Crochet Baskets

I have loved making these little crocheted baskets for the last few months! I don't even really need them or have any real purpose for them I just think it's theraputic to make them! I can come home from a long day at work and whip out one of these cute little baskets and I just think it's relaxing I guess...or something...and stuff...

You can get the tutorial HERE at the Design Sponge DIY blog.

THIS yarn works great and is super affordable. You can find it at JoAnns, Michaels, Hobby Lobby and probably Wal Mart if yours hasn't taken out the craft section like ours! So disappointing...

Mod Podge Rocks!

I think I have found one of the best blogs ever, especially because the name of it is true...Mod Podge DOES Rock! If you haven't already you need to go HERE!

A while ago there was a post on how to revamp a stool and I loved it so I decided to try it out. The stools at Michael's like the one on THIS post seemed a little unsteady so I went ahead and did mine with one like thisish (only shorter and the legs are more curvy so it really isn't like this one at all...so)...

Here is how it turned out. It was so easy and just adds a little excitement to our downstairs area...I may even go back and get one like the one on that post because I think it so dang cute. There is also a step stool at Ikea that is so dope. If we had an Ikea anywhere in the vicinity I would totally go get it and do THIS to it. Or you could try THIS too, everyone has a step stool like this! Ours is out in the garage though so I doubt Scot would appreciate me girlying it all up. I will have to just go and pick up a new one for me inside. So many options!

Once you've tried Mod Podge you will never want to stop...I guarantee it! (Just like the Men's Warehouse guy says)...

Here are the happs...

{That's short for the happenings...}

So I can't believe how long it's been since we've posted anything! That's probably because we have been super BORING this summer! Oh well, what can you do? Anyway earlier last month we went on a bike ride...BAD idea. It was probably one of the hardest things I've ever done...OK maybe not but pretty dang close. I couldn't even walk the next day. We rode from a little town called Silverthorne up to another ski town called Breckenridge. We figure from the car to Breckenridge was around 10 - 12 miles UPHILL the entire way. When we got to the last hill I literally stopped my bike got off and started to cry. Scot was being very supportive and telling me I could do it. I told him to go on without me and that I would just live there next to little stream forever. After eating a cliff bar though and a few swigs of water I was rejuvinated enough and we DID IT! Woo hoo. Here is a before picture when we still thought we were going to have a fun day. Sexy, I know.

Anyway other than that not much else...I have been working on a few projects some of them are gifts though so no posty...
Seriously, this project was seirously sent straight from heaven. I have been looking for a place to keep all of my jewelry where I could see it all and not have it get all tangled up and low and behold I found the perfect solution. All you need is a frame, chicken wire and your husbands big old staple gun! Oh ya!

I've seen it done with really gorgeous, ornate frames but seriously where do those people find stuff like that? I don't know, so I just went with Michael's frames. Works great and I had a stinkin' coupon. HECK YA!

Here is another somethin' somethin' I FINALLY finished. I started this project way back when and finally decided it was time to finish it. I was a little off on my measurements but it will do the job.

Anyway that's about all from us for now. We hope everyone is doing well!!

Pincussion Organizer

Another website I heart visiting is Sew Mama Sew. They have a ton of really cool tips and free tutorials. While my mom was in town we decided to make these really cute pincussion organizers from this free tutorial that I found on Sew Mama Sew.

Now I can have all of my little sewing supplies right next to me on the couch and throw all of my scraps away in the garbage bag. Pretty neato!
I heart free tutorials!

Water Bottle Sling

Here is the latest and greatest that's come from my all time favorite site Make it and Love it. I made the Water Bottle Sling a few weeks ago and was waiting for an opportunity to use it to see if I liked it and I was finally able to use it when we went camping recently and let me tell you, it worked like a charm. If I had it to do over again though I would probably make the strap longer. It was a little more...taught than I like across the chestisy region. Other than that it is a golden nugget of a water bottle carrier. Try it out, it seriously takes zero time at all! Make them for your kiddos too so you don't have to carry their water bottles either.

