no i'm not dead. just 9 months pregnant in the middle of a damn hot summer with only a swamp cooler. did i mention i already have two crazy ( but cute!) boys 3 and under. thus the lack of energy to make, thus the lack of posting. i must be nesting or something because i have sudden urge to make things. i am currently working on a super easy skirt tutorial. stay tuned... unless i have the baby , then forget about me doing anything ever again. i better hurry only 10 days to go until my due date. eek i am freaking out here.

baggity bag

i love this bag. it was supposed to be for a friend but i am seriously considering keeping it. love the model...

made for the mamas

made from this tutorial. i just used paper, and then modge podeged the whole thing.

quilt

these photos are of the amazing quilt top that my mom gave to me ( and that my granny gave to her). that belonged to and was hand-pieced by my grandpa's grandmother. the quilt is over 100 years old! isn't it beautiful? i'm not sure what i want to even do with it. it is in really good condition but i am still worried about applying a back and quilting it. have any ideas? all i know is that i am in awe of people's mad hand sewing skills!

preschool ideas

with two kids 3 and under i find it hard to always find time to do fun and educational things with them. i decided that this summer i would try and create a home based preschool program to match my families needs. i found out about this awesome preschool program through a friends blog. i am so excited to do this with my boys this summer. i really like the way that the program is set up.

one thing that i have already been doing with my boys is collecting neat craft books. my mom gave me a few of these books. have you seen them? they have great projects and most of the things needed are already in your home.

we have also found some great books at the DI, gotta love the $1.00 kid books! we have a great little library and are hoping to find more books to add.

here are some links to get you started...

kidscrafts

crafty crow

my kid rocks

homemade art supplies

diy kids

123 kids

a magical childhood

sew mama sew tutorial contest

i have just entered my tutorial into a contest. check out the sew mama sew blog for more info. this is one of my all time favorite websites. they have great fabric and wonderful ideas.

nursing cover tutorial

while pregnant with my second boy, my husband and i attended a REAL salt lake soccer game. while there i noticed a cute lady nursing her baby with a really cool nursing cover. this unique cover had a stiff top so that she could see her baby. it was lightweight, hip and convenient. it was also $35-50 -- something that i could easily make myself.

i am definitely a big time pro-breastfeeding gal but i also don't like my chubby belly or muffin top hanging out for all the world to see. a boob is no big deal but i'll be damned if anyone is catching a glimpse of my belly! it is also nice because unlike a blanket, the straps tighten as little hands try to rip if off.

i hope you enjoy the tutorial, please let me know if something is unclear. i am a very visual person so i tried to take alot of pictures.also if you are not a sewer or don't have the time, i make and sell nursing covers for $20.

you will need :

1 yard of cute fabric

1 16 inch piece of boning

2 metal d rings

thread

water soluble pen

step 1.

from your fabric cut:

--one rectangle 26x 38 inches ( for the main body) --one strip 4 1/4 inch wide by 38 inches long. then cut off 12 inches from that, leaving you with two strips . these will be your straps. sometimes if i feel like it i will make the straps out of a contrasting fabric.

step 2.

on the main body, fold over the short sides 1/2 inch. press and fold again. do the same for the long sides ( top and bottom). first, sew up the short sides,then the bottom. save the top edge for later so that you can thread your boning through. step 3.

lets work on the straps shall we? ok ... take your shorter strap ( 12 inch) and press in half with right sides together. sew 1/4 inch away from raw edge. turn tube right side out. maneuver the seam so it's going down the middle as depicted in the photo below. press ,then top stitch both long edges.

now fold the shorter strap in half and slip it through the 2 d-rings. sew a line across the strap, right up next to the edge of the rings to keep them in their place. step 4.
press the long strap in half ( with right sides together)and sew 1/4 inch away from raw edge. when you get about 3 inches from the bottom of the strap, start stitching inward curving like so...
this allows the d ring to fit around the strap properly without coming lose. in fact the more you pull,the tighter it becomes. trim the curved seam to 1/4 inch. turn fabric right side out and press the same way as you did the other strap ( with the seam in the middle). top stitch all the way around.
step 5.
it's time to go back to the main body. fold over the top edge 1/2 inch, press and fold over again, press . on the wrong side of the fabric ,at the top edge, mark 10 inches from each side with the water soluble marker. with the wrong side together pin the long strap to the mark on the left mark, lining up the center of the strap to the mark .do the same with the short strap on the mark to the right. make sure that the raw edge of the straps is tucked snugly into the future casing. ( enlarge the picture to see what i mean) step 6.
sew a perpendicular line across the casing, where you drew your mark at the shorter strap. this keeps the boning in place. make sure that you back stitch.
step 7.
sew the top casing like you did on the previous 3 sides. thread your boning through the open end of the casing ( left side). making sure that the curve of the boning is facing outward. then at your other mark ( the left mark) sew another perpendicular line through the casing again, securing the boning between the straps.
step 8.
flip the straps up now and top stitch around the whole top of the casing. don't worry about sewing on the boning, it is sewable.

step 9.
thread longer strap through both d-rings, then back though one.slip ever your neck and adjust as needed.
tada! enjoy your nursing cover you can even embellish it to your liking. i have done some with rick rack and a pocket on the outside. you can also do a pocket on either of the inner corner, made of terry cloth , to use as a burp cloth.

