Another January craft!

I have been keeping busy staying in this month. When it's cold outside, there's nothing better than enjoying being snowed in. We had a deep freeze a few days ago, and man, was it freezing cold. So, the girls and I stayed inside (while David braved the arctic to go to school) and I made this warm hand muff. I got this cute new coat for Christmas and have been trying to think of some ways to accessorize it. I have been loving the beautiful scarves I've been seeing, but I didn't want to cover up the cute ruffle already up the middle of the coat.
I had seen a pattern tutorial for this muff on Grosgrain, but when I tried to print it, I couldn't get it to work. I really wanted to make it and so I made it without a pattern and surprisingly, it turned out quite cute I think. I'm trying to create a wardrobe item each month.(Especially because being pregnant, I don't feel like anything fits right or looks cute.) Next up, a valentine dress!

10 things we are loving about Dolce right now!

I can't believe how much Dolce is growing and changing in these past few weeks. I want to hold on to all the little details that make her and it seems like they change every few days. Here are 10 things that we can't get enough of lately.

1) She loves being held to read stories, or look at things, or just because. When she decides it's time for you to hold her she stands right in front of you and backs up until she's either sitting on you or you pick her up. It's so cute. She even does it with her sister.

2) She loves shoes. She wont leave her own shoes on but any time she sees a shoe around the house, she has to try it on.

3) She has learned to say "no," and shake her head or nod. She also knows the appropriate times for using these new tricks. Her "no" is usually very dramatic and at least three seconds long, often followed by laying on the floor crying.

4) She knows how to wave "good bye."

5) She's very curious and full of mischief. I am in constant amazement at the messes she can make in no time at all.

6) She climbs on everything right now. Her favorite roost is sitting on top of the kitchen table.

7) She loves doing everything her sister is doing. They play very cute together. I'm so glad.

8) She has the best smile, especially in the morning and when she has a messy diaper. She thinks it is so funny.

9) When I tell her it's time to go somewhere, (aka getting Mckinley to pre school in the morning.) she climbs into her rocking chair and holds her feet out to have shoes put on.

10) She points at things that she wants. She has such a sweet tooth that usually what she wants is a treat and you can't fool her on where the treats are hiding.

Stay little, princess, for a little longer. We love her!

Wall haberdashery and a felt pillow!

I love it when things that I see turn out the way I thought they would! This is so often not the case for me. I usually have a completely different vision from what I end up with. However, these projects turned out just as I hoped and I'm excited to display them in my house.

You could make this big wall mirror for less than 10 dollars! This is one of those cheap over the door mirrors that you can buy at Wal mart for $6.50. The embellishment is paper that came from a mass market paperback. You know, any book you aren't every going to read again.(Don't look too closely, the F word could be on some of those pages. So much better cut up and made pretty...)
My over the door mirror was falling apart a bit so I thought this would be a good way to re vamp it. I used some pinking shears to cut the edges of the paper and then wrapped the paper around the eraser end of a pencil to make it bunch together. Then hot glued the paper to the mirror. It was done in a couple of hours. Then I hung it on some grosgrain ribbon and put it up on the wall.


This felt pillow was just as easy, and actually cheaper. You can make this with 1/2 yard of felt. Cut two squares of felt 16''x16". Sew around the edges of the pillow leaving an opening to stuff it through. Turn right side out.Then for the petals trace around the rim of a large glass, a regular size canning ring, and a baby bottle top.(You can adjust your sizes to your own liking.) Then cut out 15 circles of each size and cut them in half. Starting at the outer edge with your large half circles, hot glue each petal in place. Layer the petals how you'd like them to be and when you get to the center, cut out 6 circles of your largest size. glue one flat in the center. Then fold the others in half then in half again and hot glue. Stuff the pillow and stitch the opening closed and you're done!

How to make a shoe new!

I have been seeing some very cute shoe clips online. These ones I made out of felt for probably less than a dollar. If you want to make your own, just trace a pringles can, the bottom of a bottled water bottle and a lid from a water bottle in the colors of your choice. Cut out and make slits one inch apart into almost the center of the circle with the two largest circles. Then glue them all together and attach to an alligator clip. Easy as pie.

Hello 2011

It's a bit late to be posting New Years resolutions, but it seems that this month has already caught me off guard! (And I think that 1/11/11 is a pretty good day to get things back in order, don't you?)
So, as we have done for a few years, we kept our tradition of having a New Years Resolution breakfast where we make a big stack of pancakes for everyone and plan our year. We also write down several fun things we would like to do as a family and draw out 4 of them.
As I have been browsing through and reading others resolutions, I've been very impressed with how motivated some of the people I look up to are.(If you notice that I've copied your resolution, please accept the compliment that I want to become a little more like you this year!)
Cheers to a new year with a whole world of "brand new!"

1)Pay off David's eye surgery.
2) Pay off Zion credit Card.
3) Go to the temple 4 times this year. (Our attendance was really down last year. NO good excuses.)
4)Finish the Book of Mormon.
5)Decorate 1 room each month without breaking the bank.
6) 1 sewing project/ craft project completed each month.
7) Exercise once a week. (This is an alteration from last year when I was going to exercise 3 times a week, which I did for the first week and then never again. Hahaha)
8) Healthier cooking by making better use of a really good weight watchers cookbook I have.
9) Fun Family event once a month. We started doing this last year and have had so much fun planning fun family outings.
10)Read one book per month. (Continue nightly reading with Mckinley, and Dolce when she's ready.)
11) Daily face washing. (Working night shifts is sometimes really hard on my skin. I need to be better about it.)


2011 Fun Things!
1)Sledding followed by hot cocoa and warm soup.
2)Go to the New Aquatic Center for a day.
3) Picnic at Sand Hollow.
4) Make an outdoor Pizza Oven and have a Pizza Party.

Lots to do! I love new beginnings!