Soft Christmas Ornament Tutorial.

This is a repost from last year (and the photos were from the year before!), but I think it's worth sharing again. I originally made these soft ornaments in 2011, and they are still holding up well on (and off) our Christmas tree with two little boys now!
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Need a bunch of soft Christmas ornaments for the bottom portion of your Christmas tree? Last year, I discovered that our tree was sorely lacking in the "toddler-friendly" department, so I went on a mission to find some. And, the only ones that I found were much more expensive than any ornaments ought to be (let alone the non-breakable sort!). So, I made my own. Here's a tutorial for some super easy, kid-friendly, and cute Christmas tree ornaments!

Supplies:
felt
thread (in colors to match the felt)
ribbon
scissors
marker
circular object to trace (2" to 3" across)

1) Trace circles onto the felt. You will need approximately 7 circles for each ornament.

2) Cut out the circles.

3) Give scraps of felt to toddler for entertainment purposes.

(Hey vintage Nate!)

4) Fold a felt circle in half.

5) Fold the (already folded) circle in half again, and stitch in place. Place several stitches (one on top of the other) to hold felt in place. Repeat steps 4 and 5 without cutting the thread until you have all six felt circles attached.

6) Stitch the first and last (folded) circles together to form a ball.

7) Place a few more stitches along a length of thread (tied in a circle) to form the hanger. Knot the thread, and trim excess pieces off.

8) Enjoy your new ornaments!

(Nate enjoyed taking "his" ornaments off and on the tree approximately 100 times/day last year!)

First Snow.

We woke up this morning to the very first snowfall of the season, and it was gorgeous! Not just a few flurries or a smattering on dried leaves, but a full blanket of at least an inch of white stuff covered the outdoors. Instantly, the house felt cozier, and my bed warmer--which was fine since it was 2am, and the baby was already back to sleep! A few hours later, the morning light revealed the snow-covered world, and we were excited to see that it seemed to be sticking around for a bit. There's just something about a gorgeous yellow tree covered in glistening snow that can't quite be captured in a photograph....although I tried because it was truly breathtaking.

Burlap Curtain Tutorial.

When we had our new windows installed, I immediately decided that we needed all new window treatments to match. Unfortunately, we spent all of our money on the new windows, so there wasn't much of a budget left for curtains! I'm not much for sewing, but I figured that curtains couldn't be too hard....right? I set to work perusing Pinterest for ideas. But, all of the "easy" curtain tutorials seemed to involve bedsheets or tablecloths...and none of them were at all what I'd envisioned for our living space! I wanted basic curtains that looked nice, let in lots of light, and added texture/interest to the room. And then, I stumbled upon the idea of burlap curtains! I combined a few different techniques to make my panels, and I love the way that they turned out! Not only were they super easy (and affordable!), they also bring the perfect amount of texture and interest into our home! (And, despite what the lady who cuts fabric at Joanne's believes, the burlap smell really does go away quickly; it was gone by the time I hung each panel!)

Here's what you'll need to make burlap curtains:
Burlap (I used about 2.5 yards to make 2 panels/1 window)
Satin Ribbon (enough to line the top and bottom of each panel, about 1 inch wide) - any color you have--even the free ribbon that comes on your son's new PJs works; you won't be able to see the ribbon in the finished product!
Straight Pins
Needle
Quilting Thread (to match your burlap)
Iron & Ironing Board

First of all, cut your burlap straight down the middle lengthwise (to get 2 panels from your cut). If you don't know how to cut burlap, here is an easy tutorial. (Do not just start cutting; you need to use that ^ tip or your burlap will be crooked and unravel!)

When your panels are cut, choose an end and iron it over the ribbon to create a fold. The burlap won't stay, but you will have a crease that you can see when you're finished.

Next, fold the burlap along the ironed seam (with the ribbon inside), and then fold the whole thing over again. Pin in place. (See? The ribbon the hidden!) If you want, iron over the whole thing again to smooth--but not if your pins have plastic tops! ;)

Now, use your needle and thread to stitch everything in place. As long as your thread matches your burlap, this is super easy! You can use big stitches, messy stitches, back stitches--whatever you want! Just make sure that they're holding, and you're fine! Mine are super sloppy, but you can't see them at all when the curtains are hanging up!

And, that's it! Trim any visible ribbon from the edges, and repeat the entire process on the other end of your panel. When you have both the top and bottom hemmed, use drapery hooks to hang your curtains up.

Easy peasy burlap curtains! Enjoy!

Hey, I'm back!

Well, I'm not even sure where to start with this post. An update? Sure, that seems about right.....after a MONTH AND A HALF of absence. You know that last post about Levi's first haircut? Yeah, he's almost ready for his second! (Ugh , why have I turned into such a lazy blogger? Maybe because I'm a busy momma nowadays! Yeah, we'll go with that; it's totally not because I spend all of my free time on Facebook and Pinterest instead! Although, in my defense, I'm planning a birthday party, so Pinterest would be totally excusable....) Anyway, we have indeed been busy recently, but not in a bad way. It's summertime now, so our days have been full of playing in the sandbox, eating drippy popsicles on the patio, and visits to the zoo. Recently though, our days have also included lots of rain!
This particular week is Vacation Bible School at our church. I've had the pleasure of teaching the 2 through 3 year olds' class, where we've learned lots about the Armor of God through lessons, puppet shows, songs, games, and even snacks! And, of course, there's been more than a little chaotic playtime (Hey, it's the 2 & 3 year old class!). Nate is in my class, and I've loved watching him interact with the other children and leaders, as well as do his activities. His politeness just makes this momma's heart want to burst! Oh, when did my little guy get so grown up?!

