Travel Prep

Only 63 days till we make the journey over the many waters!  A bit nervous to be doing this trip on my own with the munchkin, but even if it's a terrible flight, it will only last for so long and then Grandma can play with the baby while I sleep.  (Sound good, Grandma?)  In an effort to make it a little easier on me and maybe a little more fun for the munchkin, I am making her some of her very own travel accessories.
First up: The Diaper Clutch.

It is always such a hassle to dig through the bag and find the diaper, the wipes, the poop bag (if needed) so I made this clutch to save sanity and to look oh so chic while on the way to the change room.  Because that is oh so important while carrying a squirming toddler who needs a change... :)

Next we have: The Backpack.

This one came about from a few reasons.  The hubby didn't really like carrying around my feminine bag with all the baby stuff.  I didn't want to go the way of the diaper bag AND purse, so everything always ended up in my purse; which ends up being the diaper bag and getting all the wear and tear of a diaper bag.  (However, now what am I going to put in my purse?!)  I also wanted the munchkin to be able to carry something of her own while traveling.  Even if it's just her blanket and a toy, those are two things I don't have to try to pack into my carry on and dig out over and over again.  I am also not a fan of themed items.  I don't want to give in to my daughter wearing Dora or Winnie the Pooh or any other character just yet.  I'm sure it will come, but I'll enjoy not having to deal with that yet.
Enough said about that, here's the backpack.

Can you believe that I had to order all the parts (zipper, triglide, and webbing) from Canada because you can't find white ones here?  I'm sure they exist here, but most stores don't have websites, or decent websites, so unless you want to drive around in hopes of finding some random store, good luck!  But that's an entirely different soap box. :)

I definitely have to give credit where credit is due though.  I have attempted to make other bags and cases and haven't figured out how to do so well with all the seams hidden until I found this tutorial.  I did do a few things differently, like the straps and shape/size, but the basic tutorial I followed step by step.  I will also be using the basic instructions for the last travel accessory that I haven't gotten to yet.  The Travel Art Desk.

And because the object of my labors is so darn cute:

I apologize for the camera phone pictures.  We moved and now I can't find the real one!

Hard At Work or Hardly Working

Wow, it has been a while since I last blogged.  Although I'm sure lots of interesting things have happened that you are all dying to know about.... blogging hasn't been on the top of my priority list.  However, I have been getting my backside into gear and have done some fun projects that I wanted to record.  We'll start off with the quilt.

 Yup, this one.  Talk about a LOT of work!  I saw this picture and couldn't help but want to make one of my own.  I had my own ideas of colors and what I wanted, but then I went to the fabric store.  Holy land of fabric!  I wandered around in this place for at least an hour before even starting to pull out the fabric I decided to use.

When the lady who works there asked if she could help, I told her that my ideas disappeared once I walked in the door.  She informed me that it happens ALL the time.  No surprise there!  

Isn't the fabric so fun?  I absolutely fell in love with the little turtles. I'm planning on making a puff turtle softie to go with it too.  Hopefully before Charli's birthday, but we'll see about that.  Now, although I am a pretty crazy seamstress who doesn't like to use patterns..... I did read through the instructions on Awaiting Ada first before attempting my own way.  Not that it was much different as there are only so many ways to puff a quilt.

Coming up next: Travel Prep.

Other Projects

I allowed myself to join Pinterest a little while ago, even though I knew it would lead to an addiction.  But the things I have found!!!!  Like my last post for the menu calendar.  SO helpful!  And these fun things I did for Valentine's Day.

Wire birdcage from here.

Mini kisses idea from here.

String art typography idea from here.  Although, I got the idea from there, I used my own type font and didn't use anybody else's patterns.

Pretty cool eh?  Hopefully I'll have as much fun for future holidays too.  And to keep me busy between holidays.......

Yeah...  that's my 9' couch covered in clothes that I plan on refashioning into something for myself or Charlotte.  And it doesn't include another pile I found in my closet.... :)  Time to find a sewing desk!!!

6 Months

Not only was it Easter this weekend, but it was also my baby's 6 month mark!  How did that happen?  It's hard to imagine her any different than she currently is, but it never ceases to amaze me how fast she grows.  For example, she is now:

weight - 18 lbs 12 oz
length - 27"
head circumference - 18"

There's a baby in our ward who is almost exactly 4 months older and they are the same size.  People very commonly guess she's 10 months old, so at least she's proportionally big!
Has anyone tried more of a baby-led-weaning approach with their kids?  I've never really been a fan of the whole purée thing and found this option.  Now, I'm not a gungho one way only person, so I've tried a bit of a mixture of ideas that seem to work for my munchkin.  She also doesn't like purées too much, but loves chewing.  Normally I don't give her anything very big so she won't choke.  However, because she grabbed what I was feeding her, we got this cute shot of her.

 She just loves melon!

As for celebrating her first Easter, I wanted to make her a cute dress.  I didn't want to go shopping for fabric, so this is a refashion for me.  Turned out pretty darn cute if I say so myself.  

Bassinette cover into Easter dress!

Not too bad for my first try and I think she liked it too. :)

Can't say it was quite as fancy or nice as the dress my mom made for her though.  She loves that one too.  Am I going to end up with a girly girl who loves dresses?  Who knows, but she is darn cute!

Thanks Grandma!

It Is Time

Okay, so I admit to being a slacker on this; however, sleep generally outweighs posting...  But, I have finally taken pictures (thanks to some prodding) and can show you the finished product of our nursery!  Yay!  Made with love and care (and some blood, sweat, and tears), I present to you:

The Nursery Nook 

Any guesses to how much this would cost to buy everything?  Honestly...  I'm a little curious. :)  As for how much it cost me, let us guesstimate. 

Items with a Price Tag

Wood (board & letters) - $10

Frames - $8

Lamp - $20

Buttons - $7

Fabric (boxes, bassinette, pictures) - $60

Paint - $10

Cubby Shelves - $80

Bassinette mattress - $40

Items for Free

Cutting of letters and plastic for boxes - Love you Dad!

Bassinette frame - Thank you Jodi!

Sheets and quilt - Love you Mom!

Plastic to create boxes - Regional Supply, thank you for not wanting to run a cc for such a little amount!

Stuff - Thank you family and friends for filling up those cubbies!

Creative Ingenuity - Thank you for not running me dry while creating my masterpieces! ;)

Total Estimated Nursery Cost - $235 (give or take a little)  I love being cheap!

Sorry the pictures are fuzzy.  I took them with the lesser of our cameras and we get terrible lighting in the room.  And yes, I am making excuses for my lack of ability in that area!

And for a final couple pictures to get you by till next time.....

He said I couldn't put this on Facebook....  Never said a word about the blog. ;)

Thomas and Rachael - I used the money to get her this little dress.  She looks adorable in it!  Thanks!

P.S. I'm sorry if this comes across as a bit of a Thankimony....  Oops.

Finished!!!!

The biggest project that I took on for this little one is creating my very own diaper bag.  Crazy you say?  Well, so does my husband, mom, sisters, brain, etc.  However, I'm done and I'm rather proud of my achievement.  Wanna see a picture?  Well?  Do ya?

This is what I saw and decided to create:

Now I know this is a little extreme, so I did leave out things like the insulated side pockets...

But, from a pattern created by my imagination and Mom's skill set I put together this:

And since I don't want to carry around my purse at the same time, I made this:

Just big enough for all the necessities. :)

Talk about one BIG sigh of relief.  For around $15 (the hardware cost the most) I made a bag that retails at just over $100.  Awesome.