inspiration: quiet books.

now that i have my own wee little, i am completely taken with the idea of making a soft/quiet book for her. there are so many amazing ones being made out there in crafty blogland! my little girl is at an age where she loves to flip through the pages of books herself [but can be a tad destructive to paper ones] so i'm thinking a simple colors book and a simple counting book all in felt and soft cottons.

here is a little visual inspiration to have on hand for when i make mine... [eeee i get excited just thinking about starting this project!]

soulemama's birthday book made for sister by two brothers! the full explanation is just so sweet. this would be awesome as a book to record all the little firsts in a baby's first year. i like the trim and decorative stitching around the edges, and she even made some of the pages out of her little girl's baby clothes!
homemade by jill made one for a friend that was modeled after one she made for her son- i really like the interactive/removable parts and pieces! and because she is awesome, she also included the templates on her blog [and don't even get me started on the pure incredibleness of her felt playhouse!]
shelley wallace's etsy shop is a treasure trove of adorable patterns... the first one i saw was this colors book that i'm completely in love with. the little rainbow of stripes on the front, and the little simple page elements are so great! what a fun, tactile way to learn colors!
then i saw that she had made a new 'winter wonderland' version... a felt mug of hot coco with pom pom marshmallows? completely love it. be sure to check out her shop, she also has a completely adorable nativity book pattern and 'forest friends' pattern!
and there is, of course, a martha version, with parts and pieces that button on and off and are stored in a pocket in the back of the book.

i'm pretty sure i'm going to be heading out soon for some eco-felt and stitch one up!

clothing confuses me.

i keep saying how i'd like what i wear to be a little more creative [i've mentioned some of my tricky fashion issues before]. i've lost a little weight now, so i'm awkwardly in-between sizes and despite having just spent a little birthday money on new clothes in november, i've fallen safely [and comfortably, i might add] into the zone where getting dressed in anything besides yoga pants and a tee to leave the house constitutes "dressing up." i even bought a cute sweatshirt/pants with the express purpose of them being cute enough to leave the house in. i think that's a bad sign. i'm in the bad habit of not wanting to buy cute stuff until i can get down to my goal size, in order to keep from buying something i love only to be heartbroken when it doesn't fit anymore [optimistic, right?].

so a few days ago i went into anthropologie. i love it so much that it's a little masochistic of me to even darken the door... it is equally, at once, 100% inspiring and 100% depressing because it's all so expensive. i mean, excessively so. but i had to exchange something for a different color [lovely christmas gift from the husband!], they were having a sale, and i had christmas money. trifecta. so i bought a really cute pair of wide-ish leg sort of nautical jeans, originally $118, for $29.99 thinking i'd pay at least that much for a pair of cute jeans at target, right? and these are not boring. while looking around though, i realized something. anthropologie is basically a thrift store... an excessively expensive thrift store. the things that were full price i would have bought and worn and hoped they looked cute-young-artist and not shopped-in-her-grandma's-closet, although these days, i'm not sure the two aren't interchangable. here's an example:
i love this skirt. i'm crazy about the color, and the crochet/lace stuff reminds me a little of my wedding dress. i would happily wear this skirt and feel fun, unique, and interesting. however, i'd also feel a little bit like i was wearing a skirt that a 60 year old woman in the 1940's would wear. but i'd also feel a little like i was supposed to feel like that. and all this confusion and self-analysis could be mine for a mere $148.

so, my point being, i can't afford anthropologie, but i can thrift shop and get creative. i had a bit of an i could make that moment. and i realized that there are tons of cute tutorials online that are very similar to what is being sold in anthro these days!

here is the expensive anthropologie-inspired inspiration:
and here are the tutorials that are going to help make it happen:

• ruffle rosettes [and a toddler dress!] by happy together
• ruffle tank from a long sleeve tee by mama made it
• ruffles and rosettes tank by ruffles and roses
• rosette tshirt by hope studios
• and [my favorite!] the holiday ruffle tank by alisa burke
  

a couple of other cool things i think could be self-embellished are these sweater/slipper boots [you could even make the boots yourself first!]:
a cheap-ish pair of sweater slippers and a crocheted flower tutorial, and you're in business with that one.
and i definitely think this necklace would be just about the easiest thing ever to make thanks to this great tutorial that shows how to make the little fabric poppies. you could also make this beautiful ruffled version!

