silhouette applique tee

'tis the season to be sewing. i've almost finished making my Christmas projects and here is an easy one you can whip up for a quick gift.

it's fun for kids and adults and it can be as simple {beginners} or elaborate {sewing vets} as you want. you'll need:
-basic sewing supplies
-sewing machine, thread, and jersey machine needle {about size 80/12}
-glue stick
-blank tee shirt {pre-washed and pressed}
-jersey knit scrap* {also pre-washed and pressed}
-simple applique template

*jersey knit is basically t-shirt fabric. it's a little lighter in weight than other knits and comes in many prints and colors. if you find one that is particularly slinky you can beef it up by ironing on a light weight interfacing to the back.

1. cut out your template on the lines.
place it on your jersey scrap and trace with a water/air soluble fabric pen.

2. rough cut around your design leaving a generous border surrounding.

3. turn over and gently dab glue to the back
being careful to stay within the lines of your design.

4. place on your tee and smooth down scrap to adhere glue.
add a few pins to make it secure.

5. change your machine's needle to a jersey one. sew scrap to tee stitching directly on the lines.
it helps to start at the bottom of the tee with neck closest to you and turn the sleeves inside out.
be very careful not to tug or stretch while you sew - you don't want puckers.

6. i used a triple straight stitch which goes back over itself two more times.
this makes the stitching more visible, but you can also use a slightly heavier thread.
press again using stream.

7. trim fabric close to stitching leaving about a 1/8" border.
be oh-so-careful not to cut your shirt. you'll be so mad if you do.

8. voila! you are done. there is no need to finish the edges since knits don't fray.
depending on how wide of a border you left, the edges of the applique will just roll in the wash.
if the glue made your shirt a little stiff, that will come out in the wash too.

i've made a few for my boys featuring their latest obsessions. i can't wait for these to become their fave tees. i'll have to post pics after they open these beauties Christmas morning.

maternity pics

let me tell you about my friend kari. she is the kind of person you want to hate, but she is so gosh darn likable that you just can't seem to do it. she is a yoga instructor, has all her babies naturally, is sweet and sincere, has the most gorgeous blond hair you've ever coveted and....
takes beautiful pictures.

sorry if this is too many for you to care about. it was really difficult to narrow it down to these. but now if you're curious, you can catch a glimpse of my growing oven. {p.s. it has grown considerably since this photo shoot. no fat jokes please!}







if you want her to take your pics, you better hurry! she could be moving out of state in the near future.

gobble these cupcakes

this
{1. cake mix. obviously. 2. jumbo cupcake liners + jumbo muffin tins. 3. not pictured - homemade frosting.}


plus this

{1. chips ahoy mini cookies in the pouch, and... 2. chips ahoy mini cookies in take-along cup. they're smaller. 3. m&ms or reeses pieces separated into colors. 4. icing carrots. i bought these from my local candy factory but candy corn works also.}


equals this:

{don't overfill your cupcake liners.
these make up best when the cupcakes are not mounded at the top.}


which results in this:

{we will be taking these on thanksgiving day for the less mature pallets who don't appreciate pie.
i highly recommend cutting them in half before eating.
the jumbos can be overwhelming for little mouths.}

too true

Hilary sent this to me and i about died laughing.

muchas gracias

saw this idea here and loved it. we did it for family night. it was cute to see what the boys were 'glad they had' as we put it to them. i drew my own leaf template but this is a good one too.

what are you thankful for?

that's just mean

I belong to a club called zulily. it's kinda like a costco that sells high-end goodies just for kiddos and moms at a discounted price. you never know who will be in the shop that week and they only stay for a few days.
well i opened my latest email from them to find a brand called 'Hazel'. {sorry link is for the adult line. i couldn't find the kids stuff.} that's the name i desperately want for my imaginary daughter. {oh please please don't take my name if you are pregnant with pink right now! unless i have no idea who you are.}

and just look at that picture!! that is exactly how my hazel will look! ok, her clothes anyway. do i dare try for a daughter after this one? or call it quits like i'd planned?

{if you want to join zulily, can i refer you? just send me your email address in my comments. i won't publish it unless you want me to. and i get store credit for every person i refer who buys.}

ooh. pick me!

I wanted a cruiser for Christmas and this one is being GIVEN AWAY! it's so pretty and i could stick a baby or something in the cargo pit. BRILLIANT. if you want to enter the contest too, click the pic.

sooo pretty. powder blue. with a place for a basket...
sigh.

Scary Christmas.

Every year it sneaks up on us and puts us in a half nelson of last minute stress.
join me in my crusade to enjoy each and every minute of the season this year {practically stress free} by planning ahead!

Here's what's worked in years' past and what will {i hope} work this year:

• MAKE A LIST - CHECK IT TWICE. you wouldn't go to the grocery store without one, why not gift shopping too? Rifle through catalogs and decide what to get before you enter the store and suffer amnesia. Also, people are talking about what they want now. keep a notepad and sneakily write it down when they casually mention all their socks have holes.
  
