Return of the Coffee Cozies

I have received several requests for coffee cozies, since I decided to stop taking wholesale and custom orders.  I have really stuck to my guns, politely declining any requests that I have received.  After several requests from the Coffee Pod, I decided to fill an order for them.   My coffee cozies are all over their facebook page.   I am working very slowly, but I am almost half way done with it.
In case you are new to the blog, here is a tutorial on how I make my coffee cozies.  On these cozies I used cotton poplin photofabric that I purchased from Joann's.  It comes in 4 x 6 inch sheets and works great with ink jet printers. 

I

This order made me actually weed through my stash of sweaters.  If I can get my act together, I am planning on posting some wool sweater pieces to Etsy.  I also have a stack of vintage sheets and pillowcases I would like to list too.  The plan is to cut the sheets into charm packs or fat quarters.  Hopefully I will have the rest of the coffee cozies to show you next week. 

 

 

 

Kitchen Update

Last weekend we were busy painting the back door and front doors, so there is nothing new to show you with the kitchen.  Mitch did work on a riser for the washer and dryer using the tutorial below.  I think it is pretty close to being done.  We just need to paint it. 

Source: kleypas.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

We did meet with an electrican on Thursday, but he has not given us an estimate yet.  Mitch also met with a contractor who is willing to work with Mitch on the project.  He will do as much or as little as we need him to do.  Our next step is to figure out what we are going to do about the cabinets.  I wouldn't mind trying to make the existing ones work, but we are reconfiguring and taking out the soffit above the cabinets so I just don't think it is going to be possible.  We would really like to take advantage of the extra room so having taller cabinets makes sense.   Once we decide on the cabinets, we should have a better idea of how long it will be before construction officially begins.  The plan right now is to do everything except for the floor refinishing.  We will probably wait until the Spring so that it can be done while we are on vacation. 

I still get a headache every time I think about all that needs to be done to actually complete this project, but I feel like we are making progress.

Tuesday Trade-Off with Uncommon

Today I am participating in Tuesday Trade-Off with Trish and Bonnie from Uncommon.  They are sharing an awesome tutorial with us today.  I am sharing my Reversible Messenger Bag Tutorial on their blog, so be sure to check it out. 

We are Trish and Bonnie from Uncommon and we are so thrilled to be here today! We are excited to share our Jersey Garland Necklace tutorial with you as part of our Tuesday Trade-Off series!    Have you seen the fabric covered beaded necklaces popping up out there? I love them! Here was one that really caught my eye by Ruche.

I was shopping the clearance section of Wal-Mart yesterday and found a gorgeous peacock knit shirt and a set of beads to use to make one of my own. Here is how it turned out... I can't wait to wear it to a Mother-Daughter Valentines Brunch this weekend. So sweet!

Jersey Knit Garland Necklace Tutorial

Supplies:

• T-shirt or fabric of your choice
• Matching Thread
• Beads
• Scissors and/or Rotary Cutter
• Turning Instrument (optional)

Make two casings about 1 1/2 inches wide and sew one end shut. I got lucky and could just snip the ties off of the shirt. Don't you love it when that happens? Make it as long as you'd like, depending on how long you want your necklace to be. Keep in mind you are going to use a good bit in the knots so be liberal.

Turn the casings inside out. I used a turning tool. You'll see it a couple of steps down. If you ever make ties for anything, this is a lifesaver!

Now you want to close the casing smaller where the beads go in. Start where you want the knots to begin and sew a diagonal line and then all the way down to the open end. this will give you a thick tie, but a tight grip on the beads.

This is what your two casings should look like after you resize them.

Now, turn both casings right side out. See my handy turning tool above.

Tie your first knot. You want to space this to leave plenty of room to tie on the necklace.

Slip a bead through the casing down to the knot. Tie a knot next to it. Continue doing this with both sides until you have an inch or so left near the opening. Now, place one casing inside the other (shown above) and sew it down.

This is what your necklace should look like at this point. Ignore my knees in the photo!

Now, cut several strips and tie them on to the necklace where you would like them to go. I used strips that were about one inch by five or six inches. They don't have to be perfect. Use as many until you reach the fullness that you like. Make sure to tie some strips where you joined the two sides together. You are done!

Thanks so much for having us Jen!  We would love for you guys to join us on Uncommon anytime! 

