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Saturday, July 24, 2010

Baby Nesting Project #2 - Car Seat Cover

For my second project of my nesting period of pregnancy (the time otherwise known as going overdue and I need to keep my mind off it!)  I had to make one of these car seat blankets or tents, as some call them.  Now, I have a lot of baby blankets around from previous babies, and I seem to always get a few of them for gifts, as I have a lot of crafty friends and family, but I just love this idea! 

The worst thing about my obsession with needing to make one of these - I never carry the car seat into places, so I may never really use this blanket!  (A side note for my opinion for all those parents who just have to carry these awful, ugly, heavy car seats everywhere:  consider saving your back and cuddling with you child by popping them in a  sling to go into the store, church, whatever!  They are so cumbersome, inconvenient, and obnoxious!  Quit carrying them around and get personal with your little one!)Anyway, on to my project.  I checked out several of these tutorials and finally settled on one from Rosie's.  Brandi's car seat covers are just so cute and trendy, I loved them at first sight.  The other thing that I really liked about this tutorial over the others, was that it gave directions on how to make the straps from material  instead of using buttons and ribbon (and in my book, extra costs).  I used the backing fleece for this cover to make the green flower on front and I used a piece of white felt for the flower center. 

Onto my mistake - I didn't realize that my car seat has a handle at an angle, but the tutorial has the measurements for a straight across handled car seat.  So, when I tie it on, it is crooked.  My advice to you is make sure to try the blanket on the car seat, and then pin the blanket on the car seat where you really need it.  I should really rip this apart and fix it, but for those of you that really know me, know that I will just make do, because I hate to fix things like this!

Overall - I do love this project and thank Brandi for sharing on her blog!  I will certainly make this one for gifts, etc. in the future.

I am linking up to:

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Baby Nesting Project #1 - Nursing Cover

Well, I am convinced that I nest during pregnancy, only because my pregnancy is way too long (as it stands, I am 2 days overdue.  My last 2 were 10 days over!)  I have to do something with myself to keep myself busy!  In the past, I have spent time cleaning and cooking up a storm.  This time, though I had a list of projects that I wanted to do before the baby arrived, specifically for the baby.  I found these on all of you wonderful fellow-bloggers sites, so I won't repeat the tutorials, but I will give you my feedback and show you the results (oh, and share my frustrations!)This project was first on my list to make, because I have nursed four kids for most of my married life, but have never had a nursing cover.  I'm not sure they had them 13 years ago when I first started nursing, but I think they are great!

I had two different versions that I checked out on bloggerland.  The one I used is a great step-by-step tutorial at Made By The Mama Monster.  I also contemplated using the tutorial that didn't have the boning in it or the D-rings making it less expensive to make, but I like being able to adjust and found the D-rings for 4 of them for $.79 at Walmart. 

The other blogger justified no boning because she was afraid people would walk up behind her and look in.  Trust me I'm really over people looking at me nursing on my 5th child, and find that this cover is really just humoring those around me, not me in particular.  If someone is intent on coming up behind to get a peek, you've got more problems than a peek with that creepy person!  (Please don't get me wrong, I am extremely conservative and dress very modestly at all times, but really, if someone gets a thrill out of a nursing baby, it's their problem, not mine. I nurse as discreetly as I can, but I refuse to spend 3 years of every child's life obsessing about what people might think, and don't even think about asking me to go to the bathroom so my baby can eat!)

This project was extremely easy to make and only took me 45 minutes to make!  Don't bother buying the boning with covering on it, just buy the cheap stuff.  It works great!  Also, be sure to use a light cotton material, as nursing moms are hot while nursing with baby heat and let-down happening!  I will definitely be making these for my fellow nursing friends as gifts and would even consider selling them when people comment, because I know people will ask.

I am linking up to:

Sunday, July 11, 2010

Old Window Dry Erase Board

I had to share another one of my old window uses (if you didn't see my Recycled Window Greenhouse go here.)  I have been feeling more generous with my old windows now that my greenhouse has been finished, so I've been looking for ways to use the windows before Mr. Right takes them to the dump!  (Not to worry - I won't let that happen!)  Anyway, I was looking for something for my mom for Mother's Day and thought of making a window into a Dry Erase board! Here's what I did:

  1. Clean the window and frame up, scraping off all the loose paint. I'm leaving this one to look like an antique old and worn.

  2. Sweet talk Mr. Right into adding some some window caulk onto a couple of places on the back where the glass was coming loose. 

  3. I measured out scrapbook paper to fit behind the windows. 

  4. I decorated the paper up with embellishments and a photo collage (that I got free from Walgreen's on one of their free promotions) and put them on the paper.  My mom is a realtor, so I made this one a "Dream Board" so she could write out her goals & dreams on the bottom pane, and enjoy pictures of the kids on the top frame (sorry you can't see the cute kids on top, but believe me - they're cute!)

  5. Tape the scrapbook paper in place.

  6. Modpodged (I don't think that's a word, but it should be!) 5 clothespins with Paper Ribbon and Buttons & Flowers.

  7. Used Gorilla Glue to attach the clothespins across the bottom for notes and stuff.

I gave Mom a new pack of Dry Erase Markers to go with her new board and Viola! I think she has a really cute Dry Erase Board for her office!
 
I am linking up to:
Met Monday - Between Naps on the Porch
Just Something I Whipped Up - The Girl Creative
Penny Pinching Party - The Thrifty Home
Transformation Thursday - The Shabby Chic Cottage
Thrifty Thursday - Tales from Bloggeritaville
Frugalicious Friday - Finding Fabulous

Thursday, July 1, 2010

Beachy Bird Display

I'm not very good at this decorating thing, but I'm pretty excited with this new display that I put together.  The big vase is full of the sand dollars that we found on the beach in Washington on vacation, so it really is fun for our whole family to look at.  I don't really have a beach theme going, but figured that the summer would be a great time to have a few items here and there. I've notice that birds have been in a lot of decors on blogs, so have been on the look-out at rummage sales for them.  These were the first that I have found all spring and I got them for $.25 each!  One has a slight crack in it, but you would only notice if you looked hard enough.   To raise them a little to fit the size of the vase, i put one on a candle holder and the other on an upside down vase.

 Oh, to make the display more special to our family, the mat underneath was a gift from our Japanese foreign exchange student last year.  His mother quilted it for us.  Please let me know what you think!

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