what you will need: a zipper and zipper foot for your sewing machine your favorite skirt (preferably an A-line skirt) a table cloth (the one featured is a martha stewart table cloth found at K-Mart) so many of you liked my other skirt i just made out of a table cloth that i was wanting […]
it’s taken me over an hour to upload 5 pictures so i’m giving up. my family is sitting waiting for just me to finish so we can leave to go to the grand canyon. i thought i could get up before everyone and type up the tutorial for you all. but seeing that everything is […]
well thank you for all the well wishes on the crankies and for the lovely response to my new patterns. i have a lot of ideas bouncing in my brain and already have started on a new set of patterns but will have to wait a little while to show you the final products. on […]
the pincushion pattern and patterns for these cute ruffle pillows pictured above (no you don’t need a ruffle foot for this pattern!) now here’s some important info: if you leave this blog (wow,thanks jodi!) a comment about what i’m up to (oh and i think you are suppose to leve me a comment too! that […]
pictured is my aqua pillows for sale. go to my etsy store to find this one and more. okay so now go on over to the blog and get a chance to win a honey bun (you know the one i made my baby girl quilt out of) yeah that one. go on go tell […]
okay so i totally goofed and well the giveaway will be today at 9 pacific time @ little birdie secrets so i’m updating the shop today at 9:55 my time (mountain standard time) and what ever i don’t get in today i’ll finish tomorrow morning (like the patterns) sorry for the confusion! obviously i’ve been […]
image includes the ruffle pillow. pattern and pillow will be available to buy. yeah i know it’s early. but i don’t know when the other blog is going to do their spotlight so i have to make sure i get everything in there before hand. and well, if i don’t get spotlighted till like 10 […]
my peonies are coming out and smelling so sweet! hope you have a fantabulous (that’s fantastic and fabulous mushed together) memorial day! see you tomorrow.
my rear off. it should be indenting inward here sometime soon. next week on wednesday this blog will be spotlighting me and doing a giveaway (of my choice…oh you know it’ll be moda). so i’ve been working on some more patterns to put in my etsy shop. just so all those people who don’t really […]
so i had to drag in the husband to show him my face associated with MODA. i turned to him and told him he better watch out cause some famous gentlemen callers would surely be coming my way soon. he rolled his eyes, walked away, and has been on his best behavior ever since. mwaaaahhhaaaaahaaaa […]
yesterday was…how should i put it?…less than desirable. it’s like i’ve been having a good streak and yesterday the universe decided that it needed to uh how do i put it? hand me my rear end on a silver platter. with the morning off to a super rough start, i ended up needing to go […]
by claiming today as my “super productive day in sewing.” and by not making the bed. i have a philosophy: if my bed is not made. i have a bad day. the longer it stays unmade the longer my bad luck and mood continues. so far my 2 kids left at home have spilled two […]
this piece of furniture was given to me by my sis-in-law. she didn’t have room for it and as you can see she started to strip it but didn’t finish it. it has great lines and works great in my living room. this last weekend (before we went up north to the big city for […]
i did an organizing 101 of “where do i begin” read it here. this time i want to talk about how to get the kids to help. to help with the whole process of chores we use the token system in our house. granted we’ve modified it as the year has progressed. certain things are […]
thank you for the vote of confidence and patience on yesterday’s post about my garden. yeah i’ll work on the patience thing 😉i made this skirt out of a table cloth that was on clearance. did you read that amy? no posiblities of sweaty hairy men on this skirt! i think it was the martha […]
you are suppose to see sprouts. guess what i saw… yup. nothing. okay well i did see some weeds. the husband is a researcher at heart. it’s rather annoying. i can never claim “i had no idea.” because the man doesn’t let me. as each day passes, he comes home with more and more info […]
my latest little finds at the second hand store:this was on sale from i think $1 down to .25 cents. a wire wreath thingy that i think is used for christmas cards. now that would be fine if it were close to christmas, but it’s not so…. add some spray paint and some brainstorming and […]
so i read to the boys every night. (well most nights) and we’ve covered a wide range of books from star wars to classics. we just finished not too long ago “how to eat fried worms.” we were working outside fixing a busted pipe in the sprinkler system, when i spotted a big worm…and well […]
picture taken at my bridal shower in 1998 from left to right: cousin alba luz, aunt bertha, cousin pam, my mom, cousin tania, me, aunt elba, and my grandma. i just want to give a shout out to the women in my family who basically raised me as one of their own. either as a […]
well! all i have to say is wow, and thank you. thank you for making yesterday a wonderful etsy success. as you can see i have an aftermath to deal with. it ain’t pretty. and if i want a little bit of sewing for me time…i better get crack-a-lacking! edited: okay more fabric bracelet tuts […]
image includes “the fabric bracelet” and you can buy the instructions here in my shop sold out i will keep them stocked up as they run out follow this link my shop has some new things in it okay so some of you expressed wanting the stitchery in Katie’s room: find it here i also […]
