Wear it Wednesday - Sew Many Skirts

Last weekend I was talking to my hubby and saying.  I stayed home all summer and I can't remember what I did besides yell at the kids to do their chores, he told me to go check my closet.   OH,  yes, now I remember.  I wore a different skirt once a week for sure. 

Here are the skirts I made myself this summer.

a brief description so you can AGAIN see how cheap I am.

#1 was a 9.99 skirt I got at Ross at least 3 years ago. It was too small in the waist and went to the ankle, so I chopped the top 6 inches off added the proper amount of elastic and.... voila, an updated skirt, knee length, but best of all it finally fit me so NEW SKIRT #1. YAY ME

#2 Purple skirt, funny story - On our way to my nieces wedding, which I had been wishing for a purple skirt, but sadly no time to make one before leaving on the long road trip which we were counting as our summer vacation.  Then while we were stopped at our friends house for a couple of nights in OR, I realized I had not brought a skirt.  We (me and my friend Kristen) were so disappointed that we were going to have to go shopping.  Super, Super sad huh?? well I couldn't find anything I liked, so we ran to the fabric store, grabbed some stuff, went back to her house, and got out the sewing machine.  It only took like an hour. and cost about 6.99 or less, I am sure I had a coupon.  Plus I whipped one up for Kristen too.

#3 Bored to tears of my only knee length black knit skirt I made this one out of the $5 dollar 5 yard bolts at Walmart, I love those sales.   so $5 plus $1 for elastic.  love it.

#4 is a corduroy fabric with brown and some turquoise in it.  I remember buying it 5 years ago, it was one of those memorable days at the fabric store.  I love it but have never had time to make it, I used the waist band of some comfy stretchy pants that were in the throw away pile.  Now that was a fast skirt and I don't really remember how much the fabric cost but does it really matter?  Its been 5 years. hahaha

#5 the last one was a splurge I really wanted a yellow and grey skirt so I went to the "expensive" fabric store.  I think I bought 2 yards @ 9.99 each.   and had a lot left over.  which made a super cute tie for my cousins little boy. and I think I can make one more.

The gray layer was another 5 yards for 5 bucks bolt from Walmart, and I have plans to make a gray skirt for winter with it. 

Tuesday Tips - Tomatillo Salsa

I am so Excited to be done with canning I would do a back flip if I could,  this year I used every single jar I and my mother in law own,  I don't want to count them that will only make you think I am so pathetic.  I made raspberry jam, blackberry jam, apricot jam, strawberry jam, zucchini relish, corn, beans, red salsa, tomatillo salsa, peaches, pears, and apple pie filling.  The best part was I bought NO produce, it was all offered to me by neighbors and friends.   I am so grateful to live out in the country.  Farm life really fascinated me.  I've been watching them harves beets behind my house all day, wondering what they would think if I started taking pictures. haha

I just think the peaches and salsa are so pretty, don't you.  Well my friend Paige introduced me to Tomatillo Salsa this year, she brought me a little jar to taste it and a bag full of them,  WOW, it is good stuff. here is her recipe.

Tomatillo Salsa

5 1/2 c tomatillo's (blended)
1 c onion
1 c peppers
1/2 c white vinegar
4 Tbs lime juice
4 cloves garlic
2 tbs cilantro
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp hot pepper flakes

Bring ot boil simmer 10 minutes, put in hot jars, leaving 1/2 inche headspave
process 25 minutes.

Monday at My House - Kitchen Wall

 There it is.  New coat of paint, some new artwork,  well new is not the right word  all of them old looking..... Does it look like I went to the Thrift Store and picked up a bunch of stuff?     Wait, don't tell me, I like it, I think its prettier in person. 

now I am thinking too much.  One of the pieces has some antique silverware and the other in the matching frame has my husbands grandmothers measuring spoons,  which we picked out when she passed away several years ago. 

I also love having the salt and pepperon that little shelf right next to the table.  Do you always realize you forgot it after everyone is sitting down?   WELL I DO. 
Click here to find out more about the silver ware art, or here to see where I got the printables.

