To everything a season: The dress up addition, Part 2

Yesterday I told you about a costume for G that I bought. I was a little disappointed because I had wanted to sew something for her but the apron and chef's hat were just too cute and too good a price to pass up.

Well, today is the season for sewing and I think I more than made up for it with a new creation a la Carrie. First, a little info:

Are you familiar with Ikat Bag? This woman is amazing! If you think you do crafty and fun things with your kid, DON'T visit her site. She will make you feel like everything you do is sub par. Just kidding. Go over, check it out, get inspired!!! Two warnings: 1) You will feel a teensy bit inadequate. At least I do. 2) She has a love affair with cardboard.

Last week I saw this post featuring one of the cutest costume idea EVER. For some reason (hormones? lack of sleep? too many diet pepsi's?) I decided that G had to have one. So I went to JoAnn's (where the glorious apron was discovered) and got my supplies.

At first glance, it looks like a semi-regular wrap skirt...

front

back

Are you noticing all the layers? Hmmm. Here are some shots of Miss G modeling her new duds for you.

And her sister wondering what all the fuss is about...

That's when my girl spreads her wings and...

fly little one!

butterfly? fairy? butterfairy superhero?

front, wings spread

back, wings spread

I have to say, I feel like I earned an honorary doctorate in engineering figuring this out. The "instructions" at Ikat Bag are just a general guide, there isn't much detail. But we love it and it was well worth the effort. My sewing is poor to quite poor, the seams are crooked, I melted the fabric in a couple places with my iron, and my child apparently doesn't have quite the "wingspan" I thought she did (measure twice, right Dad?) but I am proud of it just the same. This was my first time making "clothes" and I might be addicted. Holy moly. Halloween will never be the same...

To everything a season: the dress up addition, Part 1

My 3 year old is just starting to get interested in playing dress up. Its exciting to see her put on her "mom" shoes and grab her purse frantically looking for her cell phone only to discover its been in her bag the whole time (um, do you think she's seen this happen a few times in real life?). And there are a couple of play outfits that every little girl should have.

The first is an apron to go with her kitchen. G loves pretending to be a chef and I vowed to make an apron for her last fall. And I did. But it was kind of a flop. Queue the "whop, whop" music. I used a tea towel and made more of a waiter style half apron. And, because it was a surprise, I just guessed at the sizing so it ended up too big and difficult for her to wear. But I still had plans to make her an apron. Until I saw this...

At 60% off from JoAnns Fabrics, it couldn't be beat. Less than $10 for the hat and apron and it looks so cute with her little red kitchen!

So, this was the season for buying something. Then, there are times when only homemade will do. Come back tomorrow to see what I mean...

Fancy footwork

I got some new sandals the other day. I love the color! I didn't realize how much until I saw it all over my house in the form of pillows, wall decor, etc. and in my closet in 2 recent clothing purchases. Love how it pops with the red (of both my toes and my ottoman)!

"Mindy 2" Jeffrey Campbell

I also love, love, love these. They are a little more than I'd normally spend on such a skimpy pair of shoes ($100 as opposed to the $15 spent on the pair above) but they look sooooo good on my foot. How long do you think it would take for me to scuff them up beyond recognition?

Coming Home

This picture of my husband coming home from one of his many trips is a favorite. But it makes me a little sad at the same time. Little G is so crisp and clear. So here and now. While his blurry image reminds me of the things he misses out on while he's gone. But today I am not thinking of that. I am thinking of those who have given their lives for ours, their families who miss them everyday, and those who continue to put themselves in harms way for our freedom. As for my family, we are enjoying our day together, putting a few more memories in our bank, and thanking God that Daddy continues to come home to us.

We miss you George and Moses! You are always in our hearts.

Pillow talk.

So. The chairs from Target. I'm not sure what to say. Oh wait. Yes I do.

I LOVE THEM!!!

Not only were they extremely inexpensive, but they are comfy and made fairly well. They were a cinch to put together and very true in color to the pic shown online. The red shade works perfectly with my sofa and the other colors will let me play around with so many accents in the room! Here is a "before" of the spot where they used to sit...

Not horrible, but not so great either. Plus, these chairs go with our dining table. I wanted them back in their rightful home. I liked the layout of the two chairs side by side and since we already have a comfy couch and chair-and-a-half, I knew I wanted something less bulky. There was also the issue of the light wood legs (which I didn't want to change because they go with the other dining chairs). I don't mind a mix of woods but this was just plain weird. You can see here that even my 9 month old doesn't think mixing tones in this case is good decorating.

"Mom, the feet on the couch are a much darker wood than those ridiculous parsons chairs." Yeah, she can talk in complete sentences.

Enter the aforementioned slipper chair from Tarjay.

The perfect dark wood legs,

the perfect scale,

the perfect pop of color,

the perfect escape plan for my dining chairs,

the perfect price. What more can a girl ask for???

