A love story

The other day I was in Anthropologie, browsing, laughing, skipping, singing.... that place does that to me. It was a very surreal experience, because not only was I child free, a rarity in it's self, but the store didn't have a single customer in it. Just me and the sales staff, who stayed huddled in a corner somewhere talking about someone. It was so pleasant and peaceful with the music playing and all of the spring fashions quietly beckoning me to take them home, but it's still too cold to even think about a really cute yellow sleeveless dress. Naturally, I went to the back of the store where the sale section is located and I noticed a lone corduroy jacket on the sales rack. It stood out because 1) it was alone, separate from the rest of the sale clothes and 2) it was really cute!
We had a moment. I looked at it, it looked at me, then it flashed this at me....

$9.95!!!!!

"I, I, I love you" I whispered. Quickly, I swooped that baby right up. And it fit =) I was half expecting a hidden camera crew to come out from behind the racks and say something like "Surprise! You're on a new TV reality show called Consumer Punked." But they didn't! This was all really happening. So I went to purchase the jacket, and again, I was expecting the lady to say it was a mistake, but she didn't. As I was walking toward the exit, I saw daylight and began to quicken my step practically to a run. I almost stuck out my chest like the runners do when it's a close race to the finish line. I didn't, but was tempted to. Anyways, I made it out of the store without any harassment. 

The jacket now lives happily with my snap cap. A match made in heaven.

Jamie

This morning.....

Husband: So you're going to the gym today?
Me: Yeeees =(
Husband: Don't worry, LJ (2 year old) will be fine in childcare. Plus, B-girl will be with him.
Me: But every time I pick him up from childcare he is crying over some incident that took place in childcare. I don't think they (childcare workers) watch the kids very well.
Husband: He'll be fine.... relax Marlin.

2 hours later... My friend Kate and I are walking, I mean running on the treadmills.

Me: Did you see LJ when you dropped of Ryan?
Kate: No, but I saw B-girl. She was going to take Ryan to LJ
Me: Thinking to myself... I hope he's not in the bathroom all by himself. What if he drowns in the toilet or poops and tries to wipe!? He can't wipe by himself! If he does wipe by himself, he'll probably smear poop all over his hands, which will then accidentally get in his mouth - making him sick. I will then have to take him to the ER, where they'll have to pump his stomach. After pumping his stomach, they'll turn to me and think I'm a terrible mother, because I didn't wash his hands. I will then have to enroll in some 60 day mothering program, because the Judge will deem me unfit as a mother!

Then logic kicked in and I reassured myself that he was probably fine and I am a good mother.

30 minutes into the walk..er..uh..run.

A childcare worker announces on the PA: Would the parent of Elizabeth please come to the childcare room?
Me: (in a joking tone) Uh-oh, must be a biter.
We both laugh and continue our intense exercise session.

30 minutes later....

Kate and I finish our workout and decide it's time to pick up the kids.
Childcare worker: (Looking at me with a how do I say this look) Um...a little girl bit, punched, and pushed your son. Your son did hit back and they were basically going at it... fighting.
Me: As in a brawl???? :O
Childcare worker: Yeah, the little girl has space issues. She even bit me, but we handled it and took her out of childcare today.
Me: Thank you for taking care of it.
Childcare worker: Her mom usually works out at this time.
Me: Great :(

My son wasn't that upset over the incident. He did cry, but recovered quickly. I still had a little hope in the whole childcare thing. That is until we were getting into the car and my daughter said
"LJ was in the bathroom all by himself and when he came out he didn't have any pants on."
Me: What do mean he didn't have any pants on? Was he in the bathroom alone?
B-girl: Yeah. He came out of the bathroom and was naked for a little while. Then the lady came over and put his pants on.

Yes, I washed his hands immediately when I got home.
So now I am faced with a dilemma.... To gain weight or put my son in harms way?
Sigh - decisions.

Jamie

Sin-oh-man rolls!

These cinnamon rolls are insane! I made them yesterday morning for my family and I am now considered a great baker =) My oldest son hummed while he ate. My daughter said "I love you mom" several times while she was eating them. My youngest some only eats McDonalds, so he doesn't count. Lastly, and perhaps the best response of the morning was when my husband said "These taste better than Cinnabon." That made the extra calories and fat grams totally worth it. Here is the recipe link.

