everyday beautiful

Insta Friday at Everyday Beautiful

Here's a bit of what's going on at our house this week via grainy cell phone pics. I am linking up to Insta- Friday at Life Rearranged. You should too! It's fun!

I started out the week by getting my hair done by my bestie! got a little pink feather extension put in too! Its just little. Can you see it?

She just put a hair studio in her basement! This is the amazing penny wall and fireplace that they just put in! The cell phone pic definitely doesn't do it justice! Such a fun space to get pampered in!

My hubby and I spent a few days doing some *mini* upgrades on our new house. It all started with a trip to home depot for a sink sprayer.  We ended up buying a whole faucet, hardware for the cabinets in the kitchen and bathroom and a curtain rod, along with paint for the ourdoor trim around our front door. I will just show you the exciting stuff!

Hardware is Martha Stewart Bedford Canopy Pull in Brushed Nickel and Bedford Ribbon Pull and curtain rod is also Martha Stewart from Home Depot. Curtains are Pier One. The hardware is a brushed nickel but aged a bit! I can't seem to get enough of damask lately!

Here's a full shot. I need to figure out what I am going to do for art framing the patio window! 

Here is a pic of what was up there before! Blech!

Since I have been showing little pieces of our fall decor, here are a few more pumpkins that have found their home on the kitchen shelf. I just love little pumpkins and how easy they make fall decorating!

We also have all these squash from our farm share here on the table lookin' pretty but I need to find some new ways to cook them. I usually roast them which is good.  Do you have any yummy recipes for squash?

I had MOPS group this week at church where one of the ladies spoke about organization. It inspired me to start using the home management binder that I made about a month ago. {And it happens to match my curtains}! I got super cute printables from Clean Mama Printables on etsy and it's all ready to go now I just need to make sure I am am using it daily! More on that later!

 Thanks for stopping by for Instafriday! Leave a comment so I can pay you a visit too!

More Insta friday posts here!

Everyday Beautiful Tip: Use Fabric Details for a Simple Shower

I recently helped host a simple baby shower for an old friend and college roommate! It was fun to put a few details together for the small group. I might be biased but fabrics are a fun and inexpensive way to coordinate all the little details for a shower or party. Lines of fabric are made to match so pick a line and easy-peasy. I went with fabrics that coordinated with the baby room colors. Vintage mint, pink and brown from the Just Dandy line in the Fabric Shoppe! First I made this simple pendant banner to use for decoration at the shower which then the new mama could take home for the baby room. We held the shower at Turtle Bread Co in Minneapolis. Yummm!  

I also made a orange sugar scrub as a favor for the girls attending! Baby food jars are perfect {and cheap or free}. All you need is sugar, a light oil{i used light olive oil} and an essential oil of your choice.There are natural alpha hydroxy's in sugar so it makes your skin look and feel amazing! Just mix up till you like the consistancy and add essential oils until you like the smell! You don't even need a recipe. Honestly!

Add fabric and twine to the jars for instant cuteness!

I wrapped the gifts in plain brown craft paper then taped a strip of leftover fabric  around it attaching it on the bottom with packing tape. Then just add a bit of twine to finish it off. 

The banner got a little wrinkled in transit but still *ADORABLE*. 

Favors and cake!

Really simple details that were inexpensive and easy to do! I probably used less than a yard total of fabric. Great deal considering it covered decor, favors and gift wrap! A fat quarter bundle from your favorite line would work perfectly for projects like these. You may want 1/4 yard cuts for the wrapping paper project!

Insta- Friday at Everyday Beautiful

There's a lot of fabric, quilting and crafting that goes on on the blog here every week so when I saw the Insta Friday party going on every friday at Life Rearranged, I thought it would be a great way to get a little more personal every week! Since it is just cell phone pics I think i can stay on top of it! {i think i can, i think i can}

So here's a few phone pic peeks {say that 5 times fast} into our home this week. We have been on a healthy food kick and trying to use all our new grains from whole foods. I found this recipe for Quinoa and black beans! The girls both loved it! See that big smile! It was actually De.Lish!

My bestie Christy came over for some much needed craft time! Love it! I am so proud of her, she is learning to sew and catching on quick! We made the cute little A-frame tents you have seen pinned all over pinterest. The one in the background is half done. I picked that fabric because my 3 year old gushes over it anytime she sees it in the Shoppe! "Oh mommy i just love this heart fabric."  I will post more on that project later. Super easy and fun for the kiddos! 

Nothing better than homemade pizza and red wine.  I am usually not a fan of red wine but with pizza it just goes. I *am* liking the pre-made pizza dough from Trader Joe's for $1.20. How do you make your pizza dough? I am wondering if i can freeze some in batches? HMMmm.

