Create

2 months, 4 weeks, and 2 days

2012-02-13T18:04:00.000-07:00

That's how long it's been since I've posted. Wow, better than my last hiatus of a year. Once we got into the holidays I just got busy and overwhelmed. The older I get the more that seems to happen, we have so much going on that I just let it get to me and I kind of shut down. I end up sitting on the couch rewatching episodes of Gilmore Girls that I have seen hundreds of times and eating something chocolate and gettting nothing done. Anyone else have that problem? One of my goals for this year is to keep myself going and not let that happen.
So we made it through the holidays (that sounds bad, we made it through.) We actually had a great holiday season with lots of fun, family, and food! And now I'm gearing up for baby #5 due 5 weeks from today. Our oldest is a boy, and now 10 years and 3 girls later we are getting another boy in our house. I love my girls, but I think it will be fun to have a change.
So the next little bit I'm going to be showing you all my cute little boy projects. It's fun to be sewing with blue again!! We kind of have a thing for minkee/snuggles at our house. I made my husband a throw for Christmas a few years ago and it is the favorite and fought over TV blanket. I did one for my yougest when she was born and "lovey" is her very favorite, she doesn't sleep without it. So I knew I wanted to make one for this baby. But I had a hard time finding minkee prints in the colors I wanted so I threw in a few cotton prints. It turned out pretty cute. And was super simple to do.

I cut 12-4&1/2" x 43" strips and sewed them together (tip-when sewing with minkee or snuggles pin really well, it stretches and you'll never end up even if you don't)

I didn't put any batting in it. I did the back out of gray snuggles, and cut it about 2&1/2" bigger than the front all the way around. Then just rolled it over twice, pinned and sewed.

Then I pinned off a 6 inch section about 1/3 of the way from each end and sewed right along the seam. I did this in the place of quilting to keep it together.

And ta-da, a super simple, super fast, super cute, and super snuggly little blanket for baby boy. The fabrics are just some random thing I gathered up. The aqua and gray snuggles are available in my shop. And you might recognize some pieces of Vintage Modern I stole from my mom. This will be out in May and hopefully I'll have a few bolts of that to share as well.

So it's good to be back. Stay tuned for more baby boy projects, hopefully I'll get it all done since I only have 5 weeks left-or 3 if I'm lucky ;)

Pinteresting Projects- paint, pasta, and fall blocks

2011-11-14T16:32:00.000-07:00

So I've been a bit of a slacker in the blog department this last week. But I've been busy. I actually tried out several of my "pins" and I'm ready to report.

My kids were dying to try the Bubblebath Paint. Which was super easy. I had the ingredients to make the paint on hand, we just bought a pack of kids paint brushes at a craft store for $1.50. We mixed it up and the kids went to town. They loved it! They played and painted for over and hour, which was great with me. And it was super easy to clean up. Just wiped right off. The only downside for me was that we had to drain, rinse out, and refill the tub for the actual bath part. But overall it was a fun project.

See the original post here

I also tried the Tomato and Mozzarella Pasta al Forno. I hesitate to rate recipes because I am not the greatest cook. So if it's not great I assume I did something wrong. It was super easy, and not bad. But not a rave. I would probably do a few things different. I used penne pasta, which was very noodley tasting. I'd try a smaller, thinner pasta. And we like things pretty saucy in our house. So maybe less pasta to sauce ratio. And I just bought a bag of shredded mozzarella (she called for cubed) and it didn't melt that well. So I'd definately buy a brick and cube it like the recipe said. I think I'll try it again with the above changes and
let you know. I didn't get a picture of this one either. So I'm stealing it from annie's eats. She's got lots of other great looking recipes I want to try.

And last Emily, my mom, and I (and all the kids) got together for a fun craft day and made some adorable fall blocks. The blocks were cut out of a regular old 2x4 you can get at Home Depot. Sand and paint them. A friend of my mom's cut the letters out with her Cricut. Then we cut out and Modge Podged cute fallish scrapbook paper to the blocks. And then the letters. They were really bubbly at first and we were worried. But they were fine once they dried. Then we added buttons, ribbon, ric rac etc for embellishment. I totally want a Cricut now. Great project, I need some of these for every holiday.

I also finished up some Give Thanks ones I started last year. (I have trouble finishing things) They turned out pretty cute too!!

We had a great day, I think the best part was my mom's brocolli cheese soup and breadsticks. Mmm... One of my favorites. I'll have to pass on the recipe sometime. But I'm warning you, no one can make it like she does!!

Wehadababyit'saboy!!