Jamie

Photoshop actions

I thought I'd have the painted peg dolls up in the shop, but it's taking a bit longer then I had planned. Painting little faces and sewing little dresses is certainly a process I shouldn't rush. Plus, I want to list a couple of finished dolls all at once rather than 1 doll at a time. Options are a good thing.

I do, however, want to share with you a few photos. Have you ever heard of The Pioneer Woman blog by Ree Drummond? Likely so. Pretty much everyone has or will eventually stumble upon her web site in their blogging adventures. I am particularly fond of her photography section where I've found free actions that can be used in photoshop.
Below are a couple of my favorite photos that I've applied Ree's actions to. I have written what actions were used underneath each photo.



Action: Lovely and Ethereal
My brother and my little guy.

Action: Seventies



Action: Colorized
Little girls love their daddies.



Action: Seventies



Action: PW Black and White beauty
Oh how I love this pic. To me, it's metaphoric of what the future holds for my little girl. As she grows older she will become more independent, running through life on her chosen path. The two girls to me represent friendships and how I hope she will find a special kindred spirit to connect with. The old man reminds me of how we eventually do slow down and take notice of the things we overlooked when we were young and running.



Actions: Quick edge burn and boost.
I love that man!



Actions: Define and sharpen, Quick edge burn, Seventies

And this is me at my favorite place with my favorite people. What more can a woman ask for!

Have a pleasant weekend my friends.

Jamie

New aprons and a Flickr group!

Bouquet

Owl

Flower Fair

... and the half apron Tiger.  I miss making half aprons.  I sort of forgot about them until I was looking at the Tiger on the Flower fabric and said to myself "this should be a half apron." I'm glad I talk to myself, because I like the apron ;)  All of the aprons are up in the shop.

Lastly, I started a flickr group called Pretty Ditty Show and Tell.  If you have made something from one of my tutorials, patterns, or kits, I would love for you to join the group and share your creation.  Currently, I'm the only one in the group.  It's just me with my rotary cutter.... waiting.... hoping....(sniff).... that someone will want to join my group.  Ahhh - it's high school all over again! 

 Seriously, do feel free to join, share, be inspired and inspire others.

Cheers,

Jamie

Just keep swimming.

Whoo wee, this week is off to a busy start. From business stuff to kids stuff... lots of kids stuff, I feel like a 4 year old learning to swim in the big pool. Do you remember when Dori from the movie Nemo sang "just keep swimming, just keep swimming?" That tune keeps playing over and over in my head. It brings a smile to my face and lightens the mood while I swim =)

I wanted to show you some new Alexander Henry fabric that just arrived in the shop.



Las Chiquitas in red, black, and tea.
This fabric totally speaks to my inner rebellious child. Inner rebellious child - that reminds me of when I was young.....er, I use to love the name Jezebel. For those of you who don't know, Jezebel was an extremely evil woman of the Bible. When I was really bad and rebellious my Mom would tell me I was acting like a Jezebel, which is basically Christianese for the B word (Don't feel bad for me... she was right. Plus, I tease her about it all the time.). It didn't bug me because I liked the name and thought it was rather pretty. I somehow missed the sermon on how evil Miss Jezebel was. I always thought to myself "When I have a daughter I'm going to name her Jezebel." I know. My poor mother. Eventually, I read how evil this woman was and came to my senses =) However, I do like skull fabric!

My other fabric news is I have Sandi Henderson fabric on sale from 30% to 40% off!

Lastly, all of the Peg doll kits have shipped. Thank you so much for the nice comments, emails, and kit purchases. I am looking forward to seeing your peg doll creations. On my To Do list is to start a Pretty Ditty flickr group, where you can share your bird cages, love birds, peg dolls, and anything you've made with one of my tutorials. I get so inspired by your creations.

Off I go... just keep swimming, just keep swimming.

Jamie

The winners are.....

The Random Number Generator chose...... The Blue Ridge Gal, Quitecontrary1977, and Rebecca the last comment (before mine).  I would greatly appreciate it if the 3 winners will email me (apronstreet {at} yahoo dot com) their shipping address so I can get their kits to them ASAP.  

