Thursday, November 29, 2012

Sew, Sew, Sew Cute!!

My sista has some mad crazy sewing skillz.  Okay, talking that way + sewing don't really mix...when I think of someone sewing my mind goes all quiet, dainty and towards a cute little house wife.  That is one thing I like about my sister, she is that and she isn't...maybe I just know her fierce inner, wild side. ;)  This ALWAYS happens. Me gets sidetracked  (and yes, you grammatical freaks, *cough* Janelle and Julie) I meant to say "me gets". :P

Insert gorgeous sista:
See...she is cute even in a mustache!! Not many ladies can say that...         
 My sister made, as in bought the material and stitched together, MADE these bedding sets:
See that animal print?  Yup, I called it...fierce.
And the dainty side *blinks rapidly* :)
I adored the ribbon ties!


The coordinating pillows - she sewed these too!

The fabric print choices could not get any cuter! She even made the underside of the duvet cover out of a soft sheet so it would be cozy.  That is the great thing about sewing - sew custom! ;) Ok, I promise no more corny jokes.  She also did the bedskirts.  *swoon* 

Some other DIY likes:

Hanging baskets
Loved the mirror.  My sister and husband made the frame and added the corner details
Cute fall table runner she sewed
This table she re-finished to black...she is the queen of Craigslist finds!
This bathroom deserves its own page!!  The stripes were amazing and just the perfect accent.

New dining room wall decor.  We had a lot of fun putting this together during our visit.  Nothing screams girls night more than drilling holes in a wall!  She already had the black shelf and we found the shutters at Home Goods (coming soon near us!!!).  The clock we also found on one of our shopping outings
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On our first day we took my nieces to get their hair done.  They have a really cute "kids salon" in their town.  Check it out...want the kid to look down?? Plop a puzzle in their lap. Genius.

Donating to Locks of Love
One cutie patootie!!

The girls "fed" their hair into a machine and out came a prize!!
 
We were able to celebrate my niece turning three - very special

Cousin love!

Thursday, November 8, 2012

What Is Better Than The Mall of America?!?!

What is better?  Well, a lot of things. ;)  Lest I sound so shallow...let me back up.  A couple weeks ago I was SO blessed with the opportunity to go visit my little sister.  Her new hometown is in Minnesota (or as my daughter's say "tiny-sota").  My sweet husband agreed to be Mr. Mom to three of our four children.  He did great, although one time when he called (toward the end of my trip) he told me it felt like there was a death in the family with me gone - dramatic?? Yes, we are a dramatic peoples.  I am convinced there is some Italian in our bloodline.  We are also loud.  WHAT??  Where is this going?  Oh yeah, Mall of America...that is just one of those things being girls and sisters/mom we always talked about doing.  Mall + Laura Ingalls Wilder homestead = dream vacation (we were sheltered, what can I say?).  The mall was fun, big, & overwhelming.   My first reaction when we walked in was "keep the baby close...very close, where is my purse, and there are a LOT of people here."  I'll admit it...  paranoia set in.  Any and every walk of life.  You couldn't help but think and wonder who needed Jesus.  That made me sad.  We made it out alive and with the mere purchase of only two scarves!  Yes, I want to make a t-shirt that says "I went to Mall of America and only bought two things."  It must be some kind of record.  The other side to that story - the day prior we had gone to an outlet mall and I only had one suitcase so I was limited.  God works in mysterious ways. :)  We were most impressed with the store next to the mall...IKEA!!  On our way out we noticed that they even had a "daycare/drop off" play type area for kids.  My sister and I looked at each other with huge eyes.  "Could you do it?"  Sister: *gasp* NO!!!"  Seriously, I don't think I could leave my child with complete strangers and shop at peace.  Nope.  Nada.
Fast forward a day "Then Came Sunday"...(anyone who knows our choir is singing this line in their head right now). 
First of all, I am so thankful my sister (and her hubby) found a perfect match in the way of a church and church family.   I couldn't get over the parallels from the previous day as I walked in the front door.
#1.  I wasn't clutching my purse like someone might rip me off.
#2.  These people KNEW Jesus.  So warm and loving!
#3.  I didn't even think twice about leaving my baby in the nursery.
Worshiping our God was by far the highlight of my weekend.  It made me really grateful for the body of Christ! 

We did  have loads of good girl time, we had fun celebrating my nieces third birthday, shopping, doing some crafts, and a fun DIY project...more to come on that soon!  My sister is super talented and I can't wait to write about her sewing abilities.