[all product photos thanks to anthropologie's website!]

while i'm at it, i'll probably have to have some ruffle-y shoes too. you know, just to complete the outfit.

oh, and also probably one of these scarves.

and i must say while we are on the subject of both fashion and ruffles, i want so badly to be the girl that could get away with this:

warm & cozy.

i feel like i write often about how much i love to crochet. i like that you can pick it up or put it down at random, and that it seems to be by nature a very relaxing and homey type of craft... i pretty much always have a little something started that sits in a basket in our living room, even in the summer, patiently waiting until i come back to it. it's a little bit of a guilty pleasure for me, really. i love the way you van start snuggling under an afghan while you're making it before it's even done yet... the way a basket full of different colors of yarn calls to you to come make something, and of course, the great pleasure of a finished project! i love how that first little loop on your hook can become anything from a winter hat to a baby toy, and is so full of opportunity.

my winter 2007 yarn stash restock:
so $28 bucks of brand new yarn later, i have a freshly restocked stash:
cozy, snuggly, and opportunity. sounds good to me. i have some new projects in mind:

• earmuff/headband [just like the sundance one i've been stalking!]
• earflap hat
• fingerless gloves
• fishy pillow [super cute for a baby boy/nautical themed nursery]
• christmas couch cushions
• a fancy cardigan [if i get really craftimistic!]
• a ruffly scarf
• and maybe some mini hearts [maybe for valentine's!]
• and possibly a little cushion for my little girl's new rocking chair!
  

it's also great to be coming off a high from some recently-finished crocheting projects as well!

a guest room afghan:
[giant granny square- i use the martha stewart method, which includes turning after every row.]
the reading chair afghan:
[started as a granny square, then i added a random solid bar, then continued the granny square. i started this for-ever ago and finally finished it.]
a table top christmas tree:
and i've got two more afghans [we toss them in a basket by the couch and call them snuggle blankets when watching movies, which is pretty often in our house] in the works, a striped one from this pattern based on a striped "collegiate" look, and a multi-colored one using a really simple, quick pattern with a fat hook and yarn [the fatter, the faster!]. i know that sounds like about a bajillion afghans, but really it's only four. and we use them a lot because we are snuggly people.

and honestly, pictures of yarn just inspire me. i guess it's the saturated color or the oh-so-soft texture. just makes me want to cuddle up in a blanket and make something. i mean, really, crocheting is the ideal craft if only because you can do it while lying down and vegging out. win-win. i looooove these colors:
[via a beautiful mess]
[via the purl bee]
[via maryjanemidgemink]

on the cheap: winter trees.

i'm a december = christmas kind of gal, the decorations go up december 1st, and don't have to come down until the 31st [or maybe january 1st if you've partied a little to hearty]. that being said, i think i officially have to call these winter trees instead of christmas trees at this point! so here is the little winter wonderland that has taken up residence at our house this year...

felt trees. LOVE. and if you're going to have one, why not have a forest, right?
i borrowed several tutorials to create my little forest.

tree #1:
for the two biggest ones i really wanted to use wise craft's tomorrowland trees tutorial. hers are made with felted sweaters, but i was going to sew together sheets of felt. however! after some sad attempts at trying to get the right shape to fit the cone, and it not working at all, i saw some almost squarish ones from garnet hill, and altered my design a little... success! it is four triangles sewn together, and it just slips right onto the cone- exciting, because that means you can just slip it off and gently flatten it to store away for next year! i also loved these leafy ones, but decided not to attempt them for now. i found this gorgeous shade of green felt [at joann's, maybe .30 cents a sheet?] and knew it had to come home with me and become little felty trees.
i can't decide if i want to add a little embroidery to this one or leave him solid green.

tree #2:
the very biggest tree was the one that took the longest to finish (well after christmas if i'm honest!). but i definitely think it was worth it. i really wanted to do some sort of crocheted tree, and it took me awhile to find a tutorial or pattern that was free/simple/easy. after lots of googling, i found the perfect one [and a beautiful crochet blog!] over at dottie angel- simple, and also open to interpretation. about halfway through, i lost track of how the rows fit together, and just winged it until it looked right. sounds crazy, but i'm so happy with how it turned out! tree in progress [right beside my little tour eiffel it reminds me of this]:
i think i'll be making more of these for next year. i have to admit, though it only took me about three days, i was relieved when it was done. it was like knitting a sock, and being glad there wasn't a second one. and i had a little crafting-nerd-thrill when there was exactly enough yarn left in my leftover skein of that amazing green yarn of which i must buy more.
but they needed a couple of little friends! that's where the party hats came in... $1 for 8 plain, regular little cardboard paper party hats at the dollar store. i just took off the elastic trim and started gluing stuff!