Okay One wall down, and .................... well all the rest to go.  Love having painted walls after waiting a year!

Fabulous Friday - Kitchen Art

Here is another piece I put together for my "freshly" painted kitchen wall.   Monday I will show you the whole wall after its all put together.

 

I started with a cute piece of framed art from Family Dollar. It was on sale for 3.50 and is about 10x14.

Next I took the whole thing apart, use a flat screw driver to pry those wierd "cheap" staples out, Carefully. You won't need the glass for this project  

all it took was some E-600, (already had) some old old silver ware I rescued from my mother-in laws trash (free) and a piece of scrapbook paper I already had.  (.50)

I really like it, and I have had that silverware laying around for about 6 years now.....  I used some as hooks on a sign I gave to my sister which turned out very cute, but now I have some in my own kitchen. YAY.  I am so relieved to finally get the wall put back together!!! Well there you go, Easily done for under 10 bucks, and I finished the whole thing during one episode of The Office,

Thrifty Thursday - printables

Can you get more thrifty than Free? How about just a little ink, and an old frame-- repainted of course.

I just painted the kitchen and I am about ready to hang all the pictures, I am just looking for a few last things.  Here is a thrifty tip.  THere are some CUte Cute CuTE printables out there,  I finally found an adorable Kitchen one on this cute blog, Life with the Ellwoods.

I am also using some from I am Momma Hear me Roar, as I redo my entry, I am making a gallery wall, kinda of like the one I linked to.  She has a great gallery wall.  THey are also all over in the pottery barn magazines.

Here are her printables she created.

It is so thoughtful of these cute girls to share their artwork with us.  So if you use it please let them know, and tell them where you heard about it.

Wear it Wed. - Skirt for a Preteen

Here is a skirt I recently made for McKinley,  She needs new dresses, skirts etc. since she recently grew LIKE A FOOT.  anyways, I just love everything Ashley makes at Lil Blue Boo  She has a super famous blog, and I got the idea for this skirt here  and I loved her bustle skirt but McKinley didn't want as many ruffles so I preteen'd it up a little.  She does love it now.  but its pretty hard to get her to pose for pictures. 

Have you sewn anything recently?
♥ Becky

Tuesday Tips, make a short necklace LONG

Here is a little tip I use a lot,

You can have a lovely necklace, but if its not the perfect length, it just doesn't work right with whatever outfit, and   I really don't like feeling like I am being choked. 

Well you can easily extend those short necklaces and make them longer

With these few supplies.



attach the clasp to one end of a piece of chain, the jump ring on the other end,  the length of chain will determine how long your necklace will be.

not long enough for this shirt.

only slightly longer but much better,  I might make a longer extender for this one, but then you would have a picture of my gut.... I didn't think you deserved that.

Now here is my favorite bracelet,  I fell in love with it when buying some shoes for my daughter, and in the bag it went... only when I gave my little darling the bag, she thought WOW, thanks for the bracelet mom, I am going to wear it on the first day of school......   What was I supposed to say?  So I borrow it a lot. haha

With an extra large extender it can be an awesome necklace.  You can even just use ribbon.  EEEEK I LOVE IT!

Thrifty Thursday - Pearls

super easy super fast and super cheap bracelet.

It is just what I was hoping it would be...   fast, dainty, and white.

start with a string of cheap knock of pearls or other beads.  You can sometimes find them on sale for around a buck or two.  and it really is time conusming if you are going to thread that many beads yourself.

double it up and thread a crimp bead onto the ends, add a larger pearl or even a button,  put the string back through the crimp bead and squish it!

You will need to play with it to figure out how big the loop needs to be to fit it over your pearl, this will be the closure, no clasp required here.

then......YOU ARE DONE. 