to my shopupdate. i’ve made things that you would find in my home. i didn’t get to make EVERYTHING i wanted to… so this will be the first of two updates. so please come and support your love of handmade things by your crazy little blogger friend in the middle of nowhere. hope to see […]
as much as the rain tried to derail our best efforts to start preparing for our garden this year, “we” (meaning my husband while i stood on the sideline and acted as cheerleader and took this picture) used the rototiller and started to prepare the ground. we live above 7000 ft area and so all […]
go see my little interview with makebabystuff.com here. thanks amber love your site and thanks for asking me some great questions! oh, and some other great news, you can see some of my ideas being used in the minneapolis examiner here and here . thank you renee from cottage lifestyle for asking me to be […]
i decided to take a few days off of the blogging world. as in i tried not to check other’s people’s blogs and tried to live as if blogging weren’t a part of life. it was a nice little break. i think i need those every so often. in that time i made katie a […]
hoops with fabric in them: hoops can be found at any craft store…but i like to get mine at the second hand store. i can get a bundle of them sometimes for as cheap as 75 cents. and the metal ones are a bonus for that price! i love to decorate cheaply, so this is […]
*8 hours of mandatory meetings one day and 3 the next *boys who haven’t seen each other since being overseas together *only 20% off of all spa thingies that cost a bazillion dollars to begin with ( uh…we need money to eat and feed our children) EQUALSmaking cheap fun in our hotel rooms yes i […]
want to make this? go see it at the moda bake shop. it’s my latest tutorial for them. go give me some love! *********** we’re off to an army thing this weekend. we get to spend a couple days at snowbird ski resort. the kids are being watched by my wonderful brother and sister-in-law. i […]
well i really can’t call it fashionably late…just really late. but i decided to join park city girl’s online quilt festival. tomorrow’s the last day to enter. a little about this quilt: this was my first quilt that i made that had triangles in it. yes, that was only last year mind you. up to […]
another tutorial. well that and a derby car. come back tomorrow.
so i love fabric. i think you sort of get that on my blog. i also love old quilts. i don’t have any in my family. a while ago i decided to start making quilts so that the tradition can begin of having old heirloom quilts passed along the way in our family. it’s been […]
yup me on THE chair photo taken by camille camille from simplify thought it was real sad that i didn’t have a quilt store or *gasp* a target near me. (3 hours away people!)so she thought it would be a good idea to have me over and let me get my fix of a big […]
drink waaaaay too much soda, laugh too hard, and don’t go to bed till almost 4 in the morning, and not because we were on the strip in vegas…but because we were having too much fun with fabric. more pics to come
for some nicer, warmer weather and to visit this cute little gal to have a girl’s weekend. we’re going to paint the town red (well the fabric stores and second hand stores) and she even promised me she would take me to TARGET. because i’m pretty sure that is what heaven is going to look […]
so we were on the road on easter sunday. i know not very religious of us. but the husband had to be back at work on monday morning and we had to see family on saturday soooo…you do the math. as we were traveling the oldest boy yells up to the front: hey isn’t today […]
i have in my possession the book: and i have come to two conclusions: a) martha is in hoots with the devil himself or b) she has an awesome eye for things and has a huge team that she single handed picked out to work out her ideas and have them come up with ideas […]
and we’re POOPED. i would like to sleep for like three days the wedding was wonderful. california weather, oh how i’ve missed you. it was great to see all our family. i’m itching to finish this tutorial i got going… more to come…soon ps: mom liked the bag edited: sorry it’s been brought to my […]
camille, i don’t normally do tags but i’m feeling a little on the nice side so here you go: 7 things you might not know about me: 1. spanish was my first language. and even though my spanish-o aint so good-o these days i still consider myself bi-lingual. i mean i can pick up what […]
we’re meeting up with my mom at my grandma’s house this next weekend in los angeles. and my mom gently reminded me that she’s still wanting a messenger bag. well she didn’t exactly call it that, but when she described what she wanted this is what she described. she wanted it to rest on her […]
that we don’t have a crib up in our home. we did it. we put her in her toddler bed. this toddler bed was made by my father in law. this bed is super sturdy and has survived all three boys. and now she gets it. we anticipated a hard transition, but she’s handled it […]
picture by pottery barn CORRECT PLACEMENT OF WALL HANGINGS i see it all the time. and really it’s not their fault. they hear “eye level” and yeah we are taller these days, but too often i see pictures “floating” up on walls too high. and when asked by someone who wants my help to decorate […]
i got this pattern yesterday. thought about making it into a dress but seriously look how short those things are…i mean can we say HU–SSY? anywho, i decided to make it into a shirt. and i really like it a lot so i think i’ll make the hussy dress a little longer but not as […]
made out of vintage fabric… i call her ” with a splash of lime” and she’s available in my shop. it’s been a while since i made the little one a dress. this one makes me happy. yellow just seems happy doesn’t it? yes, it’s made out of a re-purposed sheet) this cute little ironing […]
