already, because it is kind of similar. I can't find the exact dresses from Urban Outfitters online, but it looked similar to this but with short sleeves:

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I modified mine a little bit to make it a little more fancy for Easter (mine is more of a pencil skirt) but you can easily make a more casual version. I hope this makes sense...I wish I was able to take more pictures but I was frantically sewing and hanging out with Rilo in between sewing. Here's how to make it:

Materials-
2-3 yards fabric
1 t-shirt (this would be great if you shrunk a shirt or got a stain on it)
scissors or rotary cutter
sewing machine

First you need to measure around your natural waist. Then from your waist to where you want the skirt to hit. I went a little below the knee because I was going for a pencil skirt feel.

Now take your waist measurement and add 1". Cut a strip of fabric 3.5" by whatever your waist measurement is+1. This will be the waistband.


You're going to cut out 2 pieces for your skirt. Cut your skirt to your desired length. The width will be your waist measurement plus a few inches. I like to err on the side of larger than I will need it so I can better tailor it later. I added 4 inches...I know, like I said I like to make sure I have something extra to work with!

With right sides together, sew the 2 shorter ends of your waistband.

Again with right sides together, sew the side seams of your skirt.


Now you're going to attach the skirt to the waistband. To do this I first matched up the side seams and pinned, and then kept pinning the midpoint between 2 pins, until it was pinned all the way around.



Sew a 1/4" seam. Then sew a zig-zag stitch close to the edge so your fabric doesn't fray. At this point, I suggest trying on your skirt and tailoring it to fit. To do this, determine how much you need to take off each side (if any). In my case, about 1.5". Turn your skirt back inside out, so your right sides are touching again, and measure in 1.5" on each side and mark with pins. Then sew a new seam parallel to your old seam. Cut of your excess.

Then you need to hem the bottom (fold over 1/4" and press, then fold another 1/2", press and sew).

Try on your t-shirt and determine where you want the waistband to meet the shirt and make a mark with a fabric pen. Then cut your shirt.



All that's left is attaching your t-shirt to the waistband. You do this in the same way you pinned the skirt to the waistband. Sew your 1/4" seam and then zig-zag stitch again.


Voila! You have a t-shirt dress! And here is a terrible picture of the final result...Adam didn't get home until late so we lost all the natural light! (Also, could I be any whiter?)

Lunch Bag

Poor Adam...I've been telling him for over a year that I would make him an oilcloth lunch bag. I finally got around to making it for him. Much better than the huge reusable grocery bag I was sending with him to school. I originally found the idea from Martha Stewart, but I like this tutorial even better.

Elastic Band Skirt

I posted a little while back about the great tutorial over on Freshly Picked for an elastic band skirt. I still do not have my waist back yet, so I made one for Rilo. Another really fast and easy sewing project!


I visited my friend Jess recently. She saw the tutorial and decided to make one for her little girl too. We both happened to pick out the same fabric, just in different colors! Great minds think alike I guess!! So now Josie and Rilo will have little matching skirts for the summer.

Stromboli Recipe

Or Stramboni, as Adam calls it. I never had Stromboli until I moved to Pennsylvania...so if you're wondering what the heck it is, you are most likely not from the east coast! Stromboli is a pizza-like dish, close to a calzone. And guess what? It is so so soooo easy to make. This is my go-to quick dish. About 5 minutes of prep time and about 15 minutes of cooking time. Easy I tell you!

Here's what you need:
1 pkg. pizza dough (or french loaf dough)
your choice of sliced cheeses
your choice of meat
your choice of veggies
olive oil
Italian seasoning

This time I used mozzarella, provolone ham and pepperoni. You really can use whatever you want/have on hand. Salami, canadian bacon, sausage can be added for you meat lovers, or for a vegetarian option, try broccoli, peppers and cheese.


First step is to unroll the pizza dough to a rectangle shape onto a cookie sheet.


Next lay down your first layer of cheese down the middle, lengthwise.


Then add your meat (or veggies or both) on top of the cheese layer.


Another round of cheese on top.


Fold and pinch your seams together down the middle and on the sides.


Flip it over so the seam is touching the baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle Italian seasoning to your liking. Cut a few small slits in the top.


Then bake according to the packaged dough. My oven works fast, so I only cook it for about 13 minutes until it's nice and golden brown. Slice on a diagonal and serve. I always dip mine in a spaghetti sauce and serve it with some salad. Delicious!