Trish and Bonnie

Aloha Bottle Caps Giveaway

A few months ago I was contacted by the owner of Aloha Bottle Caps.  She saw this post that I had written about making recycled bottle cap necklaces.  The big box of bottle caps must have caught her eye because she asked if I had any bottle caps that I would be willing to send to her.  We have been saving bottle caps for years now, so we have A LOT of bottle caps.  We communicated back and forth and came to an agreement.  I would send her bottle caps in exchange she would send me some of her products. 

 

Aloha Bottle Caps uses recycled bottle caps to make earrings, necklaces, and key chains.  They are based out of Hawaii.  If you have a chance, take a look around the website.  Sarah, the owner, is one talented lady.

Last week I received my care package in the mail.  She sent me so much stuff.  I would love to share some of the goodies with you.  All you have to do is leave a comment by Friday October 14th and you are entered in the giveaway.  There will be 4 winners. 

If you have bottle caps that you would like to recycle, you can send them to Sarah. 



Catching up on the kids

Lately my blog has been all about the kitchen and pinterest.  I admit that I have been lazy with my posting.  Life is busy and some weeks it's all I can do to post anything at all.  I know a post featuring the kids is long overdue.  

 

Harper has been taking Tae Kwon Do for a few months now.  She won a free month and a uniform, so she decided she would give it a try.   She is loving it.  She was named student of the month for September. She is testing for her yellow belt on Friday.  She has class on Tuesday and Thursday.  Then sparring on Fridays, plus another optional class on Saturdays.  I think it has been great for her, but it is time consuming.

 

I had a conference with Harper's teacher a few weeks ago.  The teacher only had positive things to say.  She said that she was a very hard worker, well behaved, and gets along with everyone.  She is doing great with reading and spelling especially.  Math doesn't come as naturally, but she works really hard.  I left the conference feeling so proud of my sweet girl.

Harper is also a Brownie Scout this year.  She is still with the same troop.  I have been helping out more with the troop this year, which has been really fun.  She is part of such a great group of girls. 

The transition to Kindergarten has been much smoother for Miller than I had anticipated.  He definitely seeks comfort in having Harper around, but is also gaining more independence and confidence.  If you ask him what he likes most about school, P.E. is always his answer.  They are running in gym class to prepare for a fundraiser and mile run that is scheduled for next week.  He loves running the track.  He told me that he always comes in first when they run.  The Spanish teacher confirmed this when I dropped him off last week.  When she saw Miller she said, "Miller is the fastest kid in Kindergarten."  I knew he was fast, but I wasn't sure how he would do with pacing himself for a long distance.  I can't wait to see him run next week. 

I have a conference scheduled for next week with his teacher.  I am a little anxious to see what she has to say about Miller.  He doesn't provide much feedback when I ask him questions about his day.  When he gets a card pulled, he can never remember why (of course).  He has only pulled his card a few times, so I am hoping this isn't an issue.

Miller is playing baseball again this fall.  He is playing twice a week.  He has improved so much since last season.  I think he is finally catching on to how the game is played.   He even caught a pop up at his last game.  Mitch, who is coaching his team, gave him the game ball.  He was so proud (me too).

Harper and Miller continue to have the typical relationship.  They either love each other or hate each other.  They still hold hands most days when I pick them up from school and they are walking to the car.  It is the cutest thing ever. Most of the time they play really well together, which make the afternoons that we are home much more enjoyable.  Since we are on the go so much now, they seem to cherish the time we are home more. 

Pinterest- Owls

It's no secret that I love owls.  So here are some of my owl pins.  Enjoy.

Source: myowlbarn.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: spoonflower.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: annesofieholm.dk via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: vi.sualize.us via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: vi.sualize.us via Jennifer on Pinterest

Source: boygirlparty.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Kitchen Update- Week 3

Well, we officially have plans for our kitchen remodel.  I have additional sheets with all the measurements too.  It is so nice to have all the measurements so we can order cabinets and countertops, etc. 

So here's the plan. 

 

We will be removing the upper cabinets and switching the sink and dishwasher. 

 

It was hard to get it all in the frame, but this gives you an idea of what we are doing. Please try to overlook my dirty kitchen.

 

This pretty much stays the same, except we will add a cabinet in the corner.  We will also actually have an oven according to this plan.

 

We are going to move the fridge to where the door is now.  We will put in upper and lower cabinets with a countertop to give us more storage and countertop space.  The pantry will be on the other side of the fridge.  Then we will put a piece of furniture in the corner. 

 

 

 

The door has 2 more coats of paint and a door knob now.  It is officially functional.  Now we just need to finish the drywall and paint.

Now I am ready to get started!!