Where Do I Begin? in the past 7 years, i’ve helped people organize their houses. first thing most people want to do is go out and buy all new containers and storage bins…i tell them to hold on to their britches cause we aren’t at that point yet. first, we are going to go and […]
a great craft to do on any day of the week with kids…AND cute! first get you some lovely yummy springy fabrics. these i got as a swap from this lovely gal then you’ll be needing some plastic eggs (i got mine at walmart they were $2) first cut your fabric the width of your […]
marriages have ups and downs do they not? but even with the ups and downs you want to continually work on building a stronger relationship. working together as a couple on things and complimenting each other on the job well done is a great way to build a stronger relationship. let me do a conversation […]
found at the second hand store for $25. i saw some potential. sand it down, primer it, and spray paint it. Editied: okay i can’t stand all the “white” so i’m changing the pillow covers and now it can be found in my laundry/mudroom…husband painted the laundry/mudroom this weekend. i went out on a limb […]
we had a lovely celebration of “oh my gosh i can’t believe you have made it 11 years of waking up with my crazy butt every morning.” he even bought me the movie. we havn’t watched it yet…oh but we will…we will. friday and saturday were beautiful and spent outside…i got to paint some too…more […]
i’m so in love with cath kidston. it all started when i ordered Cath Kidston’s In Print: Brilliant Ideas for Using Vintage Fabrics in Your Home from amazon so of course i had to get the catalog for her stuff. and the pictures are so inspiring even in her catalog. i just adore the cute […]
so many of you keep asking who did my header: well i have to thank EMILY JUNE DESIGNS for my fabulous new headers (she did my etsy one too!) and button. i have bling now, and now you can have it on your blog as well! wear it proudly friends! second off i have to […]
there’s no secret about it, i REALLY like stars. but this one didn’t really have a place anymore because i want the boys’ room to be a little more plain and just have one BIG star in it…oh and a poster of a star wars clone trooper, but it has to be “cool”(can star wars […]
and so were we. the kids were home yesterday… and what better way to spend a beautiful, sunny, lazy day then outside in the back yard doing “hand sewing work” while the kids enjoyed the sun and outside toys (and some man tools that the boys are so fond of for thier digging). i worked […]
before the deployment the weekends were my happy makers. i looked forward to them like a kid looks forward to a trip to a candy store. after a year long deployment and re-adjusting to life with the husband home… i can finally say that i love weekends AGAIN. ******** our agenda this last weekend *saving […]
remeber last week i said i was painting and organizing? (and failing to file my taxes) this is what i did last week: have you ever noticed that i try to strategically take pictures so that i don’t show you this area? well there’s a reason. first off the red table bugged me…never liked the […]
my friend maggi who took our family pictures (and the picture on my profile) sent me an email to look at a blog of a little girl she took pictures for. i cried and cried. and then i thanked the Man Upstairs for my wonderful noisemakers and for their health. some of these little special […]
oh i think you are going to like this one. go check it at the moda bake shop! AND LEAVE ME SOME LOVE!
have i been working on: A)organizing B)painting C)being sick D)a tutorial E)trying to be a good mom and wife by cooking every darn night F)getting my part of the stupid taxes done E)all of the above E. would be the correct answer. but see this is how i roll. i put a bazillion things on […]
yeah you would think this picture is from a magazine. it’s not. it’s my good friend’s house who just happens to be an AWESOME decorator, but even better, she’s pretty rockin‘ with man tools. she made this hutch by HERSELF. she’s the one who helped me with my little one’s wood kitchen. the woman is […]
spring means decorating with eggs.and my friend that every one thinks we’re related because we kind of look alike has chickens. and one of her chickens has decided that it likes to lay 1 sort of blueish colored egg every day. (you can’t tell from the pics as well but they are blueish i swear) […]
“so it’s friday night and your mom is making me go out on a date tonight” said the dad the 9 year old son looks up a little nervous and answers: “oh yeah? with who?” **** got to love the noisemakers. **** no worries the dad explained it to the 9 year old son it […]
because a girl has the right to completely change her mind about anything…how ever many times she wants you may get something that she was happy with that looked like this:…to be undone and re-done in yellow gigham, undone of that and then re-done in a blue with a print of some fruit on it […]
wow people! i mean WOW PEOPLE! seriously you guys like your moda and it shows! the man formerly known as GI Joe husband would like to know where the heck you all came from! i told him EVERYWHERE!(though i don’t think that’s what he was asking) HELLO AMERICA, CANADA, UK, ITALY, FRANCE, HUNGARY, AUSTRALIA, JAPAN, […]
alright here’s the deal: since so many of you were so kind to say some really nice things about my tutorial over at the moda bake shop, i in turn want to do something for you guys. here’s a giveaway of two lovely yummy honey buns. they are “sweet” (the one i used on my […]
welcome home! it was great seeing you there this morning. hope you have a wonderful time re-integrating with your families! ******** ladies you looked hot, and your husbands are some pretty lucky guys! love you guys.
