OSU Applique Shirt

Today's post is about one of my favorite people in the whole wide world.  Her smile is infectious as is her laughter and she always brightens my day when I get to see her.  I'm so sad she lives back in Dallas and our interactions are few and far between.  And she's 2.

Everyone, meet Rylie:

 

J'adore.  She is one of E's original besties and we always have a good time when our family's get together (which I wish could be more often!)

So last week was War Eagle Craft Fair up here - it's kinda a big deal.  I usually stay away because traffic gets crazy, but decided on Thursday to hit up one of my favorite stores because for the first time they opted out of the actual fair and just had their sales in store.  So up I drove to Vintage Glam & Junque in Rogers in hopes of finding some gifts for the 2 birthday parties that E is going to over the weekend.

I walk in the door and I see the headbands and it hits me - I'll get those girls headbands!  And they had them on special :).  Here is a pic of Ev with her new one on.  She has a Razorbacks one too.

So I'm digging through the basket and I find an OSU one!  It was so cute and I just had to get it for Rylie - both parents are OSU alums and make frequent trips to the football games in the fall.  I just love the fabric they used.

So I get home and I thought - I can't just send Rylie Bug a headband....I should make a shirt to match.  So I grabbed some orange gingham plaid and made this!

Now she can show her support at the games, or out on the town! 

 

I've decided - or come to the realization that sewing is "my thing".  I really get a lot of enjoyment out of it and I get to use a bit of accounting because it really uses a lot of math and figuring out things like a puzzle.  I rarely use a pattern and I think that's part of the fun; figuring out how to do it!

 

Tomorrow I'll discuss my experience of my first deco mesh wreath.  And in case you were wondering about my loyalties - it's a Razorback one!

 

Somebody's Having a Baby! And it's not Me.

I love me some babies.  LOVE! 

I worked in my church's daycare for 7 years - throughout high school and college. So I knew a lot more than the average bear going into this motherhood thing.  Mostly the grossness and noise making abilities. 

When Joe and I found out we were pregnant, I was pretty bummed - for like 5 months.  Evelyn was unplanned, but she's pretty awesome and can't imagine life without her.  Back to being bummed - Once we found out the sex of the baby and could start planning a room and picking a name things really started to come together for me emotionally.  Then the physical pain set in.  I had a ligament that wrapped the right side of my body from ribcage to spine that had me in so much pain I just wanted to scream bloody murder at my desk most days.  Nothing helped.  It was quite simply, awful.  Not to mention we had some personal problems with some immediate family that took over our lives for a few months and added to the emotional and mental strain Joe and I were already suffering.  When I look back on pregnancy, I get the chills.  So it's BIG that getting pregnant again is even a consideration.

But, I'm not there yet.

But, one of my best friends Rita is!  She is pregnant with her first baby and we already know that it's a boy!  Just because I don't want to be preggers - doesn't mean I don't want everyone else around me to not be.  Pretty much since the day she told me I've been sending 20 texts and emails a day with name suggestions, baby bedding, craft ideas for the rooms, and yesterday it culminated because I couldn't stand it any longer and just had to make that future bundle of joy something tangible.

I have a stock pile of white onesies at the house for baby gifts - usually I just get them embroidered with their names, but I wanted to do something else personal as a gift.  Rita's husband, Bryan, is really proud to be a Texan.  He loves Houston so much he told Lauren and I when we were visiting a few weeks ago "It's the greatest place on earth."  I beg to disagree (THE HEAT).  Anyway, I'm also painting this week a Home is Where the Heart Is painting and thought I could definitely apply this to clothing.  So I hit Joann and grabbed some fabric and thread and a button and VOILA!  Insta-gift.

I think Bryan was more excited than Rita!  But I think I was more excited than them both.  After sending out pictures of my proud accomplishment I was encouraged to put them in my Etsy store.  So I did.  You can view my store over on the right hand side of the blog menu bar at any time and I included a link here as well.  Next up, I'm doing an Oklahoma one for a special little lady I know! (not E) And an Arkansas one for the cutest most adorable little girl in the whole world! (I'm talking about Evelyn this time) ;)

Recycling Windows

Each time I'm antiquing I always see salvaged windows for so cheap!  I always look at them and see a $5, $7, or $10 price tag and I SO want to buy them, but I hadn't come up with a perfect use for it yet.  That was until Saturday when Beth at Unskinny Boppy posted this blog about her antique window turned shadowbox which is her most prized possession. 

I adore and covet it!

She gives instruction on how her husband made the window into a shadow box and tells the sweet story of how it came about.  I love her wedding dress - and what a great use for your wedding day bouquet!!!

I didn't keep my bouquet (big regret now), but I'm going to brainstorm some other items I can put inside.  I think I'll do one with a mix of pics from Joe's and my wedding and maybe a pic from the honeymoon and one of Evelyn as a baby.  What a great idea! I'm really excited to get working on this project.  You know, after I finish the other 15 projects I have on tap.

Some other ideas for salvaged windows include:

Hang them as wall art

Courtesy of Jennifer Kathryn Photography

Frame a mirror

Photo courtesy of Madigan Made

Mount floating pictures

Both of the above photos courtesy of Pacific Mutual Door

Turn it into chalkboard/magnetic board/dry erase board



Courtesy of Red Hen Home

Paint or etch a saying or quote onto the glass

Courtesy of Paint Me Shabby

You could also place scrapbook paper or fabric behind the windows to use as wall art as well!  Share any ideas you might have. 

More Gift Ideas for Non-Dudes like Ladies and Babies

I'm keeping it short and sweet since the length of this entry is LLLooooonngggg because of all the pics.  Please comment with your great gift ideas!  Everybody needs help thinking up stuff to give.

