Little Boy Shorts.

I finally got around to trying out the pants tutorial on MADE. It's been on my list for quite sometime. I referenced the tutorial and made my own pattern off of a pair of shorts that fit my little guy. These shorts were made from a pair of khaki pants that my husband no longer wore. He recently went through his clothes and I got to reap the repurposing benefits :). I thought I was all clever and was going to save myself some precious time by using the existing hem. Well I also chose to save myself some precious time and draw directly onto the fabric rather than making a template. You guessed it, didn't quite work out and I ended up wasting time fixing my lazy mistakes. The bottom hems didn't line up for some reason (like by an inch!), so I ripped out the hem and created new ones while fighting stubborn permanent creases. It all worked out in the end though, and they turned out really cute. I love the top stitching detail withe the contrasting thread. I'm confident the next pair will go much smoother and more quickly. I'm planning on making another pair for my bigger little boy out of the same discarded pants and then a couple more from some linen blend khakis that also made it to the giveaway pile. I love when I can meet a need with things I have on hand.

P.S. The wet spot on his pants is from the swing set (early morning dew), no accidents this morning :). Not the best picture of the shorts in action, but you get the idea.

Father's Day felt.

I made my husband a felt bowl? box? (still not sure what to call it) to keep his essentials in at his desk. Now he'll never be fishing around for his wallet, phone, or keys...which happens all the time at home. Perhaps I need to make one for our bedroom as well. And maybe one for the kitchen :). I did some online looking and found similar fabric boxes, but nothing exciting in felt. I played with a piece of paper and made a template, then just sewed together three pieces of felt. Three pieces made for a sturdy structure and it's fun to see all three colors on the edges. The stitching detail came about when some unattractive bubbling was going on while I was trying to fold the edges up to create the sides. I love how much it ended up adding to the piece, provided more structure and great detail. If you wanted to make your own you could modify this tutorial.

And, just because I can, I'll gush about my husband for a minute. God was looking out for me when we found each other. He is my perfect match, gives me confidence and helps me recognize my beauty. He is a strong leader and wonderful father. Our kids will never wonder if their father loves them. He is my very best friend and I am so thankful to get to experience and share what having a family means and is with him. Happy Father's Day to the best man I know. And Happy Father's Day to all the best men in your lives :). Hope you all have a lovely Father's Day weekend with your family.

New Mom Bag!

Okay, so I didn't make anything in this post. But I still wanted to share my fabulous new bag that my husband surprised me with for my birthday. It's coated canvas which means it's completely wipeable. Which also means it's completely awesome :). There are tons of pockets and the magnetic closures on the flap and back pocket make it really easy to get in and out of. The messenger styling means it won't fall off my shoulder and I can have both hands free—a very important feature when you have four kids five and under. I've had plenty of opportunity to discover what features would be best for a carry all bag for moms and this really does fit the bill. Plus it's super cute and will be great as a laptop bag when the kiddos are grown and I don't have to tote around half my house every time I go to runs errands. He even got me a coordinating wallet and zipper bags to hold all those little essentials. Good job babe!

*The bag is by Fossil and was purchased at Macy's. I don't see this style online anymore but there are other style options in this same line with the coated canvas.

Big weekend.

The first week of June is a big one for me. My anniversary is on the 4th and my birthday is two days following. My husband and I celebrated our seventh anniversary this year! Two days later I turned 27! We've accomplished a heck of a lot in the eight years we've known each other. We met, dated for six months, got married three months later, moved to a new city, I got pregnant, had my beautiful daughter baby #1, we bought our first house and moved to another city, Josh started his own business, I got pregnant again, I graduated from college, had baby #2 a handsome boy, two years later I got pregnant again (seeing a theme) another handsome boy, Josh's business moved to a new location, I got pregnant once again and gave birth to another sweet baby girl. And here I am happily married to my best friend and absolute perfect match. It's been a whirlwind, but it's been a beautiful ride :). The happiness you see in our wedding photo is very much still alive and I am so thankful for that.

The little embroidery project was inspired by this tutorial. My hand sewing skills aren't exactly great, but when my five year old could read everything without help I knew my stitching was legible enough :). We went to the local drive-in for our anniversary date. It was a ton of fun. And I know what you're thinking, but don't worry we kept it G rated inside the van ;). Going to the drive-in is fun because there's nearly a two hour wait until it's dark enough for the movie to start. That makes for plenty of time to hang out, laugh, and talk before the show. It's one of our favorite cheap summer dates. It was a wonderful weekend.

*Oh and I got totally spoiled with an awesome new mom bag, I'll show and tell soon :).