whats for dinner

i have been inspired by this blog... i already make a menu up for the week and print out all the recipes. why not keep them all in one place for all of us to enjoy. unlike carrie, i will not be making 6 meals a week ( even though i would love to) first of all it's to much money, second of all james gets home from work at 8:45, and third of all now that my granny lives here we all take turns making dinner. also- my menus aren't set in stone as to what day we eat what. enjoy! and remember i am pregnant so these recipes might seen odd. here is my meal plan for the week- {monday} bean quesadillas with pickled onions ( but we prefer black beans) spicy pickled carrots ( we had these in california, i honestly was so full by the time dinner came because i gorged myself on them... heartburn is only a minor side effect) strawberries spicy pickled carrots INGREDIENTS: · 2 lbs large carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces · 5 cloves garlic peeled and diced · 1 1/2 cups vinegar · 1 1/2 cups water · 10 bay leaves, whole · 8 peppercorns · 1 teaspoon salt · 6 oz. pickled jalapenos PREPARATION: Heat oil in a large saucepan and saute the garlic. Add in carrots and saute for 2-3 minutes. Carefully add in vinegar, peppercorns, salt, and and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer for 5 minutes and then add water and jalapenos and bring to a simmer again for another 10 minutes. Let it cool completely and then transfer the carrots and cooking liquid into a covered container and refrigerate overnight. Store the carrots in the liquid and use a slotted spoon to serve them. You may leave the bay leaves in the liquid to add to the flavor, but do not eat them. Always remove the bay leaves before you eat the carrots {tuesday} grannies meal- costco lasagna, salad and garlic bread grannies yummy garlic bread- *french bread *butter *garlic juice ( yes i said garlic juice, it is a- maz- ing!) *parmesan *whatever else you want slice garlic bread. melt butter and add garlic juice and whatever else strikes you as delicious. dip bread sliced into melted goodness. bake at 400 until desired doneness. {wednsday} marv and joes, organic roasted red pepper soup ( costco but with added ingredients to taste like paradise bakeries tomato soup) pineapple marv and joes- *unsliced or very thick sliced wheat bread *homemade garlic butter *fresh sliced tomatoes *provolone cheese *parmesan cheese *olive oil and red wine vinegar * salt and pepper slice bread into thick slices. butter with garlic butter and parmesan and place in oven at 400 until toasty. add tomatoes, oil and lots of vinegar. top with provolone and more vinegar, salt and pepper. place back into oven and broil until cheesy is melted. {thursday} aunt vickies meal? {friday} salmon, asparagus, zesty lemon potatoes or game night. simple baked salmon- *salmon fillets *butter *lemon slices *dill wrap salmon in foil, place slices of lemons and pats of butter, sprinkle with dill, season to taste with salt and pepper. wrap tightly and bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. {saturday}nothing... out to eat or leftovers {sunday}??? my dinner for the family, yet to be decided but for sure will include peach ice cream made in my new ice cream maker. that i got $100 off at sur la table, in case you were wondering. {extras... breakfast, lunch, treats} pioneer lady's favorite salad-made it last week... it is so good! it needs nuts though. she suggests cashews but i'm thinking almonds. will be enjoying it at the zoo with good friends. jessica seinfields butternut squash mac and cheese- so so good and the kids love it as much as we do!

The best potatoe soup ever...

image via allrecipes.com

My grannie and i have much in common. we both love to cook and find new recipes. last week grannie sent me this recipe for cheesy corn and potato chowder from allrecipes. i must admit that at first i was skeptical, i thought this can't be that good ( even though it had rave reviews on allrecipes.com) oh how wrong i was... granny and grandpa made it and had the whole family over for dinner. it was yummy and filling. we had it in bread bowls and topped it with bacon and green onions. yummy, now go make some for dinner.

Cheesy potato and corn chowder

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
2 (14.5 ounce) cans chicken broth
3 cups peeled and cubed potatoes
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
1 (2.5 ounce) package country style gravy mix
2 cups milk
1 cup shredded Mexican-style velveeta

DIRECTIONS
In large saucepan, melt margarine over medium high heat. Add celery and onion; cook and stir until tender, about 5 minutes.
Add chicken broth; bring to a boil. Add potatoes; cook over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes or until potatoes are soft, stirring occasionally.
Stir in corn and chiles; return to boiling. Dissolve gravy mix in milk; stir into boiling mixture. Add cheese; cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted.

cowboy quilt for my lil cowpoke

i made this cowboy quilt for my littlest guys birthday. one side is mostly micheal miller's lil cowpoke fabric with a strip of yellow and white polka dots. the other side is cream material with a strip of pieced lil' cowpoke and polka dot material. the top was quilted with brown thread every inch. the bottom was quilted in yellow thread by tracing various sizes of bowls onto the fabric. the binding was just leftover from another project but i thought i matched nicely. i think it needs an applique or embroidery of some sort. i love the look of this little blanket/quilt. one thing that i did this time was to wait to wash the fabric until the quilt was complete. i think it gave it a yummy old fashioned look. this was my first time doing the hand sewn binding and it is a little rough, i think i might have to redo it but i'll see how it looks after i wash it again. hope you like it baby boy!