mustard. not just a condiment.

starting with my new cowl i just finished, i've become a bit obsessed with mustard yellow accessories... which is good because i've been seeing them everywhere!

at the end of the summer, i got these little sandals at target:
and now that the weather finally chilled out i'm looking at these very longingly:
and then ended up making ribbon-wrapped bangles in a mustard-y color:
i'm totally in love with all the rosette headbands i've seen all around... i've thought about trying to make one, but i'm awfully tempted to just buy this amazingly pretty one by the mustard seed co:
when i was in the mountains a few weekends ago, i saw this cute mountain chick in a coffee shop, and while i didn't quite have the bravery to take a picture of her on the sly, she was wearing a really cute multi-strand stone necklace [with a long gray cardigan and a really awesome ear warmer] similar to this one by dana leblanc designs:
yep. gonna have to make something like that one too.

my clothing tends to be way too on the neutral side, so a bit of color here and there has been really fun and a great transition to fall! there are some lovely grays and purples and browns out in stores that would look beautiful with mustard accessories if i could just work up the nerve [and a little cash] to branch out of my same-old-same-old. now if i can just resist the urge to wear everything yellow all at the same time...

mountain cowl.

this past weekend when M and i headed to the mountains again for the weekend, i took a little project along with... to me, the "road" part of road trip simply means [mostly] uninterrupted crafting time! yay! and plus, crafting on the road to the mountains is a bit of a tradition now thanks to our trip to the same town two years ago when i made matching hats for all three of us.
as you can see from the giant bump in the photo, baby came along for the trip! guess i'll need to be making a fourth matching hat now!

it started when i saw this beautiful photo of a mustard yellow cowl scarf on a friend's photography site [ironically enough, also on a pregnant lady]:
and i admit, i got a bit obsessed. how perfect is that yellow against that chambray shirt and navy cardigan? i had two perfect skeins of yellow yarn in my stash [originally intended for part of an afghan] just waiting in the wings! perfect for this project. i used this free online pattern and adjusted the amount of stitches [i did 80] so it would be nice and slouchy, just like i wanted. of course, i didn't get it all finished before we got back from our trip [a very, very busy and fun wedding weekend!] but it was ok since we came home to weather about 10 degrees hotter than the beautiful breezes of the mountains.
surely my new cowl will come in handy once the weather finally turns! i'm still figuring out how to wear it- it can be puffed up some like this, or pulled straight down in front which makes it look just like the inspiration picture. yay!
[ps. please excuse the no-makeup-running-errands look!]

and it actually zips!

this is a momentous moment.

y'all.

i sewed something with a zipper that actually zips and i didn't break anything or sew through anything that wasn't supposed to be sewed through [like my finger].

my mom has been making these for years, and they are amazing, and she made it look so easy. i never got her to show me how, and never could find a pattern or anything for them after she went home to heaven [though, knowing her, she probably didn't even use a pattern.] i , like many other amateur sewers out there, admit that i am very scared of a zipper foot. as in, terrified. but last night i decided i was going to go for it. bite the bullet. sit bravely in front of my sewing machine with my tutorial next to me and strike out into the unknown. i've been planning a new product line for leaf&letter, and getting some ideas together for an upcoming craft show, and this zipper foot was the only thing standing in my way.

and here is my beautiful little fully functional zippering pouch in all its glory:
i'm so proud.
it helps that i used twelve22's zippered pouch tutorial, because it is pretty much the best, most well-written, and easy to follow tutorial ever. and that is what i needed when it came to zipper foots. and i only had to google "zipper foot" once to make sure i was using the right one [i was], and i only had to rip out one seam with a seam ripper before proceeding [the very first seam that was too far away from the zipper].

i feel as though i have conquered.
if i get really brave, i'm thinking of trying this tutorial for a pouch with an off-center zipper, and if i get really really brave, maybe even this one for a boxy case zipper pouch! oooh or a zippered pillowcase with piping! hurray!