2011-11-06T00:19:00.000-06:00

Remember that commercial? It's one of my dad's favorites. We didn't actually have the baby yet. He's not due til March. But I had an US on Friday and we got the good news. The first thing I thought when she said it was a boy was "Wehadababyit'saboy." And guess what the first thing my dad said when we told him our news? Yep, "Wehadababyit'saboy." Scary! For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about go here and it will make a little more sense.
There was celebrating in the Berrett household last night. We currently have 1 boy and 3 girls, so we were needing a little more balance around here. My oldest, who is 10 and totally out numbered, has waited patiently (and sometimes not so patiently) through 3 younger sisters to finally get a brother. We're excited for ya bud!!

This is not actually my US photo. I am not techno savy enough to do that.
Looks like a cute baby though.

And I am excited for a change. It will be so fun to sew something that isn't pink and flowery. I don't even know what is out there for baby boys. I've heard it is a bit of a challenge to find. I'm up for it, that is my kind of challenge!
What is your favorite fabric line for a baby boy?

Ruby Tuesday

2011-11-01T16:21:00.001-06:00

So I was able to get my hands on a little bit of Ruby. It wasn't easy, it's going fast! And who is surprised? I am loving it! So in honor of my newly restocked Etsy Shop I am going to have a little sale. 15% off all orders with the coupon code RUBYTUESDAY. It will only go though the end of the day Friday. So hurry, I'm betting Ruby is the first to go!!

What will you create first with your Ruby?

(Picture stolen from my mom who stole it from my sister)

Pinteresting Projects-Dip and pumkins

2011-10-29T19:55:00.003-06:00

Lately I've been a little bit addicted to Pintrist. My sister got me started a few weeks ago and now checking out all the latest pins has become part of my morning routine. So the other day as I was pinning to my "I can make this" board I thought to myself, "I am never really going take the time to make any of this stuff." Depressing huh? So I emailed my sis we decided to make a plan. We are going to get together every couple of weeks or so and take turns picking a project and gathering supplies and try out some of these fun crafts and recipes. I'll keep you updated on our project adventures.
This week we made Chocolate Chip Cheesecake Dip. Wow! This was goo-oo-ood! And so easy too make, took less than 10 minutes. We ate it with chocolate grahm crackers and apples. Great on both, but the grahms were the most popular by far. They're chocolate! It did make a lot though. We went through a whole box of crackers and a couple of apples and still have at least half left. I'd probably half the recipe next time.

We also tried the Painted Pumpkins. This was a fun and simple project. And no ooey-gooey pumpkin insides to scoop out! We even let the kids join in. We gathered some craft paint in funky halloween colors, cheap foam brushes, and lots of newspaper!

We made a bit of a mess, but had a lot of fun!

Emily, the artist, at work. Shhhh.....

I kind of have a thing for polkadots.

Here's the kiddos'. Syd's (top left) took about 6 hours and 30 coats of paint. She kept painting and painting. Britton did his inevitable basketball, it's always a basketball. Bailey's is covered with her usual cuteness. And Anni, who is 2, ended up with more paint on herself than the pumpkin. But she had a ball!

I love Emily's. She always comes up with something I would never think of.

And here are mine. Not bad for an hour of fun!

So I'd say the first of our of our Pinteresting Projects was a success. I'd give both projects 5 stars. The dip especially will become a regular at our house. (Until it's time to loose the baby weight!) It's Emily's turn next time and I can't wait to see what she comes up with.

What's on your Pinteresting Project list?

Kate Spain-ia Mania

2011-10-27T14:50:00.003-06:00

Okay, dorky title. I know. I'm new at this, give me a break. But seriously, I love Kate Spain. She put her first line, Verna, out a few years ago. I loved it and have loved every line since. She posted a little peek of her newest line Good Fortune and it looks like she did it again. Here are a few fun things I found made from some of her lines.

Check out this Verna quilt at frivolous necessity blog. She has a ton of amazing quilts!

This one is out of Fandango by Brynn at Brynn Sews. Isn't that fun?

And of course, this super cute zig zag out of Terrain by Ms. Kate Spain herself.

My Mom who is totally amazing made 6 of these for all of us kids for Christmas last year. It's 12 Days of Christmas, and I totally love it. Can't wait to snuggle up in it with some hocho (hee, hee, that's hot chocolate) in front of the fire.

So, I've got a bit of Kate available in my etsy shop, what little I can bear to part with. I'd love for you all to email me pictures of anything you've made from her newest line in stores Terrain, I need to decide what to do with my little stash.

What's your favorite Kate Spain line?

