You Are Mine Giveaway Winner

And the winner for You are Mine is.....

# 5 Rachael

Congratulations! 

You'll be receiving an email about the book within a weeks time. 

the "bow ties are cool" shirts [and onsie] - Tutorial

My Dad and brother share a birthday and they both love to wear bow ties, so I thought it'd be fun to make them some shirts with bow ties on it. Basically they can now wear bow ties when they're relaxing, working in the yard, playing with the kids/grandkids, etc. 

 I used my favorite freezer paper and fabric paint method, which is really easy and fun to make many designs on shirts with. Of course, after making them shirts, I also had to make one for the little guy. But I couldn't stop there, I also had to make a onsie for the coming baby brother.

Tutorial:

Supplies:

:: freezer paper (can buy it at walmart or the grocery store)

:: a plain shirt

:: Fabric paint or you can get regular acrylic craft paint and a fabric paint medium (I think this works best and is cheaper then fabric paint). 

:: a cheap sponge paint brush

:: save the bow tie stencil below if you are doing the bow tie shirts. Or use your own design/clipart/word art

:: exacto knife

//1// [a]First you need to measure your shirt and decide how big you want the bow tie/design to be. Then in photo shop (or other photo program) or word, change the design to be those dimensions (its ok if it is pixelated).

[b] Now cut your freezer paper to the size of 8x11  (you can tape it cardstock paper to make it more sturdy when printing, but make sure you tape the shiny side down) and feed it in the printer so that the design prints on the NON-shiny side. This is important because you'll need to iron the shiny side on the shirt. 

//2// using an exacto knife, cut away the parts of the design that you want painted on the shirt.

//3// Iron the freezer paper onto the shirt where you want it placed. 

//4// get your fabric paint and sponge brush and apply the paint to the design. Allow to dry completely (can take 1-3 hours), then remove the freezer paper from the shirt. And your done!

Book Review: Heaven Is Here

My sister-in-law recommended this book to me over a year ago and I finally got around to reading it this last month. I wish I would have read it sooner because it touched me deeply. I don't cry when I read books, but this booked made me tear up multiple times. Some of you may even know who Stephanie Nielson is. She is a pretty big blogger with an amazing story. You can follow her here.

Stephanie and her Husband were in a airplane accident and this book is the story of their recovery.  It is a story that gives you strength to push forward in your life no matter what your trial is. It helps you take a good hard look at your life and realize how many blessings you have. I would recommend this book to anyone, whether they are a reader or not. 

This was actually the first book I've been able to get through in months due to my chronic migraines and let me tell you, I got through it fast. It gave me the motivation I needed to start moving forward and pushing through the daily pain. But don't take my word for it. Read it. You will cry, laugh and find a strong desire to love more deeply. 

The Gracie Maternity Dress Knock off DIY

Our dear brother was just married a few weeks ago and their theme was the 50's. The 50's had some great styles when it comes to dresses, however when it comes to maternity, not so much my thing. I feel for those who were pregnant back then...

Well I had just decided to wear something not 50's, but then I came across this Gracie Maternity Dress here, but it was completely out of my price range, especially for a maternity dress. But I sent the picture to my mom and she immediately decided that she could make it for me. Bless her heart, she made it the day before she left for wedding. She is pretty much amazing. 

She used the best of knits which made the dress very comfortable but was still very nice for the wedding. I plan on wearing this dress often for the reminder of this pregnancy and for future ones. Thanks Mom!

Me and all the Sisters at the wedding

DIY Gracie Maternity Dress

My mom used a thicker knit fabric which I found to be very comfortable but not to clingy. 

//1// First my mom bought this Megan Nielsen pattern. (she actually bought it from the site Dabble and Stitch - which is located  within the US, so shipping was much quicker)

//2// Here are the adjustments that she made to the pattern

      [a] first she traced the pattern to some sturdy paper so that she can add adjustments to it

      [b] then she lengthened the sleeves to the desired length

      [c] the last adjustment she made was lengthening the shirt so that it was long enough to be a dress. (I almost forgot, she also brought the neckline up so that it was high like the original Gracie Dress)

      [d] for the belt part, she just made up a tube pattern that looked about the right width and length. Then she sewed it onto the dress with a button. 

She said that it was a great and easy pattern to work with. I think it's probably the most comfortable dress that I've worn since being pregnant. 

You Are Mine by Janeal Falor - Cover Reveal and Giveaway

Our blog was chosen to participate in the cover reveal of the upcoming Young Adult novel You Are Mine by Janeal Falor. Do you read Young Adult fiction? I do and this book looks very interesting.

 Read below for the book synopsis and check out the giveaway for an ebook copy.