Grocery Bag Holder

So...I really wish I had taken a picture of the one we had before because it was the most HIDEOUS thing you have ever seen but I was so excited to throw it away that I didn't even think about it. A while back I was in desperate need of one of those plastic bag holder dealios and I was on a msision to find a cute one. Well that just wasn't possible...there were just none to be found. Finally one day while strolling through Wal Mart I did find one...a hideous one but I had found one. VICTORY! So I picked it up...it had a hole in the side of it but whatever...I found one. So I bought it and we used it for a good year and every time I opened the pantry door and saw that hideous eye sore I cringed. Depressing I tell you. It was made of this really scratchy burlapesque type material and it had random cats and pumpkins on it and the words "felines and friends" all over it. BARF! Anyway fast forward to a yearish later while blog surfing some of my favorite sites I found THIS really cute tutorial and decided to try it out on Friday night. It didn't take too much time and I was able to make it with some fabric that I already had :) and voila a MUCH better plastic bag holder that is way more pleasing to the eye. Try it out!

Need a Bag?

Do you have some dish towels (clean ones OF COURSE)? Then you should make a bag! I found THIS super cutie pattern on THIS super cutie website. She has such great ideas, I check her website daily for new inspiration.

I actually wasn't really even thinking too much about making this bag until I saw these tea towels at Target one day while I was browsing and I fell in love!

You will have to buy 2 packs of them to have enough to make the bag but they are really cute for carrying around magazines or whatever you like to carry around or you can use them for Green Bags for shopping. Stuff like that. Here is mine...It looks really craptastic in this picture but what can you do? I think I made mine quite a bit longer than hers and I decided I was too lazy to make the little flower that she made but it still gets the job done.

OK now go print off the directions and make one!

What do you do?

This post is a little late but WHATEVA...

What do you do when your girls weekend is RUINED by snow, your husband is working on your floors, AND it's Conference Weekend?

SEW! (Well I do...did anyway.)

OK so I sewed this little lap top cover inspired by this pattern...I learned that I NEED patterns. I am so not sewing savy enough to make up my own plans. This project turned out OK but I still plan to buy the pattern eventually and make a better one. Totally NOT satisfied!

I also made another one of these as a gift. I love this project. It's so quick and easy and satisfying!
I worked on 2 other projects as well but I don't want to post them until they are done because I have a little bit of OCD like that.

I do want to say that I loved conference. I have so much love and compassion for the leaders of our church. They have so much conviction and love for the gospel and they truly believe what they are telling us, they KNOW it is true. How can that conviction not rub off on you when you watch and listen to their words? How can you not be inspired to go out and be the best person you can be? Anyway I loved it, I was inspired and edified! What more could I ask for?

Also, can I just say that I HEART watching conference at home. There is nothing better than being able to roll out of bed, go downstairs and be spiritually filled in the comfort of your own home, jammies on, with a big plate of waffles. Oh ya!

...and FINALLY I am soooo happy to announce that the floor is finished and I should be able to post pics this weekend! Yahoo!

P.S. Girlies, I am so sad that we had to postpone our girls weekend! I was so looking forward to seeing you all and spending time with you guys! Such a bummer that the snow decided to come THAT exact weekend! Can't wait to reschedule and see you soon! Love you guys!

The Undercover Crate...

OK, if you have been looking for different ideas for storage I have a seriously cool project for you to try....seriously...cool...seriously. Did I mention I was serious? Alrighty, now...This is what you do:

1. Go to THIS link and print off the directions.

2. Go to your all time favorite fabric store (such as this one, this one, or this one) and pick up some awesomly awesome fabric. I chose some that goes in my living room because I was in desperate need of some storage in there for all of my yarn. I have quite a bit. Scot couldn't believe I filled one of these things up with all yarn. I'm obsessed. What?

4. Unfortunately you will have to go to this store to find the best deal on the crate. Sorry. The pattern does show you how to customize this project to any kind of open storage crate like this but I just like these crates because they are sturdy and a good size...

