Water Baby

I have a water baby on my hands.
She’s always loved it.

As as kid, I took swimming lessons and was uncomfortable and scared in the water. 
Fortunately, I outgrew my fear and learned to love it. 

I signed Hannah up for swimming lessons this week.

I asked her if she was scared.  She looked at me like,
why would I be scared? 
“No, I’m not scared.  I’m exciting to go!”

Parenting lesson of the week:
Don’t assume that my fears are going to be her fears. 
Got it.

So, move over Dara Torres. 
There’s a new girl in the fast lane.

No Fuss Fabric Flower Tutorial

As promised, here’s my tutorial for no fuss fabric flowers.
Quick, easy and virtually no sewing skills required.

Let’s get to it, shall we?

And that’s it!
You might be thinking:

Can I fray the edges to make it look more shabby?
Can I add more layers?
Can my fabric strips be cut shorter or longer
to make smaller or bigger flowers?

Yes, yes and yes!

That’s the beauty of the no fuss fabric flower. 
You can’t mess it up, really.

And, did I mention that it has many possibilities?  

Attach it to a bag.

Wear it on a sweater.

 
Find a cute three year old and pin her curls up with it.

Now go make one.
All the cool kids are doing it.

I’m partying with these gals!

My Funny Valentine

On this Valentine’s Day 
we are separated by oceans and continents.
But you are in my heart.

Thank you for being you and loving me for me.
Thank you for making me laugh.
Thank you for silly, witty text messages.

I. Love. You.

Wordless Wednesday: In the Kitchen

Mama’s Got a Brand New Bag

Saturday morning, Shawn and Hannah went on a little daddy-daughter date while I went to a sewing class at a local craft studio.

My goal?  Learn to sew a zipper.

It’s not that I’ve never sewn a zipper.
It’s just that nearly every zipper I’ve sewn has been
filed under “Projects that Fail.”

Here’s what I made at the class:
It’s got a cute pocket for my celly.

And one for my little camera.

And a zipper!  Oh, would you look at that zipper!

I was happy with my fabric selection.
And I was happy with my zipper.

But there was just something missing.
It needed some panache.
So with my leftover fabric, I made some panache.

The bag? Reversible and practical.

The flower? Versatile and ridiculously easy to make. 
No sewing machine required. 
Tutorial coming soon.

Hey Boots, Where Ya Takin’ That Girl?

Snow Days

We’ve had snow on the ground almost every single day since Thanksgiving. 

Seriously. 

Hannah kept asking me, “Will you make me some snow pants?”
That one’s best left to the professionals, so last weekend we searched and found a great deal on a pair of snow pants and matching coat. 
Both are a size larger than she’s wearing now, which means that she’ll get to wear it next year.  Score.

So we bundled up

and hit the hills.

We made snow angels

and Shawn did some party tricks.
He learned to juggle while living in his college dorm.

Although I’ve lived in NE Ohio my entire life, I don’t own proper or matching winter outdoor activity gear, as evidenced below. 
Mostly because I avoid winter outdoor activities. 
After about an hour of playing in the snow, I went to the car to warm up while my snow bunnies frolicked. 

Based on the squeals and giggles,
I’d say it was a pretty successful day.