tree #3:
this one i honestly made up as i went along, gluing 2 to 3 inch strips of ribbon that i'd cut with pinking shears. [confession: i might re-do this one a little bit before i put it away with the christmas decor, using little ribbon loops instead... it needs a little more 'fatness!']

tree #4:
i roughly followed this tabletop tree tutorial, except i did mine in long strips of fabric and just fringed the edge, rather than pinning on several little pieces. there was some kind of stabilizer already ironed onto the fabric [leftover from one of my mom's projects] which made it much easier and sturdier to work with.

tree #5:
the next one i cut out tons of little 1" paper circles from card stock and wrapping paper and glued them all around, using my trusty fiskars 1" punch. then i decided it looked a little too... flat. since many of the trees were ending up solid in color, i wanted them to have lots of texture and look a little leafy! [plus, it just kept reminding me of a buddy the elf costume].
but then, i found a similar tutorial done in felt, so i did a quick re-do with 1.5ish" circles of that same great colored felt. i just traced the lid of a little medicine bottle and cut them out:
i also purposefully glued them [right on top of the paper] a little more randomly, which i liked better than the perfectly-lined-up way the paper circles turned out. story short: i liked it in paper, i loved it in felt.

tree #6:
i needed some bigger trees, so i followed this really easy [although time-consuming] tutorial that made a tree from folding a magazine! i thought this was the coolest idea. it looked really cool with the different papers showing through the folds, and i thought about hitting it with just a little bit of left-over green spray paint to soften it a little bit, but in the end i liked the extra color.

tree #7:
with one more party hat as the base, i made one more- a super simple yarn wrapped tree [also found two great tutorials if you're interested, one pearl button and pretty ditty!] i think this was one of my favorites, and next year i might just stick with this one kind and make tons of different sizes, maybe spreading them down the middle of the dining room table like a centerpiece/table runner. sort of like these paper ones from better homes & gardens. forewarning though... this one gave me the most glue-gun burns! even though the yarn was a little hard to wrangle.
i also made this origami-like one from martha out of increasing sizes of paper circles. if i were to do it over again, i would have kept increasing up to 8" circles to make it larger rather than stopping at 6" like hers did, but when it was finished i just wasn't crazy about it! a little too pagoda-y for me i think, but it was fun and easy. plus, i never did get a little spool for the base, so i propped it in a little glass jar and it was always leaning a little.

little trees:
i had made some little stuffed felt ornaments a few years back, inspired by these japanese ones,
so i tucked them in between the bigger ones to fill in a little bit.

i really like tree/leaf themes throughout the year, but especially love them at christmas! and it turns out lots of other folks are loving them too, since i found about a bajillion other cute tutorials, each of them just a little different but all pretty simple and very adorable!

felt tree with a stick base by recycled lovelies

wrapped felt tree by inside a black apple

ribbons and trims tree by thompson family-life

felt layer tree by felt-o-rama

felted circle tree by the long thread

and a stacked cone tree by the small object.

if you're going for a candyland/whoville christmas look, a couple of gumdrop trees would be completely adorable [and of course a gumdrop wreath to go with it!]

this year they all lived on a bookshelf by the reading chair, but for next year, i'm envisioning a long, plain table runner down the middle of a big dining room table, filled with trees with different sizes and textures, a string of christmas lights and maybe some faux snow. a little christmas forest of trees! [or maybe on a shelf amongst my white dishes.]

my three favorites! these were so quick and satisfying, i can't wait to make more for next year! are you noticing a theme about this particular craft? if you don't like the first incarnation, try try again! also known as the wing-it method. apparently craftster summed me up as well with their new logo:

the evolution of a shelf.

