Kid Silhouettes with my Silhouette

Awhile back while researching all the amazing things my birthday present, the Silhouette SD, could do I came across this picture at Censational Girl's blog.

So I wanted to make some of my kids, but instead of pillows, framed. First I went and got 2 red frames and some scrapbooking paper. My intial plan was to spray paint frames from Goodwill and use fabric, but my plan changed when I walked into Hobby Lobby. Here is what I started with.

Then the hard part, taking pictures of the girls not facing me. R has already been trained when the camera is out give me a big smile, so it was confusing to her why I wanted her to look at her sister while I took pictures, and M, well she just moves ALL the time! But it got done.

Then I imported the pictures onto my Silhouette and using the program did a rough trace around their heads. Then it allows me to move lines so that they fit just along the outline of their faces. The first one took me awhile, but then I got it down. Here is the finished product.

I put them on a shelf in the living room, but I still think it needs something else, like an angel or bird or some type of knick knack.

Some pointers.... this was an easy project you could do it with freezer paper if you do not have a Silhouette. Little girls look adorable with ponytails. Mandy did A's with a ponytail and it was just so cute. And babies, well they just look like a baby head. I will have to redo M's when she get a bit older.

Here's a link to Simple Things where you will find a tutorial on how to do this with freezer paper.

Love Letters Part 2

Still working on using our love letters to decorate our room.

I just framed one. It is in a floating kind of frame, but this letter is very important to me. Travis wrote it during bootcamp back in the fall of 2003. And it pretty much just says "When I get out, if you aren't seeing anyone, we should give this a shot."

And I am slowly starting a collage of canvas prints over our bed. And I printed again on the iron on sheets and ironed it straight on the canvas.  My favorite line "I keep looking at your picture trying to make it talk to me, I know it will be a million times better if it was in person."

Any other ideas? I still haven't not done any of my letters to him because I get so dreamy reading over and over his. What a charmer! And although most of his letters are from bootcamp, Iraq, North Carolina, I do have some from our almost 4 years of marriage. I also have TONS of emails, but these handwritten letters are worth so much more to me.

Love Letters

3 days ago I came across this.....

I am pretty sure this was something my mom owned in the 70s. That I took with me to college.

Anyways inside I found these....

Old letters Travis wrote to me while in bootcamp, North Carolina, Iraq etc... This is not even half of them. My mom was watching the girls while I was cleaning the house so I spent a good hour reading through them and giggling at how silly we were. BUT these are a very important part of our relationship, our friendship. Had we never written each other while he was at bootcamp we probably would have never talked again. SO I want to do something to incorporate them into our house. So here is what I did. By the way, Travis would want me to add that yes he wrote very sweet sensitive and loving things, but he is tough and strong and very manly. He only writes letters like this to me, and I hope one day he writes sweet letters to his daughters. Anyways this is what I did....

First I looked through and found one that I really enjoyed reading and scanned it....

I then went into my photo editing program and crop-ed the letter to a specific sentence or two...

It cuts off bits of sentences but I thought that it was easy enough to follow.

I made it a Sepia tone, and then printed it out on a Print and Iron Sheet.

Then I ironed it onto a piece of muslin, and then stiching around the iron on sheet to make sure it stays on.

Then I just took another piece of muslin and sewed them together right side to right side leaving a small hole in which to stuff it. I then closed the whole a viola! A beautiful accent pillow for our bedroom. Now I am planning on making on in my handwriting too, but Travis didn't seem to keep many of my letter while I have been hoarding, protecting, whatever you want to call it, mine from him.

Here is the link where I found the idea for the Pillows

Adhesive Vinyl Fun

So I picked up some adhesive vinyl for my Silhouette and have had a chance to play around with it. My good friend Mandy and I worked on a project last night that I LOVE but that will come in a bit. I wanted to show you two things I did last night in seriously 5 minutes.

Also while Mandy was here my amazing husband decided to try a craft time of his own. R has been pleading for me to make her a stuffed doll, like the one on the package for pillow stuffing. So Travis went in the craft room, found some buttons and an old sock and got to work. I love this guy.

The Inspiration...

The outcome....

Ok I am behind on posting, but I am working on some stuff to post later. Hope everyone is planning on having a wonderful long weekend!

Chicken Fried Steak and Mashed Potatoes

Travis love chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes. It is his favorite meal. I am sure this is common among men in Texas. Tonight I went with the recipe from the Pioneer Woman cookbook. My mom bought her cookbook awhile back, and now I try to cook from it as often as I can, which comes out to about once every two weeks or so.

