Last Month To Be One {Birthday Plans}

Today marks the one month countdown until our sweet Mary Grace turns two.

Where oh where has the time gone, I ask.

I cannot wait for her special day so we can spoil her even more than usual ;)

We are doing things a bit against the norm for her special day. Instead of a big party, we decided to take her on a fun little beach trip.

Last year I went a bit over the top and we gave our sweet girl a wonderful first birthday party. But we know that, really and truly, when they are this little the parties are mainly for the adults.

I know by next year she will start wanting parties so she can have all her little friends over, eat cake, and celebrate. This year she is still so little that she really won't know what the big fuss is about, so we decided that as a family we would take a little trip to the coast.

We've booked our condo and all I have left to do is make her birthday outfit {of course ;) } and order her cake {we will take it with us for her special day}, and craft a cute banner.

Oh my, this is so much simpler than planning a huge party! Maybe she will ask for a beach trip every year!

I'm going with a Mickey Mouse theme, and have decided on the 'Oh Two-dles' idea for her cake and outfit {if you watch Mickey Mouse clubhouse, you'll totally get this}. I'm also thinking of making a cute banner to hang up, which I could also use for her 2nd birthday pictures.

Oh, TWOdles by bsjames on Polyvore

I can't believe I'm already planning for her second birthday!

 

Pinterest Project- {Sewing Closet Reveal}

I've been in desperate need of a sewing space for some time now. I had set up shop in our home office but it was such a hassle. I had to keep things packed up and out of the way of the hubby and little one. I am oh so in love with my new sewing closet. I don't have to constantly take things out or pack things up- which makes sewing so much faster and enjoyable.

I browsed Pinterest to come up with these inspirational designs.
We decided to go with this design for the shelving.

And here it is!

We had origianlly planned to use a kitchen counter for my workspace. I wanted something smooth that wouldn't snag my fabrics. We ended up using this large piece of crafter's board. It's super smooth and I love the way it looks. I added a light coat of stain and voila!

I could not be happier with the finished project. Tackling this project has jump started my motivation to complete others on our to-do list. Specifially, the tackle closet under our stairs. It's a jumbled mess of fishing poles, line, tools, and tackle boxes.

I am loving this design! We are thinking of doing something similar either on our porch or carport- that way it could also store our gardening supplies. I'll admit, the thought of moving the fishing gear  outside is very appealing!

 

That's all for today, lovelies!

Check back tomorrow for a very special Friday Five- complete with a jewelry giveaway!

Happy Thursday!

DIY Baby Booties

I've been browsing Etsy drooling over the cute baby shoes. I've actually found some really good deals! As always though, I start thinking "Hey, I could do that." So, I turned to Pinterest (isn't it addictive) and found a tutorial. I definitely plan to try it out and I'll let you know how it goes!

Click HERE for the tutorial.

Our Home- The Laudry Room

Before....

• A truly hideous shade of yellow. It was almost neon.
• There was a hole in the wall where a sink/cabinet combo should have been.
• The wall above the stairs was just sheet rock- did not even have primer.
  
• Non of the doors, trim, window seals, or baseboards were painted.
  

After.....

• Paint color: Subtle Oatlands Taupe. (A light khaki color with gray undertones).
• Trim color: Du Jour
• We installed a cabinet/sink combo, and storage cabinets above the sink.
  
• We spent countless hours caulking doors, trim, molding, etc... I spent an entire day on my knees just painting the baseboards.
• Made curtains for the windows.

The back door looks much better now that it's painted. It was a dingy primer white.

Found this little guy at Ross back in the Spring. It was only $8!

We still have to install trim for the staircase. We've just been lazy lately. :)
Please excuse the tackle boxes/fishing gear on the stairs.
Half bath in laundry room.

And lastly, the view from the windows :)

I am very blessed to have a large laundry room. Our LR before was barely big enough for one person to squeeze into! :) Our new laundry room is bigger than our old master bedroom. I still want to add a potted plant or two, some decorative pieces on the walls, and maybe a bench.


On the sewing front, I finally got around to unpacking all of my sewing gear. My first project was curtains. I'm really liking the curtains I made for the laundry room. I tried several different things with them before deciding on just a simple valance.

My messy breakfast table :) It's serving as my sewing spot until we can get my official sewing room painted.

It took me forever to decide on fabric.

I thought I wanted something like this, but once I hung them I decided against the idea. Instead, I'm going to use this version in our office.

I think the simple valance worked best.

I'm posting before/after pics of our office next. Stay tuned....

I Couldn't Sleep.....

So I redesigned my blog.

I also upgraded STITCHES and added new photos- so have a looksy!

STITCHES

I've decided to turn my sewing hobby into a small side business. I'm just getting started -and not sure how it will go- but I'm going to give it a try! I thought STITCHES would be simple and easy to remember. I consideredt adding 'Sylvia Grace' into it- but I decided on Sylvi (it's a nickname my favorite aunt, Betty Boop, calls me =).... So what are you waiting for? Check it out!

Just Sewing Away

I finished making a few dish towels using that cute fabric in green and red. I also made several dish towels with Mississippi State fabric for myself and my family.

Take a look.....

I may have found a way to occupy my sleepless nights.....

Once again I'm wide awake past midnight...... darn that insomnia!

Here's the first kitchen towel I've made with my new sewing machine. There are a few imperfections, but I'm getting the hang of it. I haven't used a sewing machine in years! Plus, I need to restock my sewing basket with thread.... as of now I only have 6 colors.
Baby steps..... I'm taking baby steps.



I found this super cute fabric and bought it in red and green. I love the birds and flowers on it!



I'm hoping to make new curtains for my classroom before the summer enrichment program begins. The only problem will be finding the time to make them.

I'm hoping my friend T will give me a few lessons on making children's clothes - she is a sewing and embroidering expert! She makes the cutest outfits for her girls. Maybe I can learn a few tricks before we have children of our own!