dude you are 5 today! * here’s a few fun things about you right now: * *you love LOVE star wars (big surprise) * *you are super snugly * *every night between 3am to 5 am you crawl into bed with mom and dad * *you may be small, but your voice is huge (seriously […]
just got the call from my mom saying she can’t figure out how to check messages so she’s going down to the store that sold her the phone and tell them she needs help. she is happy to report though that after a few missed calls and hitting every darn button on the phone she […]
*stupid laundry to fold (again) * *birthday cake to make * *blue and gold banquet cake to make * *clean toilets * *de–junk-i-fy craft area * *get ready for the monthly crankies to hit * *go get a new bag of choc chips to replace the ones i ate last night so i can make […]
thank you so much for the love over at the moda bake shop and here! you guys are the best. i may have to do a giveaway of some sort to show you how thankful i really am…i’m thinking next week. okay so a small percentage of the people who voted said “robin’s egg blue”for […]
a few weeks ago i got an email from a wonderful woman from moda (yeah THE MODA ) asking if i would be interested in posting some tutorials over at moda bake shop. first, i swore out loud (going to have to repent for that one) then i was like “this has got to be […]
my house looks like a tornado hit it. the chair is almost done, but…. that’s just primer on there and i’m wondering…. white, black or red for the actual wood part? inquiring minds want to know. i’m leaning towards bright fire engine red. need to fold laundry just the tip of the ice burg. make […]
maybe if i keep making springy sort of things for myself it will speed up the process… love this new bag i made for myself. i had bought the rings to make it around december, with the intentions of making this bag a while ago. but i’m glad i waited till now because i think […]
usually i have no problem with a title and well i guess there’s a first for everything… presidents day was really low key for us. with all the kids home and the husband (no longer GI Joe husband…i’ll have to come up with something witty) not starting up work till next week…we pretty much just […]
one thing that blogging has brought into my life (besides some great blogging friends) is some great inspiration, here are a few that i really can’t stop thinking about: camille’s chair makes me want to go out and just do the re-upholstering thing…this was her FIRST attempt. can you believe that? my wonderful friend larissa […]
this would be a perfect holiday gift for neighbors, friends, or teachers. it’s fast it’s cheap and essential for the cold weather! what you’ll need: one bag of rice (i used a 1 lb 12 oz bag) one fat quarter of muslin and one fat quarter of really cute fabric. (this particular fabric is moda) […]
even though there are still two days left till valentines day…lets not forget the next big girly holiday coming up…MOTHER’S DAY…and well, because the department stores are getting ready to promote it, i thought i would as well…go to my shop and buy yourself this pattern. it includes instructions on how to make the embroidery, […]
do your feet ever stay cold no matter how long you’ve been under your covers? is it just me? well yesterday i decided i was not going to have cold feet anymore! and decided to make me a rice heating bag…you know the ones you stick in the microwave. i wanted it to look stylish […]
re-purposing old sheetscute little sundress made out of second hand find sheets. this skirt and this quilt were my first projects with old sheets. then i attempted the barcelona skirt pictured above. by far this is my FAVORITE skirt i own. and then i started making dresses for the little one with old sheets, love […]
got some charm packs you need to use? wouldn’t this be so cute in your little boys room? or for a party? first get yourself some charm packs…yeah that’s me promoting my shop. fold in half one block (all charm packs are 5×5 so if you are just cutting out your squares cut them to […]
GI Joe and i have been acting like 3 year olds over here. well, to give you an idea i’m going to do a “conversation with GI Joe” if you will. let me set the stage: go back um almost two weeks ago right before GI Joe came home and a week after i left […]
remember my bedroom progress? well, i don’t like my bed pillows. no. actually. i hate them. it’s just too much, not right, all wrong (you get the idea) so i’m going with a softer look and i think i’m finally starting to love it…i’m still in the beginnings of making slipcovers so it will take […]
i’m not a huge decorator for the seasons, but even i can’t pass up a garland for $1.50 at walmart you can buy this package of six hearts. go get you some of those… now if you are crazy like me and you have issues with the shape of your hearts you’ll need this step. […]
so my friend that everyone thinks we’re related because we kind of look alike cashed in on all the favors she did for me while GI Joe husband was gone. she asked for family pictures to be taken and kindly i obliged…she’s watched my little ones a few times here and there for me so […]
hand made goodness…for little girls. felt food is one of my big time obsessions. i can’t get enough of it, i’m working on making some patterns of my own because i see that there are a lot of felt food out there, but not many patterns. the strawberries were my first attempt at making felt […]
found two different times and i had no idea that it would fit so well but i got lucky. not bad for a little spray paint and $2… i also found some AWESOME fabric and an apron (you can find it here in my store) see you soon! promise.
