refashioned:: long sleeved blouse to bolero

when i saw this refashion last week i was instantly smitten. i figured i had something in my closet i could use to give it a try BUT during a spur of the moment trip to goodwill yesterday i spied a silk blouse in the most lovely shade of porcelain blue that was in perfect condition. i was in luck, it was my size and only $3!

i bought ready made ruffle from hobby lobby (30% off!) and i used scraps to make bias tape to finish the new short sleeves. it was a quick and easy project and i love the way it turned out. my husband, on the other hand, told me (in a very loving way) that i looked like i should be working at a mexican restaurant.



please tell me-- what is your honest opinion?

bolero - si or no?

family tree

a few years back my sister-in-law Laura bought a family tree kit from Red Envelope for my mother-in-law (pictured). i have always admired this family tree-- it has such a simple, clean look to it. so when i was asked to re-create the tree for encrichment night i was pretty excited! i thought it would be simple but it has proved to be a little more time consuming then i had anticipated. my super talented husband made a template for the tree and the leaves while i shopped for paper and did the cutting and tracing. tonight is the big night and luckily the 45 kits are prepared and ready to go. now comes the really hard part- teaching the class. i am not a fan of public speaking. wish me luck!

lentil tacos

for the last year or so, in an effort to more fully live the Word of Wisdom and save money, my family has eaten more vegetarian meals. lentil tacos is one of our favorites. we eat it at least once a week. lentils have a lot of health benefits. read more about them here. they are also very inexpensive-- i get mine at wal-mart for $0.99 for a 16 oz bag. can't beat that!

i don't really measure when making this so the amounts are estimates. increase or decrease the amounts as your tastes desire.

lentil tacos
3/4 cup of lentils (rinsed and pick out the bad ones)
1/2 medium onion diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of taco seasoning
1-2 teaspoons of cumin
4-6 cups of water

saute garlic and onion in a little olive oil. add lentils and seasonings, stir. add water simmer until lentils are tender (adding more water as needed) about 30-40 minutes. once the lentils are cooked i prefer to mash mine a little using a potato masher. serve in a tortilla with your favorite toppings. serves 6+.

i realize that this picture doesn't look very appetizing... but i guess a bowl of ground meat wouldn't either.

refashioned:: t-shirt to little girls top

i am really getting into this refashioning thing! and now i am kicking myself for all the clothes that i have tossed over the years!

here is the latest refashion:

this t-shirt was purchased a few years ago. i wore it a couple of times... horizontal stripes- what was i thinking??


today i turned it into an adorable top for my daughter Sutton.


i cut off the collar and using elastic thread on the bobbin and regular thread on top i gathered or "shirred" the neckline. i fit the shirt to Sutton's body and then sewed the sides and cut off the sleeves and used the same shirring technique.


i cut the scrap pieces to strips about 1" wide and gathered them using (of course) the elastic thread method. i continuously fed the strips through the machine so i ended up with one long ruffle. i sewed the ruffle to the neckline (once all the way around and then once more shoulder to shoulder in the front) and to the hem.


the entire project took about an hour. i love using jersey- no need to hem! Sutton told me it is her "favorite shirt" which, of course, makes me happy. she was concerned about eating dinner because she didn't want to get food on her shirt. she put another shirt on top for protection!

i have a huge pile of cast-offs that i have plans for. there are so many great ideas out there. i can't wait to get started!

an update on homemade laundry detergent

i am still making my own laundry detergent. the clothes come out clean and smell fresh but not perfumed-- which i prefer actually.

i am doing one thing different though. after grating my fels naptha i run it through the food processor. it adds another step and more dishes to wash afterward but it is so worth it! the detergent now looks like this:


more like a traditional powder. the benefits of doing it this way are

1. the powder is more uniform so you are getting more even amounts of the ingredients.
2. i no longer have to make sure the fels naptha dissolves before adding the clothes. i turn on the water, add the two tablespoons of detergent, add the clothes. done.

since making the detergent is a little more time consuming with the added step of the food processor i double or triple the batch. it works really well and the detergent seems to last forever as long as you keep it in a airtight container.

have any of you made your own laundry detergent?

(i just have to add- use common sense!! make sure you wash all dishes and utensils very well. you don't want to eat this stuff. that would definitely ruin whatever delicious food you have whipped up!)

i caved

i am not really keen on the disney princess empire. i am not totally anti though. my daughter Sutton has books and toys and a few dvds but i have always refused to decorate with or dress Sutton in disney princess garb.

BUT recently Sutton started waking up at night because she was scared of the wall. that's right, the WALL. she was so scared that she wouldn't even sleep on her bed anymore.

while at wal-mart Sutton spotted princess fabric and she wanted it so bad. i asked her if i made a princess pillow case if she would sleep in her bed. she said she would. i was doubtful but went for it anyway.


that night i made her the princess pillow case and we talked before bed. i told her that she had her princesses there with her and she had "princess power" and a bunch of other garbage (i was so desperate for a full nights sleep i would have told her anything!). then we took turns smacking the wall and saying "i'm not scared of you!"

and it worked! she now sleeps in her bed again and hasn't talked about the wall for more than a week. go princess power!

in orange

this might be my favorite one yet. which works out well because it is for me!


the best thing about these wristlets is that they are so versatile. you can use it as a cosmetic bag, a coin purse, a pencil pouch, my kids store their "treasures" in theirs. i use mine as a clutch when i escape out of the house sans kids and can ditch the diaper bag. it is the perfect size for my phone, keys and wallet. like last night, when i went to a movie ALL BY MYSELF! no one talking to me or touching me. it was a much needed break!




i added this wristlet to kimba's DIY day. go check it out. there's lots of inspiring stuff there!

at the antique market

i so wanted to buy this hat (it was only $5).


but really, where does one wear a hat like that these days?