Favorites of 2011

As we are nearing the end of this year, it's kind of fun to see how the year went.  I am amazed at the growth of this little hobby of mine.  Thank you so much for spending a little bit of my life with me!  I looked through the archives and pulled out some favorites from the past year.  These aren't necessarily the ones with the  most hits or the most comments.  Just ones I like, a lot.


Dishtowel into Pillow  - I bought a dishtowel of Colorado, but didn't want it to get dirty.  I sewed it into a pillow and it sits on a bench in our foyer. 

 Bench Makeover - I bought a bench for cheap and gave it a makeover.  I painted the legs, added more padding, covered the buttons and tufted this.  It sits at the end of our bed and we love it.

Green Smoothie - we drink these several times a week.  In fact, after all the Christmas goodies that have been coming into our home, this smoothie is the perfect way to bounce back!

Source: themacdougallfamily.blogspot.com via Laurel on Pinterest

Arts and Crafts Thursday with kiddos series - every Thursday, when my kiddos are out of school, we try to do some art project.  I loved looking back at all the things we've made together.  It's become one of our favorite things to do together.

Source: themacdougallfamily.blogspot.com via Laurel on Pinterest

Ruffle Bag Tutorial - such a pretty bag.

Source: themacdougallfamily.blogspot.com via Laurel on Pinterest

Allowance with our kids - this is the way our family does allowance.  It isn't complicated, it works, and I really think it is teaching them some basics of money.  All kids spent their own money on Christmas presents for each other this year!

Source: themacdougallfamily.blogspot.com via Laurel on Pinterest

Our office - this year, we got moulding up around the room, put in an executive desk, started filling up the bookshelves, and sewed some drapes.  We still have to get a light fixture, something on the walls, replace the office chair and cozy this room up.

Source: themacdougallfamily.blogspot.com via Laurel on Pinterest

Our Baby - yep, we've got #4 on the way.  I'm not sure if projects are going to slow down as I get bigger or speed up as I anticipate no spare time once this little duckling arrives. 

Again, thank you!  You have made our year such an awesome year!  We are very excited for the year 2012 and anticipate another fantastic year!

Also linking to:  Serenity Now, Someday Crafts

A Little Sparkle

 Yesterday was a bad day.  Yes, we have those over here.  I woke up a little grumpy (tell me that I'm not the only one who just wakes up crabby) and my husband was less than thrilled with my mood and let me know.  I had planned on going bowling, which we did, but about a half hour into it, I. told me she wished she would have just stayed home and that she wasn't having any fun.  I picked up M. during the day and heard a audible snap in my back and have been hobbling around.  We had to run M. to the urgent care and they confirmed that she has a UTI and she's on medicine.  In the meantime, she had 6 potty accidents-sigh.  Nothing like hobbling around cleaning carpet.  The jeans I think are super cute are about double my budget -rats.  I tried a new recipe and no one liked it.  There's more, oh so much more, but you get the drift.

I needed something to break me out of this!  So I added a strip of sequins to an old shirt I had. Two strips actually.

No, I didn't cover the whole pocket.  I. told me it looks weird that way.  I guess I don't care.  Funny, though, how that little sparkle gave me something to look forward to.

Today is better - no need to worry and call me, mom.  I'm off to sweat a little.  I like to say "I'm one workout away from being in a good mood."  and now, I guess I can add "I'm one strip of sequins away from being in a good mood."

Dish Towel into Pillow

I come up with the most catching titles, don't I?  That one just grabbed you I'm sure.  Anyways. . . .
This summer, while in Breckenridge, I happened upon the cutest dish towel. I searched through the bin and asked the lady if I could search the back.  I loved them so much I wanted to give them as Christmas gifts.  I only came up with Colorado and Arizona, though.

It had a map of the state I love.  I was charmed.

There was the cutest ric rac trim and darling stripes going down both sides.  But there was a problem.  If I actually hung this up in my kitchen, then people would use it.  If they used it, I'm sure it would get ruined.  Sad fact, but true.  I liked this too much to watch it get ruined.

Here is the pouch this came in.  Just so I remember and can hopefully track down some more states.