i made these two matching aprons, one for me and one for the little one. but not without the help and companionship’s of this lady and this lady. we’ve only met a a few times before they came down here to spend the weekend with me, but we knew from the start that we could […]
thank you all for the wonderful words and support you have shown our family. for all you ladies of 142 who still have your husbands gone, when this moment happens to you, it will make it all worth it. we’ll be there with you when they get off the plane in about a month. can’t […]
because yes, today is THAT day. we drive up north and i get my GI joe husband back. we have to stay up north for a few days because he has to do out processing junk, so i’ll upload pictures when i can. have an awesome week. i for sure am.
you were born and threw me into the “i’m a mom” world. here are some fun facts about you right now: *you have an incredible imagination that just doesn’t quit *your siblings look up to you and you can make any situation exciting *you and i have our highs and lows, but we also have […]
i’ve been wanting to make these forever, well just for a few months actually and i finally got around to making them yesterday. i think these are better than any school picture up on the wall could ever be. i think i’ll make one for each kid every january. i bought the frames one at […]
lo and behold my first ever meandering quilt job done on betty. or ever, no wait i tried it once before only it was worse on my pinto sewing machine that i had before this Cadillac of a sewing machine…most definitely need, NEED more practice, but this year i’m trying new things, even if i’m […]
decorating with plates. this one is in my daughter’s bedroom and is my most favorite plate that i own. it’s enamelware with little flowers on it. if anyone knows where i can get any more i will forever love you!!! i found this one around a year ago and i thought i had died or […]
piping is scary to me. i attempted it for the first time 4 or 5 years ago. it wasn’t pretty. but then i was sort of new to sewing, really new to sewing, and i didn’t have the right feet for the job. needless to say i was completely turned off by the whole process, […]
but i have no pictures to show you of “twilight” country except this one because i was a moron and forgot my camera. GI Joe husband was great to send me this picture that i took of “us” with his pathetic camera and he was kind enough to look up “forks” on the google map. […]
to say that i’m not happy with this quilt would be lying, to say that i’m happy that it’s snowing right now would be lying too. i’m from southern cal i have a reason to think snow should be “visited” and not lived in…so all you snow lovers go out and get cold, i’m staying […]
yeah i like it a lot. so much that i think i’ll put in the little one’s room on display when it’s not out in the living room for valentines day. now if you’ll excuse me my laundry has gotten the flu. that’s the only reason i can see explaining why it has thrown up […]
first off thanks for yesterday. really i love your guys’ comments. 🙂 second off lets get on with that valentine quilt i mentioned a while back that i thought would be a good idea to make. here are scraps of fabric i have collected over the years with good intentions of using, i always have […]
with GI Joe being in the states it makes it that much more “real” that we are almost at the end of this year long deployment. this last year i have gotten a taste of how it is to be a single parent. i salute those women who don’t have “just a year” alone. this […]
salvation army finds: tall glass hurricane $3 medium size $2 50%-70% off “christmas” decorations that can be used all year long finished quilt tops: i finished two this last week and was suppose to quilt this one but the boys made… this fort around my computer and sewing area so i got nothing creative done […]
something that this little quilt has made me realize is that i really miss making quilts. it’s been a super busy year for me, and i haven’t really been able to focus on bigger projects like quilting in a while. this year i promise myself to change that. i’m making at least a few quilts […]
if you haven’t been to jo-ann’s lately, oh my it’s not the jo-anns i knew a few years ago. or maybe being out in the middle of nowhere really does a number on you and you think anything other than walmart flannel is hip happening and gives you butterflies in your stomach when you see […]