• 
  
• BUY PRESENTS YESTERDAY. i can never afford to buy all at once, but if i notice that season three of 30 rock is on sale, i grab it. and save it! and do take advantage of stores with lay-away. they don't charge interest, just a small fee, and then it's 8 weeks to pay it off. also, break out that notepad when you see something you were looking for but can't buy now. i hate trying to remember where i saw that stinking toy after trial-and-error store number 3.
  
• 
  
• INSTIGATE WRAPPER'S DELIGHT. wrap presents as soon as you buy them. i always do this for three reasons. one - because i'm a freak and i get a high out of wrapping presents. two - because then i can take my time and do a super cute job instead of trying to burn through a mountain of presents on Christmas eve. three - if someone happens upon their present {dan you nosy weasel!} it's already wrapped and they don't know what it is. let's throw in a fourth - Christmas trees look cuter with presents underneath.
• 
  
• SEE INTO THE FUTURE. sales on toys are rockin this time of year. i go ahead and buy caden's birthday presents too. i'd be too broke if i waited till january to do it after Christmas took my last can of who-hash.
• 
  
• START YOUR TO DO LIST. decide what festivities you want to do with your fam now. then look up dates online and pencil them into your schedule. december is a busy month and if you go see Santa when he first appears at the mall, you probably won't have to wait in a line.
• 
  
• TAKE A LOAD OFF. go through toys and clothes and take the biggest load you can manage to good will. play the 6 month game. if it hasn't been worn/played with for 6 months it won't be missed. you're making room for all the new goodies you'll get, plus you're providing a better selection to those who will be having a second hand Christmas this year.
• 
  
• BUY PB. when you go to the grocery store, throw in an extra jar of peanut butter or can of tuna. then when the food drives come - a - knocking you can give them the good stuff they really need.
• 
  
• GET HOT FOR TEACHER. not that way - with a glue gun! i love to give homemade crafts that parker helped make. if we start now, we can take our time and even to do a re-craft if the first turned out kinda scary.
• 
  
• ADDRESS THE PEOPLE. update your addresses and print your envelopes. or at least labels. even if you don't have your Christmas cards ready. it will put them in the front of your mind, and addressing is the most tedious part anyway, right?
  
• 
  
• BUY BATTERIES. and batteries, amen.
  

Good luck to you all and to all a merry Christmas.

but wait - there's more!

he's gone mad - mad I tell you!!

and beware his unholy creation!

Parker was very theatrical. he developed a little laugh he would do for people. he didn't understand that 'mad scientist' meant crazy though. when people asked him if that's what he was he'd say, "no. i'm a happy scientist!"

Caden was very in character too. what with all the frightening tantrums and the weeping and wailing? he was a very convincing monster! the poor thing hated the bolts glued to his neck.

I'm sorry son but mom is a costume Nazi. the bolts are an essential part of frankenstein's monster and a neck strap won't look convincing enough. you will endure in the name of Halloween and like it!

get ready for the halloween shake down!

the season's festivities included...

going to a pumpkin patch with cousin grant

this is my fave. note Dan's disgusted expression.
now direct your eyes to the child on the far left.
that's why.

oh look. happy again.

finding 'the one.'

handsome boy.

and that's when my camera's battery died.

witches' night out.

the geddes girls and I


earl the owl. we met at gardner village.
it was love at first sight.

the nevin witches

we got a little loopy as the night wore on and the sugar kicked in.

what child wouldn't follow this one into her gingerbread house in the woods?!

carving pumpkins - of course.

everyone knows you carve better when you stick your tongue out.

fuits of their labors.

a full range of emotion.

witches be crafty!

I think my boys may be growing up with a model of the female homemaker that's disproportionate to, perhaps, what is more common. Every woman they know and care about is a wicked creatin' machine! I just hope their future wives are into it too or they might think something is wrong with them.

I'll admit I may go a tiny bit overboard sometimes. but hey - I'm not the only one!

festive pillow cases made by Grandma. {my mom}
they look adorable on the boys' orange polka dot sheets.

homemade eyeballs.
we grabbed a package or two of white ping pong balls from the dollar store,
added a few colored permanent markers and...

but none were cuter than the ones parker made.
great kids craft - he had so much fun he was giddy!

spooky broach.
hit the dollar store again for an assorted bag of plastic critters.
'paint' them with regular school glue and coat with glitter.
i did about two coats. when it's dry, attach a bar pin on the back with hot glue.
makes a fabulous party favor!
careful where you pin it though - this guy has roving hands!

spidey pillow.
I stitched mine with heavy white thread and my machine.
but you can achieve the same effect with fine yarn and hot glue.
the fairy god-mother of all glues.

poisoned apples.
grab the already made caramel apple dip {chocolate flavor} from the store and warm it up. Whisk some in a bowl with a teaspoon or two of boiling water to make it more runny.
add a drop of black food coloring and drizzle on top of apples.
then gently shake to make it creep down the sides. don't worry, it'll dry.
spooky. and tasty. spasty. or tooky?

trick -or- treat bag made by Nanna. {dan's mom}
I swear they didn't call each other.
they just happened to make their projects out of coordinating fabric.

Spider's nest cupcakes.
great for your next party.
these remind me of the book: the trouble with mom.
darling book! recommended read for the kiddos.
not just for Halloween either.