3. Come home and follow the directions and in about an hour you will have one seriously CUTE storage crate! I plan to make more of these for all over the house. I LOVE it!

Go from this:

To this:

Happy Sewing!!!

Sac Town Where you Don't Back Down...

A few months ago Southwest was advertising that they were selling air plane tickets for 50% off out of Denver. Wooo hooo. We jumped right on that and bought tickets to go see my parentals in February. We had a great time spending time with them this last weekend, we just wish we could have stayed longer! On Friday they took us to the GREATEST store on earth...IKEA. I officially Heart IKEA.

I bought so much stuff that I had to leave a lot of it behind for my parents to bring with them when they drive over in June. Yikes! I have no self control! Why doesn't Colorado have one of these stores? That is RIDICULOUS! I might have to write a letter.

After IKEA we went back to the homestead and relaxed a bit and then I decided to take Scot to some of my old stomping grounds. We went down to the Sacramento River and walked along the dock where the Delta King and the Spirit of Sacramento is...Here we are with the bridge in the background.

After we walked along the water for a while we decided to go back up and walk around Old Sac. We took a seat along the way that overlooks the river...How Romantical...

We wandered around for a while and of course had to go to Evangeline's the only store really worth going to in Old Sac (you other sac town people can vow to this) and I also always have to go to the store with the barrels of Salt Water Taffy and Jelly Belly's because I am chubby like that.

On Saturday my mom signed us up to take a scrapbooking class where we made these super CUTE desk calendars while my dad and Scot played darts:

Here is how March turned out...I still need to get some pictures in it...:)

That night my family came over for pizza and we had a nice visit with them. No pictures though! DOH! Sunday we had to go home. BOOOOO. It was really rainy and nasty on Sunday so we just kind of hung out at the house and visitied before we had to go to the airport. SAD!

We had a great visit and can't wait for you guys to come see us in June! We are going to have so much fun!

Fabric Basket

And...another project. Aren't you sooooo excited? I can feel the excitement. So I was browsing online one day and ran across this tutorial on Pink Penguin and I fell in LOVE! I was thinking of all the wonderful things I could do with this basket. I was going to do all kinds of organizing and make 3 or 4 of them for the living room for all of my yarn and magazines, it was going to look soooo fabulous! So I printed it off and went out and bought this SUPER cutie fabric and started working right away as soon as I got home never really paying that close attention to the dimensions on the tutorial. Well as I started cutting I thought, man this is pretty small but I just kept on going thinking it would get better. Finally as I was cutting out the last piece I was like this is going to be one SMALL fabric basket...and it is...and that's OK...I am still in LOVE. My next goal is to tweak it so that I can make a much larger one for organizing. Should be pretty easy. I will let you know....

"A" is for Apron

Here is Apron #2. I found the pattern in this book:

"A" is for Apron.

I modified the pattern a little bit by just doing three pleats instead of gathering it at the waist, that's just easier to me. Anyway, If you like to make aprons or just like to sew quick/easy projects this book is ultra fab! You can buy it at JoAnns, Hobby Lobby, and I am pretty sure I bought mine at Barnes and Noble. There are about 22 different patterns and basically how it works is the patterns are in the very back of the book and you just take them to a Kinkos or Office Depot or some place like that and have them englarge the pages to however big it instructs. For this one I took it to our FedEx/Kinkos and had them enlarge the page 400%. It cost me about $7 per page but you can reuse the pattern pieces so it's not too bad. Then you just cut out the pattern and follow the instructions like any other pattern. Bada Bing, Bada Boom...

(BTW Where are my feet? That looks weird. Oh well, I am too lazy to fix it.)

Another Project

So since we really haven't been going on any trips or doing anything involving pictures and we don't have any cute kiddos to talk about I am forced to show you another project.

Right before Christmas I bought this super cutie pattern from this Etsy shop: Little Projects (Love it!)