BOOK AND AUTHOR INFO:

You Are Mine by Janeal Falor
Series: Mine, #1
Publication date:  May 6th 2013
Genre: YA Fantasy

Synopsis:

Serena knows a few simple things. She will always be owned by a warlock. She will never have freedom. She will always do what her warlock wishes, regardless of how inane, frivolous, or cruel it is. And if she doesn’t follow the rules, she will be tarnished. Spelled to be bald, inked, and barren for the rest of her life– worth less than the shadow she casts.

Then her ownership is won by a barbarian from another country. With the uncertainty that comes from belonging to a new warlock, Serena questions if being tarnished is really worse than being owned by a barbarian, and tempts fate by breaking the rules. When he looks the other way instead of punishing her, she discovers a new world. The more she ventures into the forbidden, the more she learns of love and a freedom just out of reach. Serena longs for both. But in a society where women are only ever property, hoping for more could be deadly.

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17406760-you-are-mine?ac=1

----

AUTHOR BIO (no author picture)

Janeal Falor lives in Utah where she’s finally managed to live in the same house for more than five years without moving. In her spare time she reads books like they’re nuts covered in caramel and chocolate, cooks whatever strikes her fancy, and enjoys the outdoors. Her husband and three children try to keep up with her overactive imagination. Usually they settle for having dinner on the table, even if she’s still going on about the voices in her head.

Enter giveaway with the Rafflecopter below - 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Charlie's Angels and my sisters

Was looking through my pictures (real pictures...not my ones on the computer) the other day and found these pictures of me and my sisters. I love them. I am so lucky to have them. Even though I just saw them a few weeks ago I miss them. I get really sad when I think about my sister Hava moving closer to the rest of them while I move farther away. Sad. 

These pictures make me smile. I have chosen to hang them in my office so I can smile more and be sad less. Who knows...maybe in another 2 years I will be lucky and blessed enough to join my sisters out west. 

This one was during a family reunion. Love the look on Sierra's face. Cracks me up.

This one was at my brother's wedding...our typical pose. Apparently it scares Anne.

This one was at Hava's wedding. Man look how tan I was! This was while we lived in Hawaii. Miss the beach. 

Love you girls!!!

Baby Changing Mat/ Diaper Clutch Tutorial

Last week I was a guest at the Ribbon Retreat Blog showing how to make a baby changing mat/diaper clutch.  I didn't have one for my first baby, but now that we're having another little one, I've decided that it would have been very useful to have. The nice thing about this changing mat is that it can also be used to hold diapers and wipes.  See below for the full tutorial.

V: Vogue - Mustache Faux Chenille Blanket

Remember this awesome tutorial for Faux Chenille Baby Blanket's here? Well, my best friend surprised me with one for our next little boy and I'm absolutely in LOVE with it. The fabric is the greatest thing for a little boy; I just can't stop looking at it

(the fabric is Where's my Stache by Alexander Henry)

I seriously can't wait to wrap our little guy up in this. THANK YOU Jamie!!!!!!!!!!

T: Teacher Appreciation Week

I love my kid's teachers. They are both wonderful and I don't get to tell them enough how grateful I am for all the time they spend with my kids teaching them. So one week a year I like to show them just how much we love them. Here are a few ideas I found out there. I am thinking I will do the first idea since we have a Nothing Bundt Cake right around the corner. Hope these ideas help you all out.

This one comes from Eighteen25. They always have such great ideas. Find the idea here.

This one comes from domesticatedlady. She even has the free printable. Who doesn't love a good smore, right? 

Find the idea here.

This one comes from sweetmetalmoments. I love this idea because you can just whip up a batch of cookies then add the cute printable. Such a great idea.

Find the idea here.

This idea is from the Rachel berry blog. I did this one a few years ago and it was so cute. This one does require a bit more work but isn't it so cute and teachers always need a extra pencil.

Find the idea here.

This one come from Little Pumpkin Grace. This one is another easy one. It would be so great to find out your teacher's favorite scent too..

Find the idea here.

This one is a spin on the classic gift of a apple for the teacher. So easy too. 

Find the idea over here.

Well there you have it...a few ideas to show those wonderful teachers in your lives just how great they really are. Enjoy

S: is for Sunshine

Happy Earth Day!
In honor of Earth day and the coming warm weather, I thought it'd be fun to do a post about sunshine.

My sister sent me this image, that she found on the internet (see here) by the artist Katie Daisy, and asked if I could replicate it for her. I thought that it'd be a great way to practice using water colors in a different way, so here is my version.

I just love all the designs and colors of Katie Daisy's art. I decided to come up with my own design using Katie Daisy's art as inspiration. Here an original by me below. The words come from the LDS hymn "There is Sunshine In My Soul Today"

Here are some quilts, that I've come across on the internet, that remind me of Sunshine that I would love to make for myself one day. 

via here

via here

my sister Joy's quilt  "pocketful of sunshine"


image via here