SUPER CUTE         SUPER FAST           SUPER CHEAP           SUPER EASY

If you need clarification on any instructions just let me know in a comment.
♥ Becky

Wear it - Wednesday PJ's

Rawlin is showing of his new Jammies.  I fell in love with this Robot fabric.  But the fabric is thin and it gets pretty dang cold here at night. So I lined them with some matching flannel.  He loves them so much and tells me these robots have "stwange powers".

Dana at MADE has some pretty good tutorials for making kid pants. Here.   Look for the LINED PANTS tutorial.
His shirt has a rocket I appliqued and then I cut out a robot from the fabric.

Tuesday Tips - Jewelery

There are so many cute jewelery organizers on the craft blogs, I even made a couple of them, but none of them were very practical for me, and I was always loosing jewelery!!   UNTIL NOW
I don't remember where I first saw this, but it made a huge difference in how long it takes me to get ready in the morning, and being able to find stuff.  I always put my jewelery away now, no more earrings laying around.  Because I LOVE to see it full of earrings.

Who doesn't have a cooling rack laying around, and even a bulletin board you aren't using.   - thrift store maybe??

 The Necklaces and bracelets are on a bulletin board covered in fabric,  they both hang in the bathroom, so I can try several on quickly to decide which one to wear,

I know, I know what you are thinking,  I have a jewelery problem.  *sigh,  My excuse, Jewelery is never too tight or too small, it fits just right and if I didn't shower a pair of earrings makes a world of difference.

Week #2 - my house?????

HAH, I lasted one week before messing up my new schedule.  Let me tell you why, cuz I got a real good excuse.

I spent 3 days in bed sicker than I've been in a long time.  But let me back up. Before I got super sick I had moved all furniture, taped baseboards, put about 10 cans of paint and rollers and brushes all over the dining room, filled the kitchen counter with fresh produce from the garden to pile for making salsa. then BAM.......  No mom for 3 days, or more,  now I am working on cleaning up the mess, I finished a lot of the painting and even the salsa, but with sick kids, I don't know if I will ever get this place straitened up.

I envy HOH, for her courage to post her unfinished projects with her challenge to finish them.  I am not sure I coulden handle that kind of presure.  but check her out here.  Her last project is so awesome.

Let me share another one of my VERY FAVORITE decorating blogs with you.  Pretty Handy Girl. 

I seriously love her blog, she makes me think outside the box, I will be using  a lot of her ideas as I decorate our new house.  That ladder for one, I even bought an old ladder a while back, KNOWING I would need it someday.

okay, I will post some of my to do list here so there is a little pressure

 (things get done quicker with pressure)

1. Entry, painted, now hang my shelf and redecorate it.

2.  A new Fall wreath for the porch

3.  The matle, oh I can not wait to show you!

4. Tile the backsplash, Tile purchased, just need my good budy Paige to show me what to do.

5.  Finish McKinley's room, hang chandelier and make her bedspread.

6.  The kids bathroom, YIKES.

7.  Paint the basement

8. Basement art gallery.

9. Make a memory wall in hall.

10.  Laundry room, finally organized, now just needs painted.

11.  boys room, redecorate. I've got big ideas, but Hubby is not quite on board, yet

12.  Dining wall - decorate with the pictures I am gonna make

13.  Temple picture project. 

14.  re-do the dining table top and chairs.

15. mending pile.

16.  baby gifts to sew.

OH NO, I just keep thinking of stuff.  I gotta stop, maybe I will have to give stuff a priority number.

Those are pretty big projects, now I hope I can get something accomplished this week.

Thrifty Thursday- rug and earrings

Here are some dollar store earrings. I really don't nee more silver earrings, and I almost never wear gold. However, I sure could use some black or brown earrings.  So I whipped out the trusty Krylon Spray paint.

I can't wait to wear them, I am a kind of obsessed with earrings. 

Here is the rug from Monday's post,  It is made with 6 dollar store jute rugs.  I tied them together with a ball of Jute.  I love it,  To go buy a rug this size would be about 40 or 50 bucks.  I hope my 6 dollar rug will last a while, for 6 bucks its worth a shot!