more treasuries!

i wrote last month about petite bee bibs being featured in an etsy treasury... i love these things! they are like little collections that people make of their favorites on etsy based on a theme [and you know how much i love a theme.] turns out that two more bibs were featured!

life's a beach featured the blue fishbowl bib
and i heart cute featured triplet peas! thank you both so much!

coming soon...

so i fell in love with those little wrapped bangles and have gone a little crazy with them... they are coming soon to a craft show near you!

boy on board!

we found out yesterday that our baby on board is a boy! given that i've got a list of girlie crafts a mile long for k, you think it would be a little harder to find cute stuff to make for boys... not the case! of course i'm going to start with my little man having his very own whale and sailboat bibs hot off the petite bee presses [i see lots of whales and sailboats in his future!] and then i'll get started on these:

little travel car cozy by homemade by jill

a necktie onesie by crap i've made

polka dot crib mobile by sew she sews
[i actually have something very similar to this already started!]

molded racecar crayons also by homemade by jill

a little bear crocheted hat by yarn chick


and of course, big sister just may need these adorable counting and colors books by lu bird baby for use during our "special quiet time" aka when momma is nursing 22 and a half hours a day. and here is the sneak peek we got of our little man:

on the cheap: fabric bangles.

i got this cheap plastic bangle bracelet at walmart on a whim a couple of weeks ago, thinking i would wrap it in jute or twine maybe with a big burlap flower or something... it was only $2 bucks so i had to have it to experiment with. so experiment i did!
i saw some beautiful inspirational fabric bangles on etsy, and thought i'd try one out with my little plastic number. then my 2 year old was walking around with a roll of almost-gone packing tape on her arm, and i thought why not make two? a little trash to treasure, if you will [please excuse my late-night-crafting no-sunshine photos!]

just some strips of fabric and a little glue:
wrapping, wrapping, wrapping, and gluing:
and a little ribbon lining inside and a little of my favorite jute trim for the outside of the bigger one!
i want to make a big stack of these for my most favoritest craft show ever, southeastern's craft & bake sale, which is coming up in november. i'm so excited about it, i will have bibs galore and a couple of fun things for mommas. i think for the next batch though (aka the selling batch!) i'll swipe the bracelets first with just a bit of gesso to prevent the ugly neon plastic from showing through the fabric- and oh such lovely fabric i have in mind! what a fun way to use strips and strips of it! and now i'm wondering if they need a little fabric rosette on top...
by the way, i think the combination of craft and bake sales are the best idea ever. what could be better than doing a craft show where you can eat a fresh baked cupcake while selling your lovely handmade things? and who doesn't love to snack while shopping? genius, i say.

the most wonderful time of the year!

every year as fall blooms... the colors, the freshness, that crisp feeling in the air, and all the crafty inspiration that seems to fall as freely as the leaves... and of course, my love of pumpkins. i'm more and more convinced that fall is my absolute favorite time of year! it is most definitely my favorite time of year to decorate, and this year is no exception! my fall mantle and fall porch are under construction, soon to be ready to enjoy until december 1st rolls around.

here are some tutorials of the lovely fall things out in blogland that i can't stop thinking about this season:

• 'stained glass' leaves [wax paper & crayons- genius!] by v&co.

• fall leaf & burlap frames by dream home

• autumn leaf table mat by make it & love it

• grapevine garland pumpkins also by make it & love it

i can't wait to get to work on some of these little numbers! i also think the burlap backed frames could work with several season ideas... with a shell glued on for summer, or some kind of little rick rack christmas tree maybe?

i'm not sure where this photo came from [if it's yours, please let me know so i can link to you!] but i think this is pretty much the cutest idea ever for a little pumpkin party favor... i have a good friend whose little boy is turning one next week and the theme for his party is octoberfest- how perfect [and simple!] would these be? some little orange circles of tulle, little handfuls of candy corn, and a green pipe cleaner stem. perfect.
happy fall!