For those of you who are interested in the kits, they are now available in the shop.  Also, I have listed patterns only for the crafters that just want the pattern without the supplies.

Thank you again for taking part in the giveaway.  I hope you have a wonderful weekend full of sweetness.   

Happy Valentines Day!

Jamie

Barbies gone wild!

3,2,1... the giveaway is officially closed. I will announce the 3 winners tomorrow, the 13th of February. Thank you all so much for participating. I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed reading your comments. To be honest, some of your memories got me a bit teary eyed, while others were rolling funny. Thanks to all of you crafty people, I have absolutely no reason not to make this a special Valentines Day for every member of my family. You all have such great Valentines Day craft ideas for kids, husbands, and friends. What a creative bunch!

 Tomorrow, after I announce the winners, I will have the peg doll kits and patterns available for purchase in the Pretty Ditty shop.  Next week, I will update the shop with a couple of new aprons and hand painted peg dolls. One of the peg dolls that would love to be adopted is Jessica...

Jessica's little bird friend goes where she goes, so they come together. I love her sweet little freckle's and big cheeks. She is also wearing an undershirt and polka dotted tights. I have decided to start painting undergarments on the peg dolls. I don't know about your house, but over here it's like Spring Break at Daytona Beach.....

The other day, I turned the corner and was greeted by this display of debauchery. Practically every single Barbie in this house is a nudest! When my mother-in-law was visiting, she asked my daughter "Why are all of the Barbies naked?" My daughter said "Because dems hot." I guess I'm going to have to turn on the AC in the middle of winter just to keep things decent around here, or paint undergarments on all of the Barbies ;)

See you tomorrow.

Jamie

Peg Doll Kit Giveaway!

The giveaway is now closed =(  The winners will be announced Friday, February 13th.

It's time for the Peg Doll Kit giveaway! I am super excited for this giveaway, because I am anxious to get others hooked on making these cuties. Hopefully, we will soon all be bonding over our little creations like Mama's and their newborns.... sort of =) Before I begin, let me introduce you to 2 new additions to the peg doll family. This is Olive....

and this is May....

Both are very sweet and happy peg peoples'.

Now for the fun part.... the giveaway! I am giving away 3 Peg Doll Kits. Each kit will include the following:

~ doll parts to make 2 peg dolls

~ dress template and pattern

~ 2 - 5" square felt fabric (dress material)

~ 2 snaps (for the dresses)

~ directions for assembling the peg doll

What you will need:

~ paint for the face, hair, and skin

~ fabric glue stick (my preference) or some type of adhesive

~ embellishments for the dress (optional)

~ wood glue if you want the head permanently attached to the peg (optional)

~ varnish (optional)

How to win a kit:

Leave a comment on this post with a Valentines Day gift idea, story, or memory. If you're not into the Hallmark holiday, then vote for your favorite comment. Please don't forget to leave some sort of contact info such as a blog link, email, or web site.

Who can enter? Anyone! Yes, even International as long as USPS airmail will ship there.

How will the winners be chosen? By a Random Number Generator.

The giveaway will close on February 12th 2009 (just in case someone reads this post after 2009) and the winners will be announced on February 13th (Friday).

Let's start the giveaway.... NOW!

Jamie

New Alexander Henry fabric and 411 on the peg doll kit giveaway

Thunder Flower

Livingston Seagull

Camden Fair


and Charleston.

Mmm, mmm, MMMMM... tasty eye candy! All of the above fabrics are available in my shop Phat Fabric.

Lastly, the peg doll kits giveaway will be tomorrow. Yippee! Be thinking of some Valentines day ideas, because I don't have any.

Until tomorrow my friends,
Jamie

One more thing, thanks for all of the kind words about my Peek-a-boo lamp shade. Very nice of you all =)

Peek-a-boo lamp shade makeover/tutorial

The above lamp has had a tough life since I've adopted it. It's endured the birth of three babies and has been knocked over, dragged, poked, chewed, suspended in air, and who knows what other gosh awful abuses have occurred. However, it's still alive and kicking, which is why it's the perfect lamp for a makeover. After flipping through older Anthro catalogs, I came across a lamp that had a similar structure as my white lamp (I would link, but I can't find the lamp online). That was all the inspiration I needed. With a little math, fabric, and determination, I fashioned myself a new lamp shade...