It is definitely fall here which always puts me in the mood to organize and decorate! I put out a few pumpkins. Many more to come! This is on our pie safe in the living room!

I got a new devotional by Sarah Young that i have been meaning to pick up for at least 4 years. It comes with rave reviews and I have been enjoying the encouraging words in the morning while my littles eat their breakfast. 

It has helped me to remember that I am soooo blessed even when my little ones turn my clean living room into this in 2.5 seconds *EVERY* morning. Cause I know there will come a time when I will wish there were little dollies and princess tiaras all over the floor to pick up! 

Oh and the Insta-Challenge was show a DIY project so here is my finished tent residing in the toy room!

Thanks for stopping by for insta- friday! Come back soon!  And thanks to Life.rearranged for hosting this every week! I love it!

Easy Minky Cuddle Blanket baby shower gift!

I recently made this simple shower gift for 2 of my besties who are new mamas. What baby wouldn't love a super cuddly blanket and cute burp cloths! I used cuddle minky from the Shoppe in the new Carnival colors. Here is a Simple Minky Blanket Tutorial for you to follow!

This blanket only takes 3/4 yard of 2 different fabrics. It is a great beginner project! It's easy to sew with and very forgiving! We have lots of new fun minky and cuddle fabric in stock right just in time for holiday gifts! 

Baby Charlotte with her new blanket!

Featured Tutorial: Easy To Sew Minky Cuddle Blanket

I made this super cute and easy to sew blanket a few weeks ago. This little cuddly blanket only took me about 30 minutes to make. Most of the time was spent pinning. We have kits available for purchase in the Shoppe to make this blanket!  All you need is 3/4  to 1 yard of 2 different minky fabrics. You can actually get 2 blankets out of this amount of fabric. I didn't wash the fabric first. 

I first put the pieces right sides together and trimmed to about the size I wanted. No fancy measuring needed.:) Then pin all the way around about every 3 inches. This is the most time consuming part but it makes it really easy to sew up. 

 

Then I sewed up the edges with a 1/4 inch seam leaving about 5 inches open at the end. Turn the blanket inside out and top stitch about a 1/2 inch in. I am not sure the technical way to finish off but i just tucked the edges in the 5 inch hole and continued the top stitch all the way around the blanket. Then done! So easy and the fuzzy fabric even hid a few mistakes i had to sew over a few times. 

There's my peanut holding the finished product!

So cute and cozy! Great shower or toddler gift!

We have kits available for purchase in the Shoppe to make this blanket!

Get your cuddle minky fabric in the Fabric Shoppe if you want to make one too!

My Beginners Wonky Log Cabin Quilt

I haven't posted anything about this quilt i started about a year ago. Mostly because I still have to bind it and also the pictures I took were not that great.  But thought i would throw it up here anyways. I would say this is my FIRST real quilt. I have made a few tops and one rag quilt before. I made it for my daughters big girl bed and I am pretty happy with how it turned out!  

Started with Quilt Dad's tutorial for Wonky Log Cabin Squares.

"look what mom's making me" 

 I had it long arm quilted at a local shop. I can't wait to wash it so it scrunches up a little!

So now off to research all the great quilt binding tutorials out there. 

 

Fall crafting- Bittersweet wreaths

I recently climbed a southern minnesota bluff with a few of my besties to make these lovely fall wreaths.  It was treacherous but well worth it.

 Christy (Stay tuned for an awesome future guest post!)

collecting the vines

Christy, Liz, me

If you happen to find bittersweet just twist vines in a circle and keep wrapping adding smaller pieces in to fill in gaps and add color where needed. You can make it as messy or perfect as you would like. It make our little apartment patio look cute if I do say so myself.

If you don't have time to make a fall or holiday wreath check out ProFlowers wreath collection. I like this one! Here is a promo code for a little discount on their festive wreaths! 

 

Wonky Quilt Along progress

Strips cut

First few blocks!

"see what mommy's making me!"

You can join in on this Old Red Barn Quilt Along lead by Quilt Dad!

My first try...

This was my first venture into the world of sewing from a pattern.  I do know my way around a sewing machine as I have been quilting for a while.  But was a little nervous to venture into the world of clothing.  I figured this small jumper looked simple enough, and if other people can do it then why can't I.  I was right! It was not really that hard and would encourage any of you beginners who are too scared to start a project like this to just jump in and give it a try!  You might be pleasantly surprised!  I used Fortune in Sun from Anna Maria's new Good Folks line.  I love it, and can't wait till the baby will be able to wear it this summer!

 

PS...i used New Look pattern #6576

New items in my etsy shop

I finally had a little time to craft here and came up with a few new burp cloth sets i just added to my other shop.  I have also added DIY kits for those of you who would rather make them on your own.  I love the new color combos!

DIY kits