Anyways, I cut off the adorable trim and it's saved for another project.  I turned this into a pillow and added black piping around the edges.  It is sitting on my entry bench where wet hands will not get wiped on it.  I saw something similar on Young House Love as a giveaway lately and love the idea of getting each state of where we have lived (why did I give the AZ one to my sister?)  I am now on the lookout for a California, a Utah, an Arizona, and a Washington (I know, we technically haven't lived there as a family but I'm still counting it!)  It might take another trip to Breckenridge, but I'll probably just google them and see what I find - which I haven't taken the time to do yet. 

Doesn't it just make you love Colorado?

Slipcover Wing Chair

Before:  We've dubbed this chair "ugly chair."  Even M. asks if I'm working on the ugly chair.

After:  $30 worth of navy twill and leftover white piping that I made for my last slipcover

 This one was hard - so many turns and angles.  I'm glad I didn't take it on as my first slipcover project.  So much unpicking and trying it again. I'm not happy in the part where the wing meets the arm meets the back.  I do, though, have a rectangle pillow form that I'm going to cover and throw right there and hide it all.

Still, though, despite the difficulties - I'm really pleased.  It looks pretty cool - it's no longer the ugly chair.  The piping is awesome.

 

It's going to go in G's room - he was so happy I was working on something for him.  When I first brought the chair home and told him that it was for his room, but I was going to change it so it wasn't so ugly, he said "I love it and I kind of like ugly."  Oh, sweet boy.  It's massive for a little boy - but that's how I like it! 

Luke's Window Treatment

It started out with a picture and some fabric:

Then, after receiving some measurements, I did what I could to sew the picture:

I sewed the polka dot to the denim, then sewed the brown strips directly on top.  Next, I sewed lining to the back.  I finished it off by top stitching all the way around.

Isn't that polka dot the cutest fabric?

Then, the treatment was put up over the window:

And, I was so proud:

Little Luke just got a baby brother and a big boy bed.  I got to sew the window treatment for this room.  I didn't design it, just sewed it.  I thought it turned out so cute.

I wasn't there when they hung this, but I believe it is just stapled to a piece of wood that is connected to the wall with L-brackets.  Totally works - pretty inspiring!

A Work in Progress

I'm attempting to turn this:

Into this:

It is intmidating - it is a project that I'm trying to get the motivation to just go for it.  I don't want to mess it up.

I am armed, though.  

I've got:

See you on the other side!

PS - family and friends, I have started a family blog to replace my journals HERE

Evolution of an Office - Bookshelves

I showed you my blank slate of an office. Right after Christmas, we started working on it. Tom's parents came for a visit and started working on the bookshelves right away. I've been collecting pictures forever and they finally had a good idea of what I wanted. Between the two of them and our friend down the street with the right tools, they stayed busy for a whole week.

I totally underestimated how complicated of a project this was. When the baseboards came off, and the carpet was ripped back, I knew it was serious.



They flank the window and go up almost 11 feet high. I'm not sure I have enough to fill this up right now, but having too many bookshelves is not a bad thing. Go big or go home - right?

This week, we're going to finish all the spackle and the sanding and start the priming and the painting. Tom's dad is building cabinet doors for the bottom cabinets at his home where he has the tools he loves and then will get them back to us somehow. Crown moulding . . . I do love you. I dream of these bookshelves. Thinking about them takes me to my happy place.

Oh - for you observant ones. We did start painting. I wanted the color to show through the bookshelves, which complicated this project even more. Tom said it would have been so much easier if it had a back. They could have added a back and I could have just painted it before they added it - oops. The color is called Smooth Stone from Glidden. We still have a lot more painting to go, so you'll see better pictures as I get to that spot.

Evolution of an Office . . Part 1

This is our office:






Obviously, I haven't done anything with this room . . . but that is already changing. This room is right off the foyer, and it has taken over a year of planning (and saving) to start working on this room. It's a narrow and small with ceilings that slope up to 14'. Over the next couple of months, we're painting, installing built in bookshelves, installing a chair rail and wainscoting, finding the perfect light fixture that both of us agree on (we paid to have it ired for a ceiling fan, but my hubby and I don't have the same feelings towards those), finding the perfect desk, sewing a slipcover for a couch we already own, and then accessorizing everything. We've got a lot of work ahead of us and it has already started! With every step, Tom always questions me and makes me second guess myself, including this room. He might be skeptical, but I am super excited and ready to put in some late nights on this room.