Adults:
The ultimate wine bottle opener that makes you feel like a bad ass when you use it:  The Cork Pops Legacy.  In short, you stab the needle through the cork and press the button.  It then sends a shot of carbon dioxide into the bottle and the pressure makes the cork pop right out!  It's so easy, it's stupid.  You can buy replacement needles and cartridges.  I've had mine for I think 3 years and only replaced the cartridge twice so far.  I do run into the occasional cork that is too porous for this to work, so keep your other opener just in case. 

Pic is courtesy of corkpops.com

Babies/Kids:
These are some of my favorite go to gifts for kids.  DixieBelle Gifts screen prints these amazingly soft shirts that are personalized!  I can speak from experience that these shirts don't shrink; the quality is top notch.  The 0-6 month sizes are onesies and then they have t-shirts all the way up to 6 years.  Every year I get Evelyn two long sleeved shirts and they last until she grows out of them.  I buy them big and she wears them tunic style and then grows into them through the winter.  They also have bags and blankies as well as onesies specific for little babies with designs on the rear.  Here are some of my fav designs this season.

All shirt pics are courtesy of DixieBelle Gifts

For the Family:
I have one of these myself and adore it and get compliments all the time.  Again, from DixieBelle Gifts are House Number Pots. I have a red one that has our last name on it and I adore it.  I'm about to plant some pansies in it and put it out front on our stoop.  You can get your house number, your last name, just an initial, your last name and the year your family was established.  Very cute.  Each one is hand painted by Jenny herself (Jenny is the owner of DixieBelle Gifts).  She started out by making one of these for her Grandmother and they became quite a hit!  The pots are 12 inch terra cotta.  Check them out.

Pics are courtesy of dixiebellegifts.com

 For the Ladies:

Graphic Image is my new favorite gift website.  Most of the items come in multiple colors and you can have them personalized.  They have many different items for each kind of technology like phones, eReaders, and eTablets.  I'm dying to get this iPad cover....

.....and this iPhone cover.......

And check out these luggage tags - only $25 with the option of getting your initial gold stamped too!

The crocodile ones below are $29

Pics are courtesy of graphicimage.com

 People Magazine Subscription

Pic is courtesy of people.com

What lady doesn't love celebrity gossip?  Joe got my subscription for me three Christmases ago and I love it.  He always jokes he got his money's worth because I literally read them every Friday night cover to cover and even do the crossword.  You can give the gift of People here.

Gift Ideas for Dudes

I had a busy week last week kids.  E's bday was Wednesday.  Then Thursday I decided to drive to Dallas and go to Chi Omega Christmas Market (always worth it) and then drive back home Friday to throw E a small bday party Saturday.  (Pics to come of decor).  Now I'm back and since I'm near hyperventilating about what the heck to buy people for Christmas, I'm going to post some ideas I have and hope for other suggestions in return!

Note:  I was not a Chi O, and was not a part of any sorority in college.  My friend Amy has been the chair the past 2 years for the Christmas market and I just love going.

For Dudes:
My husband won one of these at the Chi Omega Christmas auction last year........




Courtesy of Home Fields, Inc.


Quite simply, it's a replica of Cowboys stadium and it's 3 dimensional and on the back it has a brief history.  I thought "That's kinda lame, but he can put it in his office at work and I'll never have to see it."  Well, Joe did put it in his office and gets compliments on it all the time.  So when I told him last minute "Hey I'm going to Dallas to shop the market", he asked if I would get him Rangers Stadium for him to display as well.

I think it's a good time to note that having 3 of something constitutes a collection.  So if you have 2 chickens or roosters displaying in your kitchen, you are walking a fine line between kitchy and crazy.

Now, when I go to the market I have a system of attack.  I walk/shop the outside perimeter first and then go up and down each row.  Take your time.  I found out last year (my first year) after 2 visits and hundreds of dollars spent that you should just take your time and hit it up once and early in the week before it gets picked over.  Oh, and take a stroller sans baby so you can carry all the stuff you buy easier.

Back to gifts, anyway, I get to this particular booth towards the end of my shopping and there is a line of Dudes and a line of wives all buying these for their husbands and dads.  The ones Joe has are like 9 inches wide and 4 inches high.  I didn't realize they made ones that are Ginormous and light up too!  Seeing all of these displayed before me, they are actually pretty cool, and granted I'm a girl who loves her some sports, but they are pretty awesome.  The collegiate ones are even better than the pro ones because they have the mascot on them.  Example below. (Go Hogs!!!!! #3 Ranked! Beat LSU! Woo Pig Sooie!!)




Courtesy of Home Fields, Inc.


Joe's probably gonna get the Razorback Stadium next year - unless they start doing the NBA arenas and then we will for sure be getting the AAC (Go Mavs! Reigning Champions!!!)

Anyway, Dudes love these things.  Make a Dude in your life happy.  The smaller size costs $40. I know, it is a little pricey, but you'll have yourself a happy dude.  They also sell little acrylic cases for both sizes and I did get one of those for my Dad.  There is something about the case that makes it look even more 3 dimensional.  I think the acrylic must distort it (in a good way).  Visit Home Fields, Inc.  to order. 

Next Gift:
All men are really just little boys inside.  That's why last year I bought my Dad this:

Courtesy of Target.com

Note the age on the box is for men boys aged 10-12.  Well, my Dad is 69 years old and loved this thing.  He gets a real kick out of shooting the missles at my Mom too.  I've had some other lady friends get these for Dudes in their life too and every one of them loves it.  Just do it.

Click here for more gift ideas.