Little Girl Maxi Dress

We are weeks away from meeting our little boy and I think I've about cleaned everything in our house twice. Nesting mode has come. Yesterday I needed something non strenuous but just fun to work on. If you know me very well you know that I hate sewing. I love the idea of it but almost every time I go to start a project something happens with my machine that makes me turn into the hulk. My sister can agree with me on this one. If I sew it's gotta be quick, cute and SIMPLE...like really simple.

 

Weeks ago I had seen a photo floating around on Pinterest of a little toddler maxi dress listed on etsy for a whoppin $42! Uhm no thank you. But it looked easy enough for me to try.

My little girl is turning 3 in May (the week we are due!) and I decided with no pattern to figure out her size. Here's what I did.

1. Went to hobby lobby with my 40% off coupon of course and picked out a yard of cute jersey knit fabric.

2. Went to Walmart and found a $3 coordinating tank top (could use a plain shirt). I'm sure you can find them in clearance now that I know what I'm looking for if I see them marked down.

3. Went home and wrapped my fabric around her itty bitty waist and then doubled it so I would have room to add a few pleats. The girl needs to be able to walk in it! I left the dress super long (which she preferred "like elsa mom"). At the end you can cut desired length. NO HEMMING yes!

4. Sewed the side together.

5. Cut the tank top off at where I I wanted the fabric bottom part to start and then turned it inside out, pinned my fabric to it making little pleats and sewed together.

6. She tried it on, danced and I trimmed the bottom where I wanted it.

That's it. And since I used no pattern I think I can continue to make these over and over as she grows.

$6 bucks. No hitting the sewing machine. No hemming. Easy. Cute. My kind of project!

Pippa's Dollhouse

Ever since I found out I was having a girl, almost 3 years ago, I dreamed of making a dollhouse for her. I looked for a second hand dollhouse on craiglist and yardsales but just didn't see anything. So my kind father in law made me exactly what I had in mind. It turned out perfect! 

I'm working on this while I wait for our baby boy scheduled to arrive in May. It's given me something to do while I grow and am stuck inside during these winter months and yes I know life will soon get very busy caring for our little guy but I'm soaking up every last bit of rest and recreation time I can before he comes. 

    27 weeks 

I started by painting the entire house white.

I then decopauged scrapbook paper to the backs of the rooms for "wallpaper".  

Some of the furniture was found on eBay, some I purchased bits at a time from Hobby Lobby using my 40% off coupon they always have up on their website. 

A lot of the prints came from HGTV magazines. 

All my fabric was scraps I had and all the little tiny pieces were from a bag a lady in our church gave me.

 Some things came from around my house that I would find and make into something. 

Never underestimate a toothpaste cap and the power of spray paint to make a stool for the bedroom. 

This is one of the most fun projects I have gotten to play with, I mean "design" 😊.  I've been working on it room by room over a few months and it is so much fun to watch Pippa see it room by room and get all excited. 

I only have two more rooms left, the living room and an office. I will add photos once it's complete and I can let go of it.  :) 

Old New Jewelry

I love any kind of jewelry but along the way I have collected some pieces that have become favorites of mine because of the special occasions and people that have given them to me. The only problem is, they tarnished in a short amount of time.

Ever wondered how to get tarnished pieces of silver looking like new?  I recently found a new trick suggested online.


To get your silver back and sparkly clean simply rub the jewelry with dry baking soda using your fingers and watch as the tarnish disappear! I have to admit I became giddy during this process. It only takes a matter of seconds and the jewelry starts looking shiny. After you have throughly rubbed it with the baking soda just rinse with water and dry with a towel.

I cannot wait to wear my old pieces turned new!

Weird Delicious Dip

Last fall Josh's parents came to visit us and his mom made this new dip that to be honest just looked weird! It's one of those things that I would not try unless prodded...well they warned us it was odd looking but after one taste it would leave you wanting more and more...and just a little more. It's so delicious and I started craving this weird dip this week! It's a little sweet but we like it a little saltier so I'm going to give you my modified version of the recipe that Josh's mom gave me.

Here's the recipe, I dare you to try it...

1 can of black beans rinsed
1 bunch of green onion chopped  (my sister has an awesome trick for making more of your green onion on her blog.)
1/2 cup of cider vinegar
1/2 cup of light olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp of  sugar (original says 1/4 cup but thats way too sweet for our salty palette)
Garlic powder, salt, pepper to taste (of course we always add salt like we would to guacamole)

We mix all the ingredients above and then let it sit for usually a day in fridge to let the ingredient flavors unite.
When you are ready to eat add  1 container of feta cheese.

Advent Calendar 2013

I thought last year was fun seeing Pippa's face as she saw all the Christmas glam for the first time but this year is even more fun! I love to hear her say "oooohh!" when she see's lights or a tree. This year I was feeling extra excited about getting my Christmas tree up and so after talking it over with my sister, we agreed that we were going to put our trees up extra early...like beginning of November early. Every time we go to plug our tree in Pippa counts "uhn..tew..tree" and I just love that.

With all the emphases from the world on the lights, trees and gifts we are trying to look for ways that our family can make sure Christ's birth is emphasized way more than just the sparkle and wonder of the Christmas "stuff". Even thought Pippa is still only 18 months I want to begin teaching her from an early age the importance of JESUS.