A few weeks ago, Eric (and a group from our church) went on a mission trip to Honduras with Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International. They had an amazing time ministering and serving the people there! If you're interested, you can check out this video montage from their trip.


Though it seems like it was a million years ago now, I suppose it's worth noting that the week Eric was gone was the same week that both boys and I were ill. I had a sinus infection (that I'd thought was almost gone) flare up into a major issue that required TWO antibiotics. I'll keep the gross details to myself, but I can't even remember the last time that I visited the doctor for an illness previously. Then, both boys caught a horrible cough that kept us all awake for several days/nights. Nate kicked it relatively quickly, but Levi landed himself on antibiotics (ear infection) and breathing treatments for several days. Just about the time Eric returned stateside, we all recovered nicely!

In other news? Levi crawls now. Not scooting on his tummy "army crawling", but really truly crawling! And, he pulls himself up and walks along furniture too. Oh, he's getting so big! Nate has finally decided that the potty is an acceptable place to do all of his business. (Until last week, we've been entirely trained for #1, but not so much for #2.) Bribery, begging, punishments, ignoring the fact? None of it worked. We were up to our ears in frustration and worry that maybe it would never happen. And then, just like magic, he decided it was time. He has not had one single accident since he made the decision a week ago. Yeah, my kid is awesome like that. And, oh, I'm so HAPPY!

At the beginning of the month, we took a short weekend trip as a family to Eric's sister's wedding. We were honored to have Nathaniel be a ring bearer (even though he cried on his way up the aisle!). The boys enjoyed their stay in the hotel, and we enjoyed our time away from home. The weekend was a blast, and everything was gorgeous--most of all, my beautiful sister-in-law! Congratulations, Jessie & Chris!! (Sorry for posting these pictures in the same post that talks about my kid being potty trained!)


Other than those "bigger" events, I can' think of much that has occurred within the past month. I know, I know, that's silly since I've been "too busy" to blog, right? I guess life just gets in the way sometimes, eh? I do have several posts all wadded up in my brain that I'll need to unload here soon. Recipes for Mexican pizza or Greek yogurt, anyone? Burlap curtain tutorial? I promise to update again before the end of summer, preferably a little more often than of late! Hope you're having a most fantastic summertime!! We are!

Just down the street...

It's been one of "those" weeks around here. Nothing in particular has been terrible, but nevertheless, we've been swamped with life and stuff. First, my biggest boy caught himself a nasty case of pink eye, which he so generously shared with the baby. And his daddy. Then, between administering eye drops 'round the clock, our calendar somehow became so booked that every night of our entire week has been spent running here and there and back again!
This morning, we woke up to a drizzly, gray day--when I wanted nothing more than to get the boys outside in the yard to run off some of their energy! (And, of course, because being outside means that I can't clean up the mess that is this house today!) The kitchen sink is full of dishes (a few might even be from last night's dinner!), the dining room table has been overtaken by projects and lesson plans, and the rugs are in desperate need of a vacuuming. I wanted nothing more than to curl up on the couch with a cup of coffee and a good book, but those days are the things that dreams are made of when you've got a toddler and a baby to care for daily. After a few hours of our usual daily grind, I spotted a break in the clouds and decided we should get outside for a bit. No matter that the grass was wet; we would head down the street for a walk!
I wrangled Levi into the Ergo carrier, and we spent a good 20 minutes hunting for a pair of little blue Crocs that mysteriously disappeared overnight. One more trip to the potty, a pair of socks crammed onto wiggly feet, and another weather check. The dog was jumping around barking, and the baby was getting restless on my back. But, just as I was beginning to think that my idea was more crazy than productive, we were finally ready to walk out the door.
And, as I'd hoped, the moment we stepped outside, our moods lifted! I think we were only about 20 feet away from out driveway when both Nate and I were laughing out loud at the dog's goofy antics. A cool breeze carried away all of our grumpiness, and the sunshine peeked through the clouds. As we made our way down the soggy street, droplets of rain blew off of the trees onto our faces. "Rain get on me!" giggled Nate. Even Levi immediately stopped fussing as the breeze ruffled his hair, and he waved around his fists in approval.
Our walk wasn't long, but it was exactly what we'd needed! A breath of fresh air, a peek of sunshine, and a few minutes outdoors with my littles were so much more rejuvinating than any old cup of coffee or book could have been. It's naptime now, and I hear thunder rolling into the area. Our evening might consist of stormy weather, but at least I've finally got enough motivation to wash enough dishes to make dinner!

Before & After...

In the words of Nate, "Our white home...."






A work in progress....



And, now "Our gween home..."



There's still work to be done on this old house, but I think we came a long way in just three days!