Share Your Creativity

2011-10-04T07:30:00.001-06:00

The other thing I love about quilting is you can individualize it. Two people can make the same quilt and it can look completely different. Many new quilt patterns use basic blocks that have been around for years, but people put their own ideas into it and make it something totally new. Some people are creative enough to start from scratch and design something totally out of the blue. Others (like me) see an idea and tweak it to make it our own.

                                                         You can take a pattern that you love
                                                      (A Piece of Cake by Thimble Blossoms)

And just by resizing

or adding a little embellishment

you can totally change a quilt and make it your own.

So part of what I wanted to do with my blog is show photos of what you all have created and how you make it your own. So when you order a kit or some fabric from me I would love for you to send me a picture of your finished creation. We can share what you did and maybe inspire a little creativity in someone else.
(By the way, I have a few kits and fabric from some of these quilts for sale in my etsy shop. First order might find a little ruby in their box!)

Create

2011-10-03T18:28:00.001-06:00

So one of the things I love about quilting is creating something that is not easily undone. I am a mom of 4 and one on the way. So most days I feel like Cinderella. Make the beds, do the dishes, cook the food, clean the floors... Most of the things I do every day, I get to do again the next day because they don't stay done. Clean laundy is unlaundered, dishes dirtied, beds unmade... It's amazing, and depressing how my kids can undo in minutes what it has taken me a whole day to accomplish. It's like some law of nature in our house that they day I mop will be the day that a cup of kool-aid gets knocked off the counter, or a plate of syrup dripped across the floor.
Quilting is different. You know that feeling when you get that last few inches of binding stitched and you can hold it up and see what you just created. I love to lay it out in the floor and just look at it. And the best part is the more you use it and wash it the softer, and more lovely it becomes. And it stays done!! If you take care of it, it might even outlast you.

Am I a Blogger?

2011-10-01T22:05:00.000-06:00

Okay, so I know I'm not real up on all this. But I'm guessing one blog post per year does not make one a blogger. But it's kind of scary. Does anyone else feel like that? I even cringe a little as I read my last post. Do I sound like a moron? So you are all wondering why I am even doing this. Well, I opened up a little esty shop a few years ago. I started out selling ready made quilts. Toyed a little with quilt kits. Moved on to jewelry. And then kind of sputtered out. No wonder, I've had a hard time deciding where I'm going with all this. I am a busy mom with 4 and a half kids and it's hard to find time for extra stuff. I don't know how all of you do it. But I have decided that I really want to do something for myself. So... I love fabric. Love to look at it, touch it, fold it, sort through it, buy it etc. I'm a bit of a collector. No surprise considering my roots. So I think I'm going back to the fabric gig on my etsy. Not sure exactly how it will go, but I've got a few fun ideas. It might be a bit random at first til I figure things out. But let me know what you guys think. And keep checking back. Who knows, maybe I'll make something of myself...

I'm a blogger!

2010-08-26T12:54:00.003-06:00

Okay, here it is, my first official blog post EVER! Not that I'm not a fan of blogging. I really enjoy sitting up late at night jumping from one blog to the next catching up on friends and even a few not really friends. Then all the next day I speak blog in my head, narrating every little occurrence (i.e. changing the sheets, filling the dishwasher, sucking popcorn kernels out of a 2 year old's nose with a straw taped to a vacuum- really happened, she put them there, I didn't) as if it were a super exciting blog post. So I've really been more of a blog stalker than a blogger. But I have some pretty good reasons for not upping my status to an official "blogger"
#1-I don't consider myself funny or interesting. Probably not the best thing to share right off the bat. To my family and close friends who get me I think I am funny and interesting, but I am of the "better to remain silent and let people think I'm boring, than to open my mouth and then they'll know "philosophy. So I guess now you know.
#2-I am a lot technologically challenged - and I'm not even old. (30 is the new 20 right?) I've had this blog set up for months and was too overwhelmed to try to post something. My little sister had to come decorate(?) it and give me a quick Blog 101. Even my own mother made it into the blogging world before I did.
#3-My sister is like the Blog Queen of the quilting world. I'm honestly a bit intimidated by her. But she's also my inspiration. Back in Nov. she did a little post called "Create" and used Elder Uchtdorf's video clip. Sound familiar? That got me thinking, I had just started an Etsy shop and I thought it would be a good excuse to start a blog. And thanks to Camille's post my blog vision was born. (I'll fill you in on that later.)
But for now I just wanted to say "Hello blog world! It's taken me awhile, and I have every reason not to be, but here I am."