I actually have two of them flanking the nesting tables but am only showing one because they're not ready for a full reveal. I need to get/make pillows for them and, as you may have noticed, there are curtains up now. Sort of. They still need to be hemmed.

You're probably also wondering why there are so many goofy looking pillows in the pics above. Its because I need help deciding which size is best for the chair. So, if you don't mind helping a brotha' out and giving some input I'd appreciate it. Which pillow (size, please ignore the strange colors/patterns) works best on my new slipper chairs?

Another year older. Another year wiser?

Well, today is it. The big day. I am officially "in my 30's." Some might say that last year put me in that category but I beg to differ. For the past 365 days I have been THIRTY. Just plain 30. Now I consider myself in my "early 30's." I think "late 30's" will be the last month before I turn 40. I wish I was one of those women that thought it was sooooo wonderful to be getting older. I don't. I miss my 20's. Not necessarily college, but my early years of marriage and definitely my carefree days living in England. That being said, I wouldn't trade my precious girls to go back, I just wish I could have it both ways. I also wouldn't mind having the skin and stomach of that awesome, partied too late, slept too late, used anti-aging cream too late, 25 year old.

There isn't really any celebrating to speak of going on here. My husband is away for work until Saturday night (oh yeah, he missed my b-day last year, too). But, I might treat myself to something special and I am avoiding all housework to hang out with my girls.

The cake in the pic above is my most favorite of all time. Its Parrot Pete's Tripleberry cake and it is heavenly, even at $5.50 a slice. New Orleans is known for its food, but this cake hails from a restaurant that has only been open a few years and is located, dare I say it, on the Westbank. Not in New Orleans proper. Some locals would scoff this but to them I say, "Stop being so hoity toity and cross the river every once in a while!!!" The cake is definitely worth it. And I will miss having a slice (or two) today.

Want to read more about New Orleans (the real city, not the Westbank where my beloved cake can be found)? Check out Kimberly's blog, where I got the pic!

Update: G, E, and I got crazy for my bday today and had lunch at Panera Bread. All of my girlfriends are hanging with their husbands today (did I mention that my husband is on a work trip over a 4 day weekend...so not fair) so the little girlies and I were flying solo-ish. Anyway, Panera is one of my favorites and I haven't lived near one since college (9 long years) so having it 15 minutes away is definitely a treat. And, it gave me the chance to stop by Joann's Fabric. I picked up some stuff to make a little play costume for G that I'm hacking from another blog. We'll see how it turns out. Heck, you'll see how it turns out!

Absent and Struggling

Obviously I've been absent lately. Not just absent from blogging but absent from my life. I've been struggling with so many things that I just haven'thad the heart to do much of anything. Depressed is too strong a word, more like I've been in a funk. A stinkin', lazy funk. Here are my struggles of late...

• Someone I love is ill and it sucks. I struggle with how to help from a distance. How to keep myself from freaking out. How to be there for my loved ones that are hurting, too. I could go on about this one forever but its a little too personal and a lot too painful.

• Time management. Now that E is awake and much more active (not crawling but more than just rolling) I find myself using any time that the girls are occupied and less needy to sit and do nothing. Not even a fun "nothing" like read a magazine or watch a favorite show. I just. Do. Nothing. Which, as you can imagine, leaves my house looking horrible, my projects all half (ok, no lies here, a quarter) finished, and my belly and thighs more jiggly than ever. I'd love to blameit on the girls and say that they're the reason I never get anything done but thats not fair to them and its a big ol' crock of hooey.

• Inspiration. I usually love the results of little projects I do around my home. But lately I kinda feel like "what's the point?" I planted a little garden but what didn't die on our last little trip won't survive the 3 weeks I'm going to be gone in June. This place is just another place. Why buy furniture or put the money and energy into decorating when before I know it, the movers will be here again to packit all up and stuff it into some other place in some other unknown city? Bah. Self-pity overfloweth this today.

But, I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things right now. I'm praying for my fervor for life to be restored. Praying for laziness to be saved for a relaxing on a porch swing, not vegging out on my couch. Praying for the health of those that I love. Praying for the here and now to be enough in this earthly world. Praying that I constantly remember the promise of eternal life without all of these (some big, some little) struggles.

And, about those Target chairs. Stay tuned because tomorrow I'll tell you all about them. Sorry for the heaviness. Just a little explanation of where I've been. Oh, and I few pics of where I've been, too. A week long trip to California to see the in-laws included...

The Hubs running his 1st race, a half marathon. We were so proud and met him at the finish line, even though it meant being out the door at 6:15 a.m.!!! He ran it in 1:58:04 with 2 bathroom breaks (he didn't stand a chance during any of The Lord of the Rings movies. What ever happened to intermission???)...

A day at the beach...

And of course, a trip to Disneyland!