The Charlotte Dress

Embroidery hoop on a shoe string budget!



I love this sweet little dress! It turned out just perfect. This project is a gift for a dear friend of mine's baby girl.



I have always wanted to order personalized labels, but this will have to do.

Zebra Cakes

Juliet's and Cougar's Birthdays are coming up in the next week and I am in party planning mode.

Juliet is planning a Fancy Nancy party. I think a zebra stripe and hot pink birthday cake will be just perfect. The challenge is the lack of budget I have to work with.

This means, I will be making any zebra cake myself.

No, I do not know anything about cake decorating.

I have been searching online for inspiration and found these amazing zebra cakes. They are incredible! I hope I can pull some ideas from what I found and make something I am not embarrassed of.

Bloomers.
They came out super cute, I think. Bloomers use a ton of fabric. I also like to make my own bias tape for around the legs, so it matches. Bias tape is easy to make, but uses up a lot of fabric also. Maybe because bloomers are necessary, but not the main event, perhaps I do not like making them so much? I dunno, but, perhaps I will try adding ruffles to the back or something fun with the next set of bloomers I make.



Juliet and I went on a window shopping spree at Juicy Couture. We tried on clothes that were way more that I could think about affording, to keep from being tempted. : )



Mr. Mustachio

Have it Your Way

So, I tried to keep Brock from jumping into the ditch full of cold water at the park.
Ultimately his strong will beat me out.
I got distracted helping Juliet with something; he made a run for it.
And he won.

Baking Buddy

Juliet is my little helper in the kitchen. I felt it was only time she had her very own apron that really reflected her personality.

Pinkalicious, being her favorite book, was the initial inspiration. I found a pink 100% cotton fabric covered in delectable cupcakes. The fabric alone was too flimsy for an apron.

Cut a piece of canvas to the shape you want your apron. Cut your decorative fabric the same only 1 inch larger all the way around. Fold the cotton fabric at 1/2 inch around the edges and press. Fold one more 1/2 inch and pin in place all the way around.

Use belt material for the apron strings and neck. Measure to fit your little one and pin in place. Go around entire piece with lace trim, pinning in place.

Time to SEW. Flip to back and sew just inside the 1/2 inch mark. One time around should catch everything nicely.

Finish apron by folding outer edges of apron strings in twice, pin and sew down.

For a personalized look I found a "patch" of the letter J. I first ironed it on according to the directions. I made the monogram permanent by hand stitching the patch in place.

Ooh la la!

bike rides and fashion statements

My new set of wheels!

I woke up feeling sick today, ahem... cough ...cough...

After a little Dayquil things started to clear up. I was quite happy to find that the temperature was 54 degrees this morning. I felt compelled to ride bikes to the school, despite my illness. I am not sure when it will be warm enough again. At least now I've done something, so I don't feel guilty about going back to bed.

Ever since the crosswalk guard told me I looked great one day, and then amended her statement by saying she usually just saw me in my PJ pants, I've been self-conscience of what I'm wearing when I take Cougar to school. I've been trying to at least throw on some jeans or black pants with my sweat shirt. When I drive no one can see what I'm wearing, but that costs gas and doesn't give me a work out.

One day I know I'll look back and shame myself for what clothing I have allowed myself to be seen in around town. But for now, I'll just have to be happy that I have ridden my bike today, Cougar got to school on time, and that all his homework was done.

I'm Online!

Really, I am! After a generous grant/early mother's day gift from mis padres I am finally not fishing for a line for the first time since September!!!

If only I were a bear. I would eat all fall and get nice and fat.

When it started to get cold I would curl up in my bed with lots of blankets and sleep all day and night until spring arrived.

I would wake up skinny from living on my fat all winter and be ready to hit the beach. It would be perfect. I wish I were a bear.

Rain Drops on Roses...

I am sure of these two things:

1. The older I get the more eating a graham cracker reminds me of eating a cardboard box.

2. Some say that when it's cold you can just bundle up. This is the cold hard fact: No matter how much I bundle I'M STILL COLD. No matter how hot I get, at least I'm not COLD.

I was thinking about what Maria sang in the Sound of Music. "I simply remember my favorite things, and then I don't feel so bad." So, I have been thinking about my favorite things, and here they are:

Favorite Movies I secretly watch over and over-
Clueless, High School Musical, Stella, Zoolander, Beaches, Brady Bunch Movie, Bring it On, Nadia

Favorite Movies of all time-
Life is Beautiful, Moulin Rouge, Romeo and Juliet, Lord of the Rings

Favorite TV shows-
Project Runway, 30 Rock, Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Little House on the Prairie, Brady Bunch

Favorite TV Channels-
Bravo, HGTV

Favorite Play-
Barefoot in the Park

Favorite Broadway Show-
Les Miserables

Favorite Animal-
Horses, I like Bunnies too

Favorite Sports-
Gymnastics, Cheerleading, Tennis

Favorite Job I've ever had-
Lifeguarding

Favorite Books -
(I'm so cliche)
Pride and Prejudice, Harry Potter, Twilight, Island of the Blue Dolphin, Chronicles of Narnia, The Giving Tree, The Art of Homemaking

Favorite Athletes -
Nadia Comaneci
Hershel Walker

Favorite Movie Director -
Baz Luhrmann

Favorite Actress -
Sarah Jessica Parker

Favorite Actor -
Ben Stiller

Favorite Food -
Chocolate
My mom's Spaghetti

Okay, so what are your favorite things? Do we have any in common?

Mo' Money, Mo' Problems

So I am sitting here pondering... Am I just not supposed to be doing anything other than, simply caring for my children and husband at this point in my life?

I keep attempting ways to help lift the financial burdens from my family and I seem to fall short at every attempt. Is this a sign that I should not worry about bringing in money right now and focus on my family? Or is this one of those times, like Abe Lincoln's first failed attempts to run for president?

Do I get back on that horse? Do I decided that this isn't the time in my life for horseback riding?

Pajama Party at Disney Hollywood Studios

My parents used to tell us stories from when they worked at Six Flags of the people who were so excited to get there that they forgot to turn their cars off in the parking lot.

We laughed at them. Well, it's their turn to laugh. We were so excited to take a day and surprise the kids by going to Disney, that we forgot the bag with their clothes and shoes at home. We got to Disney with a carload of kids in their PJs and no shoes!

So we did what we had to do and went to Disney in our PJ's and bought some flip flops at the first store we saw.