Quick admiration for The Pioneer Woman... her life sounds amazing, cows, cooking, gardening, photos... check out her website and she will make you want to get in touch with your pioneer side. And her recipes have a picture for EACH step! This is amazing for someone like me who went to college knowing how to make maybe 5 or 6 dishes. And by dished I mean mac and cheese, grilled chicken, oatmeal, cereal, grilled cheese. Those types of "dishes". Anyways, I everything I have tried from her cookbook or website has been a hit at our house.

Tonight - Chicken Fried Steak and Mashed Potatoes, Travis also made green beans that were delicious!

Here is the exact recipe from Pioneer Woman
And here are some pictures from our dinner tonight. It was my first time to photograph food. I think it is easier than photographing children.

Didn't get a picture of the chicken fried steak, it was gone so quick!

Sister Project

Mel has a baby shower this weekend so we got together and worked on some handmade gifts. We used some tutorials from other sites, and we winged it. I think Romina's little girl is pretty lucky to get such individualized gifts!


Here are some of the tutorials and some pictures.


Quick and Dirty No Pattern Boppy Cover - By Grosgrain who has fabulous tutorials for everything!
Burp Clothe with Ribbons - At Make and Takes which is new to me, so I can't wait to have time to look through it
Appliques Onesies - With Crap I've Made, love the blog title
Ruffled Bottom Onesie

Mother's Day

Things I learned this weekend.....

- my car is actually white and only looked gray because of the thick layer of scum on it (thanks hon for washing it off)
- my washing machine is leaking water (I had not noticed because of all the other stuff on the floor)
- ants were eating my hummingbird food (I thought hummingbirds were coming at night to eat it)
- Travis is right sometimes, yes we should have originally moved the bedroom furniture the way it now is. It makes the room look so much nicer.
- My family is amazing... I already knew this but it was reinforced this weekend.

Travis had a WHOLE weekend off. Yes 2 days of not going to work at all. And I know this was very tough for him because he is a bit of a workaholic. We painted the trim on the house, put together the new patio furniture, cleaned the utility room, moved around furniture in the bedroom, washed my car, swam in the kiddo pool, went to the park, and I even got to sew while Travis took naps with the girls.

I know you might be thinking... wait it was Mother's Day and Travis got to take a nap?? Well I like it this way. The girls sleep longer with him next to them, so in turn I get a longer time by myself doing other things, like making a new strap cover for my camera.

It was a great weekend. Travis is back to work now, as usual, and the girls and I are back to our routine.

T-shirt Refashion Part 2

Ok so I am not done, I still have lots of navy shirt, but I have completed 3 very simple projects using the navy striped shirt.

Here is the shirt as a reminder.

And as of today I have made a skirt, a braided headband, and a rolled fabric flower clip.

 Here is a close up of the accessories.

Here are the links that were the inspiration to these projects.

I used this tutorial from V and Co. to make a elastic waistband.

I used this tutorial from Prudent Baby to make the flower but instead of a headband I put it on a clip.

And I used this tutorial from Mary Janes and Galoshes, but hers are much cuter I think.

So here is what is left..... I will continue to brainstorm, maybe I will get more sewing time for Mother's Day!

Table Tent

To say my girls love tents is an understatment. I would have never thought throwing a blanket over us and holding it up with my hands would bring so much joy to my kiddos. Ruth's imagination is running wild so I decided to make her a table tent.

This was my inspiration.

It is from Make It and Love It

I followed the tutorial at Make It and Love It, but I did not do any embellishing. I didn't even do a window... maybe I will add that later I just wanted to get it into play mode!

I will post pictures of my finsihed product later. My goal is just to get started today during nap time.

Ok here is mine... again not as girly, but it works.

This is her, "I am having so much fun, I can't smile" face.

 

And why yellow and brown? Well this called for lots of fabric. I usually do not buy this much at a time, but this was handed down to me from my mom, I think it made either a dinosaur or M&M costume.

Silhouette Mother's Day Card

So I have been playing around with the Silhouette. Haven't had too much time, but this is what I am working on for Mother's Day.

Tutorial - Card

What are you doing for your mom this weekend? And what are some ideas for my kiddos to make for their grandmas?

Circus

About a year ago my sister bought us this movie....

It was made in 1987. It is very obnoxious, and the clothing choice is interesting. Ruth LOVES it!!

Well yesterday her dreams came true and we went to the Shrine Circus. I wanted to share some pictures.

These are the girls as we arrived. Ruth (just like her momma)was not sure about the clowns.

Marie was not sure where she was and why it was so noisy.

I love this picture! She was so excited!

Travis took these pictures of Ruth and me so show how similar our hair is. Ruth left the house saying, "I want a ponytail like mommy."

On a seperate note the other night while laying in bed she told me I was her best friend. I think my eyes watered. I love her so much.

So the circus was a hit. I think we might have to take her again. Thanks Oma and Opa for the tickets.