August 26, 2011

Flowers meet Football.


I love football. I mean I la-la-la-love football. I have a fantasy football team that I'll be drafting for this Sunday and I watch the Jaguars play religiously, unless I get caught up into some really good gossip which of course gets interrupted by a touchdown.

It's not just about the game is about the family getting together. All thirty or so of us. The covered dishes brought over by the titis and the beer and sangria brought over by the younger people. The mommies bringing over the little ones. It's a time to catch up just as much as it is a time to root for my favorite team. Let's not forget tease the boys when I'm getting more fantasy points than they are.



Running back Maurice Jones-Drew is my favorite player. He's a smaller player but he's all muscle. He's a poster child for short people like me. (He's 5'7") You don't have to be almost 7 feet tall to become one of the best. I won't get into statistics but it's safe to say he's a beast even if he's still recovering from a couple injuries.

Football is a very manly sport, but I think I found a way to woman it up a little. Teal and feline printed flowers. Yep. Yep. Making some for the little ones as soon as I get some feedback from their moms'.

This isn't the finished project but it's definitely time consuming and there's a part of me that's not confident about it just yet. I'm considering feathers and beads. I plan on adding clips or headbands. With more practice, I plan on getting better and better but so far this is something I'm really enjoying. I learned how make ruffles!! I'm learning different techniques almost everyday. I found a niche, finally. Just need to perfect it.

Youtube helped me out lot as well as the tutorials from my last post. Now I see an old shirt and I think: Can I make one out of that?

What I've learned:

  • There are a bajillion different versions of teal at Joann's. So bring a pic of MJD just in case you want to match swatches.
  • Have a shopping bag for scraps handy, but remain prepared to use a vacuum.
  • The smaller some things are, the tougher they are.
UPDATE: One of the mommies suggested using nylon or pantyhose material for headbands, it's a lot softer on the baby's head. I found a headband tutorial at Pebbles and Poppys. I'll blog about it soon. ;)



August 22, 2011

Hair Accessory Faves

Found these really great hair accessory how-to. What's more feminine than a flower in your hair?

I have a lot of baby girls in my family right now, true believer that the best gifts are handmade (not to mention inexpensive.)

Pretty Pansy Pin Tutorial by Design By Night.

French Pouf with Chiffon and Tulle by...Love Maegan

DIY: Lace Flower Hair Pin by McLaughlin Designs

Ribbon Flower Tutorial by It's In the Details

Making Flower Pins by Make It Do


Valentine's Bouquet at BurdaStyle

Kanzashi Flower Tutorial by bitty bits & pieces

Can't wait to try these out. Wish me luck! Amazing what you can do with ribbon, felt and a hot glue gun.

August 17, 2011

Summer Update


I've had some craft fails. It all started with this one lantern that I made. My cousins have told me that it looks like a jar full of meat. Then I've done some paper mache on a clipboard that was just a bubbly, wrinkly mess. It didn't help that the paint from the last project bled through so the end product just looked dirty. I did a mini curtain for this shelving unit in the bathroom and my boyfriend's silent reaction was all I needed to realize that it sucked!

Sigh.

So my confidence deflated during these crafting fiascos but I'm not gonna give up. Fails are just opportunities for improvement.

The Meat Jar

I do have news about the family:

One of my closest cousins had a baby girl, her name is Sophia. She's as cute as can be. She's a week old and she's given the entire family so much joy. Congrats to the new parents.


Did I mention that I'm gonna be an auntie? Yep and we find out September 1st if I get a niece or a nephew? We're having the baby shower in mid-November and I'm already brainstorming all the little goodies I'll be making.

Elisa's room is almost complete...we need to do a whole overhaul of her closet. The furniture still needs painting as well. I guess we both need a second wind to get started with all of that. We've been so busy visiting babies and getting ready for school that finishing the room has been on the back burner. Oh...and she has a boyfriend now. (Feeling old.)

Let's see... what else....

I went to Arlington, Texas for business. Stopped by Ft. Worth for some sightseeing. I fell in love with this tortilla soup that I had over there. (Note to self: must find recipe for tortilla soup.) If I had to choose Texas heat vs. Florida heat, I would choose Florida Heat. At least there's relief at the beach or the spring. Texas just feels like you're in a hair drier every time the wind blows. Beautiful place though.



Hope everyone is having a good summer! (What's left of it.)

What I've learned:

  • I love babies, but I'm definitely not ready for one.
  • Texas is a great place to visit but I don't think I'd live there.
  • When in doubt, start over.
  • Silence can be very loud.
  • If you want to feel better check out these other Craft Fails.