in my eagerness to fill the no man's land above our couch... a wide, empty expanse of plain tan wall... i may have done something a little silly. i talked my hubby into going with me to pick out materials (brackets and a pre-cut piece of closet shelving) at the home depot, put him through the frustration of using the level to drill in the brackets while i held the shelf over my head, and then realized:

i didn't know what to put on the shelf.

here's what i started with back in november:
pretty plain, right?

i think the shelf idea started with the the fact that my little iron birdcage needed a place to live other than on top of the black speakers for the tv where it basically just disappeared. this little birdcage has earned its place in our decor after having held the box that held my engagement ring when my hubby asked me to marry him! the man (and the ring!) were definite keepers, and so now is the birdcage.

but obviously, it was sad and alone up there on the shelf. i loved these awesome fabric leaf sprigs the minute i saw them on etsy, and debated for a nice long time whether i would be able to attempt a diy version. considering that would mean combinging a sewing machine needle and a piece of floral wire ( i don't have the best track record for sewing through/around strange things without hurting myself) i decided that $21.50 plus a bit for shipping was not a high price to pay compared to having another accidentally-sewing-through-my-finger incident (yes. really.) however, if you are feeling brave and want to give them a go, they are originally by amy butler and there's a full-on pattern available for free on her website.

so i popped them in a pretty little vase that used to live on top of the fridge. also, i decided i really did want to try out that cute little fall banner.
[just a quick note on the banner: this was my first time working with real wool felt, not the cheap thin kind. i had heard such rave reviews of the wool stuff throughout the crafto-sphere, but i was unsure because it was so much more expensive and i was a little worried of what it may do to my sewing machine, but let me tell you... worth it. i used a 40% off coupon from my local craft store and got a sheet of yummy, deep dark chocolate brown and cut out the letters. it sewed just fine, and it took this humble little banner from something that i used for a little while and then maybe didn't care what happened to it, to something that i want to fold up and put away and bring out every year! the real wool felt makes a huge difference!]

it stayed that way a week or two until, in a panic that people were coming over for my daughter's first birthday, and i had this shameful naked shelf in the house, i added an empty frame [that i got super-cheap because the cork board it originally had in it was torn] leaned up against the wall to fill in the space.
then, christmas came and i got really lucky. christmas decor seems easy to me because more is better... more red, more candy cane stripes, more ornament balls, and most of all more twinkly lights!
but now that the holidays are over and i must gently tuck the christmas decor away, i feel at a loss again. maybe i need to scrap it all, start over, and just fill the space with something huge. maybe a door. what do you put on your shelves/hang on your walls/do to fill a decorating no-man's-land?

...a new one just begun!

there's something so deliciously fresh about a new year, isn't there? even just the date, january first- makes me think of when you open a new jar of peanut butter & the top is so perfectly smooth and you get to be the first to gently put a knife or spoon in there and mess it up! this past year [link] has held a lot in my little crafty world, and i'm sure this next year will hold a lot of new as well, including a potentially huge move! [more on that soon]

it seems that my two die hard ambitions each year are generally the same: lose weight and get organized! well, i'm 30 pounds into the weight loss and working hard to keep it going. as for organization, i seem to get a little better each year, but in the next few months, some serious work will need to be done in my craft room. here is the image that sums it up for me for this new year:
[photo via design*sponge]

another main goal that has gone unspoken in the past is to continue to grow in my faith in and love for jesus. he is my reason for living and the lifeline behind all that i do, and i want this little blog and everything i make to be an expression of worship and glory to him!

another year over...

well, i can't say i'm to sorry to see 2009 go... it's been a wild and crazy year in many ways! but i am very excited, as always, about a new year and the fresh feeling of a new realm of possibilities that it brings. so, just as i did in 2008, here's a little wrap-up/look back of some happy things throughout the year that is ending:

::: the sunburst mirror :::

::: a wintery wreath :::

::: a cupcake extravaganza :::

::: a baby party :::

::: lots of new projects :::

::: a few not-so-great and one great craft show :::

::: a couple of handmade gifts :::

::: my whole first year of mothering :::

and of course, a lot of inspiration and ideas from my little blog village of a very wide world web, that is maybe not so huge after all.

i'll be greeting the new year with my amazing husband of five years, my sweet baby girl who is admittedly suddenly not-so-baby anymore, and my best childhood girlfriend. with a sweet pup of course, and lots of good movies and munchies. it is a good life.

happy new year!