I went super simple with my advent calendar due the fact that Pippa can't grasp the meaning of trinkets or Bible verses. I guess in a way this advent calendar is more for Josh and I. Probably by next year I will get a little more elaborate as far as having trinkets for Pippa to open and remember what Bible verse and concept the day was about.

Using inspiration from this pin on I began to think how I could use a hanger for my calendar. So I grabbed one of those ugly wire hangers from the closet and gave it a little shine using gold spray paint. I'm kinda into gold this season! I used small tags from hobby lobby and then printed my own numbers using different funky fonts. On the back of the tags I put a bible verse for each day that has to do with the coming of Jesus. I used the verses from this pin. I'm super excited to begin our daily reading tomorrow!

 

Using hemp and bakers twin I tied the numbers to the hanger. 

 

Thankful for our Home

 

       I am beyond thankful for out little house when I think of all the fun that we have enjoyed here. God has been so good to us. Sometimes I wonder why He not only gives us what we need but he allows us to really enjoy all that He has blessed us with. We have now lived here 18 months :) I say 18 months because Pippa was born a few weeks before we were able to settle in here. It makes it easy for me to keep track. 

I don't know why but there is something about old homes that I just love. Sure there are quirks but that's exactly that's why I love them! When we were desperately trying to find a home before the arrival of Pippa I hoped we would find something with character. I was at that point fine with anything that had walls a roof and a door since I was about to deliver at any time but when the realtor showed us this little house in an older neighborhood my heart skipped a beat. Honesty seeing the fireplace and old telephone nook had me hooked. Josh quickly reminded me we need to make sure it had things like running water and air...but luckily it had all we needed. 

Our little house was built in 1945 and I sometimes I can only imagine all that has went on here. I'm currently in the process of trying to find out the history of it. My neighbor and her husband who has now gone to be with the Lord, built their house in 1950 and she is still living there to this day. One day when I visit her I will not only be bringing some dinner or desert but I will have a notepad and pen handy to write down as much as she can remember. I do know that several people have called this their home and I look forward to finding out more. I was informed that it was the eye sore of the street at one point. I am so thankful someone saw the gem in the rough that we now enjoy.

We've sanded, painted and made it our own but I can only help but wonder who all has made it their own. But one thing is for sure, God has provided us a comfy spot where we can relax as a family, pray and worship God. It's perfect for us and I really am truly grateful for how God has blessed us with it.

 

 

 

One of my favorite things that we have added is this sliding door. It's great for separating the mudroom from the kitchen and then we don't have to heat this part in the winter at night.  

 

Josh and I recently wrote out the title deeds to our lives and after some photoshop work, printing and framing we placed it in our living room to look at daily. All we have is His including this little house.

 

     The previous owner of the home informed me that Pippa's walk in closet use to be a sewing room for a lady that had the house before her. It is the perfect little room to put/throw her toys and clothes in. Sewing room or toy room I think it has been enjoyed. Finding out stories and information of those who lived here before me makes me feel like I'm watching my own little version of the history channel's popular show "If walls could talk". I cannot wait to keep finding out bits and pieces of the history of the place we call home.

Living Sacrficially

In our youth Sunday school class we have been looking at practices of the church and the practice we looked at yesterday morning was the Lord's supper. As Josh and I thought about how we could teach the kids what the Lord supper was about Mel Gibson's movie the Passion of the Christ came to mind.

I remember being 15 and in high school when I saw this movie in theaters for the first time. It's crazy to think it has been almost 10 years. I think the emotion I most experienced was shock as to catching a glimpse of what Christ personally did for me. I knew he died a brutal death on the cross but I did not understand the suffering aspect of it until it was portrayed in this movie and that in return made me thankful to the core. 

Josh and I realized quickly that this generation of youth were small children when it came out and had not seen this movie. We invited the kids to ask permission from their parents to view the movie with us last night. I think I was going into the movie having the mindset of "we're doing this for the kids" but as I sat and watched what Christ went through for me I experienced not only the emotion of shock of what Christ did for me but of remorse of how lightly I take His death.

We live in a world now that seems to be getting worse everyday, not only in terms of the worldly culture but in terms of the Church and Christianity moving towards complete comfort zone. WE have made it comfortable to live for Christ by just doing the expected things. Even I am guilty of picking a style of Christianity that best suits me. In today's Church the only sacrifice we feel we need to make is to wake up, go to church, pick your coffee flavor and sing to the music style at church that best suits you, maybe go above and beyond and bring your Bible. I have fallen into the trap of thinking that by simply obeying the commands of Jesus was true sacrifice. Up until last night I myself felt that I was sacrificing my life for Jesus by doing Christianity my way.

Growing up in ministry and then being on staff at a church currently has made it easy for me to confuse sacrifice with service. Going to church, studying God's word, praying, teaching and tithing are commands from God and that is my service. But sacrifice takes more than service. Sacrifice should never be comfortable. There was nothing comfortable about how Jesus suffered for me. In fact sacrifice should hurt me for it to be real sacrifice. I'm not talking physical, even though we should be ready for that. I mean hurt you in a way that you have to live by grace and faith to make it. God is saying to me "give me more, Amy". Don't settle for getting by or just being the above average Christian give Jesus more.

I want to seek to live sacrificially and not just get by! I pray that God will show me even today how I can not just serve Him but what I can give Him that may hurt me but bring glory to Him!