It is much happier now. I like the peek-a-boo fabrics along with the folds, which gives the lamp movement and texture. If you are interested in making one yourself, below is a tutorial on how to make a Peek-a-boo lamp shade. All you have to do in return is pretend my windows in the pictures are clean =)

What you will need:
~ Scrap fabrics or various fabrics from a favorite designer. I used fabric from Phat Fabric (how much depends on your measurements)
~ bias tape or make bias tape
~ muslin or some sort of beige fabric
~ NON FLAMMABLE fabric glue
~ ruler

Lets begin our transformation...

1. First, we will make our template. Measure the circumference of both the top and bottom of the lamp shade. Record both measurements. Next, measure the length of the lamp shade (I will refer to this as the length line).

2. Determine how many strips of fabric you want on the lamp shade. Now for the part that's going to make your high school math teacher very proud.... divide the top circumference number by the amount of strips you desire. This is measurement A. Apply the same math equation for the bottom circumference (Bottom circumference divided by desired strips). This is measurement B. (And I thought I'd never use math after high school. I'm totally going to email this to Mr.Worthington)

3. On a piece of paper, draw a straight line that measures the length of the shade (use your length line measurement). Using measurement A, draw a straight line across the top of the length line (making a T). The length line should begin at the midpoint of measurement A. Next, do the same with measurement B, but instead of drawing it at the top of the length line, you will draw the straight line at the bottom of the length line. Again, make sure the bottom of the length line is centered at the midpoint of measurement B. Cut out your template, which should look like this...


4. Using your template, cut out the desired amount of fabric strips (not the muslin).


5. Arrange the strips on the lamp shade. Find a fabric sequence that is pleasing to your eyes.

6. One by one, peel of the strips and apply fabric glue to the wrong side of the fabric. It is very important that the glue is waterbased and non flammable or else you just may have to buy yourself a new house along with a new lamp shade.


7. Lay the fabric strip on to the lamp shade. Smooth out any bumps or bubbles. Repeat with the remaining strips of fabric. If you find that the strips don't line up perfectly, don't fret, the muslin strips will hide a multitude of sins.

I know what your thinking... "What did I let Jamie talk me into?" A happy lamp shade! Trust me. I'm a professional.... sort of.... at least in Prettydittyville I am.

8. Now for the muslin strips. Lay your template on top of your muslin. Add a 1/4" seam allowance to each side of the muslin (see pic below). * Note I did not add a 1/4" seam allowance to the top or bottom of the template. Just the sides. Cut double the amount of muslin strips as you did for the print strips. For example, if you cut 12 print strips then you should cut 24 muslin strips.


9. Once all of the muslin pieces are cut, you may begin to sew them together. Place two muslin pieces together, one on top of the other. If you are working with fabric that has a right and a wrong side, then you will want right sides together. With a 1/4" seam allowance, sew the lengthwise seams on both sides of your muslin strip. * Note - Do not sew the top or bottom of the strip, just the sides.

10. Turn your strip right side out and press.

A little wonky, but when it's folded it won't matter.

11. Find the mid point of your muslin strip and make a mark on the side. This mark should be light and will serve as a reference for where the fold should be.


12. Fold the muslin strip in half lengthwise. With matching thread, hand sew the fold close by making a little tack where the mark is.



13. Place your muslin strip between two printed strips. With a needle and thread, baste the top of the muslin piece to the shade. Do not cut the thread. Place another muslin piece between the next two printed pieces and baste with the same thread. Repeat with all muslin pieces.



14. Repeat step 13 for the bottom portion of the muslin strips. However, this time fold the bottom corners in a 1/4" (see pic).


15. Hand stitch the bias tape to the top and bottom of the shade. Be sure to place the edge of the shade in the bias tape and poke through both the fabric and shade (use a thimble) when sewing. I used a beige thread and a blind hem stitch. However, you can have fun with this part. One idea could be the use of embroidery thread in a popping color and a blanket stitch to show it off.


And voila! A happy shade made by you.




Jamie

If you make a lamp shade, please join the Pretty Ditty Show and Tell flickr group and show what you have created.