So I made one...

and then I couldn't stop, so I made three more...(That dark grey one looks funky just cause the brim is folded under, come to think of it they all look sort of weird but they are really cute on)
and I have the yarn and buttons to make about 4 more...

There we go with the self control thing again. I have come to the conclusion that I like multiples. That's probably why I ended up in Colorado Springs. Did you know that Colorado Springs has 9, count them 9 Wal Marts, 3 targets, more churches than you ever though could have existed and 2 malls (3 if you count the Promenade Shops at Briargate). That my friends is nutty especially for the size town it is...but I like it. OK?

Crochet Ear Warmer

Call me an old lady if you want but I love to CROCHET. It's so theraputic and relaxing. Seriously, you should try it...For reals...I'm cereal...

N-E-WAYZ...While we were at my parental units house in California over Christmas I finished a couple crochet projects. One of them was this nifty little ear warmer that I thought I would share with you all. I found the pattern in one of my mom's Crochet Today magazines. I'm not sure which issue it was in but probably the November or December. The magazine is pretty much awesome and has tons of really super easy projects to try. You can also download projects off their website. So here is the finished product...

Thanks a bunch Mom for helping me with the stitching on the side and also a big thanks to Aunt Pam on getting that pom pom maker to work!! Love you guys!

Buttons, Wonderul Buttons...

Here is my button tree creation that I finished up last night. I saw the idea in a magazine a while ago and decided to try it out. It is just a styrofoam cone that you find in the craft/floral department at craft stores or Wal Mart (the green kind are the best). Then you need straight pins from the sewing department and a bunch of buttons (probably around 600ish varying upon what size you make)! I got my buttons from Archivers which is a scarpbook store. Most scrapbook stores sell bags of buttons.

I had so much fun working on this little guy. It was very theraputic and we all know I need a little therapy once in a while...

So if you are looking for something fun to do when it is so stinkin' cold outside (-9 degrees here in The Springs this morning...BRRRRR) try this! It very easy and goes pretty fast!

P.S. The lighting is pooptastic in these pictures and they are super grainy, maybe if I knew how to work the camera I could fix that but since I don't...

Big Ol' Church Bag...

I am the Young Womens secretary for our ward and along with this particular calling comes lots of...stuff to carry around on Sundays. So to make things a little easier I decided to make a bag to carry all of this...stuff in. I have had bags in the past for Sundays that I would carry all of my teaching materials in when I was in Young Womens and Primary before but was never fully satisfied with their carrying ability. As of late I have become completely OBSESSED with Amy Butler's patterns/fabric/stationary/scrapbooking supplies, etc. Pretty much all of her products are amazing to me so when I found out that a store in Castle Rock sold her patterns and fabric I hurried over to check it out. I found this pattern for the Birdie Sling and asked the owner a few questions about it and decided to try it out. Her patterns are super easy to follow and there are lots of instructions which is EXACTLY what I need to get through some of these things so I really really like her patterns for that fact. She has gorgeous fabrics and I can't wait to get another pattern and start another project!

I LOVE sewing! I am not great at it and I definitely need to work on my straight lines but it gets my mind off of the stress of work and is a fun way to just let my mind wander to another place...

Scot was kind enough to be my model...

Here is the inside. It looks kind of weird from this angle. There are two pockets on the inside in there...

Ta-da!

My First Apron

OK SO I SHOULD TOTALLY BE GETTING US READY FOR OUR CRUISE and doing laundry and packing since this week is going to be crazy and we are leaving on WEDNESDAY!!!...But I decided to make an apron instead. Ha! So ever since my mom came to stay wtih us for a few days a few weeks ago and we sewed like crazy I have been obsessed with looking for easy patterns to sew. So yesterday I was online and I found tihs really cute and super easy looking apron pattern. I had some fabric from another project I was working on and I decided that "Hey I could make that." So I started wipping it out at about 11:30 last night and got up this morning and finished it about 10am. It is by no means perfect but I am still learning, so it's fun. Now I just need to figure out how to cook!!