Summer Time!

Is amazing what plants are capable of when you actually water them!

We are starting our 3rd summer here.

Each year I feel like I have become that much better at gardening!

Nathans Pumpkins Plants!

Yummy Avocados!

RASPBERRIES!!

These plants have gone WILD on our bank!

They are huge and apparently re root themselves as they grow bigger!

I'm not complaining I love raspberries!

And we are going to have tons!

They are all over the bank and we just planted

raspberries, boysenberries, and grape plant along the back fence!

As you can see our yard is in full bloom!

We are so blessed to have so much food growing here!

Nathan loves to pick it!

We have limes, oranges, grape fruits, tangerines, and apples also!

Plus an herb garden!

It is so fun for me to ask Nathan to go out and get a lime for salsa,

lemons for lemon aide,

basil for pasta, tomatoes for salsa,

peas for salads!

He feels so proud and its just so healthy and fun!

I never thought I would like "gardening" as much as I do!

Ok Ok Honestest time...

most of these things are on timers and watered daily for me!

But still!

They are in my yard!!

So I can take some credit...

Right?

Growth Chart

There are some things I am seeing now that I wish I had done with Nathan.

Like a grow chart,

 I wish I had his growth charted on something cute.

A reminder of how small he once was and how fast he is changing.

My parents have one for him, but we have not been very good about keeping up with it.

I think when I go back to the doctor I'm going to ask for his charts printed.

So I can atleast fake like I did it all along!

With Sydney I'm starting at 5 months so a little late,

but hey better late than never!

I have been seeing lots of "rule" style growth charts out there lately, and I love the idea!

It's not written on the wall so moving or painting is not a conern.

And it's a gaint rule...super cute!

Pottery Barn is selling them...

 of course Pottery Barn is a little out of this DIY girls budget!

Instead I sent Alex and Nathan to Lowes for a 1x6 board.

After a little sanding and staining,

I busted out a tape measure and a straight edge.

I maked every inch and foot for 6 feet.

Add some number

voila...

a growth chart ruler

for under $5!

I think this would make a great baby shower gift!

I'd love to have an excuse to make more!

It was a fast easy project.

I love the instant gratification projects!

If it weren't so akward to ship I'm sell em on etsy!

 Do you love it as much as I do?

1st

Last weekend Alex decided that he wanted to take Nathan to his first movie!

They went to see African Cats! Nathans choice!

We showed him the trailers for African Cats and Rio,

not surprising he choice African Cats!

He loves lions, tigers and such so of course he picked it!

He last 2/3rds of the movie before Alex had to give him snacks to sit still!

They watched the whole thing!

He came home to tell me all about lions!

It was a success!

While the boys were learning about Africa,

Sydney and I were learning about the beauty of pretty toes!

I decided to use a gift card I had for a pedicure!

Of course Sydney was the hit of the nail salon

and all the women working there wanted to paint her toe nails too!

Why not!

Be hold,

the best they could do with a little one who is always moving!

All her movement rubbed a lot of it off before it could dry!

Oh well there is always next time!

New Camera!!!

WooHoo I got a new camera!

I actually really loved the one I had, but it was just a "point and shot"

and I have been craving a DSLR!

My Canon Power Shot is a great camera if you are in the market for a new point and shot style!

I will contuine to keep it in my diaper bag or purse all the time!

But...

 I just got my new

Canon Rebel XS

 in the mail yesterday and I'm loving it!

I can't wait to learn the ins and outs of it!

But so far I have been having a lot of fun with it!

I love the crisp clean photos is catches of my always moving kiddos!

Here are a few of the pictures I have takens since it came!

I have to whip up a comfy padded camera strap for it now!

Got find some stylish fabric!

Mirror Mirror on the Wall...

I picked up this mirror at the swap meet as few weeks back for $2!

I wanted it for Sydney's room!

I loved the detail of it.

But black would not fit in with her decor!

So...I taped it off with newspaper

and busted out old faithful!

Yup spray paint!

After 4 coats, the whole bottle,
and an afternoon drying in the sunshine 

it was ready to be hung in Sydney's room!

Car Seat Strap Covers Tutorial

Sydney is finally growing!

All (and we have seen a lot) the doctors say she is very petite.

She is 11 pounds as of her 4 month check up.

Her little neck has been getting rubbed wrong by the straps of her car seat.

She already hates the car seat so I whipped up these little strap covers yesterday morning for her.
In hopes of it easing the pain of going places with her!

It was a quick 15 minute project I accomplished while both kids were awake.

First I cut four squares from left over fabric I used to make her car seat cover
which you can read about here
I just eyeballed, you really should measure the strap width and then triple it though.
If you do things the "right" way, which I never seem too!

(I ironed before I started working)

Then I cut 2 squares of thick batting.
Roughly the same size as the fabric squares.

Then face the cotton right sides together and the batting on top.
Stitch, leaving a small area open to allow you to turn it!
Repeat with second one!

Trim.
Turn and press.
Clip the corners,

be sure not to clip the stitching though
Sew the hole shut.

Then add Velcro.
Be sure to add one piece to the top and the other to the back and opposite side
so that you can "fold" it around the strap and Velcro underneath.
Did that make sense?
If not you'll know what I mean when you get to that point.

Test fit to make sure you are happy with the placement of the Velcro
then stitch in place!

Voila!
Cute strap covers to protect your sweet peas neck!

I'm wearing a table cloth mom!!

My aunt recently gave me a vintage table cloth

that she came a crossed while cleaning out a family members home. 

Sorry for the lackof a before photo I forgot before I cut it up!

I looked at it and saw a cute little Easter dress for Sydney!

This is what it became!

It is 100% the table cloth, minus the rickrack trim and zipper!

I used a Simplicity Pattern for Newborns.

Yeah Sydney is 4 months old, but she is really small!

I really had to plan out the layout before I cut so it would line up nice in the end.

Too bad it is like WAY too big for her!

There is no way a newborn would fit into this thing!

The pattern designers at Simplicity must have big babies! 

Oh well she will grow in to it!

Sydneys Room Tour Part 1

So...her room is not totally finished

and I have been waiting to give you a tour until it is "finished"

but then will it ever really be finished?

I'm always going to want to

change something, 

 move something,

 add or remove something...

 so i decided to let you see it!

This is a chest I actaully did before we even moved here!

It was orange and had plain quater sized knobs.

I didn't take a picture because it was way before blogging!

But I sanded it down,

 painted it a light celery green,

 then bought the knobs at anthropologie.

It must have been meant to be that it would fit prefectly into Sydneys room!

It was a good 3 years before her!

Fate!

I'm joining and you should too!!
Why not!
I'm excited!
I need to make a list of what I want to make
And find fabric for each project!
I think this challenge will be a good way to use up some of my fabric stash!